This board skews generally high. Type-A parents with type-A kids (for the most part, not universal). It’s good to be reminded that things like a 1400 SAT and 3.7 GPA are very, very, very good
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My kid has been painstakingly working on the essay – I signed her up for a summer essay class so she has a few more weeks she can potentially get feedback from someone not me through that. Given that time constraint, she hasn’t started on the rest of it yet.
She got waitlisted from the Harvey Mudd fly-in she applied for. Not surprising, but too bad. It would have been nice to get to visit a small school before application time to see if it changed (in either direction) how she thinks about very small schools. As it is, most things will go on the “visit-if-you-get-in” list, and while I hope she does well in admissions, I also kind of hope she doesn’t do so well that our spring travel is impossible. The fly-in app did have the very short character activity list, and that was a huge struggle – no idea how people say anything coherent in that.
Today is officially the first day of school, but it’s a looser proposition for homeschool. Her one online class starts next week (an upper level population genetics university class), and the rest are at home, with no APs for the first time. Instead, she’s got it pretty stacked with science and math: Calc-based vibrations and waves, modeling biological systems, second semester of calc-based stats, the population genetics class, plus English and a required state history. She does actually like some of the social sciences, but instead of AP is opting to do a spring semester college political science or econ class, since she feels kind of burned out on the AP format and thinks it’ll be more useful college prep. (she took all the AP sciences, calc BC and Psych already, but skipped the psych test since she didn’t think she’d need the score).
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S27 hasn’t started his essay or set up in the Common App yet. I think I mentioned this before,that the school is holding a workshop on the Common App this week but we’ll be traveling (it is still summer vacation here until the end of the month). We’re reviewing his college list on Thursday and checking against Navience again and then having him make a schedule with deadlines to make sure he has everything ready by the EA deadlines that start Nov 1. Plus one more visit to get in - just a day trip thankfully.
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Mine has a common app account, their colleges added and has collated all their supplemental questions into a doc (so an idea of “how much”) but that is about it… They have a start on their big essay, but will be working on it this week/next. Like GrainteStater, their school also has a workshop coming up next week, so will get some feedback on their essay then, and will also add their courses to the common app then, with the school to ensure it is done right (they have some weird things). I have my fingers crossed it is done before they start school, but that is looking kind of optimistic right now..
They do have quite a few supplementals, but they are mainly a version of “why major” and “why this school” which I don’t think will be taxing for them.
They have no rolling schools so first deadline isn’t until 11/1…in my head, the main thing is the “big essay” being fleshed out - the other stuff can be done in smaller chunks and feels more manageable during the school year.
We have one more (localish) school visit (1/2 day trip) for a far reach late next week and then wrapped up on that, I think. Makes me sad, I love visits actually! ha! Now hoping this week’s SAT goes well 
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Hi, I’m new to the 2027 board. My S27 will have a much different journey than S25 as far as college decisions and acceptances. Likely this one is staying local or at least very close. I am on here to just refresh myself on the senior year process as we still have the next few months ahead to decide what’s the path.
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You’re right - and a good reminder! Hopefully the schools he’s applying to see it that way too. lol
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D27 hasn’t made any progress on applications for the last two weeks, but with school starting Monday, her activities have really ramped up. We were on vacation last week, but she spent hours on her phone working on tasks for ITS (theater thing). As per always with this kid, her dedication/hard work sneaks up on me. It’ll look like she’s bopping along being chill for the longest time, then suddenly she’s in charge of like three different organizations.
She ended up, after a little intervention, getting the classes she wanted this year. Only three APs and one required Econ class, then theater, chorus (both semesters) and art (both semesters). I’m mildly concerned that her schedule lack rigor with all of those art electives, but since she’s applying to art schools I hope it’ll be ok.
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We live in a wild world when 3 AP and Econ feels lacking in rigor!
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I totally agree 3 APs is excellent rigor and is even considered “highest” rigor at our LPS - 4 is rare a needs counselor permissions and 5 takes permission of principal (big school, and this not easily given only a few kids are allowed and generally there are no rules about what you can take!)… but I get a lingering worry about the # of core academics courses. Generally AOs want to 5 core academic courses and that is only 4…but applying to art schools this seems to make a lot more sense!
Hello rsanch1 (and anyone else who’d like to pipe in), would you care to share your thoughts (and/or your child’s thoughts) on UMass? I assume you visited UMass Amherst? Mostly I hear about how good the food is there. I’d be interested in hearing what your daughter really liked about the college.
How difficult is it to get to campus? Is Amherst the kind of place where a student would need a car? Do you have information about the honors college experience? Is it easy or difficult to schedule and get to classes at the other colleges within the consortium?
Well, we are winding down summer here. Just dropped my 25 at the airport to fly back for his sophomore year. So strange and it feels like yesterday that we were managing the applications!
My 27 has populated the background info on the common app. He’s got the activity section about 80% done. He’s got some updates and revisions to do on that though. He says his first draft of his essay is done (they did a draft in class last spring), but he’s also said he needs to make some changes based on his experiences this summer. That being said, he’s only added his top 4 choices plus his in-state public, which is a middle-of-the-pack choice on his list, to the common app. When I was reviewing the biographical info to confirm it was all correct, I asked him if he was going to add the remaining target and safety schools from his list yet, and he is not ready. I think he’ll get to that pretty soon, and I can’t wait to see which schools he opts to include. He has a really cool list, imo. I like the idea of a spreadsheet for supplementals. And due dates! The question is if he’d use it!
