THIRTY. DAYS.

[kokotg]

11 hours ago, easypeasy said:

 

I will say that THIS is the one topic that makes it nice for our family - having two musicians and one athlete in the family. DD1 visited all her schools on her official visits (where she spent around 2 days on campus at each) - and the next two will have to visit in-session for their auditions. So, they'll have visited everywhere they're considering before acceptances even come in.

Figuring out how to fit all those visits in after late-March acceptances during April, and before May decision day... makes my brain hurt! Good luck to you sorting it all out!! 🙂

We might be doing the music school thing with my next one, so that I get to learn a whole new college admissions game 😉 . He's excited that his brother's looking at Oberlin now, because he'll get to see the conservatory while we're there.

[Arch at Home]

DD was wait listed at Carleton and she did not get into Barnard. In total, she was accepted into 8 colleges from 13 applications and have 5 which made the final cut.

The final 5 are all 100% need, CSS LACs. Financially, we fall in a place where dd's need is greater than automatic merit scholarships and DD did not receive any top scholarships. I find it interesting that the range on the net price is tight (approximately $3,000). Even the one FASFA non-state school was close though slightly higher. Only the state schools where significantly less expensive but it is expected as our state highly subsidizes it public universities. I am curious whether others are finding similar closenes in numbers.

[JazzyMom]

@Arch at Home  Great results!  Sounds like you all had a good list of schools and have some great options.

Ds applied to and was accepted to 8 schools, and after accounting for merit, we also noticed that 6 of the 8 schools are hovering around a similar net price, all within about $4,000 of each other.  (In fact, 4 of those are within $2,000 of each other.) 

The only 2 that weren’t close are a private school and an OOS public.  I found it interesting that the price range was so tight.

Edited March 23, 2019 by JazzyMom

[kokotg]

1 hour ago, Arch at Home said:

DD was wait listed at Carleton and she did not get into Barnard. In total, she was accepted into 8 colleges from 13 applications and have 5 which made the final cut.

The final 5 are all 100% need, CSS LACs. Financially, we fall in a place where dd's need is greater than automatic merit scholarships and DD did not receive any top scholarships. I find it interesting that the range on the net price is tight (approximately $3,000). Even the one FASFA non-state school was close though slightly higher. Only the state schools where significantly less expensive but it is expected as our state highly subsidizes it public universities. I am curious whether others are finding similar closenes in numbers.

 

We're having the opposite experience--surprise at how much variation there is in DS's packages. Putting aside the full ride he got and UGA (where pretty much every in-state student has full tuition covered, but where he didn't get any other scholarship money), he has 5 other schools so far, 4 of them are 100% needs met. There's a $10,000 a year difference between the highest and lowest offers (and the one school that doesn't guarantee to meet need is one of the best overall packages). Hamilton's the worst aid by far, which is sort of surprising to me (I had read that they're very generous and don't consider home equity in their formula). It's still within the range we had decided we could handle, but I have to admit I wouldn't mind him falling in love with Oberlin or Macalester next week instead 🙂 . He has merit + need based at every school except Hamilton; not sure if that's what's making the difference...I didn't think any of the schools really stacked merit and need based, but maybe some of that is going on? We also might appeal if his heart is set on Hamilton, but I don't know if it would help or not. 

[kokotg]

I love having this thread for spewing angst, but I'm also a big fan of the acceptances thread right now, where you can ignore any bad news and just report the good stuff 🙂

[Arch at Home]

23 minutes ago, kokotg said:

 

We're having the opposite experience--surprise at how much variation there is in DS's packages. Putting aside the full ride he got and UGA (where pretty much every in-state student has full tuition covered, but where he didn't get any other scholarship money), he has 5 other schools so far, 4 of them are 100% needs met. There's a $10,000 a year difference between the highest and lowest offers (and the one school that doesn't guarantee to meet need is one of the best overall packages). Hamilton's the worst aid by far, which is sort of surprising to me (I had read that they're very generous and don't consider home equity in their formula). It's still within the range we had decided we could handle, but I have to admit I wouldn't mind him falling in love with Oberlin or Macalester next week instead 🙂 . He has merit + need based at every school except Hamilton; not sure if that's what's making the difference...I didn't think any of the schools really stacked merit and need based, but maybe some of that is going on? We also might appeal if his heart is set on Hamilton, but I don't know if it would help or not. 

