Advised to Repost Here. Expectations

Parents Forum
1

<p>From Admission Forum</p>

<p>Hello, </p>

<p>This is my first post here and I am hoping to get some advice for a parent. Little background, I only have a HS diploma and never went through the university selection, recruitment and application process. My son (who has pretty much been on his own when it comes to school the last 4 years as I could not help with classwork) is now considering schools but things have changed the last 6 weeks, let me tell you how. </p>

<p>My son had reconciled himself to the fract that he would need to attend our State U due to my limited ability to pay. He had dreamed of going to a great Eng school but I didn’t know or understand the process, or just how talented he was. 6 weeks ago that all changed when he began to receive letters from (MIT, Harvard, Northwestern, Rose-Hulman, Columbia (fu), Cornell ect…ect) </p>

<p>As a result of the school contacts I took another look at the “full need” financial programs many of these schools offer and realized that I had wrongly limited him due to sticker shock from the posted tuition cost. Now I’m in recovery mode helping him follow his dreams but with both eyes open so I have a few questions but first please meet “T” </p>

<p>“T”
17 Year old African American Male
Great Kid
3.85 GPA
680M/640V SAT
Note on SAT, no prep class and closed “dish” the night before, he took again in Nov and feels much better about this round, I didn’t let him work till 1am the night before!
Subject Test (TBD)</p>

<p>Lettered in Wrestling, Track, Band and Academics, he participates in “Academic Olympics” that are on TV, his school is doing well. In addition he holds down a job 12-18 hrs a week where his boss (private business owner) says he’s the best kid he’s ever had work for him.
Junior year classes 3.9
AP Econ (Tested 4)
AP (Sci) (Tested 5)
Spanish 4 Hon
English Hon
Chem B Hon
Physical Sci
Bio B Hon</p>

<p>Senior Year 3.9 (so far)
AP- Bio
AP- Chem
AP- English
College Math 5
Psychology</p>

<p>Schedule conflicts forced exclude some other AP classes that were only offered when his Bio and Chem classes were offered. </p>

<p>My questions.</p>

<li>Are these “contact” letters a sign of real interest or just boilerplate mailings? Are there ever any personal letters?</li>
<li>How did they know to contact him, he didn’t submit his SAT’s yet?</li>
<li>Does he stand a real chance with the type of schools I listed above, are they realistic choices or should he adjust his expectations?</li>
</ol>

2

<p>1) boilerplate mailings. Rarely.
2) PSAT, If he checked the box.
3) Yes. Advise applying to financial safety (your state school), then 5-6 100% need reaches he likes, and 2-3 less reachy schools that offer merit money that he likes. He is a strong candidate, and his URM status coupled with being male will make him of strong interest to top colleges. :)</p>

3

<p>Mass mailings</p>

<p>Mailings could start coming after a kid takes the PSAT. Did he take the PSAT last year as a junior? </p>

<p>Just be sure to apply to the whole spectrum of engineering schools--taking into account your finances and the difficulty of the school.</p>

4

<p>I posted on your thread in the other forum, saying that they were boilerplate mailings but that he still might be able to get in, and suggesting Northeastern.</p>

<p>Other schools with fine engineering programs that he might consider, some of which are also less costly:</p>

<p>UIUC
Georgia Tech
Stanford
U of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Purdue
UC Berkeley (many of the UCs, really)
Carnegie Mellon</p>

5

<p>1320, AA male, 3.85 with an upward trend, 2 sport varsity athlete, band. Hmmmm.....He can apply anywhere he wants to apply. Not saying he'll get in. Just saying he has absolutely no reason not to apply. Check out the fee waivers for each school. Good luck. </p>

<p>I'm going to suggest he think of Washington University in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, Emory, the U of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, and Duke. Start typing. He's got plenty to do. ;)</p>

6

<p>P.S. Rice University would be a great school for engineering, since it is the smallest research university - more of a LAC size, has great needbased and merit aid, great friendly residential college system, with terrific support, and opportunities. Just a plug.</p>

7

<p>Others will advise you on whether or not your son is a realistic candidate for the caliber of engineering schools you are talking about and on the money issues.</p>

<p>I want to emphasize a single point:</p>

<p>Some of the schools you are talking about require SAT Subject Tests. For engineering, they may specifically require math and science tests. (Look on the individual schools' Web sites for more specific information.) The last test date that is likely to be acceptable to many colleges is January 2008. If your son hasn't taken these tests, he needs to register for the January tests NOW.</p>

