@firstwavemom S19 has worked some on the common app and completely filled out the Coalition app. He is not a fan of the coalition app. It will be required by UMD and seems like Virginia Tech and UF may also require it.
Some thoughts - it required he list how many times he took ACT/SAT but did not allow him to input test dates if he took it more than once. No big deal EXCEPT - S19 took the ACT 3x when he was younger (7th-9th) as part of a GT program. He took them without prep, etc. He only prepped when he was taking it for admissions purposes. Unfortunately, there is no place available to note the circumstances. I donāt think his schools will hold that against him but who knows?
Also, he didnāt see a section for additional information (hoping he just missed it so chime in if he is wrong!) but that section would have been a nice place to note the testing dates and also info like why he only has 2 years of science Olympiad (no longer available.)
He had other complaints but I honestly canāt remember about what and am not entirely sure he wasnāt just being overly negative at a certain pointā¦
My own pet peeve - he needs to enter all of his coursework on the application for UMD but for some schools require their own SRAR so a lot of time will be spent filling out separate SRAR forms (UF, Pitt among others.)
@dfbdfb S19ās schools have significant differences in which AP/DE classes will receive credit. UA will take a huge amount that will make it much easier start on grad work while still receiving his scholarship there. Definitely will come into play when the final decision needs to be made next spring.
@mountainmomof3 Thanks for the information. My son is applying to UMD, so he has to do the Coalition App. My daughter used it for UF and UMD, I think. I just donāt remember her saying anything about the difference. Entering courses more than once is a pain, as I recall she had to do that separately for UC schools.
@dfbdfb I agree that the cutoffs can feel random. My oldest got a bunch of credits from McGill. What was interesting is the ones where they gave him 6 units (APUSH) versus 3 units. That said, I again remain convinced he learned more from his non-AP senior seminars than from any AP class.
Most of our schools are common app so weāll be mostly sticking to that one. Kiddo surprised me the other day by putting UCLA on the list. Itās the only really large university heās interested in, and the vibe on the website didnāt feel like him, but Iām not going to edit his choices. I told him that out of state was tough for UCLA, but we will leave it there for now. Maybe when he sees that he has to fill out a whole new application just for the UCs he will change his mind.
Kiddo is sitting his second attempt at the ACT this coming Saturday, and naturally has a performance the night before. Has he studied? At all? I think you can guess the answer. He also has two summer reading books for AP Lit, but he has read three other novels while procrastinating reading the two assigned novels. So frustrating.
Talent search tests: In fact, you canāt submit middle school SATsāthe College Board doesnāt keep a record of them to send. (Iām not certain, but I think the ACT has the same policy.)
Are any of you feeling like college search and the application process is like a pollen that surrounds your '19er, so that all these people (family, adult friends) are attracted like bees and butterflies, fluttering around and asking āwhere do you like? Where do you want to go?ā ā to the point that your rising senior doesnāt even want to think, let alone talk, about it anymore?
My D19 spent a lot of yesterday in the E.R. (sheās okay and home now, I thought she was having a seizure but I overreacted, she had passed out and was twitching). While she was literally on the hospital gurney, and the paramedic was waiting for the attending to come take over, the paramedic was making small talk with her. She was pale as a ghost, purple splotches under her eyes, exhausted, confused, and scared. He said, āoh youāre about to be a senior? My daughter is too, where are you looking for colleges? Sheās hoping for University of San Diego, how 'bout you?ā My D19 could barely keep her eyes open and I could tell she was thinking, can I PLEASE not talk about this, for ONCE??
My daughter took the ACT through Duke Tip last year and Iām pretty sure that I remember reading in some of the stuff that ACT does retain the scores and you do have the option to send them later to colleges. I donāt think that was the case for the SAT though because I read through all of the information back before I registered for the test.
Thank you very much, @carolinamom2boys . Thatās kind of you. Sheās been resting and taking Advil, and taking advantage of our Netflix account all day.
iām out of it. whatās a proxy server? do i want to keep puffin on my phone? whatās it used for? think the scores are correct when seeing them on college board through puffin web browser?
@dfbdfb SAT does not show middle school tests but all of the ACTs are still there. None of S19ās schools require all of the scores so he only sent the one. The GT program had made a point that these tests wouldnāt ācountā but I guess the ACTs could possibly depending on the school.
Wow @JenJenJenJen thatās a scary day in the ER. Hope sheās feeling better after resting up all day. Yes I have also been screaming inside my head where is my D going to apply to college? Where will she fit in? What does she want to do, actually?! I can only ask D these things once in a while, not all at the same time, and only casually. I just looked at The List again yesterday and was freaked out because there arenāt any exciting options.
@JenJenJenJen We were at a MEMORIAL SERVICE for a friend who just died of breast cancer and people were asking us where S19 is applying! Iām glad we didnāt take him with us. No place seems sacred.
@homerdog I need a āwowā reaction emoji here. That is so crass and inappropriate! Yes, at least your S19 wasnāt there.
@mountainmomof3 Thank you muchly! I do think I overreacted, but now we know what to do if that happens again.
And thanks @jellybean5 (there are a lot of ājellybeanā options here ha ha) too. I was looking at D19ās list and there are exciting options, but so far only reaches! And her top three out of a grand total of 4 are super reachy reaches too. Annoying.
@homerdog OMG thatās really terrible. Sorry for the loss of your friend. @JenJenJenJen I donāt even know where I got the username jellybean5. I am usually at a loss for user names whenever I have to create one, LOL.
So I have a question for this board, why is the application deadline the date that is shown on any college or blanket application site instead of the opening date? Here in Texas we have Apply Texas which is like Common App. Some schools apps are open as of July 1, and some will open on August 1. Do you think they could list which schools are already open and which are yet to open, so we donāt have to try and figure that out? This process is so annoying! ~X(
@JenJenJenJen - Glad your daughter is doing better. That sounds scary. Yes, it does seem that the college search and application process is all consuming and Iām sure it is very annoying to the kids too. I think they just wish they could enjoy senior year and college is all anyone thinks to talk to them about. Iām guilty myself when Iām talking to my Sās friends. However, I know we are in it for the long haul, so Iām trying to enjoy this last year and relax a little. D17 didnāt get all her decisions, scholarships, FA etc. until April and the decision came down to the last couple of days before May 1st, so thereās no point in us focusing on it exclusively.
S decided to give the ACT one more go (this coming Sat.) and heās actually studied a little on his own. However, it would be nice if he spent as much time prepping or writing his main essay as he has been playing Fortnite. Oh well! @jellybean5 - not sure the answer. I donāt k now about Texas but Iām thinking the Common App will just fill in the deadlines once it opens on Aug. 1st.
Annoying.