The supplementals aren’t finalized yet, but you can get an idea of how many supplementals a school asks for by looking at last year’s batch. And I suspect that the colleges who have 'Why do you like our college" essays don’t change it up often (though I could be wrong)
I think I mentioned this a few pages back, but S19 emailed all of his AOs and asked if the supplements will remain the same for next year. For AOs he did not know, he just found them on each schools’ websites.
It’s too busy for son19 to worry about starting applications. He’s got a few sporting events, banquets, final exams etc in the next few weeks.
He meets with his essay consultant at the end of the month, and hopefully they can crank that out over the summer.
I’ve told him most schools have a " Why this school?" question so try to jot down some ideas for a few schools he is interested in. He can work on those over the summer, they are pretty straightforward.
I don’t know if he’ll have to interview with anybody, especially if he is a recruited athlete and has interviewed with the coach. I’d assume they can vouch for him, and maybe it just doesn’t matter.
I am hopeful that he has enough time to squeeze everything in and get some important rest for his body and mind over the summer. Going back to school in the Fall feeling refreshed and excited would be good. vs. feeling stressed out, exhausted, overworked. I think he’s going to have a fairly hefty school workload in the Fall, so not having to deal with application stuff would be a relief.
Kids here are still in school. They have one more week of classes, then a week of finals. Then almost immediately after that we go on vacation for a week. I’m not asking S to even look at essays or applications until after we get home from vacation. He’s way too busy now. Since that is about the same time that he gets his scores from the June SAT and his AP test the timing works well. The only thing I am insisting he do before school is out is pick which teacher he wants to do his recommendation and ask him or her so that gets nailed down.
Those of you still in school actually have it good. We go back to school Aug 15th and, once school starts, S19 will be sucked back into XC and AP classes. While most of you guys will have the month of Aug to be writing applications, he will be back in school. He actually has to be back for some club meetings and XC by the 8th so I’m sure he will feel like school starts then. He’s got two full weeks of sleep-away XC camps where nothing will get done and we are going on vacation for the last week of July so there’s another unproductive week. June and early July are his only options for getting this stuff done if he wants to get a jump on it and not wait until Nov!
For all intents and purposes, today is the last day of school. Tomorrow’s half day is a snow day add-on and a non-day.
Wow. S19 is heading into senior year. He was a toddler, like, yesterday.
There is one school on his prospect list that requires an interview. We are visiting there next week. And as we (the parents with the $) are not in a position to do ED, it would be an RD application if S19 decides to go for it. If he likes the school, we’ll figure out interview logistics after the visit. He would have until the end of the year to make it happen.
Thanks for the support and encouragement @peachActuary73 , @3SailAway and @4MyKidz . Yes, it’s definitely all normal stuff and it’s really dumb for me to complain as S has a busy summer full of productive activities ahead and typically makes lots of good choices. Though his stubbornness drives me crazy, I am so impressed by the things he has been able to accomplish in school and sports. He’s always had great grades but never put in the kind of effort that teachers would have liked. However, this spring semester he really stepped up with a very rigorous schedule and his grades were higher than usual. He was able to move several spots in his class rank and is around the top 1% of his very large class. So, he basically does what is important to him, and I’m sure he’ll do well in the future. It just makes me sad when he turns down opportunities that could be great for him and I know it is often about the money (even though he won’t say so).
Yes, @SDCounty3Mom - parenting is not for the faint of heart. I’m having trouble seeing the adorable sign of S lately, although he will occasionally break out in a spontaneous and hysterical dance when I’ve got music going and that makes me very happy. We also have been able to watch some Jeopardy episodes lately. That was S’s obsession for years and he had to give it up for the last several months due to his workload, so it’s been fun to get back to it. Unfortunately, he basically destroys my husband and me every time. :((
I’m interested to see that my D19 really, really does not want the world to think she’s doing anything “to impress colleges.” This is so important to her. For example, she did a nice community service thing this spring, of her own design. (It was actually a much toned-down thing – she’d had huge grandiose plans that she was talked out of, which was probably good). Anyway…one morning she told the mom we carpool with about her idea. This woman’s response was, I agree, just obnoxious: “Hmm…looks like somebody is trying to impress colleges.” But this absolutely GRATES on D19 and she is pissed and won’t let it go. So this week she had to give a speech in her English class, and among the things she included? Describing this episode, as an example of when a cliche is really true. (The cliche is “You can’t please everybody all the time.”) I hope this gives her a sense of closure, but it’s just interesting to me as the mom to see how mad that made her. I know she’s going to enjoy the emotional freedom of being out of this college admissions era of her life.
