Most engineering programs will need windows specially anything related to design solidworks for example is windows only. Lots of excel plugins are windows only so if you are going into finance you’ll want windows. Having said that in tech most people use Macs while a lot of older traditional companies are on windows. Our school systems are all on Google suits and Chromebooks most kids when they get to highschool transition to MacBooks and that’s what they take to college. Before buying anything though I would see if the school has a student laptop program which might be significantly cheaper than you buying a laptop on your own.
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We are all sick at our house today!!! I have no idea what happens- but we always all get sick right at the beginning of Summer!?
Sad start to the beginning of Summer Vacation time 
.
I sat down with D26 yesterday to go over what the summer plans are in regard to the application process.
(She is spending most of the break in Ireland so limited time- Normally I would not have this go go go mentality!)
She signed up for her common app stuff and looked at the needed requirements.
Started to mentally brain storm the essay requirements.
And trying to finalize her college application list:
Schools that she is putting the majority of her efforts into:
In order of current preference:
~University of Limerick
(Bachelor/Master of Engineering in Electronics and Computer Engineering)
~Colorado School of Mines
(Computer Science with focus on either CS+ Computer Engineering or CS+ Space)
~University of Colorado- Boulder
(2-3 options she is still researching- but CS/Engineering related)
Back ups/Safety:
Sout Dakota Mines
Colorado State University
University of Colorado- Colorado Springs
University of Northern Colorado
University of Denver
Encouraging her to at least look into and add a couple of these to her application list:
(Or a few others of her choice)
Really want her to diversify her top options a bit- lots can change over this next year and want to make sure she has the ability to pivot if needed/wanted
(her top choices are awesome and she has the profile that makes them likely acceptances- but you never know what can happen over the next several months)
Purdue University
Cal Poly Slo
University of Texas- Austin (Dad’s undergrad Alma mater 
)
Cornell University
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Michigan
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT)
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Lots to do over the next few weeks- but then she will get to enjoy the rest of the summer on an epic trip!!
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My daughter is super busy this summer -work, school, more ACT prep – and she was having a down moment and said “I’m doing all the work and I’ll probably end up in a mid college” – I don’t think her list is mid? Give me an outside perspective!
She’s got SLAC of various admission chances with affordable NPC (Union, Dickinson, Muhlenberg, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Connecticut College), a random tech-based college with majors she really likes but might not meet cost (WPI), Mid-Sized (Brandeis, Miami U (Oxford), Loyola Chicago), International (University of Limerick, Mount Allison, Acadia, King’s College) and a few reaches (Scripps, Washington and Lee), and her safety (University of Kansas) – I mean I don’t think any of those would really be mid? I think those are all great schools? I think that’s a list with at least some likely acceptances at a rationale cost -and a few that might be ‘swinging for the stars’ -but hopefully enough to give her choices beyond her safety. I’m having an anxiety moment - it’s not a mid list? Right? 
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That’s a great list – I confess a LITTLE tiny bit jealous that CSU is a affordable back up! That’s a really great back up! But really great options in every category there!
Also – I didn’t know they could get the Common App account set up already? They don’t need to wait until August?
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They can get the profile section and such set up. They can then look at what the requirements for each school are and what the essays are (based on this last application year- so subject to change).
They do reset every year- but the profile section carries over (do not fill out the school specific stuff- it may go away with the reset!)
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I don’t know what an objectively “mid” college is these days. There is so much T20 bias that kids believe that anything not T20 is “mid”.
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That looks like a terrific list—nothing “mid” about it!
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I think this list is fine, and agree with the others that it’s a lot about perception. Some college visits may help.
I’m really glad that C26 is not setting their sights too high, though we are taking nothing for granted.
C26 finished the common app workshop this week. All the profile stuff is done (this does carry over as noted above). It may not seem a lot, but for an ADHD kid to get this done early is good! They got some good feedback on their essay draft too, which they did in English class earlier this year. D19 is back for a bit the next couple of weeks, and I think I’ll ask her to go over the essay with C26 too. Leaving some of the school specific essays till later in the summer because I think they’ll have more insight into being able to answer the college specific questions once they have some actual experience of what a college architecture studio is like.
They are chilling the rest of this week before volunteering at the art camp the next two weeks, then it is the architecture program after that. Then another week’s break and then the one week engineering program. That’ll take them to a couple of weeks before school starts again. We have preliminarily booked a couple of college visits during that time but I’m not sure they’ll have the energy left to do those!
