College Application Lessons Learned 2016-17 Edition

[Sebastian (a lady)]

While it is still fresh in people's minds, what are some of the lessons learned about college applications?

 

 

Write the resume early - We made ds2 draft up a resume around Thanksgiving of junior year.  This was really helpful, in that it let us help him put his activities and experiences in an understandable format.  It also gave us time to remember all of the various activities and awards that we'd forgotten about.  That little county wide essay contest that seemed so significant freshman year doesn't spring to mind years later.  Remembering exactly what events and awards were earned in various science competitions years later is also tough.  It was also helpful to see what areas appeared weaker.  He didn't go out and start a group to shore up a weakness, but he was aware of how things looked on paper and was able to address that in applications.

 

In addition, there were some programs spring of junior year and summer before senior year where he needed to submit a resume.  It was really nice to just have him update the one he had, rather than have to start from scratch.  I would actually recommend this for students starting around freshman year.  It doesn't have to be really smooth that early, but just as a document in which you capture the various activities and experiences that make up high school.

 

Tip sheet for admissions data - I don't know how many times he asked me when I graduated from college and what my degrees were or where I was born.  Next kid I will type up a few of the pertinent pieces of info and put it into a sheet protector as a reference.  

 

Start researching colleges earlier - The timeline for this does depend on the student and what they are trying to get out of college.  This year the search started with the list of Navy ROTC schools, intersected with schools that have a certain flavor of regional studies and language programs and then expanded to include schools with the regional studies and no ROTC.  For other kids it might be Div 2 swimming or a theater program or environmental science.  There was one long night when we spent about six hours going through every school on the ROTC list and looking up what they had for language and regional studies and if their program was the type he was looking for (for example, he eliminated schools where the language studies program was heavy on literature and ignored history and politics for that region).  It was good to go through this together, as I found programs he'd missed and vice versa.  We made a big document with links to college web pages.  I do wish that we'd done this over the summer or in the spring, because it didn't give him as much time to mull over the schools in his head.  At one point, he asked me why he'd wanted to apply to school X.  Obviously it hadn't made much of an impression.

 

Have a way to track what you are doing - We had a spreadsheet with each school listed and a column for application deadline (and type of applications available), SAT scores, my transcript and transcripts from each of the colleges he'd attended DE.  I think it would have been good to have a column here with any extra requirements like subject test scores or special recommendations.  We had to add the section on types of applications just to keep track of the different options and how they were mutually exclusive (ex. Restrictive Early Action that restricted EA apps to private colleges but didn't care about public universities or rolling admissions).  I mailed a lot of the transcript paperwork via Priority Mail so I'd have a tracking number.  I should have had a column for the tracking number too (or at least a consistent place where I put the receipts).

 

Take tests early - DS2 took his last regular SAT in the spring and his last subject tests in October.  Having other good scores out of the way earlier took a lot of heat off of senior year.  Even so, he missed one event in his main activity, because it was the same date as the Oct test date.  

 

Draft the transcript and course description early - Really.  It isn't going to be easier to write if you put it off.  You will want time to fine tune it as you realize that colleges want info you didn't think to include.  You will remember texts used (or an entire course completed) in the middle of the night.  Give yourself a big time cushion for problems with tech (like scanning it legibly or in a format that isn't too big for the application system).

 

Follow up, because something is probably going to get lost - Across the two older kids, we've had colleges lose College Board test scores sent months earlier, supporting documents sent with transcripts, fitness test results and recommendations.  Murphy's Law says that the scholarship program will tell you they are missing the recommendation the same week the teacher goes offline for a major computer virus.  So far we've been lucky that colleges have told us when they were missing things and let us help them find them.  It would not be hard to imagine that a more selective school might just discard an app that wasn't complete.

 

Be nice to your recommenders - They do a lot of work to get those recommendations in.  Not only do they have to write the recommendation, but then they have to deal with the same quirky, user-unfriendly systems that the applicants do.  DS2 had one recommender tell him he couldn't submit any more recommendations for him, because it was taking up too much of his time to submit them. (Naturally DS hadn't given him the link for the app that this recommender was most crucial for.  He had to go through two other instructors before he had a replacement.)  If you know that there will be multiple systems for submitting recommendations, tell the recommender that ahead of time.  Tell them thank you along the way.  

 

Step in as guidance counselor when you have to - I know that we don't want to come off as helicopter parents (and this is an important consideration), but there are some administrative places where we can contact the colleges in our guidance counselor role.  I have talked to some schools in a general way, asking them what documentation they would like to see for a homeschooled applicant.  At some college fairs, I've pulled out a transcript and sample course descriptions and asked if I was on the right track or if I was missing something they wanted to see.  I've called after a week of emails between the applicant and the recent grad working admissions was not locating the previously sent SAT scores (10 minutes with a senior admissions rep and they were located).  I've called a couple schools that had detailed applications with drop down menus for coursework instead of transcript submission (UC system and U of Washington).  I understand why they have this applications, as it lets them build a big database with similar entries for each kid.  It can be pretty tough to submit records for a homeschooler who had some semester grades and some year long grades and some from CC.    I start the conversation by saying that I'm calling for about a homeschooled student, who is having problems understanding how to convey his experience in a way that is understandable given the system.  So far, schools have been courteous and helpful in working through these questions with me.

