<p>My D has visited many schools and unsure of what type she wants to attend. She liked aspects of each. Originally she thought she wanted a small LAC but.... Since her test scores eliminated the top tier elite schools the chance of admission at most other schools are decent. She has a wide range of match schools of various types on her current list. Most accept close to 70% and her SAT's are in the range and her rank/GPA are above their averages. It makes sense to me to advise her to go ahead and make a list of 8-12 match schools of the various types and size so next May she will have a decent selection.
Has anyone else used this process mostly match schools of various types and a few safeties. No real reaches. If you have-how did it work out?</p>
<p>That sounds fine, Tom. I wouldn't suggest applying to so many schools (8-12 plus safeties), but there is not problem not applying to reach schools as long as your daughter likes and feels challenged by her "match" schools. It's smart for her to apply to a variety of schools with different atmospheres in case what she wants changes during the next year. You do not need so many schools, though. I would suggest not going over 8 applications, including safeties.</p>
<p>My son did not have any reachy colleges on his list. We visited a few but they fell off the list before he did applications. I would have been secretly pleased if he had applied to one particular school that would have been a big reach and one school that would have been a moderate reach, but it's not my life to live it's his college years. In the long run had he been accepted at either of those two schools the tuition costs were quite abit higher also as they were in the NE.</p>
<p>I secretly hope my D stretches in term of location. She wants to stay within a certain distance from NJ- I keep suggesting she might want to "try" looking at schools outside her perceived comfort zone. Ultimately it will be her choice.
corranged with the common app she can apply to 5 schools she likes- would that change your opinion. Right now she would complete about 5-7 applications and apply to 10-12 schools</p>
<p>If any of those schools have rolling admissions or early action, you might not need to apply to so many. My son found the supplements to the Common Application to be pretty aggravating, but your daughter may not have as many.</p>
<p>Most of the Common App schools require supplements (essays too), so there really is quite a bit of work to be done for each.</p>
<p>Like you, I would suggest applying to schools more geographically diverse. That would give your daughter more options come April, and she might also get an admissions boost from a school that wanted to attract kids from your state. My daughter got a wonderful scholarship from a school that wants to attract a more national student body.</p>
<p>Don't forget to factor in financial safeties.</p>
<p>Agree with mathmom re: rolling or EA schools; those early acceptances really take the pressure off early in the process. My D actually enrolled at one of her rolling admissions schools. I also wish my D had applied to more reach schools but she had a very nice selection of schools to choose from in the end. Good luck to your D!</p>
<p>We had no reach schools because we were "shopping" for merit aid. And if you are going that route, you do need to apply to a couple more than normal (although 12 is A LOT of schools).</p>
<p>Even with the common app -- it's the keeping track of all those applications that gets tough - and doing excessive numbers of financial aid forms -- and then she might get notices about additional scholarship forms -- and then a few schools will lose her SAT scores -- and she has to beg her teachers for large numbers of recommendations -- and her guidance counselor will forget to send in a couple of their forms and/or transcripts -- and the supplements to the supplements to the supplements --- arrrghhh</p>
<p>There's more than just the physical application that needs to be considered. ;)</p>
<p>One of the schools on her list has an immediate decision day. That school would be an in state safety for her.
ellemenope- at this point we are lucky- the majority of her schools are within our financial range. The few LAC's that are not my D has stated she would not attend without financial help- she did not see enough of a difference between schools to offset the cost.We would be able and willing to pay if we saw the value. Most o/o/s publics are very reasonable when compared to the cost for NJ schools.</p>
<p>Besides the reasons that everybody else listed, with 12 matches/safeties she may get into 8 or 9 of them. That is way too many schools to choose between in a month. There would be a lot of pressure and stress during that last month, extra visits to all of them would be impossible, etc.</p>
<p>Our D did not do any heavy duty reach schools either. She did EA or rolling for all but 2 which only had ED or regular. I considered 4 of them safeties but she was very nervous until that first acceptance letter came last summer. She applied to 8, accepted to 8. She had a terrible time deciding between 2 schools, and then changed her mind on the Friday before May 1st. The reason?...location, when push came to shove she was too scared to be that far from home.</p>
<p>tom1944--you ARE lucky! Your D wants to go to schools that will most likely accept her and ones that you can afford...</p>
<p>Thanks for all the suggestions. We are still early and I am sure schools can be culled from the list. Although I am sure she will add some between now and application time.
I will ask her to have 1 in state safety/ 1 o/o/s safety and go from there.</p>
<p>Tom,
Your daughter is a refreshing breath of fresh air and sanity around here! Sounds like she knows what she wants and how to best go after it. These skills will serve her well in life. Congrats!</p>
<p>CountingDown- thanks. She is a good kid- she is happy with who she is and has never been worried about what someone else thinks (in a good way). Peer pressure is not one of my concerns with her. I think you would call her "politely opinionated" she values your opinion just don't expect her to make it hers.</p>
<p>Nice thread, </p>
<p>To other posters -- just wondering as a point of information, why do you recommend including "some rolling admissions"? I mean, I should be able to answer that myself, having gnawed many knuckles last March 28 when all 8 schools on the list were "April 1 RD's" and his friends were dancing around, going to movies, etc. in February and March while his sweat poured down the mailbox.</p>
<p>But aside from that short-term issue, is there any longterm reason to include
rolling admissions, if they aren't really the best for the list?
In the end, you don't really decide until the other ones come in after April 1, right?
Just wondering.</p>
<p>OP-- What a nice sounding person you have there! It occurs to me how nice it would be to hear more CC posts that start with your last post (what the kid is all about). We always begin this knowing about the kid's stats, names of institutions, strategies... it is refreshing to keep in mind a kid's basic personality. In our home, like many from CC homes, personality is part of list-making and final choice processes. I know you'll end up with a "right fit" when you understand what motivates your kid, as you do. Good luck for the months ahead!</p>
<p>I second the Nice Thread Comment</p>
<p>Having sent an uber kid to college at a "non-Ivy" was refreshing as she found her school tobe a "match." So much so, that she is working at the labs this summer. She likes it so much that her mother will cry most of the summer -- without having her baby home this summer.</p>
<p>My second uses the word "match" in manner applied by this thread. To me it is neat -- he takes me to a world I never previously entered. No fancy diploma value schools. He looks to places where the campuses are equally or even more cheerful. Small unknown LAC's. And, so many to choose from. One person once said it best, "I am sure we can find 20-40 schools that your child will be enthused to study at." Isn't that true?</p>
<p>And, one comment about kids today -- mine at least -- they have more of a game plan at 17 than I ever did. My 17 year old kids discuss college majors and where they are going and what they will be doing when they enter the work force. Must be their mother's genes.</p>
<p>Might be boarding school, Father.</p>
<p>tom, I don't know if you will be comfortable doing this--and you can do it under another screen name to maintain confidence--but you would get a ton of good CC information and usggestions if you posted her basic stats, interests and her list of schools.</p>