lewelma Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 DS applied to the College of Sciences as a Math major. Hard to tell what impressed the committee. He has always had math and science interests and currently takes graduate level courses at U of Penn. He attended SPARC, a math camp at Berkeley. His world record and travels and youtube channel helped, I would imagine. He has an interest in effective altruism, which was discussed in his essays. FWIW - he never visited or had an interview with Carnegie Mellon. What probably makes committees pause are his essays and the fact that he's graduating early. While his essays are very well-written and thoughtful, they are very serious. He doesn't have much of a sense of humor. It's just who he is, as much as I encouraged him during the application process. :) DS is thinking quite seriously about CMU. It looks like an excellent program. Congrats to your DS!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I want to cry with joy. CMU's financial aid package was the best yet. DS is very happy! That is so wonderful! Happy for your ds!! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 DS is accepted at Dickinson College with merit scholarship. He hasn't visited yet, so we're considering going down there in April. He's sadly rejected at two of his top three choices and waitlisted at the other one. My sister went to Dickinson and *loved* it. I was at a large research university, and was very jealous of the small classes and specialized attention that she got. They are known for their outstanding teaching. Congrats on the merit scholarship! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 This is really stress reducing. I made the mistake of reading https://smile.amazon.com/Acceptance-Legendary-Counselor-Colleges-Themselves-ebook/dp/B002DQDODO/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490818598&sr=1-6&keywords=acceptance, thinking it might be helpful. Instead it led me down a path of panic, since there is no way that I have the kind of backdoor connections this guy had built up to help get his kids into schools. The fact that he's very down on kids declaring Biology as a major doesn't help! But seeing so many kids succeed definitely makes me feel more confident that our rather off the beaten path program of study just may end up working out after all. Congratulations to all!! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanDiegoMom Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 In at UNC-CH. One more she's waiting on, and then a tough decision! 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) Duke :w00t: I give up, I have no idea how she will make this decision :eek: :eek: :eek: This is like a wild card.I apologize if that comes across wrong. We are incredibly grateful. Edited March 30, 2017 by Attolia 28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Duke :eek: I give up, I have no idea how she will make this decision :eek: :eek: :eek: This is like a wild card. I am so excited that your daughter has so many awesome choices !!!! Congratulations to you both. :) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I am so excited that your daughter has so many awesome choices !!!! Congratulations to you both. :) Is your dd taking the merit at Vandy? Holding out for more info? I've been dying to know!!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Is your dd taking the merit at Vandy? Holding out for more info? I've been dying to know!!!! She has several great offers, and the final set of interviews is approaching. So we don't know quite yet. :) DH and I, like so many others here, feel so grateful and blessed for the opportunities and so blessed since merit is essential for us. DD was stupefied to received the Vandy scholarship, and I have to say she really does love that school (so do we). She's just waiting for the last set of competitive interviews. I will be glad when it is over. Thanks so much for asking! :) 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I will be glad when it is over. I think we are ALL feeling this way. :thumbup1: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Job121 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 DS got in Georgetown on Monday and Duke today. Duke totally took us by surprise. I am literally :crying:. Duke acceptance letter says that they had 34,000 applicants for 1,700 places in the first year class this year. I don't know if I can survive another 24 hours of waiting. 26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 DS got in Georgetown on Monday and Duke today. Duke totally took us by surprise. I am literally :crying:. Duke acceptance letter says that they had 34,000 applicants for 1,700 places in the first year class this year. I don't know if I can survive another 24 hours of waiting. 24 hours ~ we got this! We do! :hurray: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Job121 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Right? Even though I can almost hear my heart beating now. I need to get some ice cream. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 34,000 applicants for 1,700 places in the first year class this year. WOW! Duke is getting competitive! My Dad told me that when he went there that it was a just "good regional school." 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 WOW! Duke is getting competitive! My Dad told me that when he went there that it was a just "good regional school." Everything is getting competitive these days but especially the upper tier schools....ridiculously competitive. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Wow, why do I feel better here than on CC? