really helpful post. thank you very much!
sometimes I get calls from students from colleges like purdue, i’m not sure why. they leave messages to see if i have questions about their college. should i call them back anyway? is this a form of an interview?
This is usually a form a recruiting, encouraging more applications.
I had an interesting conversation w/ my S this evening. He said he’d be happy in any college, even some low-level third tier school. (He got 2250 in his SATs, 720-800 in SAT IIs, 5s in AP tests, 8 APs in all.) He admitted that what he’d really prefer to focus on is the humor newspaper where he’s EIC. He’d rather not go crazy w/ this college thing. (I’m the one who gets obsessive.) My question to all you readers: shouldn’t I nudge him a bit? All of his friends are the super-smart kids in HS, probably going to HYPS and the likes. His girlfriend’s going to P this year. Or should I just back off and let him slide?
In the end, the student has to decide where to apply, and the student has to decide where to enroll if admitted to more than one college. But I definitely in the nudge the child to aim higher camp. Maybe the child won’t get in, and maybe the child will decide to enroll in a “lesser” college even if admitted to the “better” college, but there is learning value in the application process, and it’s better to try out some choices and then close doors than to close doors by never trying to open them.
Good luck in the application process. There are a lot of good colleges out there.
^ agree. If he does not apply he will never have the chance to make a choice. Encourage one big reach. They change so much in this senior year, who knows where his head will be on May 1, 2010 when he has to make his choice. I firmly believe the college application process is about giving the student choices in the Spring. That should be the aim. You do not want him to “have” to go to any one school due to the lack of options.
Vosson- I looved the carleton program it was an amazing experience, I met fellow african americans that were all intelligent and had the same interest as I have. Schools that I will be applying to next summer are yale, uchicago, umichigan, and some others. I really like caltech but I looked at its sight and it has less than one percent african americans students. Is this a negative or a positive. I am studying like crazy to get a 2350 on my SAT, so hopefuully I will attain this. I find that as I have grown older I have become more wise and so the schools that I apply to will be schools that I know that I will continue to become more wise. For some reason I have this craving for knowledge. BTw would schools like illinois wesleyan and loyola u in chicago be considered safeties because those are mine lol.
“I really like caltech but I looked at its sight and it has less than one percent african americans students. Is this a negative or a positive.”
If you are academically qualified, I would guess that your being black would increase your chances of admission, since CalTech says it considers minority status.
“BTw would schools like illinois wesleyan and loyola u in chicago be considered safeties because those are mine”
Sorry, I don’t know.
oh caltech considers URM? hmm I did not know that, thanks for the info.
Yes, the info is at <a href=“http://finance.caltech.edu/budget/cds2008.pdf[/url]”>http://finance.caltech.edu/budget/cds2008.pdf</a> section C7.
This is a good document for getting a rough feel for how you compare with the last matriculating class.
Need advice on HS curriculum for foreign language! My son has been a good A - B student to date and his average is a B+. However, he has a hard time with foreign language classes. Is it OK for him to do two years of a foreign language ( Spanish 1 and 2 ) in highschool OR does he need a third year?? I am worried about him taking Spanish 3 (very challenging at our HS) in his all important junior year. Advice???
Should he just do two years of foreign language or is that third year very important ( I’m afraid he’ll get a C in Spanish level 3). Lastly, could he take no language his junior year and then try Latin 1 his senior year?? Suggestions??? thanks
It is all about GPA and SAT for good schools, they could care less that you were in a bunch of extra-curricular activities; now for the great schools like USC and UCLA it is expected that you have extra-curriculars, so once again its all about GPA and SAT.
To find out which schools could not care less about ECs, google for a school’s “Common Data Set” and check out section C7 where Extracurricular Activities will be checked with one of Very Important, Important, Considered, or Not Considered.
Question: Has anyone ever seen Not Considered checked?
Most colleges care somewhat about activities, although very little at some state universities. The most highly selective colleges care a great deal about activities, because those best distinguish groups of applicants who are all students with strong grades and high test scores.
Princeton list two items as “not considered”
State residency
Religious affiliation/commitment
Thanks for mentioning that. I’m locking this thread now because it has become a magnet for off-topic chances posts and spam posts.