College application timing

[teachermom2834]

My Ds is chomping at the bit to complete his applications as soon as they open (I know for sure his first choice opens on Aug 1 and I think his others do too, or close). I am also of the personality to do it right away and check it off the list. The top choice university sends a scholarship application link after acceptance. So he would have that second scholarship application due by Dec 15.
 

However, he has a potential huge accomplishment coming up in September. Basically he is running to be president of 4-H in our state and the election will be in September. He has a very strong resume in regards to leadership and previous holders of this position that we know did win the highest level scholarships at the intended university. So it feels like an important thing to have on the application. He has the test scores to be in the mix for the most competitive scholarships and honors program but they are very competitive and kind of a long shot regardless. 

Would you have him hold off until after this is decided before applying? Just figure it would be included on the scholarship application that is due later? Call and inform them of the accomplishment (IF he wins it) after the fact? 
 

I think the right answer is just to wait...September is still early. But we are impatient people! 🙂. He is also planning to spend a lot of time crafting essays for the scholarship application so he is anxious to get that link and start working on it so he has plenty of time. 
 

He is pretty certain this is where he will attend but it is expensive and he wants to throw all his efforts into the competitive scholarship process. I know he is anxious to apply and get an acceptance but he will definitely be accepted. So the advantage to applying early so he would have an answer early isn’t really necessary. He will get in.
 

We should just settle down and wait until his application would be most complete, right?
 

I think we are both just desperate to start making progress on some things after so much shut down and cancelled for Covid. But no real advantage to an August application versus September. Right? He can definitely get it ready to go and just hold off on hitting submit until after the election. 
 

 

[EKS]

3 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

But no real advantage to an August application versus September. Right? He can definitely get it ready to go and just hold off on hitting submit until after the election. 

Unless the school has rolling admissions, I don't see an advantage to submitting in August especially given the circumstances.

[GoodGrief]

I say hold off a bit. You can typically update apps with accomplishments but you run the risk of the update not connecting with the app. 🙂 4H president would be a significant accomplishment.

[teachermom2834]

3 minutes ago, GoodGrief1 said:

I say hold off a bit. You can typically update apps with accomplishments but you run the risk of the update not connecting with the app. 🙂 4H president would be a significant accomplishment.

This is what I think too. I think back to my first ds and he applied to several tiny schools and had personal connections with his admissions reps and I think calling with an update would have worked just fine. This is a state flagship (one my older two boys applied to) and I can't see the accomplishment getting attached to the app at all. I think someone would say "yeah that's nice" and that would be the end of it. I think I will have him get started on his app and hold off a bit before submitting.