<p>Was pondering Marite’s point from post #64 about favoring a post-jr. year move rather than mid-sr. year. I agree very much. The dad here also wants to imagine her finished applying for college before she moves. Understandable, because it’s so much work and requires focus and calm from the student to generate the personal essay, especially.
If you had to cut the difference, I’d suggest have her write all the personal essays over the summer, following jr. year, when she’s still on familiar soil. She might even write about that anticipated process, if it’s compelling and productive as an essay topic.
Then maybe save all the anal-retentive stuff about how many hours spent per week on each extra-curricular activity, etc., for when she’s already moved.
One thing is some colleges only release their own new extra (“supplemental”) essay question for that year in September. The Common Application essay topics have been the same menu of 5 choices (including 'topic of your choosing") for many years now, so let’s hope that stays put. She could work on her CA essay at least while she’s still in a “place of power” (city A).
You are an extraordinarily sensitive parent to be thinking of all this ahead.
We had to move our kids often throughout their schooling for H’s work. One kid wrote a winning essay on how he responded to frequent moves (“winning” in that he got accepted to a school that only looks at essays and doesn’t interview). Moving is actually of interest to college admissions process, since the kids all have to leave home and recreate themselves on the college campus. So think of it as an advantage to undergo this in advance. Keep working with it with her and you might end up making lemonade here. Best wishes.</p>