Parents of the HS Class of 2026

Parents of HS Class of 20xx
4070

From the directions on Pitt’s website – which is the only one of my kid’s list that requires it – you have to create a separate STARS account using the same login info that you do on Common App. And then, I think you have to manually input the classes rather than uploading a transcript.

Our college advising dept advised us that they have an easier way to do it on the back end, so my D26 was told to sit tight and save herself the hour of manually typing all that in.

(We are waiting for national merit to release anyway, which won’t be for another three weeks at least. So hoping the STARS thing happens, and the last rec letter that D26 requested will show up shortly. She is supposedly working on the Georgia Tech supplement today, which is her earliest deadline.)

I don’t know the answer to your question about the common app essay – I think you are asked with each application if you want to submit the essay, so if you select “no” then it just doesn’t include it? And surely this is independent of whether an essay actually exists in that space? But I’m really not sure.

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4071

Thanks guys.
Yes I do have a parent account - will play around a bit more on there.

Am I missing something- if it needs to be manually entered anyway why wouldn’t you just do that on the common account if the schools take it from there (I know not all of them do).

C26 has no interest in doing anything on the common app today. Nothing….

4072

I am really fuzzy on it, having never heard of this before a couple weeks ago, lol. So, no idea. I’m just going based on this –

and this

I think it’s a standardized way of comparing classes between students that the regular transcript doesn’t let schools do because classes are all named differently? Maybe? But I think it’s a third-party app that allows you to do this – it’s not in the Common App. Although you are able to create the STARS record one time and then link it to all the colleges that ask for it, it seems.

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4073

Oh, I think I’ve got it. Will see which colleges want it.

4074

Not all colleges use the courses and grades section of Common App. Some colleges use STARS which is a different platform. I haven’t explored that so I do not know if there’s a way to just upload the transcript instead of manually entering it.
UC application this year did introduce a way for the courses and grades to be automatically uploaded.

4075

Sigh. If they’re going to use the common app, why can’t they just… use it :sob: :sob:

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4077

Hi,

The way it works is when you apply to the specific school through the Common App, it has its own “questions” and things for the student to fill out. There will be a part that says “This school does not require an essay” it will either not allow you to upload it, or it will say it is optional and ask if you want to include it. D26 had several schools where it was “optional” so she opted to include it. Before you submit each individual application (which is how you do it) ut says “review and submit”. You can look at an actual PDF preview of what the school will receive when they download your application- make sure you do this part to go over anything that looks funky- like make sure essay is not in BOLD which is the default, etc.

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4078

The STARS (formerly SRAR) has a new feature where you can upload a transcript and it pulls the information from there. You do need to check everything because although the classes were all grabbed correctly, the credits were incorrect so she had to go in and manually change that. You can create the STARS account now and then once you apply through the Common App the school will send you a link to link it to the STARS account.

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4079

Thank you

4080

We input all of D26’s current classes into the Common App last night. All of the electives are grouped by department (English, Arts, Science, etc) so wherever we could we chose the department instead of Other/Elective. I hope that was right.

It is still tough getting her motivated to get stuff done, especially with the volleyball fiasco. Her father will not let it go- he has called the principal and requested a meeting. The interesting thing is that unbeknownst to us, the parent of the other senior that was cut posted a long diatribe on Facebook which had about 60 comments about how horrible it was and that the district should take action. Well, the school board and athletic director noticed and now it’s an internal investigation. So we shall see.

She also has a summer assignment that was due Friday that she only partly turned in; she needs to finish it ASAP but she’s dragging her feet…

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4081

D26’s first day of Senior year is officially here! Wishing everyone an amazing senior year :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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4082

We have some progress in trops house. Since it was a rainy quiet Sunday yesterday, I gently suggested some college app work. S26 did not want to bother with the Common App but he did fill out the app to his (well liked) safety, which is not on the Common App. It was a very basic form that he “submitted”. They will send him access to his portal tomorrow, where I am sure he will have to furnish a lot more information. A first step is made :partying_face: but at this speed it will be a long haul .

While discussing this, he told me that his friends had already applied to this university and that means they are done with college apps. That will be the only school they are applying to.

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4083

My S25 did this – there were three in-state schools he was considering, but he liked one more than the other two. We had agreed that he would stay in state to take advantage of a fantastic film program here that collaborates with nearly every public university and technical college in the state.

(Plus, we weren’t sure how he’d do as a college student, so it made no sense to send him far.)

He filled out the school’s app on August 1 last year, got in a couple weeks later, and that was that. No need to fill in extracurriculars and all that mess on the common app. No rec letters or essay needed. No test scores needed since he had above a 3.2 GPA (I think this has now changed in our state). It made for such a peaceful senior year! He is now moved in as of a week ago and attending classes and living his best life at said school.

It was really nice to have an easy application season in between two stressful ones, lol.

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4084

I agree, it would be very easy to just be done with this one. Especially since my gut feeling tells me that’s where he will end up anyway. But he wants to apply to his other five schools. We will see if he keeps that up once he starts filling out the Common App :innocent:

What his friends are doing is very representative of our region though. Many are just applying to one school, either the flagship or another state school. My D22, who applied to 16 schools (most of them out of state) was incredibly unusual.

