Mine graded them too -but she’s a tough grader. The highest grade was an A-. Most schools were Bs! We eliminated all the C- and lower. I think this is a really good plan for future students who are looking for a way to evaluate their college application list!
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Class of 2025 lurker here (and truthfully, I’m furloughed and a new empty nester so I’m probably lurking more than normal because I don’t know what to do with myself).
When he was trying to pick between his two final schools my S25 added a ranking value for vibe - and he weighted it heavier than a lot of other things. And this is how the school that charmed him for it’s big trees on campus, and the random guy that said “ ‘Sup ” as we were walking around campus, ended up his #1 choice even though it was $10k more than choice number two, and five hours further away (strength of program was equal).
I mean, I pretty much knew he was going to choose that school - it was where he just clicked on the tour and had been top of his list for a while. But it was important to me that he see the tradeoffs, and that he affirmatively put a value to them. For example, the $10k a year difference was still affordable, it was still under the limit, but he needed to understand that meant we couldn’t buy him a car, and that he had to commit to maintaining good grades because if he loses his merit scholarship then the $$ difference grows more and puts the school out of what we said we would pay for. So it was important to me that he understand the tradeoff for choosing based on vibe, and putting it down on paper and making him weight the categories and then grade the schools was the only way I could think of to make sure he was really thinking about the choices.
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Seeing your chart I feel as though I’m preparing to roll my 20 sided Die for initiative right as I’m surprise attacking a band of Orcs in Dungeons and Dragons. That’s a hard core chart , even for me.
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Remind me to pay some random student $50 at the less expensive school to say ‘Sup if we make final visits on admitted students day.
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Just when you think things are all set…
1 of D26’s 11/1 app deadline colleges emailed her this morning saying they still haven’t received her transcript from the high school. The high school submits it through SCOIR. Counselor submitted it through SCOIR on 10/20. It’s 9 calendar days later…counselor said she can see on her end that the college downloaded it. Admissions rep says they don’t have it. Deadline is tomorrow to get it to them. All materials must be received by 11/1 in order to be considered for merit scholarships.
I sent email to the counselor this morning requesting help. Told counselor in the email that I’m stepping because D26 left school early on Mon because she’s under the weather + she was out sick yesterday, too (and, honestly, I pushed for the kid to go to school today anyway and I feel terrible about it…dr appt isn’t until tomorrow morning).
I’m frustrated.
I’m now going to throw up my hands and learn to embrace an attitude on this of “what will be, will be.” I can’t do anything else. Transcript has to come directly from the school. What good is SCOIR (when it comes to submitting HS transcripts) if it takes several days for the transcripts to actually get to the colleges?
** edited to add **
if the college doesn’t get the transcript on time and, because of that, it means the college is no longer affordable, then it’s totally out of the running and we will move on and not look back. But I’m pretty frustrated and mad about this given all the effort that’s been put in so far. Frustrated and mad in general, not at a particular person.
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That is ridciulous! There should be some kind of “just in case” method to get the transcript to them on time. And if the system shows that it was downloaded, then it’s on the college to make sure they have it in time for the deadline or that they extend the deadline for her until they can access it. Sounds like there are some crossed wires.
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I love the various methods to choosing a school that you all have. I keep a spreadsheet but it mostly has facts about location, cost, majors, and deadlines. I think we’ll have to do two charts; one with her needs and wants, and one with ours. 
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Keeping my fingers crossed the college gets it on time!
None of S26’s teachers or the counselor have uploaded the rec letters yet. He went and talked to them last week, and sent an email beginning of this week, no reply yet. Ours is public school with around 650 seniors, so I get that they are overworked, but come on, if you committed to doing it, then do it on time please! One college on his list wants everything by Nov 1st to be considered EA. But its a super reach for him, he was just playing lottery anyways, so we won’t sweat it. But It’s the attitude that frustrates me.
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Status update:
Admissions rep sent follow up email to D26. The college DID receive it from SCOIR a few days ago, but their ‘operations team’ has taken a few days to get the transcripts copied over to the correct locations w/in their own internal systems or locations, drives, wherever it is that they put it.
this explains them sending D26 a couple of emails asking for her counselor to send it via email.
Also explains a different college (rolling admission) sending D26 an email yesterday asking her to ask her counselor to email the transcript, even though they do receive it through SCOIR. For the love of all that is holy…
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Having had to enter all the grades into STARS for a couple of colleges, I think I might now prefer that pain versus having to track down a guidance counselor to navigate this email mess. I’m so sorry that you have to go through this, but it does sound like it’s working out finally, so that’s good to hear!
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I can only imagine how bonkers some people may be right about now if your kid is applying to multiple colleges with an 11/1 deadline. Like, imagine all of those schools asking you to do “just this one more thing.” AAAHHH!!!
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I love this - judge them on THEIR grades!! HAHA.
Will definitely do this!
This is insanity. This is probably why a lot (most?) schools have a later deadline for the schools to get their info in. I feel for the counseling team and teachers at the HS during this time. Most are vastly understaffed and under-resourced. One would think colleges would understand that (being understaffed and under-resourced themselves).
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That is incredibly frustrating and just doesn’t make sense to me. There should be a back up when technology or the system in place doesn’t work. Your student did what she was supposed to do. I hope this works out. Is this her first choice school?
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Ugh this is worse IMO because it means they caused you/your daughter panic and/or frustration when it was something on their end. Deep breaths.
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No. But it’s close to the top of her list.
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HOW FRUSTRATING!!! My goodness, if this is happening to your kid for 2 schools, I’m sure other students from her high school are running into this issue too. The counseling office needs to get their $h!+ together!!! So much unnecessary stress for you!!!
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D came home from school feeling super stressed about everything… classes, homework, music (“Mom I haven’t practiced in a week, what will I tell my teacher!”) and her last and reachiest college app due 11/1… still wrestling with the supplementals for that one. At least she finished all the other EA.
She said lots of other students in her classes were extremely stressed today about college apps, everyone talking about this, some students crying on their desks! Our HS doesn’t usually have that high pressure, college obsessed vibe (unlike what we hear about some schools in our area), but I get it, this is a tough week for many students with early apps due.
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D26 had a few friends stay home from school today to finish apps. Everyone is stressed out.
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