S brought home forms today to request transcripts for UNM and Texas Tech. Once we return the forms, the registrar will send the transcripts as soon as end-of-year grades are in.
Both schools offer rolling admissions, and he’s auto-admit, so… his whole application cycle may well be done by August 1. No essays. No letters of rec. Pretty much zero stress.
I keep reading posts here on CC where people are agonizing over this school vs. that school, or they committed to one but changed their mind / are still waiting on waitlists, or they got shut out, etc. It’s just very strange and super disorienting to think that’s he’s three weeks and a few clicks* away from being done with the whole college app thing.
At the mo, he’s still saying he’d like to visit Michigan State, and there’s a chance he’ll decide to apply to either UCR or maybe CSU Long Beach (competitive NMF full ride), but CSULB is heavily impacted, and I kind of can’t see him going there over either UNM or Tech.
I also have a sneaking suspicion that Michigan State might fall by the wayside once he has two acceptances in hand. We’ll see come August.
*This is me knocking wood because the Universe has a wicked dark sense of humor, so as soon as I say I think we’re done, that’s when the curveball will hit. You know, the kind where the CA cutoff goes to 224 (bite my tongue for even mentioning it!) and the gf suddenly wants them both to apply to Cal, or Stanford, or the Ivies, etc. No whammies!
The three closest state schools will all cost about the same, variables will be merit and music scholarships.
So we will visit and see how they compare. He also has to audition.
And we might add one or two private schools as well.
I have spent a lot of time on the 2017 thread as my S17 just went through the process. Now it is time to start completely over for S18. I learned a lot over the past 1+ years that S18 and I are putting into process. His goal is to maximize the merit scholarships! Let the games begin!
Interested in 2018 Parental advice - out of a dozen or so schools on D18’s target list, most don’t consider Letters Of Recommendation. For 2 of the 12 LOR’s are “optional” - so what do you think?? Important to provide “Optional” LOR’s or not? If they are in fact beneficial we will provide, but the process to get them at our HS takes effort (student profile to complete, student resume, parent personal letter, etc.). With that said if we do it for one they are ready to go for all including any special programs that may need one in the future. Input much appreciated as I’m guessing some of you have crossed this bridge . . . or will! L-)
D18 just took the SAT for the 1st time on 5/6 and she REALLY wants to take it again on 6/3, but the May scores won’t be released until 6/8. She’ll be a high stats kid based upon practice tests and I think there’s a good possibility of being be “one and done.” Would you folks wait to see the May score and what errors she made and then, if needed, take the August test? Or just take it again on 6/3 w/o knowing the results from May?
Also, there are some colleges that want all scores and if she takes the 5/6 and 6/3 test and the 1st score is really good, won’t that look odd to AO’s at schools where all scores are required to be seen/sent?
@sushiritto , just my personal opinion here based on how my own kids behave in such circumstances…
I’d let her take the SAT again next month, while she’s in testing mode and motivated. She may cool off over the summer and be disinterested by the time August rolls around. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest…
@suzy100 I could never hate you . . . but I’d love you more if the answer resulted in less work for ME - even though it should be all her! Thanks and sure we will get them but the “optional” word tempted me not to.
@ShrimpBurrito I think she will apply to McGill but with the dual citizenship I don’t think we will chase any merit there given the low COA and fact that she is average stats for McGill. D18 is good but not NMF material like some of your kids so we choose our merit picks wisely - FWIW 30 ACT and still prodding along, 3.75/4.25 UWGPA/WGPA.
@sushiritto thanks for the LOR advice - seems to be the consensus. I may need to find another forum that will support my inclinations to not do “Optional” activities but agree with you all that best to get them and use as needed!
My D probably won’t apply for the extra merit at McGill either. You need like a 3.8 GPA or something obscene like that to keep it. Not worth the stress.
Edit: yeah, 3.7 GPA and 27 credit hours, not including any summer credits. Too much pressure.
@ShrimpBurrito that’s a ridiculous GPA to maintain a scholarship - they are notorious for being tough with grades as well. Great school and absolute bargain though w Canadian citizenship.
@ShrimpBurrito , your kiddo will find so many things in college to keep that Type A motor running! My D15 was the same way in HS and if I had to list all the things she is doing now at school I would forget half and still cramp up my hunt n peck index finger. Sometimes I honestly don’t know what I did with my time in college, compared to kids today.