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4085

I think if he wants to apply to 5 other schools, and is willing to complete the applications, then I would be on board. Psychologically it just feels good to “choose” your school for some kids. Things change a lot senior year for many kids, and It can’t hurt to have options if he is the one driving the process.

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4086

1st week of senior year is over and so far, so good.

Applications for her are wrapping up. She has almost everything finished, so for her/us- the hectic aspect is over. Now just tying up loose ends and waiting :wink:

The final (maybe :blush:) list: (in order of preference)

Currently Tied for 1st place:
University of Limerick – Application not yet available (but all info ready to be loaded in)
Colorado School of Mines- Applied

Would be thrilled with either of these if 1st choice(s) doesn’t work out:
CU Boulder- has everything loaded- but wants to rework her supplemental essay
RIT- has everything loaded- but waiting on clarification on a few things before submitting

Her top Safety Choices:
Colorado State University- Applied
South Dakota Mines- Applied

She has said that she is now strongly considering adding a couple more to her list since she is mostly done with her top choices. (she has mentioned Stevens Institute of Tech. and Cornell as possible additions)
My mommy gut is saying that I doubt she will add anymore once she realizes that it will mean more essays and such -LOL😊. But it will be nice if she does expand out a bit!

We have a Fall break in October and will be going to Ireland and will visit Limerick and tour the school while there. Hopefully that can help her decide if this is a true top choice for her!

Hoping that we will also get a chance to go visit RIT during a long weekend or a Holiday break. The more she looks into this one- the more it has moved up on her list so even though I do not want to make that trip- I want to give her the opportunity to really consider this one!

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4087

So I can tell you our impressions of RIT! :blush:

First off, we’re from the south, and we visited in February of this year. It was two days after an epic snowstorm, and there were huge piles of snow and slush on the ground. It was more snow than my D26 had ever seen in her life. :joy:

We were in lots of layers (having only medium winter jackets, nothing heavy) – but we quickly learned that the heat is cranked up everywhere inside. So we had to go to the bathroom and peel off layers of thermals, etc. lest we pass out. Felt much better after that!

RIT is in a suburb outside of the city proper – kind of in the middle of nowhere in an office park. There are no cute shops or restaurants or anything within walking distance. (That’s a pretty big mark against it for my kid.) That said, it was an easy 15-minute Uber from the airport, which is so convenient. Her other top two schools are an hour or more from an airport, which isn’t great.

The campus is not beautiful or charming – kind of ugly 70s orange brick buildings. They do have a really cool modern student center with big maker space and lots of techy things happening. And they’re constructing a new performing arts center that should be done soon.

Despite all that, my D26 felt at home immediately. She loved absolutely everything. I think foremost was the vibe of the student body – clearly nerdy kids (this is a compliment in her eyes), fairly diverse, but still all kinds of people that were warm and welcoming. Everyone was SO nice.

The art school is top notch (as you know), but so are all the tech majors. My kid is looking at several of the “new economy” majors, but she’s also interested in game design, which is possibly their hardest major to get into. (I suspect it’s going to be too much coding and development for her – what she really likes is narrative design and storytelling, which I think can be accomplished within another major.)

Anyhow. Let me know how else I can talk up RIT, lol!

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4088

If your daughter likes RIT and Mines, I would also consider Case Western. Many of the same benefits but the campus is in a better location than RIT. Close to museums, a beautiful park, and lots of restaurants and an easy commute to the Cleveland Airport. It was a nice combination of the arts and science. We liked RIT when we visited but felt like Case was the better campus. Bonus is that they do not have any extra essays to write!

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4089

I so agree with this! We’ve looked at Case so many times hoping to find a major that would work for my D26, and they just don’t have it, unfortunately. I wish they did!

4090

Thanks!!
On paper- I feel like RIT is a perfect fit. But sometimes reality of course does not match.
So a trip is most likely going to occur. The biggest issue- the only time that works is during winter/snowy times :wink:. And I hear it can be brutal!
But it will be great for D26 to see it at its worst, if she still likes it at its worst- then she will love it at its best.

This school has gone from – I will look into it- to - I may add it to my list- to - making the top cut. So, I think there is a good chance it may keep on rising up on the list.

The airport being that close is definitely a plus. That is one of the biggest reasons Limerick went from the absolute for sure thing/top choice to now possibly being displaced by Mines for the top spot! The access to the airport and ease of getting to and from home for visits!!

She has only seen pictures- but she seems to like this aspect. But I think that is her looking at it from an artist’s perspective- after the newness wears off- will she still find it neat? LOL.(how many pictures can you take with that backdrop before it gets old?)

This is also a positive. That is why she likes Mines- she says she is among her ‘people’.

When we get closer to decision time- I will definitely be asking more questions, thanks for all the information.

~

Thanks for the recommendation- I will pass this one on to D26 to see if it is a good fit!!