$10,000 difference is significant. I also wonder what is up.

Every school outside of the public Us stacked merit and need for DD with the exception of one which gave straight need. We fall in the category where our need is greater than standard merit. I was surprised by this our first time around. What it now does for us is guarantees a base and then changes in our financial status impacts whether we get need and how much from here on out.

It also means that price won't play a significant part in DD's decision.

[...................]

EIGHT 😎

[...................]

Ours is the same everywhere so far- zip zip and nada hahaha

[...................]

I Spoke too soon! He got a 25000.00 scholarship to Stevens! 

I don't think he will end up going there, due to his goals and major etc. but I am super proud!

[kokotg]

ANOTHER waitlist at Wesleyan. This one isn't a surprise at all....but this is a LOT of waitlists (the count is 7 acceptances, 7 waitlists, and 1 rejection so far, I think). 

[Lanny]

DD told me before Breakfast today that she got a "No" from one of the 3 schools she was waiting to hear from. She said the other 2 are scheduled for 26 March and 28 March. 

[RootAnn]

@Lanny Was that Tulane, perhaps? I can't remember where she has been accepted so far, so I apologize if I guessed wrong.

We are full pay, so the only financial help we receive are merit scholarships. Thus, bottom lines are different. Interestingly, the one in-state option DD applied to is her most expensive option (not counting the private LAC that DD didn't pursue additional merit at because she wasn't interested) assuming she lived on campus instead of at home. If she lived at home, it is her second most expensive option after an OOS state school that she earned competitive merit at (but not their top award). Her top two are very close in net cost.

[Lanny]

3 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

@Lanny Was that Tulane, perhaps? I can't remember where she has been accepted so far, so I apologize if I guessed wrong.

We are full pay, so the only financial help we receive are merit scholarships. Thus, bottom lines are different. Interestingly, the one in-state option DD applied to is her most expensive option (not counting the private LAC that DD didn't pursue additional merit at because she wasn't interested) assuming she lived on campus instead of at home. If she lived at home, it is her second most expensive option after an OOS state school that she earned competitive merit at (but not their top award). Her top two are very close in net cost.

 

No. That was the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. That is I believe the only school I have looked at for DD where it shows on CollegeData.com that they Recommend 5 years of Math and 5 years of Foreign Language.   https://www.collegedata.com/en/college-profile/1571/?tab=profile-admission-tab

She did apply to Tulane, because they sent her an email, no fee  to apply,  and (I'm not sure) possibly there was no Essay, although I think an Essay was required.  I think that was EA. They turned her down and then they wanted her to apply ED.  No way...   I suspect her application died at that point because I don't think she requested to be considered for RD.   

Not at all surprising what your in-state public school was the most expensive. I believe that's common. 

[RootAnn]

3 hours ago, Lanny said:

Not at all surprising what your in-state public school was the most expensive. I believe that's common. 

Thanks, Lanny! I'm cheering for your DD's last two decisions to come in as yesses with great financial packages.

Well, DH was surprised about the state college because my DD received their full tuition scholarship. But they require all students to be on their meal plan (even commuters) and the required fees are ginormous.

[Arch at Home]

3 hours ago, Lanny said:

Not at all surprising what your in-state public school was the most expensive. I believe that's common. 

In-state public schools vary greatly in cost; our in-state Us are the least expensive schools in the state. Similar is true at some but not all of our surrounding states.

The first time through the college application process I kept expecting the LACs to give DD additional money due to the assumption that public Us were more expensive but finally I realized how great the difference is on a state by state basis. 

[...................]

First rejection today from University of Southern California...much earlier than expected, too

I think, even after us not talking it up, and him not being a perfectionist AND knowing it was statistically almost in the impossible realm...... my son is bummed because it was pretty much the easiest of all of the universities he has left. Of course, they do all look for slightly different things and their comp sci is more renowned than one of the Ivies he applied to...but still I think he definitely (and I agree) feels that the likelihoods of any of the others is even more super slim.  (Not that this affects those, it's just a reality check.)

I guess you can prepare them logically as much as you want but it's still hard for them to see that rejection notice.  😞

BUT we are still VERY excited for PENN STATE!!! WE ARE!!

