These are things that you’ve probably already done, but have C26 check the spam folder, and also do a search in their inbox.
I mention this because my D26 missed a portal email that had come several days earlier – because she gets easily 50 to 100 college marketing emails a day (not exaggerating), so it’s easy to miss stuff. She only found it when I told her to do a search.
Otherwise, I agree with @ECCA2026 – have C26 try emailing again, or possibly even calling on their lunch break? I think your contacting the school should be last resort.
I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong with you calling admissions about something as simple as portal setup, especially since its because of the time zone issue.
It didn’t even occur to me that admissions might have a voicemail. That’s a good option.
It is one of the schools which has a hard deadline for all requirements to be met by the EA deadline, including those submitted directly from the school. I am hoping it’s a likely (one never knows with architecture), but it would be preferred to their current safety school admit and would be nice to have in hand before any possible negative EA outcomes from the favorite schools in late January.
I doubt it is the same school, but just in case, we are stuck with CU Boulder. S26 had CU Boulder portal access for a few days, but now it says that there is no account for him. He’s emailed twice over the period of about 3 weeks, so calling next, as he’s unable to see what’s received or not. Good luck-hope it’s resolved quickly!
I started listening to the episode just now. I didn’t realize ED0 is not even on their website! It’s like the elitist version of the In-N-Out secret menu.
Also heard the summer programs are between $2500 to $14k. That is an expensive application fee.
This whole process is stressful enough without students being ignored by admissions offices! (Now will get c26 to check if their Boulder portal is still there, haha. )
Hopefully they are just extremely busy, but that is frustrating and not a great start of the relationship with the school. Did your student email their specific assigned AO for their region? When D26 has done that for one school, the AO replied fairly quickly.
On the updates and questions front: D26 has started her interviews for colleges she is applying to, so it is starting to feel reel. And, we think her first apps will be ready to go in within a few days. Wife and I are spending the morning doing CSS Profile tomorrow.
D26 is fiercely undecided on what she wants to major in. She has liked a lot of different things from different subject areas. Most of the talk on here seems to be (or maybe I just read it that way) about majors kids are committed to/interested in. Similarly, podcasts and books often talk about check out this and check out that at the school related to your major or likely major. Wondering, do others have kids on here who are applying undecided and absolutely do not want to pick a major until they’ve had a chance to explore some things in college? I am 100% on board with D26’s approach by the way, I’m just curious.
D26 was undecided until about 3 months ago and I was totally ok with that. At that point, it was high on my list to make sure she found schools with good exploratory programs. When she got this years AP scores back though she had done well in a subject that she loves, although isn’t her strongest grades (she had gotten a B for the year). It boosted her confidence and she wants to major in that now.
I’ve read that something like 65% of students change majors at some point. And that students who go in undecided often graduate on time, as opposed to those who go in with one major and then change halfway through. So I think it’s totally fine, especially when the school has a great exploratory program to help guide the student in finding their path.
She is applying to BioE / BME programs, because one of the possible things she wants is some kind of engineering, and at many schools, it’s tough to get into an engineering major if you did not start out in one. So her thought process is that BioE / BME would give her the most options… allowing her to spend her freshman year studying various sciency subjects and thinking about it a bit more.
But some days I hear a lot of “MOM WHY AM I APPLYING TO THIS??!?” and I have to remind her of her thought process and then she nods and says, Ok yes.
D26 here is mostly decided on a major, but is subject to change. She’s thinking physics or possibly chemistry right now. But she has a lot of interest in public policy and in creative writing. Whether she would switch to those as a major, a second major, as a minor, etc. is an open question. All to say she is likely choosing physics as her primary major on most applications.
The insecurities the college admissions process brings out are interesting. While I am on board with my D26 being undecided, I have found it oddly comforting to see that some other folks on here’s kids are not totally decided either.
My child is completely undecided. She only knows what she absolutely doesn’t want to do, but has a few areas that she wants to explore before making a final decision. She mentioned being undecided in some of her supplemental essays and how she felt that whatever school she was writing about offered many opportunities to explore several of her interest areas before committing. So many change their major, I almost feel she’ll be ahead of the game for coming in knowing she doesn’t know.
Wife and I are spending the morning doing CSS Profile tomorrow. 