@elena13 I think that’s a great idea – having those lighthearted activities to share with your kiddos, like watching Jeopardy. I tend to alllllways take my D19 shopping when she’s able to de-stress a bit, and the mall is…not my favorite place in the world but she sure does love it. This makes me think I need to put more one-on-one totally stress-free activities on our calendar this summer.
@homerdog Aaah, that makes sense that the essay work was for school! Our school just doesn’t have enough kids applying to schools with the Common App, I suppose. Good point about not over-preparing for the interviews. My D is just really one of those kids who needs time to warm up to new things and challenges, so I want her accustomed to the idea. She will stress about them anyway though. I’m hoping that our order of progression of her first interviews will help (likely-admit school first, then a low reach into which she has invested less emotional capital, and then finally the main event of a low reach that’s one of her top choices). I’m surprised by how many schools offer these interviews these days.
I think D is going to grow up a lot over these next several months, with her summer activities, her interviews, and all these decisions. Gosh. Gulp.
D is going to try to write her Common App essay structured around a piece of literature that is very difficult. I’m going to let her try to draft this and then my prediction is she will bail on it. Who knows – maybe she will nail it. I admire the ambition but I think it’s above her pay grade. Heck, it’s above my pay grade…
I continue to over-study the list of college choices for our high school’s class of '18 and I probably need to get a life! Last night I was looking through the yearbook that S21 just brought home and was cross-referencing senior pictures with the college list, just out of dumb curiosity over who’s going where, and how they present themselves. Yearbooks are one thing that really haven’t changed much from my generation to theirs. Still structured around a theme, still ginormous, still full of editing errors, still full of inside jokes, and still pretty darn cute.
@SDCounty3Mom I’m with your d that I hate the whole idea of doing things to impress colleges. It grates big time.
But we reframe the discussions about activities that my kids do that may be things that would be helpful for admissions. I’ve talked with my girls a lot about how generally (again, generally and there are always exceptions) but are more likely to brag about accomplishments and activities. Girls are generally more likely to downplay their accomplishments, being more modest. For example, when doing a group project, a boy is more likely to give himself high marks for his contributions while a girl is more likely to give herself average to slightly above average marks. If you don’t highlight your own accomplishments and believe in yourself, why should you expect someone else to notice them? Sonour discussions center of how we don’t do activities for college admissions (aside from maybe the standardized testing) but we do make sure to show pride and confidence in discussing the activities that we have chosen to do for our own reasons.
S is still in finals week. He hasn’t even thought about college apps for a moment. Nor does he have a list of schools except 1. He’s focused on keeping grades solid this semester and then had the SAT2 on Saturday. I think he has talked with both his letter writers. I need to double-check and make sure he sends them his ‘brag sheet’.
At least he follows my advice. D16 hated, hated talking about her accomplishments and refused to send anything much to teachers. ‘They have had me in 2 classes! Why would they need a resume or brag sheet? I’m NOT sending them that.’ S19 is a different beast. That boy knows how to pad a resume. D16 and I cried laughing when for some 9th grade reflection assignment, he was asked for 3 adjectives to describe himself, and in complete seriousness used ‘Amazing, Accomplished, and …’ I can’t remember the 3rd. It’s was similarly ridiculous. At least now he has more self-awareness. Whenever I ask how a test felt now, he says. ‘I feel like I did FANTASTIC. But I always feel that way and I don’t always do fantastic so I worry that there is a disconnect between how I feel and how I actually perform.’
We just had senior contract night for the IB Diploma students. Mandatory meeting with the guidance counselor to look at what they need to graduate next year and we all had to sign. Then she did a college presentation and discussed Naviance with us. But my son is seriously trying to give me grey hair!!! Tonight he decided to stay with HL math so he will take HL2 math for his senior year. He is taking HL1 now but it is really recommended that unless you are planning to do something in math, economics or engineering that you should switch to SL for senior year. He sent an email to the IB coordinator and said he wanted to switch and then she asked him to speak with the HL2 math teacher. Ugh - that teacher pulled him out of class today and they discussed the class and then apparently the teacher sent an email telling IB coordinator and GC that son can handle the class and he highly recommends he stay with HL!