[chiguirre]

13 minutes ago, Calming Tea said:

First rejection today from University of Southern California...much earlier than expected, too

I think, even after us not talking it up, and him not being a perfectionist AND knowing it was statistically almost in the impossible realm...... my son is bummed because it was pretty much the easiest of all of the universities he has left. Of course, they do all look for slightly different things and their comp sci is more renowned than one of the Ivies he applied to...but still I think he definitely (and I agree) feels that the likelihoods of any of the others is even more super slim.  (Not that this affects those, it's just a reality check.)

I guess you can prepare them logically as much as you want but it's still hard for them to see that rejection notice.  😞

BUT we are still VERY excited for PENN STATE!!! WE ARE!!

You're in state for USC so there's no geographic diversity. You might be pleasantly surprised by East Coast schools.

[kirag714]

7 hours ago, kokotg said:

ANOTHER waitlist at Wesleyan. This one isn't a surprise at all....but this is a LOT of waitlists (the count is 7 acceptances, 7 waitlists, and 1 rejection so far, I think). 

Another waitlist there for my daughter as well. Given that she didn’t visit, interview or “demonstrate” the slightest amount of interest she was surprised it wasn’t a rejection - so it almost felt like a small victory lol. We take what we can get, right 😊? Our count now is 5 acceptances, 2 waitlists and 2 rejections - but almost all of the acceptances are at her safeties.

I’m really really hoping she’s accepted to Vassar. This has been super hard on her.

Edited March 24, 2019 by kirag714

[kokotg]

6 minutes ago, kirag714 said:

Another waitlist there for my daughter as well. Given that she didn’t visit, interview or “demonstrate” the slightest amount of interest she was surprised it wasn’t a rejection - so it almost felt like a small victory lol. We take what we can get, right 😊? Our count now is 5 acceptances, 2 waitlists and 2 rejections - but almost all of the acceptances are at her safeties.

I’m really really hoping she’s accepted to Vassar. This has been super hard on her.

Wesleyan got tossed in at the last minute for us because they didn't require a supplemental essay 😂 ....I do think it would have been an intriguing choice for him, but if he'd gotten in we would have been scrambling to find a way to visit, so it's probably just as well. Fingers crossed for you for Vassar! We just have Vassar and Harvard (hahahahaha!) left and then we'll finally move on to the decision making phase. 

[kokotg]

2 hours ago, Calming Tea said:

 

I guess you can prepare them logically as much as you want but it's still hard for them to see that rejection notice.  😞

 

SOOO true! 😞 

[linders]

On 3/20/2019 at 8:58 AM, kokotg said:

Hamilton and Emory/Oxford today. Not feeling at all hopeful, as both have released their acceptance rates this year and it's 16% for Hamilton and 15/18% for Emory/Oxford (overall, which means RD is even lower). I'm having some regrets about his list at this point; there were some real long shots, we knew, but also places where he was easily in the top 25% stats-wise and where last year they had a 20 or 25% acceptance rate.... and this year it's dropped down to 10 or 15%. Although it's still too early to do a post mortem (but I can't help doing one in my head anyway). 

 

With you here. DS18 was well above the top 25% stats-wise for Emory, and great ECs. Thought it was a target school. Rejected. DS took it rather hard.

Rather dreading this week with 5 letters. 4 of them for reach schools. Trying to get him excited about the (very good!) programs he has been accepted to. If they weren't in our own backyard, I think he would be. One in particular (U of South Carolina Honors College) is calling him every third day.

[linders]

On 3/21/2019 at 10:24 PM, mirabillis said:

We're a year out from the application madness, but enjoying this thread immensely. Who wants to list what they think are selective schools? I'd love to see your list of these schools! 

 

Note: These are just from DS's personal research and experience and are based in part on his specific application to a college's business school, which often had different stats/acceptance rates. All had acceptance rates in single digits, typically less than 5% when you exclude RD.

UPenn (the Wharton School)

Cornell (Business School acceptance 2-3%)

           I would assume all Ivies are considered selective.

Georgetown

Washington University

Duke

Wake Forest maybe? And Emory is becoming more selective - higher average stats, lower acceptance rates.

 

[linders]

On 3/22/2019 at 8:53 AM, kokotg said:

Anyone else totally overwhelmed at the prospect of planning visits in April before decision time?

