<p>Im so excited to go visit cal poly friday</p>
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<p>NPR, a mom who used to be active on CC told me her daughter enjoys Juniata very much. My sense is that the schools you visited, while similar in size, are very different in other ways and I look forward to your thoughts.</p>
<p>NPR…I’d love to get the web address of your college visits blog. Please PM me the info. 
We visited Juniata, Goucher, and and others as well, so I’d love to hear of your experiences.
I need to start following the 3.0 2013 thread, but just thought this was a better place to start since most here are further along in the process.
Btw…I’m a bit ignorant on all of the online abbreviations. Can you please tell me what URM is? I’m guessing under represented minority? How can one tell what a URM is at a specific school?</p>
<p>2012’s should head over to 13’s to give them our moral support. :-)</p>
<p>Seriously, mom0809!</p>
<p>I think we 2013s feel safer over here in 2012-land because our children are not “competing” with 2012s. The 2012s are almost done, while our kids may be applying to similar schools around the country.</p>
<p>But, I’m a team player and I am willing to get the 2013 thread going a bit. I’ll miss simpkin, though. I SO relate to her stress and frustration, although, to be honest, my S (I hate those initials) is pretty good about the college process-just not so good with grades, homework, papers and SATs.</p>
<p>giat13, expect a PM. Yes, URM is minority. There’s a whole thread explaining the letters used here. I’m not sure about URMs at specific schools, but the College Board has a new pie graph describing the student body at each school and names the minorites and the percentages of self identified students that are represented at each school.</p>
<p>NPRmom, don’t feel like we’re competing against each other. There are more than enough schools that will admit our kids. And none are secrets. And most admit more than they deny. Let’s face it, our kids are not looking at single digit acceptance rate schools 
You’ll see that there is such a difference amongst the 3.0-3.3 kids, that it’s unlikely our kids will be similar enough to cause worry :)</p>
<p>NPr, I understand your concerns, but note that on the 2010 thread, 4 kids wound up going to the school (Goucher) and their parents were very open about their impressions and that their kids had applied there. As reeinaz noted, these kids are not really in direct competition, with the possible exception if they apply ED to a reach.</p>
<p>Going forward, you will also find many 2012 posters dropping out after their kids are enrolled.</p>
<p>I am mostly a lurker and only for the last few months or so, but I have appreciated all the info, wisdom, and wit. I hope this post is helpful to others going through this process in the future with a bright, independent, but not driven student.</p>
<p>S had 85.0225 avg after junior year; about the same now. Would characterize him more as “A and C student” than “B student” - S puts effort into the subjects that interest him (primarily math) and seems to do just enough in the others to maintain an overall 85% average. No honors but advanced math courses, AP Calculus, AP Physics, dual enrollment Statistics. Ranks 95 out of about 250.</p>
<p>S took SATs twice, with no preparation (declined to participate in local prep course paid for by local orthodontist). Highest SAT scores - CR630-M730-W570</p>
<p>4 yrs soccer (2 varsity), 4 yrs varsity tennis, freshman basketball, one yr as weekly radio show host. No other ECs besides skiing & pick-up soccer with buddies. Two part-time jobs. </p>
<p>Doubtful that GC was overly impressed with S’s effort/attitude - only 8 of 40 hours of community service had/have been reported and 9th grade typing test wasn’t/still hasn’t been taken. S did not overexert on app essays, including the one describing lessons learned from incidents requiring school disciplinary action. Single teacher recommendation likely was strong (math teacher with whom S took linear algebra 1-on-1 during summer).</p>
<p>One college visitation trip in late summer before senior year: BU, Bentley, Bryant, and Roger Williams - tour/presentation only. Fall visit to UVM - tour/presentation only.</p>
<p>S ruled out interviews, schools requiring essays beyond CA and “why this school”, schools requiring more than one teacher recommendation. </p>
<p>Ended up applying RD to: Bentley (denied), Bryant (accepted), UConn (denied), UMass (waitlisted), Ohio Wesleyan (accepted), RIT (accepted/ Applied Mathematics), and UVM (denied - S’s #1 choice). </p>
