<p>Bethie...my kids both had most of their applications done very early. BUT DS did one SO late that we had to Fed Ex OVERNIGHT the application, rush the SAT scores, and Overnight mail the transcript and recommendations. It cost a fortune to get that application submitted. DS got accepted, then decided it was his second choice. Go figure.</p>
<p>"In the ensuing 2 hours he did complete half of one supplement while surfing the internet some more. At one point he wanted to be congratulated for bookmarking two huge sites about the Apocalypse instead of reading them."</p>
<p>OMG this sounds EXACTLY like my son!</p>
<p>I'm sitting on the family room sofa with WD Jr. He's doing his Caltech supplement and I'm killing time on the Web. I'm pretty sure if I weren't in the room he would be back to online comic books (BESM comics -- who knew?) and computer games. But maybe not. It's so hard to guess.</p>
<p>Bethiesvt,
Once again, your son and mine have swapped houses!</p>
<p>I'm joining the club. Dragging the Stanford essay out of D is like pulling her spleen out of her ear. I am cancelling all appointments for the next month. Looking forward to Jan. 2 (fortunately essay is optional for UC Boulder app due 1/15).</p>
<p>My S was VERY slow about getting his apps in. I finally just got very selectively blind & ignored it all. He missed some deadlines & did a lot of last minute stressing & rushing about, but in the end, he did get into some fine schools & even got some good merit aid. At the onset, I made it clear that it was HIS process & I would be his secretarial/administrative support, providing him stamps, writing checks, etc., but it was for him to run the show. Ultimately, it is our kids' show. I made him apply to a financial safety & made sure all the paperwork for that one school did get in.</p>
<p>My strategy starting Monday: back to the health club. Gonna take it out on the treadmill. D may not get into college but I'm going to get back into my favorite black dress pants and the pretty dress I bought to wear to her graduation!</p>
<p>I gave D a day or two, and if she didn't have a decent draft ready for me to look at, I unplugged her Internet cable. Results!</p>
<p>S: "I'm not stressed out. Stress would be bad."</p>
<p>Me: "Stress IS bad; that's my point."</p>
<p>S: "I'll take your word for it."</p>
<p>LOL - this is priceless! From what I hear it's a guy thing - my daughter has set all kinds of goals for her app process and this weekend is her deadline to send everything. Of course she has a full schedule over the next full weeks - 6 midterm exams, college boyfriend arriving 12/15, and vacation plans for 12/21-1/6. So she really has to push the send button today - before we hear from EA and rolling schools.</p>
<p>No, definitely not a guy thing. I hope the servers are not down on Jan. 1.</p>
<p>Me, seeing S (aka Five More Supplements To Do) at computer: So, working on essays, are you?</p>
<p>S: Listen to this! (Proceeds to play Cream's "White Room" mp3. He's never heard it before. He thinks it's awesome. I feel old. Really, really old.)</p>
<p>Me, feeling old & snappish: I fail to see how William & Mary will somehow understand that you were too busy listening to music to WRITE THEM AN ESSAY.</p>
<p>S goes into room and shuts door.</p>
<p>This year IS going to end, right? Some college will actually admit this kid, yes?</p>
<p>Just imagine having <em>two</em> high school seniors to nag about apps at the same time.</p>
<p>The good news is that, believe it or not, they WILL all get it done ... and a year from now, you will be very relaxed ... perusing these boards now and again ... hardly believing that a year ago you felt so anxious!</p>
<p>The bad news is that as soon as all the apps are in, it's time to start on scholarship essays!</p>
<p>After my daughter submitted her early applications at the end of October, she did nothing at all for colleges for more than three weeks. She did almost nothing over Thanksgiving, when she had promised to do them. She worked on them a little last weekend, but not much. </p>
<p>I really hate nagging. No mother is pleasant when nagging. I can't wait until this is over so I don't have to nag. If she gets into her ED school, one reason I'll be thrilled is because I won't have to nag about this. </p>
<p>Mathmom: so sorry about MIT. </p>
<p>And we've also been tempted to disconnect the Internet so she'll get stuff done.</p>
<p>And one more thing - whoever talked about "the college essay" should be shot. There is not one college essay. There are multiple college essays. And sometimes you really can't use the same ones again. And those short answers ('what fictional character do you want as your college roommate') can be killers.</p>
<p>mathmom:</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about MIT. S had a friend who was deferred in December but accepted in April. MIT treats deferral as a second chance to look at an applicant, not as a polite rejection as does Harvard. I am amazed at the profiles of the deferred MIT applicants. I'm sure that many will get in in April. Keeping my fingers crossed!</p>
<p>S. PROMISES he is up to date on all his supplemental apps while waiting for ED on the 15th. He has decided to doctor/change some of his generic essays to fit his other applications instead of writing all new ones (except for Amherst, for which he seems to have a complete mental block). I feel bad for the guidance counselors. They wanted all applications in by early December, but have a feeling they are going to be flooded after the 15th, up until the holiday break....</p>
<p>
[quote]
deferred at MIT
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So sorry to hear that. As I tell Jr, statistically speaking, no one actually goes to school at MIT or Caltech. Best of wishes on the rest of the list.</p>
<p>I don't think any of the parents are overreacting about this procrastination. It's normal but a lot of teen behaviour that is normal needs to be changed. My brother lost out on many college opporunities because he just couldn't get those apps out on time. I remember my father getting so upset. Because my other brother and I did everything we could ourselves and in a timely manner, he just assumed his younger son would do the same. Not the case at all. Yes, they can and do drop the ball. So that fear is real.</p>
<p>As the ball drops in Time Square, thousands of send buttons are being hit with college apps needing to make that 1/1 deadline. Not the way I would want to spend Christmas and New Years, but a lot of seniors who are applying to the more selective schools do.</p>
<p>All of your children seem to be ahead of my S. He still plans to apply 7 more schools. He has not started his common application essays yet, don't even mention the supplemental essays. He did send two in though. He will hear from one school on the 15th and one his safety school (state u).</p>
<p>His shool finishes on the 15th. He has 4 school papers to write between now and then. He says he does not have time to even think of his college application.</p>
<p>It's really easy to let college apps dominate your conversations with your s. What a way to spend this last precollege holiday season! I suggest that you come up with creative ways to contain the discussions. (Let him know that you'll only give x nags per day so he'd better use them to good advantage; let him know that you're not willing to talk college during odd numbered hrs. or odd numbered days; require him to contract for YOUR time in advance -- be available to proofread essays only on Wednesdays) This sends a clear message. Teens live in a much different time reality than we do. Tactics like this help us let go a little and it reminds the teen that time is limited.
Make sure to enjoy him.</p>
<p>Actually, with my daughter I decided that I was going to avoid stress by letting go of my own involvement once the applications to her financial safety (state univ. system) was in. I figured that my own personal, selfish interests were best served by my kid attending an in-state public in any case -- less of a financial burden, plus closer to home so more frequent visits. So I decided that I would help my daughter when asked on the other apps, but if she didn't get them done in time.... it wasn't my problem. </p>
<p>I know we all want the best for our kids, but sometimes the "best" is what they can and will get on their own, not what we can prod them to do.</p>