Application Jitters

Parents Forum
1

<p>I've been dreaming about college since I was a freshman, but now as a senior college is a reality. I have spent countless hours reading college books and going on websites (CC anyone?) to try and find out as much info as I can. I've narrowed it down to my top 25 schools, 5 of which I have chosen to definitely apply. I am writing my essays and asking for recommendations, adn I am really excited to finally start the REAL college process. </p>

<p>BUT here I am...applying to these schools that I have studied for sooo long, but I can't convince myself to actually apply. I have filled out 2 forms already, but I am too nervous to send them out. Either I feel that I have no chance or I find something that I don't like about the school. (I was just about to submit the U of Oregon application when I realized that less than 20% of students live on campus.) My guidance couselor is seriously useless and my parents never went to college so I don't know who to ask. I wanted to call the differnet schools and ask about some of my concerns, but I don't know how to go about that. Is it normal to feel this way? What should I do?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance. This board has always given me the best advice and I really appreciate it :)</p>

2

<p>surfette, you're getting a good start. Keep it up. Keep asking questions and keep researching. Five strong choices? Excellent. This is a good place to share them because there will be people here with first-hand knowledge.</p>

<p>University of Oregon is an excellent school, with a beautiful campus, in a socially- and environmentally-aware city. Off-campus housing is readily available, but as a first-year you'd probably live on campus -- 85% of first-years do. Would it be out-of-state for you?</p>

<p>Do you feel like you've identified "match" schools and safeties?</p>

<p>Do you have your financial aid figured out? Need help? There are people who can point you where you need to go to take care of this.</p>

3

<p>Surfette,
You can put off your stress by just applying and knowing that you have quite a bit more time to still research the colleges before the acceptances come and your decision is due. Applying does not mean that you HAVE to go there. My son didn't even visit two colleges, one of which he is now attending, until he had been accepted.</p>

<p>Regarding the off campus housing, many colleges maintain off-campus housing for students but they aren't dorms and are considered off campus. Go ahead, apply to whatever colleges you want to just making sure that you have enough safety and match schools that you would really like to attend and then keep on researching! Stress does not need to happen until decision time!</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
just making sure that you have enough safety and match schools

[/quote]
</p>

<p>kathiep said it, I said it, and you'll hear it again if you stick around, but it's important! If you haven't had much help picking the 5, now's a good time to confirm these are really matches/safeties for you, financially as well.</p>

5

<p>Surfette:</p>

<p>You're way ahead of the game! The deadlines you need to consdier NOW are for rolling admission schools. If there are any on your list (and there should be) send out your application now. The next deadline to consider is Nov. 1 for EA apps. For RD apps, the deadline may be Dec. 15, or Dec. 31. Check that you have taken all the tests you need to submit, and ask for recommendations from your teachers. Do so now, when they are not yet bombarded with similar requests. Talk to your GC about filling out the school profile amd getting your transcript together.</p>

<p>Does your list contain schools that are safety both in terms of admission and financial affordability? They are safety only if you would be happy to attend. Don't apply to schools you know you would hate just because you can get in and afford.</p>

<p>Remember that you do not have to decide on which to attend until May 1 in most cases. So unless you are applying to rolling admission schools, take your time to refine both your list and your application. Good luck!</p>

6

<p>Surfette,
You sound exactly like my daughter. She's done all the research, has most of the essays written, has a really well-balanced list, and now is reluctant to take that last step and actually apply. I wish I knew why this is! She's not a procratinator by nature, and I'm sorta shocked that we are at this stalemate. Any ideas?</p>

7

<p>First, your feelings are very normal. You have already invested a lot of yourself in the process, and you feel scared because the reality is starting - failure is now a real possiblity, just as is success. Take heart! You will feel better when that first app goes into the mail - still anxious, but in a different way.</p>

<p>Second, in the same vein as Marite, you say your parents never went to college. Have you had the finances talk with them?? It is not too late, if you haven't, you can modify the list. Since the 'rents have no experience with college, bring a spreadsheet with at least tuition and R&B costs for each school you want to apply to. If you really want to impress them, do your homework and budget for books, transport and incidentals as well, so that you formulate a reasonable cost of attendance. Show any merit or scholarship money you might expect to get.</p>

8

<p>Surfette, you sound like you have it all together...I understand the anxiety you are feeling. I think my son felt the same way at times...in all likelihood you will receive some rejections and some admissions, and remember, you can't win if you don't play. Just go ahead and get some of the applications out and I think you will feel better. Don't forget too that you will probably get a few acceptances so you anxiety or second guessing your choices should matter too much at this point because applying doesn't mean (unless you are doing ED) that you are committing to go there.</p>

9

<p>hey, Surfette, am I reading this wrong? Sounds like your anxiety is around making the right college choices more than acceptance/rejection. You report having done your research, but you're worried because you haven't gotten help from your parents or guidance counselor, and you're not sure the short list is right for you? You mention calling the colleges with your concerns, and I'd say that would depend on your concerns -- are they questions you'd be okay with having in your app file?</p>

