@Veryapparent I think that varies depending on how your school is set up (our school sends through Naviance to the common app) plus whatever process your school has on top.
Our school had 2 one-hour meetings to explain the process to us (in fact, it was two identical meetings, but I guess they find repetition helps).
Yes, it’s normal for the student to follow up on the portal for each school they apply to. If it’s too hard for them to check on 20 schools they shouldn’t be applying to 20 schools.
Most high schools have a form to request transcripts be sent, some schools have a fee for transcripts that must be paid before the GC will send transcripts.
@Veryapparent, for the Common App, the student will supply the GC’s name and email address. Then there will be a link to click to “send invitation” to the GC. GC then gets an email that tells the GC that he or she needs to upload info for that student into the Common App. Typically the GCs will tell the kids what information they need ahead of time.
Thank You!
@bearcatfan my D had a teacher like that too. She is very good at what she does, but the school switched her from an 1th grade teacher to 9th grade, because her grading was hurting the kids’ applications, and the school wanted to to bury the bad grade early on in the HS transcript. Personally, I think it’s an egotistical power trip for the teacher to do that, and instead of being proud of it, she should take a close look at what she is intentionally doing to the students. The fact that a teacher gloats over failing kids disgusts me, and as you pointed out, does nothing to endear the students to the subject. (Gee, you can’t tell that I feel strongly about this, can you?)
Today was a heavy mail day for us (and I like it!). 4 thick brochures and 3 postcards. Getting these advertisements is also a nice counterbalance to seeing that many of your kids have already finished their applications and have admissions in hand. If they are still advertising, there’s still time!
@melvin123 I’ll be honest, the pre-read critiques have turned it into a much stronger paper. There is a rubric, but he’s not really gone over what he’s looking for. I finally told my daughter to ask him for specifics, and he offered those. They helped, and will likely help with future papers (it’s only two pages, so it’s not like a senior thesis or anything).
He’s keeping track of the pre-read grades, so the kids are speculating that he will take into consideration the people who have come to him when the final paper is graded. I told them to not count on that, lol.
Did anyone receive a nice thick brown book(let) from Swarthmore last week with the title “Don’t Read This.” And something along the lines of “Just another marketing brochure BLAH BLAH BLAH” just below this title.
I kinda thought that was inventive and funny. Made me look through it. I wish my D had an interest in any LAC at this point.
Yes, @sushiritto ! I have always found their mail creative and amusing. Definitely more interesting than some other things that arrive and go straight to the recycling bin.
National Merit application officially completed and sent by school. Thank goodness that stress nightmare is over! I hate that once your student does their part you are just beholden to someone else for getting the rest of applications in! It has been a stressful couple of weeks just waiting for that to update and knowing the deadline is tomorrow!
@Veryapparent - our school uses Parchment for transcripts so the school actually doesn’t send any transcripts out at all. The student just logs in and send the transcript where they want. Our school has 5 free transcripts and then a discounted/subsidized rate for the rest so that it ends up at $5/ea.
For counselor letters of recommendation, our school had the seniors fill out a form with all the schools to which they are applying, all the deadlines for those schools, and which schools needed a letter of rec from a counselor. The sheet also asked the students to rank themselves based on four categories and answer about 15 questions about passions, interests, future goals, personality traits, etc. Then there was a hard deadline depending on your first application deadline. So for the Octoer 15th application deadline, you needed to have your forms with questions answered into your counselor by September 28th. If it’s not in on time, you are not guaranteed a letter or anything from the counselor.
I would contact the school if they have not had a college prep night for parents to go over the application process. Just ask them all your questions or go in for a meeting and talk with them.
As for the portals, yes, you have to keep track of all the schools. So our son is applying to 12 schools and will have 12 portals to check in with for results.
Exciting day today; we got an email from school inviting us to a reception for National Merit Semi finalists and commended students. While D had good PSAT scores we are in a state where the cut off is high. Since we hadn’t heard anything before now I assumed she didn’t get it. She did not make semi finalist but made commended. I am proud of her. Also excited, as far as college apps go it may not be that big of a deal but hey, it can’t hurt right.
My S got voted “most musical” by his classmates, made him happy.
Our D made commended too. Our cutoff was 222…two points up from last year so no luck. A celebration nonetheless! We haven’t heard anything or gotten any notice about commended. Very happy to hear about reception for student of @swtaffy904! Enjoy!!
Another rookie question? How many applications require a resume?
My DD was submitting her first app today and we were all excited…we thought she was on the last page of the Coalition app for our state flagship, when…it asked for a resume!
Are we dumb? The app seemed to cover all her experiences and activities. Now she’s scrambling to write a resume.
I feel dumb.
Is the resume required? One is optional for about half of D’s schools. She was planning to upload the one that Naviance generates for you. But it seems like she got her activities listed pretty clearly on the common app, so she might not upload the resume after all, since it pretty much says the same thing, only longer.
She does have to do a music resume, but that’s only required for one music scholarship and optional for a couple others.
I don’t know if the resume required, but we’re afraid to not provide it as it asks for it in the Coalition app for this school, University of Maryland.
It really threw her off, but she is writing the resume so she’ll have it for any others.
I feel like she’s worked so hard to get ready but the days are clicking off! The essay came out awesome, but took forever!
@melvin123 Yes, today was a big mail day for S18. He got 11 items today! (Actually 10 if you take out the one that was addressed to “parents of S18” from Northeastern). He really doesn’t look at them, but I do. Loved the big book from Pomona (he’s not applying, although is to CMC). Huge package from W&L regarding Johnson scholarship (yes, we’re dreaming of that one.) Vanderbilt continues their onslaught (get those several days a week feels like. But he loves them.) And then a bunch he won’t consider.
Yes @sushiritto he got the Swarthmore book last week. Not applying, didn’t even open it. Oh the wasted marketing dollars!
In other news, finished Profile and submitted to 10 schools. Plus the 2 non-profile schools, that seems to leave a list of 12. I really think there are a few on there that he is NOT going to pick, but I can’t get him to drop them so we sit at 12.
Lots of mail here today too. Fun question–which school, to which you have NOT shown any demonstrated interest, in has bombarded you with marketing? For DS it has been Pitt. SO many mailings from Pitt. I am sold 
but too urban for DS to consider.
University of Denver here. No interest at all, but the mailings keep coming.