We’re all wrapped up on visits for the summer. We have one more visit planned for the October break. I too will be bummed when the visits are done. I love going on them! I have one more kid to go though, and my 29 has already said he is most interested in schools in the mid-Atlantic and points south, so that will be a whole new adventure for me!
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from where? 
We drove to the main town, I think it was like 2 miles from the tour’s parking lot..the UMass campus is big though, so if you had an apartment on far side of campus, you could be much, much closer to town.
We toured it with my 27, they hated it, honestly walked out of the engineering tour and instantly said “well, I am not applying here” and refused to go to the general info session. However, they said same thing after UC Boulder - doesn’t like big flagships – too big for them and also has VERY strong opinions on schools in general. The idea of 250 kids in an intro class and 50 kids in a discussion section was too much for them. (Note, the tour guide said 50 kids in a discussion section, I actually have a hard time believing it is that big, I hope not, that is a mid-size class, to me, not a discussion section).
We didn’t stop to eat as kid already had made up their mind. But I have, indeed, heard from real friends food is actually good!
I can’t speak to honors program, or the consortium, since we were on an engineering tour the latter wouldn’t come up. Those kids would be coming TO Umass.
Math question: D27 took AP Stats and Sec math 2 9th grade, IB math 10th and 11th grade. No AP calculus class fit her IB schedule and there are no other higher math courses offered. How critical is it that she takes calc if it means she will have to take it outside of school?
Full disclosure – she only has 3 academic classes. 
APs are Stats, Lit and Art (2d). She has five arts classes and 3 academic ones.
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I’m trying hard not to influence my D27 since she will be the one attending and having to live at her choice. I just told her what my financial contribution will be. So she has been deciding on which to visit.
I thought it looked like a nice campus. She liked the food and all the different options. My wife is thai, even she said the thai food offered in the dining hall was pretty good. Lots of different options and variety to choose from so as not to repeat.
We took the general tour offered. So it was a quick overview and pretty standard to the other school tours we have been on. We went to a few different buildings, walked into a classroom (which the tour guide said was a newer building and not all look like that), visited the library and walked into one of the residence halls to see a dorm room.
We have been doing a few school visits so we drove in to Amherst from Boston. It was pretty easy driving to the campus. It looked like there are lots of parking lots for kids to park there with a student permit. I don’t remember what they mentioned about the Honors college, I don’t remember if you had to check another box in the Common App to be considered for it. D27 was going to apply for it. Honors had there own newer residence hall. They get priority registration for classes. They mentioned the consortium and that it was down 1 college that decided not to continue in it. They mentioned the different bus services around campus and the ones that go to Boston/NY. I think they mentioned the “Peter Pan” bus is free and would take you to the different colleges in the consortium. And that many students do take a class or two at the other schools.
Thank you to rsanch1 and L_NewEngland for your thoughts on UMass Amherst. My kid has been interested in moving to New England, and UMass Amherst seems like a good OOS option.
When I was in college, I attended introductory lectures of up to 700 students, and I didn’t mind the anonymity of those classes. I can see why some kids would not like being in such a large herd though. I also had a lot of small classes as well.
The Kid recently submitted his first college application. The experience was anticlimactic. The confetti from the Common App just for applying is a fun little touch.
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Yeah you should visit if checks the boxes… Lots of people love, love, Umass.
To be clear my kid doesn’t actually mind if lectures were big (no effective difference between 200 and 1000 really? Prof isn’t knowing your name) as long as discussions are smaller - say 25 kids. 50- 60 felt silly to them in a “why bother” sense - that is still not a small discussion based group to them (I tend to agree- I had a lot of classes that size and while some room for questions were not “cozy” or discussion forward) Most schools we visited said the discussion/labs were more 20-25 fwiw.
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Last first day for my last kid 
it is bittersweet. D27 hates this high school so much and just wants to get to college already. She is my fourth and I have loved having the last few years with more one on one time. But I am really sorry that she didn’t make friends when we moved here her freshman year. She skipped senior sunrise this morning, did not want first day pictures, and has already made it clear to us that she will not participate in the graduation ceremony. The older 3 kids we had tons of family from out of state come to celebrate and the family reunion aspect of that is important to me. Negotiations are ongoing. We can have the party without the cap and gown!
Only upside is she is pretty darn motivated recently to bang out her supplemental essays lol.
We hired someone to help her stay on top of all the deadlines and essays plus help with editing. Ms Fiercely Independent does not want our input on her essays and this felt like a good compromise. The list has grown to 17 colleges. I just want her to feel like she has lots of great choices after we moved her across the country and apparently made a bad choice for high school.
Thanks for letting me vent!
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Vent away! that sounds so hard 
Though I love how you look at the upside of getting the supplementals out of the way! amazing.
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It doesn’t look anyone responded to you. There are a few things I’d consider:
- What sort of selectivity is your D27 looking at? The higher up the “food chain” of selectivity, the more they want to see four math classes (including senior year).
- What major is she considering? I still think #1 stays important, regardless, but if she’s leaning STEM, it puts more pressure on it.
- Will the counselor write that there was a scheduling conflict to explain why she can’t take it?
- What is she taking? What would she have to drop to make this work? If it’s another core class, that’s an issue. If it’s an elective (even a dearly beloved one), I think the common wisdom is that she should prioritize core classes.
Does that help at all?
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