What we learned in addition to many of the OPs enlightenments:
- CASTING A WIDE NET is NOT the same as applying to a bunch of schools with the same acceptance rate. It’s not the number of schools that makes your net wide. It’s the variety. This means not the entire acronym…you’ll have to think outside the GLADCHEMMS box.
- A 99% ON THE SSAT is NOT your Golden Ticket into selective schools.
- YOU NEED TO SELL YOURSELF (see #2). DS left many accomplishments/awards off his application because he felt it was bragging. Anyone who has met him knows he’s a pretty stoic, introverted kid. He keeps his cards close to his chest and doesn’t flaunt his payoffs/good fortunes. The application is the time to allow yourself to shine. You need to allow the AOs to really get to know you. If you are like my DS, take the extra steps to come out of your shell on paper. It will be easier than doing so in the interview, which you’ll have to try and do then, too. And those awards you received? Write them down.
- EVEN THE SCHOOLS WHO SAY THEY DON’T RECRUIT, DO. I don’t care what they tell you. There’s some form of sports recruiting going on, even if just a wee little bit. Schools are pulling in upper classmen for their varsity basketball, hockey or baseball teams. It’s much less in leagues that “ban” it, but it still happens.
- LISTEN TO THE CC “ADVISORS” - the older ones, who’ve been around the block or two…they know this process and are dead on. They don’t tell you what you want to hear all of the time (ahem, The Wait List thread) but they will definitely give sound advice and steer you in the right direction. …Oh and by older, I don’t mean age but experience. The ones whose kids have graduated, even college at this point, but still stick around to help those of us who are still experiencing the BS process. Why? I have no idea…I’d probably have gotten fed up with people like myself who ask ridiculous and repetitive questions and washed my hands of the whole thing. But they stay and continue to try and shine the light on the path for those of us who need it. I’m already forever indebted to them…and I haven’t yet gone through round 2, yet.
- DO YOUR OWN DIGGING AND FIND YOUR OWN DIAMONDS. Look for hidden gem schools. This means the ones you found on your own, with your own research. Even the schools given that label on this forum aren’t really that hidden. And many of them are very selective and have low acceptance rates. Do your own research, then come back here and see if there are any alum/parents that can provide personal info/feedback for those schools.
- EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE Don’t let this intimidate you. There will always be those families that have to point out in the admissions lobby who they know that’s connected to the school. Every. Single. Time. At first, this intimidated us so much that I genuinely think it interfered with our confidence in the interview. Then, DS and i started to make a game of it. When we arrived, we’d each place bets on which family would make a show of their contact… DD and I love the new virtual session format because you can see everyone’s thumbnail pictures and we try and pick from those. The best part is we are always muted and video blocked, so of course, once they “out themselves” we proceed to mock and fall into peals of laughter - Something we couldn’t do if we were there in person. DS and I would have to save that for the car ride back to the hotels. I digress…
- LET GO OF THE WHAT IFS When M10 comes, accept your results with grace. It may not turn out like you’d hoped or expected. If you were accepted, be thankful for this and let the no’s and WL no’s (these are NOT maybes) go. Don’t dwell on the negative, but instead focus on the positive. If you did not get an acceptance, analyze what may have contributed to that - fix it, pull up those bootstraps and move on to plan B. Whether this be to reapply next year, look for schools with open spots or just give up the BS path altogether is up to you. Just don’t hang on to the what ifs. It’s unproductive and it drowns out the positive.
9)SAVOR EVERY MOMENT DS is a V (almost VI) former. We still bring up memories and stories of the process. We made so many. We had such good times (there were a few not so good, but we now laugh at those). It goes by so much faster than you would ever imagine. And it’s such a great ride.