My daughter meets with her counselor in a couple weeks for the first time to discuss the college application process. I suppose she’ll find out then how to arrange the signing of the ED. Our counselors have 200+ students, so not a lot of application support. We’re full pay, so the NPC isn’t applicable.
I figured this would be a good thread to ask this question. On one of her applications they ask if she had any relatives that went to the school. My grandfather did over 90 years ago. He died before I was born. I was wondering if she should answer yes or no.
Also my daughter was happy today she got her SAT results back. Had a 60 point jump from the first time she took it.
@Nicki20 I would answer yes about your grandfather’s attendance. I don’t see how it could hurt. Congrats on the score increase on the SAT. I heard there was a pretty harsh curve on the math section so that is great to get that increased score!
HI everyone, New here. I’m happy to have found this. I have twin girls that are seniors. Anyone else have twins?
They are my only and I’ve been trying to help them navigate this process. Of course they aren’t applying to the same schools so there is something like 10 colleges to navigate. Thanks goodness for the common app.
It was suggested to me that we devote an entire weekend to getting as much done as possible in one shot. This weekend is the weekend since there is no football game and they don’t have marching band. Anyone else try this approach? I’m thinking, buy some junk food pound though the applications, test reporting and transcripts.
Only brainstormed ideas for essays but may have to scrap them all and start over as we attended the college app kick off workshop at school this week and they listed all of her potential essay topics as passe or overused! Yikes!
@birdandchicks I have twin sons who graduated from high school in 2013. They applied to some of the same colleges and some different colleges but ended up attending the same university, which was so convenient for us!
@Nicki20 I would definitely list the grandfather, as it’s the truth. For D17, MichSt asked about parents or grandparents who attended, and a ‘yes’ meant a $3,000 renewable scholarship.
@Angelino Pretty much every essay topic is ‘passe’ by now. At some point, you just have to go with SOMETHING. You may want to visit this thread for verification, or at least another point of reference: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ask-dean-topics/2148581-which-college-essay-topics-are-taboo.html
@bigmacbeth, Thanks for the link. Mine are also struggling with topics. The goal is to get at least a topic picked by this weekend. I see a lot of what my kids are saying in some of the comments. They are boring and haven’t had a lot of trials to get past, one is anti social and what she has picked out so far has been really negative. 
Just a few notes I took about essay writing from various resources over the past year:
- "Show, don't tell"
- Explain the "why" in your essay
- What is unique, captivating, passionate, interesting, extraordinary about you?
- Maintain your 17 year-old voice
- Have a single theme
- After reading the essay, are you "Likeable"?
- Be authentic
- It's ok to add humor
- Does the essay tell the adcom something new about you not shared in other parts of your application?
- Write about not only how you would grow as a student at college X because of all of the resources but just as important, how the college would be a better place for you attending
- Have a great opening sentence and make sure the essay is interesting enough to make the reader care about what will come next. If the reader leaves thinking "I like this kid" that is about the best you can ask for.
Good luck to all!
Huge sighs of relief going on here. My dd hadn’t taken any standardized tests until the August SAT. She got her scores this evening and is one and done. Thank goodness!!! I had visions of trying to figure out how to fit in testing this fall. So glad she pulled it off and can move on.
Just sent ACT scores to remaining schools on the current list. Application season is officially underway. Here we go!
Great job and congrats. Question, curious why did she wait until she was a rising senior to take the SAT? Did she think she would be better prepared?
Congrats @Mom2aphysicsgeek! One and done is wonderful. Congrats to those already with acceptances.
DS has been accepted to 3 of the 5 schools he applied to so far. #4 says on their application tracker that they’ve made a decision and mailed a letter on Thursday. DS was like, “WHAT?!? They couldn’t put the decision on the tracker or email me??” Now he gets to run and check the mailbox every day like the good old days. 
He seems to finally be taking some interest in the school choice thing. Today he was researching aerospace program rankings on his own…something he has never done…and while I don’t necessarily agree with some of his conclusions, it was sure nice to see him putting some real thought into this and beginning to form his own opinions rather than just going along with what I toss at him. My hope is by the time the final decision time rolls around he’ll 100% own it.
Nothing so thoughtful… She didn’t take it bc she playing ostrich toward looming adulthood. I wasn’t going to be the force behind her getting prepared. She needed to take ownership over her own future. (She refused to learn to drive as well.) We told her if she didn’t take it that attending a CC was going to be her only option.
This summer her attitude changed. She got her permit and registered for the SAT. She is finally starting to get excited about college. She is moving forward at her own pace. It had been a snail’s pace, but now it is at least faster than a tortoise.
She is our 6th and none of her older siblings have been like this at all. They all had plans and were ready to go . Sr yr was in their way bc they wanted to get started with their lives. Her process up to now has been reserved with a hint of dread.
Yep. This is my D20. Funny thing is that she has also dragged her feet a bit when it’s come to applications. A little Jekyll & Hyde-like. Getting a little frustrating.
S20 applied to his #1 choice school, so now we wait for an undetermined period of time. He may do a few more applications over the next 6 weeks but if he gets in there, he’s going.
Thank you for the advice on yes to the relative question. Another question. My daughter has a list of 5 schools right now. I think 3-4 are probably yeses. Our neighboring state has a guaranteed acceptance base on D20’s stats and she would get in-state rate because of these stats. We haven’t visited there but its a big ten school like 4 others on her list. I think she should apply. She doesn’t. Any opinions?
@Nicki20 - S20 had a few schools that were a “No” for him without visiting or researching and I didn’t push applying. His reasonings were things like “After attending Catholic high school that past 4 years I’m not attending a Catholic college as well”, or “that’s just known as the big party school and all the jerks at our school are hoping to get in…no thanks”. If your daughter has 3-4 probable yesses from other Big 10 schools that she would be happy to attend I don’t really see the point of going through applying to a school that she feels negatively about.
Her beef with the school is that its in the middle of nowhere (we live suburban Chicago). Isn’t every big ten school in the middle of nowhere? She said the same when we visited Illinois and after going there she changed her mind. Illinois isn’t #1 but it’s on the list now.