Reading this thread has made me so happy that D got all 6 of her applications in in September, though she did take her time on the 5 honors colleges she applied to. There’s maybe one more honors college on the list, but we may skip it because it’s not a top 3 choice at this time (and it’s also kind of a mid honors program, tbh). All acceptances came in before Christmas.
Our merit-chasing strategy wasn’t without disappointment, however. D has received top-tier merit and been accepted or has interviews into the most selective honors programs everywhere she applied, and didn’t get any merit at all, or honors, at Elon, which was pretty sad for her. She loved that school so much, one of her friends gave her a North Carolina coffee mug the day after she didn’t get merit (he didn’t know the result, obviously).
Our wait is for final merit scholarship information and scholarship weekends and results. So we still have until mid-March before we will actually know final costs for everything. So it’s not as bad as still churning out apps, but it’s still a yucky malaise.
I live in NC and the vibe I’ve gotten from Elon is that they are looking for as many full pay students as they can get. Especially kids from the Northeast, who are drawn by the weather and supportive environment. I have an OOS merit chasing friend whose kid was looking at Elon who I warned about this. Their list was in flux to the last minute so I’m not sure if they ended up applying or how it worked out for them. I want to ask but I am verging on being the person always asking about college and I’m trying to rein it in until people make their final choices (unless they bring it up, then I’m all in).
I’ve seen a thing kids call a ‘speed app’ where they find themselves at e.g. 11:58pm and decide to add “one more school” for giggles. It’s almost always a reach, and almost always with supplementals. They have two minutes to do it all and hit Send.
Last year, a kid claimed to have gotten into Northwestern with their answer to “Why NWU?” amounting to, “There aren’t enough words to describe how awesome NWU is, so I’ll stop here.”
I knew they weren’t big on merit. We are full pay from Texas, but was still thinking that she’d get the $7500, and then maybe stack one of the honors/fellows programs. Weirdly she was a lucky one because it seemed kids with 1500 SATs were getting deferred and 1400s+, if accepted, did not get merit, while it went to a ton of kids closer to their class profile average.
I guess I don’t understand yield management for a school with a 67% acceptance rate and 13% yield, but it seemed like they actively did not want higher stats kids, which I thought was weird, but whatever. Maybe their niche is giving those opportunities to their target demo.
Basically if your SAT is 200 points over their average it’s probably better to go TO.
I’m so sorry. It must be yield management. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want a high stats kid from Texas. If you were from the NE I could see Elon trying to reduce the number of kids, but not from Texas.
ETA my D23 was accepted last year with $7500. 3.7 and TO. She didn’t attend but we also liked Elon.
First day back from break yesterday and my S24 & D24, in at their SCEA & ED schools are “OVER IT.” Don’t want to do work, don’t want to go to school…completely unmotivated. ugh. So we were fortunate with the early answers / no apps over break but have hit early senioritis!
My kid has many high stats friends that were rejected from their Ivy/high reach EDs, so her waitlist/deferral decisions felt a little better in comparison, I think. Her bestie ED’ed Bowdoin and when she was rejected, the polar bear lego set D24 had socked away as a congrats prize was tossed into a yankee swap gift for our family christmas party, instead.
D24 is working on her LOCI for her deferral, and considering mailing a hard copy to the rep she met with at her school this fall (in addition to emailing the admissions team as recommended in her deferral letter). She is a late bloomer, academically, having a great senior year (even beyond academics, the executive function and personal growth is really amazing to see) so I hope she finds her place. She hasn’t wanted to RD any other schools yet (and there is one EA decision that still hasn’t come…), and her worst case scenario is the residential CC or attending my school or a state school.
I think there might some solace in waiting for these decisions along with her friends, now, too.
Elon has been a very popular school the last few cycles. I suspect that is influencing the merit awards. And for what it’s worth, my dd23 has a number of friends there who all love it.
You should put that in the Elon thread then, since this is your first post. It seems like that’s inconsistent with the results that were shared there for EA this year.
I think you are wise to be plotting–I mean planning–for that period. I haven’t experienced it myself, but other parents who have sent kids to college have told me the last part of senior year and the summer can sometimes go by in a blur for the parents. The kids are going to be quickly moving through so many different phases with their own friends, sometimes significant others, and so on.
So it definitely seems like a good idea to establish some pattern of positive parental time too.
D24’s counselor is encouraging her to submit an app for the Colleges That Change Lives Scholarship, which is worth $6000. D24 is bristling a little at the idea of coming up with another essay, but I’m going to push her to do it anyway because it’s basically free money and if you don’t apply, then you’re definitely not getting the free money…but if you DO apply, then you at least get a chance at it.
Today is 1st day back at school from winter break. I’m curious what the reported vibe will be from D24 amongst her friends & classmates.
Bickered w/DH last night about his now twice a week question for the past 3 weeks of “WHY are we visiting these 3 LACs?” Because she has an audition for a music scholarship at each of those schools! Sheesh! Besides, I’m not convinced that we should rule out Centre College yet since we haven’t even seen the place in person yet.
It’s starting to hit DH that The Child will be moving out later this year and he’s having a hard time with it. We ALL are starting to realize it and we’re kind of hanging on to each other a little more than usual and figuring out how to cherish those moments while at the same time not drive each other totally bananas.
11 ways you can help your student through a college decision:
Since D24 applied to NMSU, I get weekly parent newsletters from their admissions department and it’s always chock full of helpful information, advice on how to help guide your student, etc. In the latest newsletter, was an article with the above title. Here’s a quick summary of that info in case it’s helpful:
Seek out good advice. Ignore advice of well-intended but not-well-informed people like grandparents, who might not have gone through this process for many decades.
Weigh the pros & cons of your options. Then weight the decision factors to help the student.
Imagine yourself (the student) 3-4 years from now…will the same things that are important to you right now be important to you later?
It’s hard to leave your friends & move away. Remember that your parents went away to college without the aid of social media and they were able to maintain lifelong friendships…so can you.
Keep your options open. It’s ok if you don’t know what you want to major in or maybe you do know but you’re thinking of changing your mind. It’s ok to keep your options open, but remember that there’s almost always a price to pay for that flexibility.
Think about what you liked and disliked about your high school curriculum. Compare that to the classes you might need to take for the 1st 2 years you’re at college. Look the info up on the websites of the colleges you’re considering attending.
Opportunities - talk about what’s important to you & to your parents about your time in college.
Living somewhere else - going to college is an opportunity to learn about living in a different place.
Money - discuss how to weigh your options on how to spend your money, including money spent on attending college.
Listen to yourself - Listen to yourself first. Ask yourself whether the decision is right or wrong. Make a decision. (and my own additional commentary - NOT making a decision IS a decision…don’t fall prey to analysis paralysis)
Remember that you’re not alone - you don’t need to make big decisions by yourself. The people who love you will challenge you, question you, offer you advice, and then will be on your side for whatever you end up deciding.
My sister has said a lot recently that this is our kids’ first really big ‘adult’ decision that they’ll make. And for a lot of students, that’s scary. I know that D24 is a little scared by it. DH & I are learning how to switch gears so that we’re doing more of asking probing questions instead of being directive like one usually is when your kids are younger.
We just completed the FAFSA–all 3 of us sitting here in the living room–and sent it in with no issues.I walked over to the microwave and popped myself a bag of popcorn to celebrate.
Besides, I’m not convinced that we should rule out Centre College yet since we haven’t even seen the place in person yet.