<p>OWU admitted with $18,000/year Godman scholarship, Bryant with $12,000/year Archway scholarship. As part of initial FA packages, OWU offered $8,000 institutional grant, Bryant offered a $2,600 grant, and RIT offered $11,600 - all along with Federal grants, Stafford loans, and work-study. Total billed costs less gift aid and loans for each: OWU=$9,454 Bryant=$19,322 RIT=$18,958</p>
<p>During April vacation (week of 4/23), S and I will visit the three schools (OWU and RIT for first time) and he probably will make his decision to enroll or take a gap year on April 30th.</p>
<p>Posting to hopefully ease the minds of 2013 students in this GPA range. Here are the results for my 2012 son.</p>
<p>Profile:
Weighted GPA at time of applying: 3.21 (steady upward trend; 7th semester GPA was 3.6)
SAT Scores: 530 math, 540 writing, 580 reading
No hooks (white male from California)
Strong essay
Strong political science EC theme (Harvard Model Congress, Boys State, works in State Assemblyman’s office, works on current political campaign, Leadership class 10th and 11th grades)</p>
<p>Results were…</p>
<p>Accepted to:
University of Arizona (merit aid)
University of Missouri (merit aid)
Kansas University (no merit aid)
University of Oregon (deferred for 7th semester grades then accepted in March)
Michigan State University (merit aid)</p>
<p>Denied:
University of Iowa</p>
<p>Attending:
Michigan State, in their James Madison College residential PoliSci school</p>
<p>We are thrilled with the results, and I would have never believed it a few years ago. So hang in there. Good things happen for these kids.</p>
<p>Results for my D:
3.3 GPA 3.6 W end of junior year
(4.2 first semester senior year. Now she kicks it into gear, argggggh)
28 ACT
Applied to - Cal Poly SLO, UCSB, UCD, University of Arizona, Cal State Chico, SDSU
Accepted to - University of Arizona ($6000 yr merit) attending
Cal State Chico
Waitlisted - UCDavis
Denied - Cal Poly
UCSB
SDSU</p>
<p>A word about the California UCs, GPA is king. I know that they are looking to make things more “holistic” and I believe that D’s essay was all that landed her on UCD’s wait list but it cannot be overstated that you really need to have a solid GPA to get in. There are also several Cal State schools that are extremely difficult to get into (unless you are in their service area). D was very particular as to what she was looking for in a college so our options were limited by distance from home, wanted a “college town”, preferably a larger school. I think she has found everything she wanted in UofA. Of course the out of state tuition is going to kill us but with the California budget situation we all expect the state schools to get hit with big tuition increases anyway. In the end, we will do all we can to make it work and I am going to miss her terribly when she heads off.</p>
<p>How were you accepted to cal poly slo and rejected from pomona?? Slo is known as the more selective school, but congrats</p>
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<p>Oh im sorry I read.that wrong, slo was turning down 4.0 students so dont feel bad</p>
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<p>The problem with Cal Poly SLO is that you must declare a major when you apply and applications are judged against those with the same major. Obviously some majors are tougher to get in than others. Any engineering or architecture majors better have a 4.0 while we know 2 girls who got in as nutrition majors with only a 3.5 and 3.6. And, don’t plan on getting in by applying to an easier major and then changing because they make it almost impossible to change your major. It can be done occasionally but not without plenty of challenges.</p>
<p>Looking at this thread, is there a single student here that did not get into at least one school? I think your acceptance rates are higher than those with the 4.0’s…just from observations–and most seem to be getting merit money here too. I hope those looking at this later see that as well and get a few extra nights of sleep :D.</p>
<p>I think most here got into at LEAST half of the schools they applied to. I think that we have a more realistic view of our S’s and D’s here (kidding)</p>
<p>Steve I’d say you’re right. My S was only denied at 1 out of 11. Waitlisted at 2. But our list was very realistic and except for 2-3, all are schools he’d be happy to attend.</p>
<p>And merit money came with every single acceptance.</p>
<p>True for my DS as well. Accepted at 12, WL at 2, rejected by
none. :)</p>
<p>The above comments are so encouraging…Thanks</p>
<p>My 2.7 kid got into way more schools than his 4.0+ sister, with much less stress. :)</p>
<p>Changing a major is easy</p>
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