I think it also depends on your high school. If it’s a competitive high school that offers a lot of APs or IB, that likely helps. Or if your S is valedictorian or very close to the top of the class, I bet that helps too. It’s the yield question for the college - if no one has applied from your high school then why are you? And why would you go somewhere no one in your town has chosen? You really have to make your case somewhere in the app.
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When your child does not go to a very competitive high school but to one that sends very few kids to non-in-state schools, let alone T-50/60 national LACs to the point that the school doesn’t even have naviance, there’s just no graceful way (beyond the student’s personal enthusiasm) to explain why they are applying to a school where few (If any) in the town have chosen to go. “ Because my parents have been able to save more money for college than many people in our town? Because my parents are not from this area, are well-traveled, have a more sophisticated educational background/ more awareness of educational choices than many people in my town? Because my parents want me to consider more diverse choices than our regional schools? Because the flagship is too big and I’d like to go to a school where other students are more liberal and intellectually engaged than one generally finds at the local directional, community college, regional LACs and Bible colleges than most of my peers go to? “ There’s simply no way to explain this on an application that isn’t awkward or insulting to others in the community. So I really, really hope this isn’t expected.
@inthegarden I didn’t mean that you have to face the issue head on. I meant the student has to show fit really well. Show they understand the college and where they fit and show excitement for attending in specific ways. Usually, there’s a “why x college” supplement to help get that message across. In addition, the student can reach out to the AO with a good question or two to show they mean business and aren’t just throwing an app the college’s way to see if they get in. Be very deliberate in all communication.
By the above, I don’t want to imply that our high school doesn’t have the capability to prepare the top students well, or that they never get into top schools. It’s just that the great majority of these fine students end up at the honors college of our flagship, often for financial reasons. Last year a boy got into U Chicago, but went to our flagship because of the cost. This year a student got into an elite out-of-State school (UVA) and another into Wash U but I don’t know if they will be actually attending. The great majority of top students kids that do something different tend to be atypical of this community in some way (often immigrant physician’s kids or professor’s kids, etc). Maybe two or three attend an elite oos or private school every year or so, but there’s really no critical mass of students from our HS attending any one elite college. By elite, I stretch that to mean T50 Universities or LACs. Last year I think every single student in the top 10 percentile ranking went to the flagship or something lower-ranked.
This is why going test-optional from our area might be more risky for my D than for some of your children going to competitive high schools with strong track records at certain colleges. Much like a homeschooling student, my D needs some corroborating evidence that she can do well.
We do not have Naviance or anything like it, so no way to know where the kids are applying. Most kids go to instate schools, based on the graduation program, the majority of top 10% are going to UT and TAMU. We do get a lot of AOs here from top schools including LAC because they are looking for diversity, so you always have a handful of kids going to Ivys, UChicago, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, USC and LAC like Williams and Amherst.
@Aguadecoco, we don’t have any AO’s of that calibre coming here. Any students from our town wanting a school like that are on their own to figure it out and make contact. The only schools at our college fair were in-state schools, directionals , two flagships from neighboring states, a smattering of regional community colleges, regional lacs, a few Regional Catholic schools (nothing like Norte Dame or Georgetown) conservative bible colleges, Vocational schools and maybe three nationally-ranked LACS that are ranked around 120. We do have some fairly prestigious universities and LACs located within two to three hours drive of our town (I can think of eight off the top of my head) but none of them were there. It was depressing and we left after twenty minutes.
Does anyone understand the AP format this year? It sounds like 45 minute test…but my question which I can’t seem to get an answer from when I asked the test coordinator at our school is whether D will be required to upload anything. She would prefer not to upload if she can just use the keyboard/computer for all responses. It may be that this is too soon to know this information? My D is taking Calc BC, Physics C- both sections, Environmental Science, Seminar, Psychology tests. (Coordinator from our school responded to my questions, but didn’t seem to know this specifically.)
This is what the AP updated page says “Students will be able to take exams on any device they have access to—computer, tablet, or smartphone. They will be able to either type and upload their responses or write responses by hand and submit a photo via their cell phone.”
So, at least for APUSH, perhaps the silver lining is being able to type, for the kid with the messy, slow handwriting. Calc and physics presumably will need to be handwritten.
@purplemama I’m pretty certain Amherst does look at current student performance when deciding whether to admit a younger sibling. Having an older brother or sister at Amherst usually does give the younger sib an admissions bump. The AOs know and like most of the current students (after all, the AOs advocated for the older sibs not too long ago during their admissions process). I know quite a few sibling pairs who graduated or are currently attending Amherst including 2 younger sibs of current students who were admitted this year.
With the UC system going test optional for the class of 2021, I wonder if this will be the end of the ACT writing requirement forever for the UCs. Our counselor said that the UC system is basically the only reason that portion of the exam still exists.
Also wondering you’ll be able to submit just the ACT score with no writing for the 2021 cycle. My daughter scored a 36, so she would like to submit that but she hasn’t taken the writing.
@nanosec If UC’s are test optional why would the ACT writing also not be test optional. Your daughter took what she took before all this happened and didn’t take the writing so why shouldn’t she be able to submit her score.
BTW obviously the 36 is something she (and you) should be very proud off.
@nanosec Here is a msg I found on reddit regarding your query.
Does anyone know if they’re still going to require an essay score from applicants who do want to submit their test scores? I would like to submit my ACT score but I didn’t take it with the essay portion and since I want to submit my ACT score, I don’t know if I would have to retake it again with the essay component. I emailed the UC application help desk and this is what they said:
Greetings!
Thank you for contacting the UC Application Center.
Yes, you can submit your ACT scores without writing but please know you will not be able to report it in your application. You do not have to take it with the writing portion as it is being used to support your statewide UC eligibility, application for certain scholarships, and help you fulfill some University graduation requirements. If you want to retake the ACT with the Writing portion you are welcome to do so.
@mammoth85 Thanks for your insight. I have noticed pairs of siblings myself and was trying to recall if there is a spot on the common app that has a question around siblings in college. I sure am glad that big mammoth sis has done well there, since I know of no other student having attended or even applied to Amherst from their high school.