@ColoSky I’m looking at the online senior handbook, and it does not say anything about Common App schools lumped together for these purposes. It says you must provide:
“List of all colleges to which you are applying that need a counselor recommendation and their application
deadlines (maximum of 8 allowed)”
Elsewhere it also claims that you cannot effectively apply to ten or more colleges, and to focus your time and energy on putting together a smaller number of stellar applications.
I hope that there is some flexibility on this for special cases, as @3scoutsmom says.
So my anxiety and nerves are over the top. I hate to vent here but I feel like we are all in similar situations. My youngest did get everything done with Common App aside from one supplemental essay, she is submitting her requests to guidance today (first day of school) for Letters of Rec and Transcripts to be sent to her four schools. I know it’s a busy time of year for Guidance…hoping she doesn’t get lost in the shuffle but happy she’s ahead of the game given her busy fall schedule. Aside from that watching Irma head towards Florida where I have a lot of family and own a condo is making me absolutely sick to my stomach with worry :(. And now my Junior in college is texting me that she got bit by a spider or something and has some weird infection on her ankle. I’m feeling the stress big time fellow parents. Feels better to type it though haha. Hope everyone is well and any of our 2018 Family in Florida and Texas…sending lots of love your way and hoping everyone is safe.
Regarding the number of recommendations being limited by the guidance office, my impression is that the counselor and teachers just write you one letter each, and you send the same letters to all the schools you are applying to. Am I missing something big here?
@AmyBeth68 it will all be ok. You are so far ahead of everything. It’s early September! Don’t worry! I know you can’t help it you’re a great Mom! We all love our kiddos so much. Just breathe.
*** driver’s license** - S is ready to take the written test but the first appt. is two weeks away
*** finish NMSF application** - once we’re officially notified :-w
*** Elks scholarship app** - S doesn’t have a chance except at the lowest level, but any award makes him eligible for a med school scholie later on
*** petition for gap year**
We’re headed back to UNM at the end of the month to meet with some depts we missed the first time, and to re-tour housing. S will still be putting down an enrollment deposit and housing application in case something goes pear-shaped with his gap year plans.
Btw I have anxiety too and keep bugging my D18 to write her essay and submit her CA. She knows she wants to go to UCinci but she doesn’t want to write her essay. She’s typically on top of everything, she’s a NMSF, 35 ACT, she’s top of her class. She has her entire CA complete and told me her teacher has submitted her letter of recommendation, but she doesn’t want to write her essay- the last thing to complete and submit her CA. When I ask her about it, she says don’t worry about it, it’s only September, I have until November 1st to be considered for all the Merit awards. So I guess I just have to follow her cues and take a chill and stop bugging her!
@shelleee I keep thinking that too…about pushing my D18 too much to get this stuff done. But I know her and with 5 AP classes plus playing a Fall and Winter sport…her time will be very limited. I felt bad pushing her (gently) to get her essays done…and we’re just one shy now. She’s almost there!!! I think all this Hurricane fear and worrying about my current college student is just piling on to an already busy/nerve wracking year for me. Normally I’m pretty go with the flow LOL. ((HUGS)) all around.
DD’18 is adding schools, rather than deleting them. Her list has grown from 8 to 10. Her priorities are changing before our eyes. It happens. (It is still very early in the process.)
D18 is worried she only has 2 schools on her list and she really only wants to have 1 school on her list because she already decided where she wants to go to college but I suggested she add a 2nd school just in case. She wants to know if it’s bad she only has 2 on her list and if she should add more schools but I don’t think it’s a bad thing that she knows what she wants AND the school she’s chosen has a nearly full NMF scholarship which is part of why she chose it.
@AmyBeth68, A MRSA infection can look like a spider bite but needs treatment ASAP, so please encourage your daughter to get it checked out if she hasn’t.
@shelleee absolutely nothing wrong with applying to 2 or even 1 school. My older daughter knew exactly what she wanted and knew she was getting a substantial merit package. She applied one and done, had the acceptance and financial package in her hands in October…and has never regretted that decision (she’s in her junior year). My D18 went from about 8 schools down to 4 and honestly she knows which one is her top choice, but keeping some options open because she hasn’t settled on a major yet (she’s between a few areas of study) and that might swing the decision to one of the other 3 schools. Each kid will approach this process very differently, in a way that works for them. Sounds like your D18 is really in great shape and confident with her choice!!!
@twinsmama thank you and that’s exactly what I told her. She sent me a photo of it and I didn’t llike the look of it at all. She said she felt it when it happened and felt a sting, but never saw a critter. I told her to hit the infirmary at college today. She told me she would. It’s always a worry when they aren’t home…I feel such a loss of control on fronts today.
@Shellee My DS only applied to one - he sent it off in October, dorm deposit in early November and the rest of his Sr year was a breeze. One of my BFF’s is in charge of the perspective student dept where he went to school so we had a bit of an inside “view” but it was a state school, he met all the criteria, not getting in really was not a concern.
I see nothing wrong with one - it that is where they want to go and a safety is not needed, I’d say done and relax.
The only issue I see with just one (or even two) is that kids can change their minds between now and May 1. Heck, @glido is seeing this now. Just food for thought.
Looking for expert opinions. We keep waffling here. In fact, I weighed in on this question for somebody else a couple weeks ago, and may have changed my own mind since then. The topic is whether to send DavidPuddy Jr.'s SAT score to each school. I am now of a mind to save a hundred bucks on test sends…
He has two categories of schools he’s applying to:
“Guaranteed” merit vs. 2) “Competitive Admission & Competitive merit”.
The “guaranteed” (in quotes because nothing is truly guaranteed) schools are mostly National Merit Schools. He will send his ACT (36) to these schools to fulfill their test request / requirements. Is there a reason to send his SAT sitting (1530) as well? (A couple we will send Subject tests for specific colleges or departments.) It seems clear to me that there is no reason to send an SAT score to these schools, but wonder if there is an obscure reason we are not considering.
The competitive schools (likely 4) will be a challenge just to be admitted. The question is the same however. Is there an advantage to include the SAT score? He will have to send subject scores to several of these. I would be willing to spend the extra dough on SAT scores if it will help, but I am not sure it will. Thoughts?
Note:
Each school he is applying to has an “either/or | both” policy. As written, we know we are compliant to only send the ACT.
@DiotimaDM
I think I agree of course. My general concern is, for those couple of reaches, he has a very “thin file”. Adding an SAT score is probably not going to add much context either.
@shelleee Everyone has their own sweet spot when it comes to the number of applications. My daughter had seven.
I would be nervous with just two - and possibly one - application. You have to cast your net wide. For peace of mind, frankly, I would add a couple more. That way there are choices down the road. You might not think you need the choices right now, but who knows what might happen.
Feels better to type it though haha. Hope everyone is well and any of our 2018 Family in Florida and Texas…sending lots of love your way and hoping everyone is safe.
The 1530, as good as it is, will not add anything.