8

<p>^^^I'm with curmudgeon on those suggestions (post #5). Several include engineering schools that are easier to get into than places like MIT, and offer merit scholarships. At least some of them are need-blind, 100% of need-met, schools.</p>

<p>When looking into merit scholarships at these schools, be aware that some give an edge to community involvement, interest in activities dedicated to improving diversity, etc, while others are more purely scholarship-based. Some require separate applications, while others do not. Read the web sites, and make phone calls if you are unsure.</p>

<p>No reason in the world for your son not to cast a wide net.</p>

9

<p>Curmudgeon, </p>

<p>Funny you should mention Washingtion University, while I didn't list that school they sent information about the John B. Ervin Scholars Program which really seems like an exciting opportunity. </p>

<p>I really do appreciate the good advice and kind words for my son. This wasn't a parent fishing for compliments for their kid, we really have had to recently take a fresh look at his opportunities, he is excited.</p>

10

<p>DTDad,</p>

<p>No advice, just a "best of luck to your son (and you)!"</p>

<p>Suggestion - you may want to have him take the ACT. For most schools, it can replace the SAT. It has a different approach, so he may do even better.</p>

11

<p>Gosh. How did I forget Rice? LOL. It's in Texas, for goodness' sakes. And are we only looking at eng? I didn't catch that but my list doesn't change much if we are. </p>

<p>Scholarship opportunities have to be applied for quite soon at some schools. I'd be "thumbing through" each school's merit offeerings right now as some require separate essays. Some have passed but no worries. Many of them would meet his full need anyway.</p>

12

<p>Marian,</p>

<p>Yes we realized that this week. We had to do a chart to figure out which 3 subject test he could take that would meet the needs of the most schools. </p>

<p>It looks like as long as he takes 3 and of those 1 is Math and the other is Chem, he can address the needs of almost all of the schools in question. </p>

<p>He's scheduled to do the subject test Dec 1. (we were late by a few days so it cost another $66.00.... ) I think that was the last catch up issue he had until December 1.</p>

13

<p>OP, I've met the Ervin coordinator gal at WUSTL. She's a peach. ;) Have your son call her. Today. Within the hour would be soon enough. LOL. .</p>

14

<p>Columbia, for instance, will meet 100% of demonstrated financial need with an average indebtedness at graduation of (I think) ~$17. I have searched to no avail for a list someone recently posted of schools that offer good merit aid--maybe a better searcher can find and post it. Also, here's a list of colleges (many of them quite good) that can be applied to for free: <a href="http://www.porcelina.net/freeapps/general.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.porcelina.net/freeapps/general.html&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p>

15

<p>Even though they are boilerplate mailings your son is an excellent candidate. Your son should ask his boss to write him a supplemental letter of recommendation. It doesn't hurt for the GC to mention the scheduling conflicts for the reason he didn't take as many APs as he wanted to, but don't worry too much about this he'll have 5 APs - that's the average number that MIT admitted students have. If he's interested in engineering and the "elite" schools he'll need the SAT2s (subject tests). He should take Math 2, his favorite science and one other. His chances are realistic with the schools you listed, keeping in mind that they are reaches for everyone. But as a high scoring AA with good grades and ECs, he should be very desirable.</p>

16

<p>I should have come here so much sooner, now if any of you have the magic potion to get him to wear his rubber bands so I can stop paying for braces I will forever be in your debt!</p>

17

<p>You must be so proud :)</p>

18

<p>I am and thank you, this might sound funny but the school thing really is just icing on the cake. </p>

<p>We (He) didn't set out to "check the boxes" everything he has ever done is because he wanted too not to build a CV. </p>

<p>To be candid the fact that his path brings him to this point is a welcome surprise to me. We knew he was a good kid but didn't realize schools might see the same thing.</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
I should have come here so much sooner, now if any of you have the magic potion to get him to wear his rubber bands so I can stop paying for braces I will forever be in your debt!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Sorry, no advice there. My son had to go through the braces routine TWICE. Now I get to worry if he is wearing his retainer at night while he is away at college. I'm not paying for a third round.</p>

20

<p>Hi DTDad,
Your son sounds like a great kid. You must be very proud. Just a FYI, Emory does not have engineering. You might want to check out University of Rochester. Also, please be aware that scholarship applications are due very early in the process. Check your dates!</p>