Then he also decided he is taking SAT subject tests!! After emphatically telling me - no more standardized tests!
Now we need to figure out which two he should take in August and of course now I’m wondering if he should just take the SAT one more time! I mean if he’s going to study for the Math subject test shouldn’t he just take the SAT again? What’s the difference between Math 1 and Math 2? And does Math 1 correlate to the regular math section on the SAT?
Two more days after today. The slog is real.
They are gutting and renovating 1/3 of the school over the summer, so teachers are having to move things out into boxes and sea containers. With the seniors gone, academic stuff has more or less finished up. Teachers are showing films or having the kids move furniture for them. Many kids are completely unmotivated.
S19 told me that his history teacher told him he was the only person in the class to get an A on the statewide final. He said he didn’t do well on the multiple choice section but apparently he killed it on the essay portion, where he riffed on economic class divides throughout American history and what it should teach us about imbalances in today’s society. I told him he should try to get a copy of that essay, it would probably be a good first draft for a supplemental or scholarship somewhere.
@Kona2012 if I had a kid who was planning on studying over the summer to prep for SAT subjects tests in math I’d probably have them take the regular test again too, why not?
My son is thinking he may take them all one more time. We’lll see. He has some Ok scores, but none great. So he’s the kind of applicant where his scores won’t hurt but won’t help him get into some selective schools. He thought he would do better but he must make some mistakes or get confused during the actual test. He has taken the practice tests and done better, but on testing days his scores have dropped a bit.
I don’t really care either way if he takes them again. I don’t like all of the stress associated with standardized test taking ( kid’s stress, not mine lol).
My older son decided to take the ACT in his senior year on a whim, just as kind of a Hail Mary attempt, and it actually worked. I think because he didn’t care that much, was less stressed, was more mature, and had learned more that he was able to generate a decent score. He probably would have not gotten into the school he is attending without that score, so if you have a kid “on the bubble” taking it again can’t hurt.
@Kona2012 prepscholar had some good breakdowns on the difference between math 1 and math 2. I don’t know enough about IB math to know which would be best, but from what I’ve read, math 2 is better for kids who have finished precalc.
@RightCoaster I think that’s good advice if the student doesn’t really need another score - why not just take the test again? Sometimes I even feel like throwing S19 into an ACT to see what would happen. I honestly think that’s why his first SAT went so well - because he really had nothing to lose. There would have been so many more options to take the test again. I’m sure nerves make for lower scores.
The only reasons not to take the tests again are costs, time constraints, test anxiety/fatigue. or you have a near perfect score.
My kid seems to be fine taking the tests, it doesn’t bother him or cause any mental duress. So if he wants to take it again, I’ll pay the fee and see how he does. If his score stinks, who cares? If it goes up, great.
@Kona2012 I don’t think anyone really takes Math 1. He should take Math 2. It’s algebra/trig/precalc. Get him the Barrons SAT 2 book for Math 2. It’s the most popular one. The College Board also has a book of practice tests. S19 will also use Benjamin Huh’s book. We’ve heard it’s harder than the test but that it prepares the kids well.
Whichever tests he chooses, make sure he practices with practice tests and studies with Barron’s books. These tests are not the same as an AP or any other standardized tests.
Another reason to not re-take the SAT is if the targeted schools require all scores like the UC system. In this case, if the first go round was strong then it may not be worth the risk of the next time resulting in higher.
The reason one would re-take any test is in hopes of higher scores. That said, you have to have a realistic expectation that the kid is going to do as well or better on the next attempt at the test, which means a study program. If the kid has something more impressive or worthwhile to do than study for the SAT, then a retake is a waste of that time.
We actually toyed with the idea of taking the ACT a 3d time. None of D’s schools require all scores. She already has a high score, but she only learned recently that there are things she could have programmed into her calculator which would have made the math much faster. (The unfairness of allowing different kinds of power calculators in the exam is another story-- and a reason to favor the SAT) I think she might be able to bump the ACT up one more point, but the burn out and fatigue is just too much. So, we are stopping. No more tests unless the Math2 comes back bad. Then…one more test.