 

In an extreme lapse of judgment, I allowed DS to accept an invite for a 9-day trip with best friend over our spring break (Apr 6-13), and we already had tickets to visit my elderly mom Apr 19-21. DS has already done accepted student days at the three in-state colleges he got, but dreading the planning for others if they happen.

[...................]

SEVEN!! 😉

[Lanny]

2 hours ago, linders said:

 

Note: These are just from DS's personal research and experience and are based in part on his specific application to a college's business school, which often had different stats/acceptance rates. All had acceptance rates in single digits, typically less than 5% when you exclude RD.

UPenn (the Wharton School)

Cornell (Business School acceptance 2-3%)

           I would assume all Ivies are considered selective.

Georgetown

Washington University

Duke

Wake Forest maybe? And Emory is becoming more selective - higher average stats, lower acceptance rates.

 

 

3 of the schools in his list were at the School Fair we attended in Bogota last May. UPenn (they sent the invitation to DD) and Georgetown and Duke.  The other school was Harvard College.

The information we heard during the very short evening presentation was astonishing and coming at us at high speed. I wish that I could have remembered half of what they said.   Your son is correct that they are all highly selective, prestigious universities. 

[Mom0012]

6 hours ago, linders said:

 

With you here. DS18 was well above the top 25% stats-wise for Emory, and great ECs. Thought it was a target school. Rejected. DS took it rather hard.

Rather dreading this week with 5 letters. 4 of them for reach schools. Trying to get him excited about the (very good!) programs he has been accepted to. If they weren't in our own backyard, I think he would be. One in particular (U of South Carolina Honors College) is calling him every third day.

What on earth is causing this, I wonder?  A huge increase in overseas applications?  Thanks for sharing these drops in acceptance rates.  This thread is really helping me get my head on straight about making sure we have a number of safeties and talking up some schools to my dd that we were only considering as back ups. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by Mom0012

[...................]

Honestly, I could be wrong but I think 

1. Parents, overall, are much more involved than even ten years ago, talking to kids about college, helping with the process, reading on the internet, doing the research.

2.  The Internet, and competition- The entire system is much more competitive.  Competitive, academic Kids don't think regionally anymore at all. They think globally, they think in terms of the Internet- the world of ideas.  Because of that, they apply to WAY MORE schools. With the common app, the internet, etc. they can apply to 13 schools.  20 years ago it was five, tops.  It was a big deal as everything was separate and hand-written.  Typing and the internet streamlines the process and makes it a bit faster.  

3.  International students apply at a much higher rate now.

So, all of the elite schools are just going to have four or five times the numbers of applicants as they have in the past.  

 

[RootAnn]

1 hour ago, Calming Tea said:

Honestly, I could be wrong but I think 

1. Parents, overall, are much more involved than even ten years ago, talking to kids about college, helping with the process, reading on the internet, doing the research.

2.  The Internet, and competition- The entire system is much more competitive.  Competitive, academic Kids don't think regionally anymore at all. They think globally, they think in terms of the Internet- the world of ideas.  Because of that, they apply to WAY MORE schools. With the common app, the internet, etc. they can apply to 13 schools.  20 years ago it was five, tops.  It was a big deal as everything was separate and hand-written.  Typing and the internet streamlines the process and makes it a bit faster.  

3.  International students apply at a much higher rate now.

So, all of the elite schools are just going to have four or five times the numbers of applicants as they have in the past.  

I agree kids are applying to more schools (although I think the numbers are higher since I applied to at least 8 by hand 25+ years ago).

I also think more selective schools have increased their marketing to encourage more applicants. More applicants means lower admission percentage and thus a more selective feel. Based on the mail my kid received, schools made it seem like she was being recruited (although she was well-grounded in the fact that they weren't!). Some parents and kids are taken in by these slickly worded emails and applied thinking acceptance was a surer thing than it really was.

The push for holistic and diverse classes has increased the number of kids who apply. Some lower income families now might apply to Yale, for instance, when they wouldn't have before. Underrepresented minorities are a growing admissions group, too. And, geographical diversity is certainly a factor in some cases. 

If a school offers ED, their RD admission rates are going to be lower than their overall published acceptance rate. Schools love ED because they can get almost 100% yield from those students. (It won't be 100%, but it will be higher than RD yield by a LOT. Yield goes into college "rating" formulas, so colleges like a higher yield, in general.)