<p>A good heart-to-heart talk with someone knowledgeable would be helpful. Do you have a friend with college-savvy parents? Or a teacher who sent his/her kids to good colleges?</p>

<p>The people on CC want to help, but we don't know anything about you.</p>

10

<p>I'd say your feelings are absolutely normal. It may help to keep in mind that "decision to apply" does not equal "commitment to attend." What applications lead to is "offers to attend." Your decision on which college or university to attend won't be due for awhile, so relax a bit and remember that you're W-A-Y ahead of most HS Seniors (including my daughter who keeps telling me "Lighten up Dad, applications aren't due until NEXT year!").</p>

11

<p>GPA:
Frosh-3.3 (a couple C's)
Soph-3.8
Junior-3.5 (I got a 3.8 first semester, a B in math; 3.3 second semester a B in Spanish and chems, a C in math)
CUM- around 3.6</p>

<p>SATs
1st: M550 CR630 W600 (1780)
2nd: M580 C580 W570 (1730)
Best Combined: (1810)
Retaking in Oct., SAT2s in Nov.</p>

<p>Schedule is mildly difficult:
Junior- Honors English, Honors World History, Honors Chems, Newswriting, Spanish 3, Alg 2.</p>

<p>Senior- AP European History, Physics, Newswriting, TA, Trigonometry, Photography, Spanish 4 (I also take an English class at my CC)</p>

<p>BTW: School only offers AP Chems, Bio, English, Euro Hist, Calc, and Art.</p>

<p>I got Cs my frosh year, but I have been a straight A/B student since then (with the exception of second semester math junior year).</p>

<p>ECs:
Newswriting-Editior in Chief (11-12)
Aloha Club (11-12)
Tennis (9-12)
Tennis Community Club-did community service and attended practice 3 days a week for 2 hours (9-11)
Part-time job (Summer before junior year, but quit when tennis seasion started, and will start work again when school starts)
BigBrothers/BigSisters (11-12)
Founded a club that helps special-ed kids.</p>

<p>Passions:
WRITING WRITING WRITING. I really want to major in creative writing or at least have a creative writing concentration. I am also interested in double majoring in education.</p>

<p>This was my criteria when looking for a school:
1. An EXCELLENT creative writing program.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Small classes. I don't care about the size of the school, just the size of the classes.</p></li>
<li><p>School spirit!!! A sense of community.</p></li>
<li><p>Politically, I lean left but I don’t want anything too extreme or too conservative. I am very interested in gay rights/environment etc.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Schools I am definitely applying to:
Boston College (Dream School)
Boston U (Reach)
UCSB-I forget the name right now but it is a special arts college where I could major in creative writing (Reach)
Gonzaga U (Match)
U of Puget Sound (Match)
U of Oregon (Safety)</p>

<p>Other schools I am considering:
Whitman College
Vanderbilt University
UCSC
Allegheny
Wilamette
Seattle U
Santa Clara
Whittier
U of Iowa
Loyola Marymount
Bucknell
Denison
Villanova
Syracuse
Wake Forest
Knox
Lehigh</p>

<p>What do you think? I am from Maui and will also be applying for financial aid. I am an only child and my parents own their own business and make a combined salary of around 65,000 a year.</p>

12

<p>I think that you should apply to your state school and to universities on the W. coast. It is going to be extremely expensive and difficult to get clothes and make travel arrangements to go to East Coast schools. Based on your parents' income, it would be difficult for them to come visit you or to help you get to college. Unless you've spent time in the winter in cold, overcast climates, you may be in for a very unpleasant surprise.</p>

<p>It also would be difficult for you to visit those colleges to figure out if they are good fits for you. While I think that it's great that you have the courage to try new things, I do think it would be wiser to confine your risk taking to schools that are on the West Coast and in Hawaii, your home state. A college that can seem like a good fit based on its web site or perhaps a summer visit will seem very different during long, overcast, subzero degree winters that drag on for 5 months or more especially when classmates may be able to afford to go home for long weekends and things like spring break while you'll be stuck on campus or visiting friends who live in nearby overcast, snowy places.</p>

<p>I don't know about all of the schools on your list, but your SATs are very low for Boston College, and also won't put you in merit scholarship range for BU, which I am fairly sure doesn't promise to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need.</p>

<p>Also check the financial aid and merit scholarship info on the web pages of the colleges that you're considering. Ask your parents how much they are willing to pay for your college each year. Make sure you check colleges' web sites to see if they guarantee to meet 100% of documented financial need. Realize that the colleges calculate that need: It's not necessarily what your parents are willing to pay. Also use financial aid calculators like the one that you can link to from CC's home page. Keep in mind, though, that many colleges do not meet students' documented financial need or may choose to meet it with as much as $30,000 a year in loans.</p>

<p>You'll waste your time applying to colleges where you may get acceptances, but won't get the aid that you need.</p>

