<p>
Not to be a ■■■■■ for Carolyn’s website or anything (two references in one thread! But then again it is a great site 
) I think her site had a link to a file system of some sort that she really liked, for those of us who are technologically challenged in setting up spreadsheets and charts.</p>
<p>We just found out that all college apps need to be in school guidance office by 11/15. I think that spoils my daughter’s plans of applying ED to one school and only applying to others if she gets rejected or deferred. Suits me fine, though.</p>
<p>D is her own person, but it does appear she is following a somewhat predictable pattern. Last night the tape came off my mouth when SHE started a conversation about weekend app work plans. </p>
<p>She has decided to do her two public schools “fill in the blanks” apps first. (Both will then send required separate program app’s or scholarship apps, but this first app needs to go now as both are rolling admission schools where the early scholarship bird gets the worm.) That is the only goal for the weekend. </p>
<p>That shouldn’t take up that much time and she plans to use whatever she has left to work on the common app. She has 4 schools on her new list that require the common app only (two from her original list, two adds) for admittance and for scholarships. She is not sure that she will apply to all four.</p>
<p>Next she will finish the common app essays (but not with this weekend as a goal), as that will be her application to all her remaining schools (and provide the basis for two required essays for one of the state school programs).</p>
<p>How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.</p>
<p>I had to dig out this old thread so that I could provide an update on S’s progress. He is away from me (and my controlling ways) and has actually completed his core essay AND the Common App. He had to do this because he committed to a coach to apply for a scholarship with a deadline of September 20! His teachers are scrambling to do the recs, but S did his part and gave plenty of notice. There is no ED commitment for this scholarship, but the app has to be in.
I can’t believe he got it done! When we had our series of “discussions” at the end of the summer, I was getting used to the idea that he would be going to his safety and I was happy about the financial implications of that! Now-once the recruiting process advances, he will settle on his ED school and do that application if it requires other than Common App. P R O G R E S S</p>
<p>I am soooo jealous. And here we are still flying around like a couple of bats on acid. AAACCKKKK. We will never get there.</p>
<p>Well, my daughter ~may~ have thought of a topic to write about when she was in the shower yesterday.</p>
<p>Good news! I wish we could say the same here. I have been biting my lip and I am about to have NO lip left. DS is on his own schedule and no way to speed him up. The essay is going soooo sloooow!</p>
<p>It’s only September 15. You all will get there one way or the other but you know that… We were late starters too. You know what was a good jump start? The Princeton app has these sort of silly questions - what is your favorite book and tv show, where do you get your news, etc. Those questions were really fun for D to answer. A moment of light-hearted self reflection, like one of those Cosmo quizzes I used to do as a teen…</p>
<p>S would not let me see the essay. BUT-since it was plugged into the Common App and I have access to that, I got to read it. I would have made a couple of changes, but I don’t get to- it’s not my essay (as I remind myself)…</p>
<p>I think we are moving ahead here, but I’m not certain…so that in itself can’t be good.</p>
<p>Essay - D says first draft is done but it is a state secret and that’s fine by me. </p>
<p>She will be travelling in the next few weeks to overnight at her top two colleges and then (I’m hoping) she’ll decide if there is a clear-cut first choice. And then, I suppose the fun will REALLY begin.</p>
<p>My D checked with her guidance office and they only have to have transcripts & reccs by 11/15. So she’s back to only filling out her ED app and forsaking all others. I may twist her arm to at least do the state U also before ED decisions come out.</p>
<p>Our state u has to be completed early in order to secure a housing wait list number ($25 and issued BEFORE student is even accepted). So that was completed in August.</p>
<p>I have a question - not sure if this is the best place to pose it but it seems to fit in with the 'how far along is your child’s app" theme. D is first student applying to US uni from her UK school so her form tutor (functioning as GC) and I are puzzling through this process together. Is this how it works: 1st step: D sends in Common App but not necessarily with essays. And the fee. That opens her file. Next step: School sends in its various bits and D sends in essays and supplement. This is how the tutor reads the application instructions. I on the other hand thought D should send in app + essays together. Tutor still can’t get her head around the fact that we can’t do all this on-line - as with the UCAS app. I’m starting to get the feeling that I’m the person whose post invariably closes a thread, but any insights on this would be much appreciated! Thanks so much.</p>
<p>Once you press “Submit” on the CommonApp, you CANNOT CHANGE THE SUBMISSION FOR THAT SCHOOL. So, you definitely would complete all essays which are part of the common app before you submit. Now, you can later re-open the CommonApp, make any and all changes you want, including changed essay, and send it to DIFFERENT school(s).</p>
<p>That said, you are right that you can send the CommonApp as a first step; receiving school will open a file and you can send supplement later, your hs can send recs/profile/transcript etc. later.</p>
<p>Some supplements can be sent online. So, in some cases you can do your part all on line. Some are hard copy, though. And it seems like the GC/high school part seems to have remained snail mail.</p>
<p>Some colleges have excellent automated phone or online systems to check status of what has been received as you go along. Several were friendly and helpful when we had to check on receipt of problem items (SAT mix-up, lost GC package).</p>
<p>samuck,</p>
<p>The greater the number of separate bits & pieces, the greater the risk of losing something. Try to coordinate and send was complete an app as possible from the start.</p>
<p>Jmmom and SBmom, thank you! That clarifies things. We have gotten into a bit of a standoff with the tutor who is saying there’s no urgency to her getting the school side of things together since D hasn’t even opened her CommonApp file yet. D is applying EA with a Nov 1 deadline but because that falls in the middle of the two week half term, we are beginning to feel the squeeze, even before allowing for longer posting times from the UK. Because Oxbridge applications have an internal school deadline of 30 Sept, that takes priority over anything else. But at least now I know it is not a good idea to rush D into submitting CommonApp without essays. thanks again…</p>
<p>samuck - Some schools have a Part 1 of the application (it may be called something else) which is just very basis biographical information. You can send this with the fee to open a file before sending in any other application materials. Maybe your tutor confused this with the Common Application without the essay.</p>
<p>Hey, Lukester and Curmudgeon. Just a quick report…D is absolutely loving her classes this year; dorm room is great, friends are great, advisor is great, and she is focusing on eventual graduate school. So, she now faces the applications for internships (especially the competitive ones in Washington), national fellowship awards, and applications for summer research funds. The materials required for these applications are even more daunting than the undergraduate process, so tell your offspring…the process never seems to end!!!</p>
<p>Also, tell your S (Lukester) and D (Curmudgeon) that a little extra effort to complete the supplemental materials for merit scholarships (especially at a particular LAC…wink. wink…) is well worth the effort. With hubby’s change in financial status, we are SOOOOO grateful to NOT have to worry about finding tuition funds. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>iflyjets, you mean they don’t just let you into the grad school of your choice automatically? You have to apply? That seems like such a rip. We’ll just keep this our little secret and we won’t tell my D, will we? ;)</p>
<p>iflyjets, I’ve been thinking of you and H and D, especially since Delta made their sad announcement. Congrats again on the retirement, or should I say transition. I can’t believe D is already looking into the grad school. Do you have a wedding fund set up yet? Do you cringe at the possible thought of, dare I say it, “grandmother”? Time is going by so very quickly! Congrats on raising a superb D! Sure wish the next 6 months would pass quicker for us. Of course, I’ll regret saying that soon enough.</p>