[8filltheheart]

Marketing, common app making multiple apps easy, and USNWR rankings. 

[...................]

SIX!! 😏

[kirag714]

So I just got an e-mail from Wesleyan as my DD's counselor giving some information about applications this year (she was waitlisted there). 

What stood out to me was that the median SAT score for accepted students was 750 for CRW and 780 for Math! The MEDIAN!! Obviously that's not a total picture, but my god - this feels like an arms race. My daughter is my youngest so I don't need to do this again (thank goodness!) but I think if I was going through this with another child I would encourage them to step away from the super-selective mayhem altogether. It's just too brutal.

Hopefully she gets into one of her remaining schools - which are her top choices - but if not, I am thrilled that she has a choice between a couple of academically rigorous schools that will give her a great education. I'm really completely over the "name" thing. There are plenty of excellent, good-fit schools out there!

Edited March 25, 2019 by kirag714

[...................]

If I could go back in time, I would just have him pick two highly selective not 6 or 7.  One near our home, and one that was his top choice.  I am expecting 5 more rejections in the next 6 days which I think will feel to him like a bummer no matter how we look at it logically.

[kokotg]

27 minutes ago, kirag714 said:

So I just got an e-mail from Wesleyan as my DD's counselor giving some information about applications this year (she was waitlisted there). 

What stood out to me was that the median SAT score for accepted students was 750 for CRW and 780 for Math! The MEDIAN!! Obviously that's not a total picture, but my god - this feels like an arms race. My daughter is my youngest so I don't need to do this again (thank goodness!) but I think if I was going through this with another child I would encourage them to step away from the super-selective mayhem altogether. It's just too brutal.

Hopefully she gets into one of her remaining schools - which are her top choices - but if not, I am thrilled that she has a choice between a couple of academically rigorous schools that will give her a great education. I'm really completely over the "name" thing. There are plenty of excellent, good-fit schools out there!

 

It really is a crapshoot when you hit the top 20 or so, no matter what your application looks like! At least for all but a very, very few clearly exceptional kids--the sort who already have likely letters from half the Ivies going into March. 

I keep trying to figure out what I'll do differently next time....I don't know if I'd change where DS applied if we did it over again, but I would steer his expectations WAY lower.  He had the stats and transcript to be competitive anywhere, but I think in the end his extracurriculars weren't as strong as the rest of his application and that hurt him in the close calls. Although of course we'll never know for sure. But if he'd applied to half as many schools, he'd be looking at a way different/smaller list of acceptances to choose from right now. My next kid is likely to be stronger on ECs and probably at least slightly weaker academically....but he's only 9th grade, so it's really too early to tell. 

When the dust settles, he's going to be choosing between several excellent schools with financial aid that makes them affordable for us, and that's a truly wonderful position to be in....even though it's been a tough slog through a sea of waitlists and rejections to get here.

[kirag714]

53 minutes ago, Calming Tea said:

If I could go back in time, I would just have him pick two highly selective not 6 or 7.  One near our home, and one that was his top choice.  I am expecting 5 more rejections in the next 6 days which I think will feel to him like a bummer no matter how we look at it logically.

Yes this! My DD also has the stats and the drive to do well at these schools (which is why I think we're generally seeing WLs not rejections), and I'm not saying that she shouldn't have applied to any of them, but I think she should have picked a couple of favorites and then concentrate on schools with acceptance rates over 30%! 

[LisaKinVA]

19 hours ago, RootAnn said:

I also think more selective schools have increased their marketing to encourage more applicants. More applicants means lower admission percentage and thus a more selective feel. Based on the mail my kid received, schools made it seem like she was being recruited (although she was well-grounded in the fact that they weren't!). Some parents and kids are taken in by these slickly worded emails and applied thinking acceptance was a surer thing than it really was.

The push for holistic and diverse classes has increased the number of kids who apply. Some lower income families now might apply to Yale, for instance, when they wouldn't have before. Underrepresented minorities are a growing admissions group, too. And, geographical diversity is certainly a factor in some cases. 

If a school offers ED, their RD admission rates are going to be lower than their overall published acceptance rate. Schools love ED because they can get almost 100% yield from those students. (It won't be 100%, but it will be higher than RD yield by a LOT. Yield goes into college "rating" formulas, so colleges like a higher yield, in general.)