13

<p>Nice range of colleges here -- good work. I'm sure there are CC posters out here with intimate knowledge of most of these. Hang on.</p>

<p>The Santa Barbara college I think you're looking at is the College of Creative Studies (CCS) at UCSB. First step is to get admitted to UCSB, then you need a separate app for CCS. If you can write (got a portfolio?), you can probably get in to the program; it's very small, underfunded, but has a big heart. UC tuition/r&b for OOS runs $35K+ and financial aid isn't good -- but you knew that, didn't you. </p>

<p>coupla' questions: considering 95% of mainland students would kill to go to school in Maui, is there a reason you're not considering in-state?</p>

<p>your family income would indicate good FA, but you own a business? Could be trouble on the Profile. Can you run the numbers on an EFC calculator and get an idea? None of these schools is ultracheap, particularly for OOS, and you might not qualify for much merit aid.</p>

<p>On a bright note, that's a great EC! Has the paper won any awards? Would you rate it high? I worked on the paper when I was in college, and the staff were my favorite people to hang with.</p>

<p>oooo ... I just checked the thread and see that northstarmom is on the same wavelength, but more articulate.</p>

14

<p>take a look at colorado college! <a href="http://www.coloradocollege.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.coloradocollege.edu&lt;/a> </p>

<p>the block schedule is great and really allows for some great experiences. The campus is small, classes are small and they offer a creative writing/english program <a href="http://www.coloradocollege.edu/dept/EN/englishmajor/creativewriting.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.coloradocollege.edu/dept/EN/englishmajor/creativewriting.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>they also have an excellent program for education. tons of community spirit and you will find lots interest in gay rights and enviro (they have a prototype cafeteria that is organic and have an organic farm -- lots of sustainable efforts, too)</p>

<p>your stats are a little low -- but if you can get the test scores up just a little, I think it might just be a slight reach.</p>

15

<p>hsmomstef, are you sure you mean Colorado College? Colorado College lists annual costs in excess of $40,000 and they accept less than 40% of applicants.</p>

16

<p>Thanks for all of the really great advise so far. Going to college in Hawaii really isn't an option for me. College will be one of my only opportunities experience life on the mainland, as it is likely that I will move back home after I graduate. Education in Hawaii really isn't very good and my parents completely back me in this decision. I have worked really hard throughout high school so I could go to a good 4 year institution on the mainland and I really have no desire to attend school anywhere else. </p>

<p>Colorado College is coming to my school next week so I will be sure to sit in on their presentation. </p>

<p>Does anyone else know more about UCSB College of Creatvie Studies...especially the creative writing program?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for everything so far!</p>

17

<p>Are you a native Hawaiian? Does that impart URM status? I'm just asking the question because it could make a big difference in your admissions chances. Off the top of my head and without looking them up, I know Wake Forest, Lehigh, Bucknell, and BC are all pretty tough to get into. Even if you are not a URM, you might get a favorable admissions surprise from a school that wants to boast having students from all 50 states and needs someone from Hawaii. So we really don't know for sure, but based on the limited info it appears you have a lot of reaches, both admissions and financial.</p>

18

<p>okay, surfette, I'm going to ask again: Have you talked realistically with your family about paying for college? You say you'll be asking for financial aid. With a family business, your Estimated Family Contribution could be much more than what you can realistically afford. </p>

<p>Your GPA, course rigor, and test scores are good enough for many decent colleges. But these colleges typically do not cover 100% of need. Your numbers probably aren't high enough to get scholarship money. Maybe you have a "hook" you haven't mentioned? Are you native Hawaiian or otherwise URM? Have you applied for/been assured of any private scholarships? Otherwise, unless you have $150,000 socked away for college (and/or unless the "family business" isn't assessed by FAFSA/Profile at a high value), you should be looking for a bargain: in-state uni or community college.</p>

<p>Sorry to be a downer. I hope I'm completely wrong and UCSB will offer you a full-tuition Regents scholarship. Keep asking questions.</p>

19

<p>That's funny -- NJ and I cross-posted with the native Hawaiian/URM question. See, we're trying to help.</p>

20

<p>Haha...unfortunatley I am as white as you can get...blonde hair, blue eyes, AND freckles. Do some colleges let you apply without listing your ethnicity? Maybe if I didn't specify they would think that perhaps I am a URM...haha okay I'm reaching. At least I'm from one of the outer islands.</p>

<p>I went to the Walnut Hill Summer Writing program this summer, and I've won a few local writing awards. I've been looking at FAFSA a lot and am planning on applying for a lot of scholarships. I come from a very wealthy family (everyone besides my imediate family is rich), but none of them have gone to college and they are really supportive. My grandpa and uncle have both offered to help out by giving me 10,000 a year for tuition. I am incredibly fortunate and I bet my parents could afford between10,000-15,000 a year, so I just need to find a way to pay the rest. I am willing to do student loans, work, or whatever it takes to pay for college.</p>