Oh it’s getting harder and harder to keep up around here! I’ve missed a bunch of great topics! Welcome to all the new posters and hugs to everyone feeling stressed, which actually I think is most of us these days >:D<
And good luck @NamePoster and any other Floridians and others in the path of that storm!
Around here D finally went to talk to her IB coordinator/GC to find out about what she needs to do to get counselor rec, teacher recs, etc. for her Common App schools. Common App indicated the school uses Naviance for this, but I felt it would be a good idea to get the procedure from the GC. D got a grumpy mixed message earful! First it was, “You need to get set up on Naviance first and ‘they’ will be coming around in a few weeks(!) to explain it” followed by, “if you need a rec from me you better get your request in soon” (I guess D coming in to ask about it didn’t count as the request). Then “Are you sure all your schools need recs? Because not all schools do.” Finally, “It’s good you’re coming in early, most kids wait until the last minute and that is a huge pain.” D was so flustered by the apparent harsh delivery of this that she thanked her and left. After further consideration I believe this GCs mood is likely influenced by her advanced pregnancy and the extreme heat we’ve been experiencing, not much A/C in our area because heat used to be rare. D & I expect her to be leaving in about a month and a half. There was never any explanation as to who the mysterious “they” was that would be coming around to her class to explain the Naviance stuff. I suspect the people loosely termed “college counselors” at her school. These are mostly recent college grads, who are tasked with helping kids get on the college track and mentor them through the process. They have spoken to D exactly twice. Once as a freshman, and once as a junior, when they were impressed by both her knowledge of schools she wanted and her test scores. They haven’t talked to her since. Tougher cases to handle I guess.
SO, anyway, D and I decided the best thing to do would be to go ahead and pair up her Naviance and Common App accounts and then this weekend she will add “fill out the Naviance brag sheet” to her to-do list so she can go see the GC on Monday to formally request the counselor recommendation. I guess on the plus side, she is not only beating the rush, she is beating the starting line. After the GCs rant about students waiting until the last minute, she felt pretty good about getting this done early, so I don’t think there will be much more pushback from her on the recommendation tasks. Only concern at this point: Naviance is showing RD deadlines and she is applying almost entirely EA. Not sure if that is fixable of not. :-?
Finally, I wish all our ACT testers the absolute best for tomorrow!!
D18 is taking the ACT tomorrow. Her score from last year is fine but I, like a dummy, didn’t sign her up for the essay and some of the colleges she might apply to require it. So, she’s taking it again with essay. Same goes for her SAT. She took it again in August with essay. I wish that score would have come back before the ACT because, if it was good, we’d cancel ACT and run with it for the applications.
PS. As usual, there was minimal prep for the SAT and ACT. Is it illegal to strangle your own kid???
@bearcatfan Yes, at least 4 of our schools are asking for a nonrefundable application fee of $25-$75. I haven’t checked the rest. It’s not a lot, but every little bit is starting to add up. We sent ACT and SAT to all 9 schools and he will take the Subject tests next week, so if those are good we will send those out. Plus the application fees - We are out about a thousand dollars before housing fees. DH keeps reminding me, hopefully, that it will pay off for DS in the long run.
1 criteria for admissions, I’d have to go with standardized scores because they are the only apples to apples comparison you could make objectively.
@droppedit I may be sitting in the jail cell next to you…although I will say DD2018 did review some math in her ACT prep book yesterday and actually sat down, all on her own, and took a practice math section today (too little too late). Unfortunately, she scored the same as her June math section, which of course just seemed to justify, in her head, that “there is no point in retaking it”. So tomorrow’s sitting will be the last. I was hoping to pop up a point or two just to put her in the merit pool for some of her schools.
Taking the ACT for a fourth time today (mostly for merit) - is that the record in this thread?
It made DD a little crazy to see an acceptance to her favored program on Twitter from a total stranger. It is rolling admissions and their app opened August 1, but still. Hopefully on Monday the guidance office releases the transcripts at least - guidance counselor looked me in the eye last week and said Monday .
Best wishes to those affected by Irma and Harvey, and the wildfires out west.
I’ve become a little worried about costs for application fees and sending SAT scores. Our instate publics are $50 and up and she will be applying to three of them. Then there are the others in our merit hunt that requires casting a large net.
Even though D got a waiver for the SAT, I suggested that she answer no on the question in the CA about whether applying college will be a hardship because I thought we could manage okay. But I’m rethinking it since I think she should add a couple reaches which might be pricey apps. I think I might try call and ask some colleges about their criteria for fee waivers and if they have one of those marketing type, free priority apps D could take advantage of. I guess I shouldn’t feel guilty for asking schools that give them out rather freely.