 

Marketing-wise, I've been shocked by the amount of mail coming my dd's way from particular schools.  Dartmouth, Princeton, Yale, Harvard -- fairly low amount of mail.  Duke?  Vanderbilt?  the service academies?  Wow.  I think UKY has someone in the marketing department with a screw loose -- they have been nearly badgering juniors (all year) to apply for acceptance for the fall 2019 term. I do think the amount of marketing has increased.  

[RootAnn]

@LisaK in VA is in IT My DD tried to get on UKy's address list last fall. She also submitted questions through their website, separately, for a particular program of theirs. She heard nothing from her questions and only started getting emails after their EA deadline passed. Guess which school she chose not to apply to?

U Chicago, Case Western Reserve, and some small & large schools local to us were her big mail senders. Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon & Yale were in the next tier of mail senders. She got double from them compared to Princeton or Duke. I think she might only gave heard from Vanderbilt twice. (My DD isn't at all in the same category as yours, so that makes sense they would be targeted by different schools.) 

@kirag714 Those Wesleyan numbers are crazy!!

[mom1720]

Note: Wesleyan is test optional, so kids with lower test scores don't submit them, meaning what you are seeing is artificially high. I'm not sure, but I think they require all enrolled students to submit scores later on which should be reflected in the common data set.

[...................]

SMU U has it bad for my kid, we got bombarded early on in the year by mail LOL- he also got mail at the wrong time which must be due to his mid year birthday, being a young senior just turning 17 halfway through....so I think they think he's a junior.  We're just starting to really get bombarded by the Ivies.  LOL

[...................]

I decided to buy our PennState apparel for his grad party.  We're counting on rejections on Thursday 🙂

[kokotg]

5 minutes ago, Calming Tea said:

I decided to buy our PennState apparel for his grad party.  We're counting on rejections on Thursday 🙂

No better way to make sure he ends up getting accepted and going somewhere else than spending a bunch on Penn State stuff! 😂

[kirag714]

14 minutes ago, mom1720 said:

Note: Wesleyan is test optional, so kids with lower test scores don't submit them, meaning what you are seeing is artificially high. I'm not sure, but I think they require all enrolled students to submit scores later on which should be reflected in the common data set.

I agree, that might inflate them a bit. But I don't think by too much since the same message said that 85% of admitted students submitted test scores. Since Wesleyan seems to be about 50/50 between SAT and ACT, I don't think that the stats of 7-8% of the freshman will bring that down by a whole lot!

They also said that 93% of admitted student had studied math through calculus, and that 85% had studied 4 years of the same foreign language. I think it's particularly important for homeschooling families to keep abreast of these things. Based on my oldest daughter's experience I don't think that the expectations were the same even just 10 years ago.

[...................]

Funny....I'll be bummed and worried if my son gets into UPENN because the food there is absolutely disgusting and the food allergy practices were more than dubious.

LOL 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

On 3/21/2019 at 4:24 PM, mirabillis said:

Do you guys want to humor yourselves (ok really me) while waiting with bated breath.... ? 

We're a year out from the application madness, but enjoying this thread immensely. Who wants to list what they think are selective schools? I'd love to see your list of these schools! 

Anyone game?

It depends on how you define selective.   The definition that is usually used in college guides is that selective is any school that accepts less than 50% of applicants.  

I think that accurate,  but is probably broader than most families mean when they use the word.  I like the terms high chance of admission (>50%), medium chance of admission (roughly 25-50%), and low chance of admission (15-24%). I would label anything <15% as a wild card because a majority of even highly qualified students will not be admitted. 

With more than 3000 colleges in the US there are many schools in each category. 

[Arch at Home]

The two things that worked for DD was applying to schools with 30 - 50% acceptance ratings and playing the geographic diversity card. The New England and West Coast schools seemed to need Midwesterners to fill out their cohorts.

My DS's list will be a little different. 1. No womens' colleges. 🙂 2. He currently doesn't have the drive of the girls so I assume that we will not be including any sub 30% Acceptance Ratings schools. 3. He has a strong preference for urban colleges. 4. Money has been best for us at 100% need schools so I hope to find a couple that might fit the above requirements. 5. He will want to keep his list short and minimize the number of essays. 🙂 

DS has been tagging along on DD's college visits this year. He has already identified a couple of match possibilities which fit the above categories. I have my fingers that my next go around is less stressful.

