Last minute college apps?

[linders]

Anyone else's senior decide to pursue a couple more colleges right before the Jan 2 deadline? Against advice, DS18's list tended towards very selective (e.g., 7% acceptance rates) or (based on very good SATs, grades, and ECs) safety schools. Only 1 of his colleges was in between, and it isn't one of my favorites (despite excellent academics) because of a rather snooty atmosphere. So he has decided to add a couple of reach-but-doable schools. He's now going through the previous 18 essays to see which are adaptable for the latest school apps.

He's already been admitted to the safeties - really, very decent schools, especially U of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business - with scholarships. Sigh. Not the way I wanted to end Christmas break.

[kokotg]

I mentioned this in the other thread already, but DS added Emory at the last minute and finished the app on NYE. I think he wanted another close to home option. He only has 2 subject tests, though, and they want 3 from homeschoolers, so we don't know if they'll even consider his application. 

Sounds like adding a couple more schools with higher acceptance rates is a wise move! FWIW, we went through the list of schools with no supplemental essays awhile back and added a couple more that seemed like good fits that way. It seems totally random which schools put a lot of emphasis on supplements and which don't.....some of his more selective schools don't have any (Colby, Wesleyan, Grinnell) and some of his less selective ones have several. 

[catz]

My kid was considering it, but looking at the safe options our well regarded flagship with generous merit and the honors programs (which he has locked already ) is going to probably be a better academic experience for him looking at what might be less reachy.  So we're done with essays and apps!  Hooray!