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Your daughter’s definition of a ‘mid’ college is a bit off. All of those are great options.
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Had D26 do some College Essay Guy writing exercises last night, like the Essence Objects one and 21 Details. She & I read through the Common App personal statement prompts. She thinks she can easily write about something for 4 of the 7 options, so that’s great…she said she can easily come up with something to write about for 1 of them. And she’s going to use the “Challenges & Circumstances” question (250 word max) to talk about all of her health problems she had in 10th grade (missed about a month of school in total throughout the school year).
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Well she’s not T20 obsessed - we don’t even have any T20 - so I don’t know what mid is either!! Haha!
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Oh I don’t think she thinks the list is mid - I think she thinks she won’t get in anyplace but her safety. It happened to a friend of hers --but they only applied to VERY FEW places - mostly safety and reaches -so it’s an entirely different scenario.
ETA: I just had an anxiety moment that it wasn’t a good list -but I think it’s fine and has some potential for ‘success’ beyond her safety (success = admitted and affordable).
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I’ve had more anxiety moments in this last year than I care to admit. This whole process is really not for the faint of heart.
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Just got home from underclassman awards and D26 got a few: RIT book award which came with a $24k per year scholarship and the French 2 honors award. (This kid took no language freshman year and studying remotely in middle school meant no language available to take so she’s only in French 2 now. Sigh)
I’m thrilled with what she got. She’s putting on a good front but she admitted privately to me she’s a little sad that she didn’t get English or history awards since she’s so passionate about those subjects. Her closest friends got those awards. She’s happy for them. But a little bummed that she “only” got the award for French. Sigh. I think it’s a huge win since she’s still gunning for NSLIY for a gap year.
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Not a mid list! Please tell her that’s a great list of schools!
My son also has Muhlenberg on his list too. I read they’re very generous.
My son has a super busy summer as well! He’s got just three more days of school - thankfully he’s exempt from all final exams! Then he’s got marching band practice for 2 weeks, then he’s off to Kenyon College for the writers workshop. He only has 3 full weeks between Kenyon and marching band camps to work on his Common App. He is a procrastinator which kills me! I can only do so much nudging! And he’s got an INSANE senior year schedule PLUS marching band AND applying to colleges. Can I just fast forward to December???
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An update to my earlier post…I heard back from the registrar and she is removing my D26s ASVAB score one time and she sent me her transcript without it. However she said it was a one time thing and the next ones I order will have the score on it and cannot be removed bc it’s a required test. So ridiculous because so many of these kids do not have any interest in the military so they do not care about the ASVAB. I am glad to have her updated transcript for her academic pre read now without the score!
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In our school district (and probably the state in general) the student’s ACT score is on the transcript, probably also because it is a graduation requirement to take it.
S26 went to ACT bootcamp last weekend and he said it was good and useful. Unfortunately now he is thinking that that alone will be enough to boost his score the four points he wants it to go up 
He believes in learning by osmosis, as the big ACT prep book is laying beside his bed 
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That is great that they got ya’ll the transcript without the scores on it.
I find it crazy that the ASVAB would be ‘required’ anywhere!? At our school it can be used to meet certain graduation requirements- but there are so many other ways to meet those that it is usually only used by those that are choosing to enter service after high school. (it is also optional- have to sign up to take it)
Common App-
OMG, this app is making me feel stupid ;-).
Everything is straight forward except the Courses and Grades section. (1 of D26’s schools has this listed as required)
Sounds simple- but nope. Definitely going to have D26 do her best at filling that out but will have to get some help from the counselors once school is starting up again.
So much awesome common app help out there- but I guess this is not a commonly used section so that help/info is very lacking!!! 
Ok so I have never even heard of ASVAB before this thread.
The common app workshop C26 did was also supposed to show them how to do the self-reported scores. I should check that they know, there is a guide the coinseling office sent out (so that the students not picked in the lottery still get all the info) and I can check that too I guess. I am going to have to be more hands-on with this than I was with D19 for sure. Well - the only thing I saw on the common app for D19 was when she presented me with wherever I had to input credit card info for the app fee and sign the ED clause 
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It’s a fantastic list. Maybe sit down with her and scroll through the department websites of the majors she’s interested in at some of these colleges and click on the faculty bios. Seeing faculty with really cool research and graduate degrees from highly regarded universities will show her how great these schools really are.
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