[...................]

I think our second and third kids will always benefit.  Unfortunately, often, kids are so completely different that the benefit is greatly minimized, as in my case.  BUT my second dd saw all the work that went into applications and following up on them, so one thing she plans to do differently is to apply to only four colleges: two in CA and two in FL and that's it.  They're all above 45% admissions rates with some as high as 95%. So I think she will be accepted to several of them, as we will only be applying to schools which 75% SAT is generally at or lower than hers is.  🙂 So at least it'll be a lot less work 🙂

 

Edited March 26, 2019 by Calming Tea

[Kareni]

7 hours ago, Calming Tea said:

I decided to buy our PennState apparel for his grad party.  We're counting on rejections on Thursday 🙂

 

7 hours ago, kokotg said:

No better way to make sure he ends up getting accepted and going somewhere else than spending a bunch on Penn State stuff! 😂

Perhaps you can hedge your bets and keep the receipt....

Sending good thoughts to all who wait and commiseration to those who have been disappointed.

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom0012]

32 minutes ago, Calming Tea said:

I think our second and third kids will always benefit.  Unfortunately, often, kids are so completely different that the benefit is greatly minimized, as in my case.  BUT my second dd saw all the work that went into applications and following up on them, so one thing she plans to do differently is to apply to only four colleges: two in CA and two in FL and that's it.  They're all above 45% admissions rates with some as high as 95%. So I think she will be accepted to several of them, as we will only be applying to schools which 75% SAT is generally at or lower than hers is.  🙂 So at least it'll be a lot less work 🙂

 

This is what my son did and it all went pretty smoothly.  He was accepted to all 5 of the schools he applied to, and it was a huge ego boost for him.  He even applied to one school that had rolling admissions and had his acceptance from them in September, I think. It was very nice to know he had that in hand so early on because that school was a good fit for him.

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52 minutes ago, Mom0012 said:

This is what my son did and it all went pretty smoothly.  He was accepted to all 5 of the schools he applied to, and it was a huge ego boost for him.  He even applied to one school that had rolling admissions and had his acceptance from them in September, I think. It was very nice to know he had that in hand so early on because that school was a good fit for him.

 

My dd would definitely take it very hard, so this is very encouraging. 

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53 minutes ago, Kareni said:

 

Perhaps you can hedge your bets and keep the receipt....

Sending good thoughts to all who wait and commiseration to those who have been disappointed.

Regards,

Kareni

 

Wait a minute, if I keep the receipt then that's like re-doing the backwards luck !  I better throw it out!

[LisaKinVA]

16 hours ago, RootAnn said:

@LisaK in VA is in IT My DD tried to get on UKy's address list last fall. She also submitted questions through their website, separately, for a particular program of theirs. She heard nothing from her questions and only started getting emails after their EA deadline passed. Guess which school she chose not to apply to?

U Chicago, Case Western Reserve, and some small & large schools local to us were her big mail senders. Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon & Yale were in the next tier of mail senders. She got double from them compared to Princeton or Duke. I think she might only gave heard from Vanderbilt twice. (My DD isn't at all in the same category as yours, so that makes sense they would be targeted by different schools.) 

@kirag714 Those Wesleyan numbers are crazy!!

 

Sounds like your DD has some choice schools!  I don't know that my dd is much different than yours -- she has her glaring weaknesses (at least to me). Most of dd's mail has revolved around math/engineering programs (Duke has sent from both the humanities and math/engineering, though).  Yale focuses on the financial aspects (which makes me wonder if they are just trying to up their # of applications), but other than Duke/Vanderbilt the heaviest recruiting is from the midwest (MN, IA, MO).  We've eliminated about 24 schools on DD's list, we have about 24 in the "look more closely" pile and 24 in the middle.  Goal for today is to put the "middle" group into one of the other two categories.  I just don't want to spend multiple hours searching up test policies, scholarships, and keep her email list a bit more manageable.   She already has about 20 emails to send to college swim programs to politely decline (school isn't a good fit for one reason or another).  But she's still trying to follow up on another 24+ programs with stats, etc.  Her biggest weakness is also her biggest asset -- swimming.  So, it depends upon how schools  look at the swimming component.  

 

Edited March 26, 2019 by LisaK in VA is in IT