 

 

Don't take the process too much to heart - I know what a big relief it was to get the first acceptance.  There was even jumping in the street when one long shot acceptance came in as a yes.  It is hard to go through the process of packaging up several years of homeschooling and making the best choices you could given all the limitations of time, money and student personality.  It really feels like you are being weighed and measured and found wanting.  Don't take it personally.  Get it done and move on with life.  At the end of the year, your senior will move on.  It's a lot better to remember a beach day or a long hike or a midnight XBox marathon than struggling through the college apps.

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

This is a lessons learned thread from last year 

Application Lessons Learned  (2015-16)  

 

This is a lessons learned thread specifically about Service Academy apps

Service Academies Lessons Learned

 

[Luckymama]

Essay fatigue is real. I recommend having the student complete the applications to the safety schools first, the ones you know you can afford (either from running the Net Price Calculators or from automatic stats-based merit scholarships). Remember, a safety is only a true safety if the student would be happy to attend that school!

 

Check and re-check scholarship deadlines if you need to rely on merit aid. The dates can be very early, mid-October for several and Nov 1 for many. I noted the dates for the cycle before this one and checked again as soon as the websites changed in August.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Luckymama

[8filltheheart]

Know how to read common data sets and where your student fits in the school's profile. This site is user friendly. http://www.collegedata.com

 

Pay attention to how the school categorizes demonstrated interest. One school that Dd applied to o and had interviewed with twice had her AO officer contact her and tell her she needed to actually visit. It is one where she was applying for an extremely competitive scholarship, so we wonder if that is why she got the personalized request. I'm glad they notified her. We thought by reaching out for the interviews she had demonstrated interest.

Edited December 31, 2016 by 8FillTheHeart

[daijobu]

Thank you for this thread, Sebastian!  

 

On the subject of being nice to recommenders, is there a place on the CA where they submit their recommendations, or are they sent individually to the schools?  Do they complete online forms, or write up something themselves?  

 

Finally, what are appropriate gifts for recommenders, both those we know IRL and those we are only acquainted with electronically (via an online class)?  

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Thank you for this thread, Sebastian!  

 

On the subject of being nice to recommenders, is there a place on the CA where they submit their recommendations, or are they sent individually to the schools?  Do they complete online forms, or write up something themselves?  

 

Finally, what are appropriate gifts for recommenders, both those we know IRL and those we are only acquainted with electronically (via an online class)?  

 

On the Common App, a student "invites" a recommender by putting in their name, email and position.  AFTER the student assigns the recommender to a specific college, an email link is sent out for the recommender to submit through.

 

The same recommender can be assigned to multiple colleges and CA just duplicates the info sent to each school.

 

We have not done gifts, but have done thank you letters.

[daijobu]

Thanks, Sebastian.  Is it the CA that is quirky and time-consuming for recommenders?  Is there any way to smooth the process for them?  What a terrible thing to have happen to your ds!  I'm guessing some schools don't use the CA for recommendations if you are asking recommenders to use multiple systems?  

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Thanks, Sebastian. Is it the CA that is quirky and time-consuming for recommenders? Is there any way to smooth the process for them? What a terrible thing to have happen to your ds! I'm guessing some schools don't use the CA for recommendations if you are asking recommenders to use multiple systems?

CA isn't that rough. But CA, plus propriety systems for other schools plus scholarship apps did add up.

[8filltheheart]

One more......make sure the school does not require FAFSA for merit-only (not need-based) scholarships before you make the decision to not fill out FAFSA. Some do. No FAFSA, no scholarships.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Not from this year but from last year-although I don't think I posted then.

 

Schools that have "free" applications--Those applications may be free if filled out directly on that institutions web site, if you choose to submit through Common App you may still pay the "fee".  Read the fine print.

 

Be prepared for subtle differences for homeschool applications.  One big state university required that all homeschool documents be sent by mail.  They would not accept CA nor would they take emailed documents.  This created an enormous issue as it was only in the very fine print.  Dd missed the early action deadline and nearly the regular deadline due to lost mail and holiday failed deliveries.

 

No matter how often it is said, write course descriptions and reading lists early.  It can become enormously time consuming during those last few months.

 

Budget for travel to scholarship competitions.  Several schools have on campus competitions for significant scholarships.  If you are a winner or partial winner this can be a substantial amount of money.  However, the student may also be asked to be present on campus for the competition.  Not every school covers all expenses associated with attendance.  Nor will they necessarily cover the cost of any accompanying family members. 

 

Fill out the FAFSA-we had a surprise scholarship/credit granted to DD for our having filled out the forms.  Nowhere was this advertised or discussed.  It was not a huge amount but equalled at least one semesters book allowance if not a bit more.

 

And from Dd-write your essays early and rewrite often.

Edited January 2, 2017 by JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst

[GoodGrief]

Apparently, I never contributed to the '15-'16 edition (and no clue if there was a '12-'13 one, lol).

 

My thoughts:

 

Start the resume in 9th grade and just keep updating. It is way too overwhelming to try and remember the various activity hours, awards, etc when junior/senior year rolls around. Also, regularly updating can help clue you in to areas that need beefing up on the resume (dependent on your student's goals, of course.)

 

Consider testing starting in 9th grade as well. Again, this won't be necessary for all students. But, a kiddo who does his physics in 9th grade may want to prep for the SAT subject test while the info is fresh. There may be an AP test that is appropriate for what the student is doing. It is really stressful to leave all the standardized testing for junior and senior year, if you have a kid who will apply to schools who recommend various standardized tests from the applicants. Prepping for that junior year PSAT and fall SAT at the same time might work well for some students.

 

Start work on essays as soon as possible during the summer before senior year.

[Lucy the Valiant]

I love you people.