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Wow, why do I feel better here than on CC? CC? Everyone on here who knows me knows I am scared to death of it and avoid it like the plague. :lol: Edited March 30, 2017 by Attolia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Wow, why do I feel better here than on CC?Right, these are awesome surprises!My former colleague's child with the super fancy private school and APs and legacy did not get into Duke. Your kids are rockstars â¤ï¸ But I don't go on CC. We will do our thing and throw a bunch of papers up and examine their landing spots. That's my strategy :) Edited March 30, 2017 by madteaparty 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Right, these are awesome surprises! My former colleague's child with the super fancy private school and APs and legacy did not get into Duke. Your kids are rockstars â¤ï¸ But I don't go on CC. We will do our thing and throw a bunch of papers up and examine their landing spots. That's my strategy :) I've peeked at CC a few times and it scares the heck out of me. That is one stressed group of kiddos, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I want to cry with joy. CMU's financial aid package was the best yet. DS is very happy! YAY!!!! :hurray: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Everything is getting competitive these days but especially the upper tier schools....ridiculously competitive. Even mid-tier schools — I was just reading the Ohio State thread on CC, and there are kids with 35-36 ACTs and 4+ GPAs who applied EA and got deferred! Crazy. :blink: 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Even mid-tier schools — I was just reading the Ohio State thread on CC, and there are kids with 35-36 ACTs and 4+ GPAs who applied EA and got deferred! Crazy. :blink: YES! I saw that on Furman's thread too. I was peeking over there for something else and saw that someone was deferred with a 35 (Furman's ACT range is like 26-30 so they were applying as a safety). I felt immediately overwhelmed, like always, and left ASAP. Crazy right? The kids there made me feel like dd couldn't get into community college :huh: Edited March 30, 2017 by Attolia 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Those kinds of stories make me panic a bit! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I LOVE CC for their predictions on when decisions will be announced (for UC schools we are only told to expect them in March...so I love that the CC kids always predict the correct dates and even time!). Otherwise, reading CC is like sending out an open invitation to come to my house and gut punch me over and over again! :sad: So proud of all the kids. :thumbup1: :thumbup1: :thumbup1: So honored to be sharing this board with parents like you guys who are so humble and yet so dedicated to your awesome kids. :hurray: Wow, such great news! And sending big hugs to those who were denied. :grouphug: I hope there are enough choices to make good decisions. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) CC? Everyone on here who knows me knows I am scared to death of it and avoid it like the plague. What is it about CC that makes you feel terrible? I am just curious :lol: I went on CC during the weekend and felt hopeless, seriously. All those amazing kids with super impressive resumes and can't get into top schools. They are superhuman kids! They win awards, establish companies, build homes for orphans, etc. One kid said that all his work during the last 4 years was wasted. That's really sad. These are just kids with a wonderful future ahead no matter where they go, but it seems to them everything rides on getting accepted to certain colleges. And of course, now that I know how competitive it is, I don't want to fall into the same trap. It just feels healthier here. ETA: and they have almost perfect SAT scores and above 4.0 GPA, so I guess stats don't matter that much when everyone else has the same stats. Edited March 30, 2017 by crazyforlatin 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 YES! I saw that on Furman's thread too. I was peeking over there for something else and saw that someone was deferred with a 35 (Furman's ACT range is like 26-30 so they were applying as a safety). I felt immediately overwhelmed, like always, and left ASAP. Crazy right? The kids there made me feel like dd couldn't get into community college :huh:Yield protect, surely? but what do I know. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 It just feels healthier here. Trust your gut. It is! I think we are more down to earth here too? We know things can be hard. We know there can be unexpected joys but we don't build the entire application on that. Perhaps being homeschoolers or at least semi-homeschoolers (for those families who don't homeschool high school) helps us be realistic too because we are already at somewhat of a "disadvantage" numbers-wise? 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I went on CC during the weekend and felt hopeless, seriously. All those amazing kids with super impressive resumes and can't get into top schools. They are superhuman kids! They win awards, establish companies, build homes for orphans, etc. One kid said that all his work during the last 4 years was wasted. That's really sad. These are just kids with a wonderful future ahead no matter where they go, but it seems to them everything rides on getting accepted to certain colleges. And of course, now that I know how competitive it is, I don't want to fall into the same trap. It just feels healthier here. I quibble with the kid's thought that his work was wasted. I mean if he built a home for orphans🙄, it still exists, no? (I'm not arguring with you, obv) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) They are superhuman kids! They win awards, establish companies, build homes for orphans, etc. One kid said that all his work during the last 4 years was wasted. That's really sad. These are just kids with a wonderful future ahead no matter where they go, but it seems to them everything rides on getting accepted to certain colleges. And of course, now that I know how competitive it is, I don't want to fall into the same trap. It just feels healthier here. ETA: and they have almost perfect SAT scores and above 4.0 GPA, so I guess stats don't matter that much when everyone else has the same stats. Just rambling questions here with no real experience or wisdom to share ... if what they did was "wasted" because they didn't get into their dream school, do you think admissions is beginning to see through the kids who do so much but their end goal isn't the orphanage, the company, etc? Their only motivation is to look good on paper? I just wonder if that isn't part of the issue? Again, I have no real answers, just lots of questions :mellow: Edited March 30, 2017 by Attolia 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Just rambling questions here with no real experience or wisdom to share ... if what they did was "wasted" because they didn't get into their dream school, do you think admissions is beginning to see through the kids who do so much but their end goal isn't the orphanage, the company, etc? Their only motivation is to look good on paper? I just wonder if that isn't part of the issue? Again, I have no real answers, just lots of questions :mellow: I like the rambling, makes me feel better, that this is all confusing and stressful, but we'll laugh at ourselves 30 years later (you guys better still be here at that time). Oh, and now I have to figure out how DD will change the world by 17 yo because her love of books and languages won't cut it. