We have also already had the discussion, as we have always hoped for ED but not assumed it;
D24 has 2 in state safety admissions, she will have 2 EA admits back by mid -Dec, but one that won’t notify until Jan. Her 4 RD apps shouldn’t be too much of a strain, as she can tweak/ reuse essays, and 2 of her RD apps accept graded papers instead of essays. She has decided that she will wait to finish them after Christmas; it is her decision so… we will see!
Personally, I would have the discussion before the crazy weekend.
The supplemental essays are slow going here, so if ED doesn’t go his way later this week, then S24 will have his work cut out for him. His ED decision is coming early enough that it was never realistic for him to finish all of his RD applications before it arrives. But we will definitely encourage him to finish at least his ED2 application and a couple of others due in very early January before he starts Christmas break. His counselor has been encouraging that as well.
An additional challenge has been that he started rethinking his list of schools at the last minute - and is now intending to add a school that is very different from the SLACs he has preferred so far. He wants a broader option set in the RD round, and that doesn’t strike me as a bad idea. He has not visited this school and it is not close, so a visit will not be happening unless he is admitted and considers attending. Luckily, the school does not put a lot of weight on demonstrated interest (not considered according to the CDS), but I think it’s always safer to engage with a school at some level before applying. It’s also necessary for effective supplemental essays, IMO. What are your best tips for learning about and engaging with a school at the last minute?
He can request info and make sure to open their emails. And maybe take a virtual tour/attend an info session? C24 has done a few of them, and found them really helpful.
I feel like the finish line is so close! C has three more essays to write, but they’ve done all of their prescreen videos and applied to the vast majority of their schools. And they finally seem to be considering removing two schools that they don’t seem excited about from their list.
So on a “lighter” note, S24 just got an email about having someone fill out a post-application family/peer recommendation form, which appears to be his opportunity to get revenge on one of his parents for all the hassling about supplementals . . . .
D24 is in the same boat. She’s currently prioritizing being a great high school student over being a great college applicant. She’s super focused on a big academic competition this weekend. It’s hard to criticize, but . . . but dang.
Speaking of which, the deadline to apply RD to Stanford with an art supplement is tomorrow. D24 wanted to apply, but, as of yesterday, she was way behind on Stanford’s assorted essays and requirements. While Stanford is a super longshot and doesn’t rate particularly high on D24’s personal list, it’s a little concerning that she’s probably going to miss the deadline. It’s also a little annoying that the deadline is so early.
Assuming she doesn’t get admitted ED on Friday, I’m hoping that the denial/deferral sparks something for her. Obviously, doing well in high school is its own reward, but it’s frustrating as a parent that she’s achieved so much only to give a relatively lackluster effort on college applications.
First rejection in for D24 (scholarship for one of her top choices). She knows two other students who applied (different schools/NC counties), one also got a no and one made the first cut (upping their odds to about 1/10 now).
In some ways I am glad they just ripped off the bandaid, because I suspect getting cut in round 2 or 3 would be even more painful, but I still feel some kinda way. I have to remind myself that this does not mean she is not competitive for the major or the honors college there.
She should have one EA decision coming in the next couple of weeks (portfolio based and very small program, so…not certain at all), and most of the other EA decisions are late January+, so it’s potentially a very long wait without any kind of positive news.
Meanwhile, one of her rollings is quite delightful with their updates. I wish we could transplant that school a little closer.
DC24 gave up on Stanford last night, for this exact reason. They’d written like four essays this past weekend for other schools and they haven’t even started Stanford, so it’s off the list. I feel for C, because they’re disappointed, but I’m also glad. They never had any particular desire to go there, they just wanted to see if they could get in (spoiler alert; probably not).
Right now, I’m struggling to balance patience/support with “I told you so” energy. Back in October, C insisted on going out and getting a job, which…great. Except that that takes up 15ish hours a week, and I warned them that it would make applying to colleges more difficult.
This past weekend, they worked, went to a holiday party for one of their extracurriculars & played D&D (and also, in fairness, wrote the aforementioned essays). Which is all fine, until they’re crying on the sofa at 9:30 on Monday evening because they can’t figure out the essay for a school whose recommended deadline for arts students was 12/1. The essay is optional (or, I guess, “optional,”) and at this point I feel like they just need to go ahead without it and let the chips fall where they may.
We’ve always encouraged our kids to be kids first, pursuing their own interests and not worrying about how it’ll all look on a college application, and part of me is glad that C is having a fairly normal, social senior year. But I do wish they’d prioritize getting these apps done over goofing off. They can socialize in January (or, heck, in like a week, if they’d just buckle down and get the last three essays done).
As well-documented above, I have the same struggle. From the outside, it is so obvious to me that if S24 would just invest some free time in getting ahead of the process, rather than doing so much at the last minute, overall it would be a far more relaxing process, and actually make it less of an interference with the things he really cares about.
But at this point I have just accepted his process is what it is, whether or not it is the process I would choose for him.