@chippedoof I think you are right, and I was under the impression deep commitment to anything was really what they wanted. However, in all her merit and honors essays there is a huge community service component. And while my D18 did the typical NHS TUtoring, Relay for Life, Interact Club she never really had the time to commit to a bigger project and honestly she was asked to write about her community service multiple times. I really believe it hurt her in merit. But maybe I’m overthinking 
@AmyBeth68 We just had a Capstone requirement added too! For this year’s graduating class and all who follow. It’s just too much for college-bound kids who are already taking very challenging classes and who want to “double up” on science classes and who are so involved in community, etc. etc.!
DS seems less stressed this year with his schedule than any year so far. If you looked it you would think he has a pretty rigorous schedule with 4 APS plus a couple of dual enrollment classes. APES, AP US Gov and the dual enrollment public speaking class apparently haven’t been a lot of work… He is in AP Calc BC, but it is an independent study at his own pace (he is the only student taking it). The biggest challenge was going to be AP Chem but he loves the teacher and the material. Plus a study hall and student gov/leadership sort of class.
He has ECs going on that he is engaged with, but not having the part time job or a varsity sport going on this fall have left him with more spare time than he has typically had during HS. I think he is enjoying senior year but can see him being a bit restless and ready to move on as the year closes out.
He just sent me a message that he has a rough draft finished of the very LAST essay he has to do for college apps. One week to finalize and submit this one and then he is DONE with this stage!
@AmyBeth68, I see. Your gut feeling is that it ended up being an under-developed aspect which could have resonated more with that facet of her personality, and clearly demonstrated her understanding of place in the community to the reviewers. I think your feelings are understandable.
Yeah, travel ball is a monster. It takes a toll with all the peripheral politics and emotions on top of the time, effort, and grit commitment. (And we’ve only been in it for a couple of years so far for our youngest). The other tough part is that extracting an essay-worthy experience that doesn’t feel hackneyed to the adcoms is getting harder and harder, even if it is a truly authentic and pivotal event. It then ends up being an exercise of extreme writing creativity and skills.
@chippedtoof exactly, you really hit the nail on the head on both.
@AmyBeth68 , very similar situation here. D was a three season athlete (they practiced all summer…so make that year-round) and that took up most of her EC time due to a very rigorous course schedule. She was on track to be a captain (earned the Coach’s award, etc.) when a bad injury ended up being career-ending for her.
Allllll of that time and commitment resulted on college applications appearing as though she “quit.” She sacrificed so many other EC opportunities bc her coach was a stickler and they could never miss practice. In fact, this injury was bc she pushed her body so hard and didn’t tell anyone for months about the pain. She just muscled through it.
I really feel this did hurt her in many applications, especially the private scholarships that seemed to focus so much on leadership. In fact, she’s not even applying to those kind. Team captain and dedicated time spent yearly for four years would have looked a lot better than non-captain, quits the team in 12th grade + “why don’t you have much leadership?” She does have some but sports were an enormous opportunity cost that will not read well in the grand scheme.
AO’s know better than any of us. Trust. If they reject your kid is bc that is not the right place for he/she. What is the point to send your kid to a place where he will be struggling, stressing out or totally unhappy? In few more weeks (or hopefully in few days) all of you will find out which really is the dream school. Let’s life surprise you!!! There are so many great colleges out there…Good luck!!!
My daughters went to a K-8 Catholic school that was very insular. It was who you knew, not what you did. I always made sure they did more stuff outside school than connected with the school - hence advanced ballet for one and a black belt for the other. That continued in high school, since athletics are hard to break into here if you haven’t been involved since grade school.
Now that it is scholarship season, my oldest is filling out apps that ask about your school activities. She has a couple, including president of a low-commitment club, but it’s not like she’s done a couple sports, show choir, debate club, etc. Outside of school she has a ton of volunteer and performance stuff, including working for pay, but her “in school” activities are probably on the low side.
Darned if you do, darned if you don’t.
Just got the first financial aid offer in the mail, to a school DD has crossed off the list. I have to look at it more, but it’s not as ugly as I had feared (it’s a private school). I’m looking at it as a first glance into what my future might be, lol.
I am not sure what the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan is? Very little work study in there, to the point that I’m not sure it would be worth it. The amount of loans are about what we figured. The total without loans comes in below our personal budget, which is surprising.
For what it’s worth, without the loans, it came pretty close to the NPC I did over the summer.
@Carino I’m talking more in terms of merit awards, my D18 was accepted at her top two choices already so that stress is over us, now we need to make them fit finanically as well. Both are known for generous merit but honestly, the essays asking about community service worry me the most. I also don’t think, in all honesty, that the AOs can really know all these kids. It’s somewhat of a luck situation as well. But I do believe they do their best effort to make a good fit, it’s just that it would be impossible for them to really know all those thousands of kids and how they would fit in without an interview in my opinion. However I do agree that most kids end up where they belong.
@Kayak24 that is a really heartbreaking situation for you daughter, I’m really sorry for her. But she has such spectacular stats I know you’re going to start seeing some big acceptances and merit awards soon. I truly believe that. She definitely faced adversity and when she gets chosen for Chancellor she’ll have an excellent topic for the Adversity essay. Hang in there…I truly understand your feelings.
@bearcatfan that’s really interesting and good to know!
@bearcatfan I think the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans has to do with interest. I think the subsidized loans do not start charging interest until the student has left school (and has to start making payments), but unsubsidized loans start charging interest right away (but payments are still not due until the student leaves school).
I could be wrong but that was what I picked up in my limited reading on the subject.
@AmyBeth68 , you are so sweet. :x Thank you! I am pulling for your daughter and all of our very deserving kids on here. Their futures are so unknown but the cards will soon be dealt and paths will emerge. Exciting but scary times! 
@“Cariño” For the super-selectives (the schools that claim they can fill their class X times over with qualified applicants) it doesn’t sound like those that didn’t make it through the gates would necessarily have been “struggling, stressing out or totally unhappy” at the institution. Sometimes it’s that, sometimes it’s “building a class” aka finding a bassoon player, sometimes it’s your AO having a bad day. (there’s an article on this somewhere interviewing adcom members).
It might be worthwhile to look at John Hennessy’s 2001 poignant message to those he turned away:
https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=38581
Hennessy himself went to Villanova and then StonyBrook for his PhD… I have a colleague that had him as an advisor and described Hennessy as a world-class intellect with an earnest heart. Certainly, his was an example of the fallacy of an institution itself being the goal of ones academic life. His message was, and remains, a great reminder to even those who are admitted, to stay humble and strive, and that these results are merely opportunities and not destinations.
What time is the Stanford notification?
4 pm Pacific @amominaz
S18 just got invited to apply for Harvey Scholars at CO School of Mines!!
It is an invite-only scholarship that covers full tuition and mandatory fees for four years plus a summer field session. Plus Harvey Scholars have two other grant opportunities open to them for international travel and attending conferences!
Super excited!!!
Congrats to your S, @RoonilWazlib99! I hear great things about CO SOM.
Congrats @RoonilWazlib99 !!! <:-P
@RoonilWazlib99 that’s awesome!! Congrats. We LOVE Colorado!