@bearcatfan – this is D18’s third ACT. Her HS has the sophomores take the PSAT for practice so I thought – let’s have D18 take a practice ACT in 10th grade, too. In the end, we’ll have an ACT for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade.
@MACmiracle please do ask about fee waivers and don’t feel guilty! DS is only applying to one school, I had him ask the college rep if they give fee waivers to NMSF kids and she said yes! Sorry $50 is $50 and no harm in asking, worst thing they can do is say no.
@scoutsmom I will just be honest about our situation and ask them. Thanks for your encouragement.
Some schools want a copy of the SAT fee waiver form from the GC, which D probably threw out because she keeps everything super tidy (unlike me), but I wasn’t sure about using it since our income increased recently.
We’re in a tight spot because it’s a little interest income that can put us just over the income level guidelines and the market has been good this year. And we can’t even see that income change in real life since it’s our retirement savings but not in an IRA. Ugh.
Has anyone done CSS Profile yet? I’m dreading that!
I know people talk about spending to get savings account balances low but I don’t want to do that just to do it. We are going to need new cars eventually, but not yet, please. I could see H’s car biting the dust tomorrow. My van is thankfully going strong at 220,000 but I know it can’t last forever.
@MACmiracle, if your D had a SAT test waiver, then she can send 4 free anytime SAT score reports, all her common app school application fees can be waived, she can get 4 application fee waivers through the Collegeboard account as well (for non common app schools), and I think CSS profile fees waived for up to 8 schools.
Have her sign into her Collegeboard account and check that her 4 college application fee waivers are there.
I believe the GC can certify your D to be eligible for free applications through the common app, even if D doesn’t have the SAT fee waiver anymore.
And anything that goes through the Collegeboard account, should already show that your D was eligible for and used a SAT fee waiver, thereby qualifying for the 4 free score reports and 4 free non common app application fee waivers.
I say, ask for every kind of waiver possible. Some schools will offer them via active alumni members. It’s just a matter of tracking them down and asking.
There is no shame in this. Money saved is money saved. Do it.
Regarding social media: when 2015 daughter was interviewed by a college rep during her admission process, the rep (a young person, twenties) DID mention a prospective student’s social media can be examined (if it is public). Not to gain admission, necessarily, so no use posting “Rah! Rah! I love [university name]!” stuff; but some AOs will check it for gross things. Basic social media lesson for kids and for us all: don’t be stupid online. It’s forever.
My D got her very first acceptance today as well! Her rolling safety, NAU, came through for her in less than a week. It was kind of funny, I had just asked her to check the portal so I could update my spreadsheet to show that the app was complete according to the portal. But their portal is very confusing, and it took me coming to stand over her shoulder while she was scrolling and clicking and finally I saw something and said wait, go back! And there it was, at the bottom of the screen, a small notation indicating the date of application, with a big green check mark next to it. And then a note that showed the green checkmark = admitted! We both looked at it confused for a moment, before realizing that indeed, that was it, and she was in! A bit underwhelming to be sure. I remarked that I was surprised they hadn’t sent her an email. To which she said, well I haven’t checked for a few days. 8-| I have access to her college email account but as part of my new “back off” approach, I try to leave it to her. She did not seem inclined to immediately check, so I did, and yep, yesterday morning they sent her a nice congratulatory email!
I think I like seeing the email or getting snail mail over checking the portal.
She has kindly decided I am excused for mentioning college stuff on the wrong day in this instance
Congrats to those who have gotten acceptances already!
My D will apply EA to a couple of safeties, those are the only ones she is applying to who offer EA. I was thinking if she got into one with decent merit we could take some of the other safeties off and have less to apply to.
But she hasn’t and won’t visit the safeties so I am thinking if she gets in we still can’t take others off because she may not actually like them. She has visited 10 already and we are scheduled for 4 more. I was really trying to avoid many more visits.
Well D doesn’t think she did as well on ACT as last time and her SAT is way better. Hope it won’t look bad if she scores lower in this one. Will schools pay attention if scores are lower on later tests?
Oh and then on way home from test, I’m sure she was hurrying because she had to get to band, but she ended up spinning out in her car and ending up in some tress. She was fine just really freaked out and upset that she messed up her car.
After the GCs rant about students waiting until the last minute, she felt pretty good about getting this done early, so I don’t think there will be much more pushback from her on the recommendation tasks. Only concern at this point: Naviance is showing RD deadlines and she is applying almost entirely EA. Not sure if that is fixable of not. :-?