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I like the rambling, makes me feel better, that this is all confusing and stressful, but we'll laugh at ourselves 30 years later (you guys better still be here at that time). Oh, and now I have to figure out how DD will change the world by 17 yo because her love of books and languages won't cut it. DD's entire essay was on her love of books. She is an excellent writer (I am not, haha) and her approach was unique but she didn't write about feeding a third world country or starting an orphanage. She is not a minority, if that matters? She is a very genuine kid, even though she has very high test scores and grade, overall her list is no where near as dazzling as the stuff I saw on CC. I just don't understand it. :crying: 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 DD's entire essay was on her love of books. She is an excellent writer (I am not, haha) and her approach was unique but she didn't write about feeding a third world country or starting an orphanage. She is not a minority, if that matters? She is a very genuine kid, even though she has very high test scores and grade, overall her list is no where near as dazzling as the stuff I saw on CC. I just don't understand it. :crying:I think authenticity is a rare commodity these days.My kid does those splash programs and I attended the concurrent session for parents. Ad coms talk to each other, and know what the manufactured extracurricular du jour is. It's far too early for me to be this cynical, but here we are. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Oh, and now I have to figure out how DD will change the world by 17 yo because her love of books and languages won't cut it.I don't know about that. A love of literature and languages worked well for my Dd. She presented authentic her. I laughed at one interview weekend we went to. At dinner we were sitting with an admission's officer and 2 other students and their parents. The admission's officer what they really enjoyed outside of school. 1 said theater and the other said sports. Dd?? She said curling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate or going down and watching the sunset over the bay. Yep. That is the real her! ETA: I didn't see Attolia's answer before I posted. Our dd's sound very similar. My dd's essays were all very literary and full of allusions. She even pointed out to me how she had incorporated internal rhyme. Yep, words are definitely a pure love for her! Edited March 30, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I like the rambling, makes me feel better, that this is all confusing and stressful, but we'll laugh at ourselves 30 years later (you guys better still be here at that time). Oh, and now I have to figure out how DD will change the world by 17 yo because her love of books and languages won't cut it. That's my kid too. I think they will be ok â¤ï¸ 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Oh, so fun to read all the great news here today. I am following closely, eager to see where everyone chooses to go! I love CC :-) It's a great source of information. You can't get too caught up in the comparison game though :-) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) TMI 😊 Edited March 30, 2017 by quark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanDiegoMom Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 My dd texts me frequently, "Get off of CC!!! They are all just stressed, super competitive kids who don't know any more about admissions that we do!". And do I listen to her? No. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 YES! I saw that on Furman's thread too. I was peeking over there for something else and saw that someone was deferred with a 35 (Furman's ACT range is like 26-30 so they were applying as a safety). I felt immediately overwhelmed, like always, and left ASAP. Crazy right? The kids there made me feel like dd couldn't get into community college :huh: Pardon me for being dense but why would you think this when your child has had multiple acceptances? Acceptances which include some selective schools? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Pardon me for being dense but why would you think this when your child has had multiple acceptances? Acceptances which include some selective schools? I guess my response wasn't clear - that was BEFORE she got acceptances. I peeked there and CC was making me feel stressed. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 My dd texts me frequently, "Get off of CC!!! They are all just stressed, super competitive kids who don't know any more about admissions that we do!". And do I listen to her? No. :) I don't read the kids' threads for the most part. I have gained some valuable insight into parts of the application process from CC. I think if you can learn which threads to read and filter through the posters who live in a completely world, you can learn a lot. A second reader for an Ivy read my counselor letter for me and encouraged me to leave it the completely personal commentary that it was. I took a completely different approach this time through,and I am glad I did. People there can be super helpful if you can spend enough time to figure out whose advice you appreciate! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Job121 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I wanted to say this for a while, but couldn't find a right thread or place so far. Since we are talking about CC, I'd like to express my gratitude for this forum. I understand that many of you are long timers in this forum. As for me, even though I knew about this site, it took a long time to actually register myself here. Maybe it's got to be with the fact that we don't have cable and don't have a social media account. Knowing too much what is going on or putting myself out there scares me to death. After all, we are homeschoolers and supposed to be antisocial, right? :laugh: My first motivation to join was to get some information about college admission procedure for my then-rising-senior DS. It was very recent that I started actually post things and I shyly admit that I did it to get out of "larvae" status. (Hope you all understand. We all have been a "larvae" once.) Now I realize that this forum gave me more than I asked for. Especially through this strenuous college admission process, this place has been my source of information, personal space to vent my frustration, and exit for all of my emotions. We kept all about college application to ourselves. So far how many school my DS was accepted or rejected, I didn't share with anybody outside of family. Not even with my church friends. When people asked us about what is going on, we would say that when all results are in, we will gladly share. I did it to keep our sanity and lower anxiety level as much as possible. And of course there were expectation and/ or rivalry(?) issue. But this emotional roller coaster ride wasn't an easy thing to hold within myself. I found myself coming to this place everyday, read about other people's life and often left with the bigger picture. All of you helped me tremendously to ease the pain-if there is any- through this time and give me good cheers so I can go on. So thank you! p.s) Hope you understand what I am saying. I have DS6 next me doodling on his math book now. Gotta go. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Now I realize that this forum gave me more than I asked for. [...] All of you helped me tremendously to ease the pain-if there is any- through this time and give me good cheers so I can go on. So thank you! p.s) Hope you understand what I am saying. I have DS6 next me doodling on his math book now. Gotta go. :iagree: I think many of us come here for the information and stay for the community. :001_wub: I have just one so I'm basically almost done...but my fingers and my heart have muscle memory...they keep pulling me back here whenever I have a few moments of down time. I will never be able to thank all of you personally...too many of you here who have reached out and held my hand virtually. And I'm not only referring to veterans. There are many with younger kids too who have answered questions either directly or via PM and walked me through some rough spots. CC is helpful I am sure. But my village is here. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I don't like CC. Not at all. I think (maybe) there's a hint of helpful stuff on the parents' forum. But I tend to think a lot of the postings by kids are trolling or outright lying. But I wrote that forum off when DS21 was on the college hunt, so it's certainly possible the tone has changed since then. It was such a waste of time (IMO) that I never once went there while DS18 was looking. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 :) I don't read the kids' threads for the most part. I have gained some valuable insight into parts of the application process from CC. I think if you can learn which threads to read and filter through the posters who live in a completely world, you can learn a lot Which threads do you read? There are so many and they go on for 10+ pages! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 :iagree: I think many of us come here for the information and stay for the community. :001_wub: I have just one so I'm basically almost done...but my fingers and my heart have muscle memory...they keep pulling me back here whenever I have a few moments of down time. I will never be able to thank all of you personally...too many of you here who have reached out and held my hand virtually. And I'm not only referring to veterans. There are many with younger kids too who have answered questions either directly or via PM and walked me through some rough spots. CC is helpful I am sure. But my village is here. Heck, I've been done homeschooling since spring of 2012 and I'm still here. I do keep getting thoughts that I'm probably well past my time here since there's not much I can add about curricula anymore, etc, but the community aspect is powerful. I enjoy seeing what my extended family is doing. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I think many of us come here for the information and stay for the community. :001_wub: ...my village is here. Very true! My daughter finished homeschooling in 2009 and graduated from college in 2013, but I'm still here. Regards, Kareni 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Very true! My daughter finished homeschooling in 2009 and graduated from college in 2013, but I'm still here. Regards, Kareni It's good to know I have company... and that I'm not the longest post-homeschooling mom out there. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Which threads do you read? There are so many and they go on for 10+ pages! I'm not "8", but I agree with her that I stay away from the kids' threads. The useful threads are in the parent forums. The "Class of 20xx" threads are generally filled with knowledgeable parents. Their kids do tend to be high achieving, but that is not always the case. The financial aid forum has useful posts, as does the "college admissions" and "search and selection" forums. You do have to skim for what is useful for you, and I am generally using the info I get there as a jumping off place for finding more information. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanDiegoMom Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I would be tempted to write off a lot of them as lying if we hadn't met kids who actually were doing all these things! And some of them were really nice kids to boot! But they were all extremely stressed their entire four years. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Regarding CC- I stay away from most of the site, but the Athletic Recruit sub-forum was a huge asset to me this application cycle. The advice I received on that forum was extremely accurate. If you have a child who plans on playing a sport in college, I highly recommend reading through the Athletic Recruit forum. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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