No, they’re separate. You can have the 3 Alabama applications + relevant Honors apps completed right now and be done.
You’ll complete FAFSA when it becomes available.
And in-between both dates you’ll complete the Honors within Honors apps for more scholarships.
Start with UAH since it’ll be the easiest to complete.
Then UA since merit scholarships are in part automatic and getting admitted to the Honors College may “unlock” further scholarship opportunities.
(At UA, as long as you stay away from Greek life, you shouldn’t have a problem with excessive partying. You’d be in the Honors Dorm so you’d have a healthy balance between social and academic.)
You’ll notice that your UA app has become better than your UAH app: actually applying helps in ironing out the wrinkles.
BTW before you complete your AL apps, check with your GC and/or Admissions whether there are free apps for Vals/applying early/visiting/whatever condition. Indicate you’re from XX HS, Gpa, ACT, interested in CS and Honors, do they have Honors tours and/or an application fee competition/free app program?
Other colleges may offer free apps if you do z or y.
I asked about rural v. Big city, what part of Asia, etc, bc the latest Supreme Court decision means that regional, economic, ethnic, and cultural diversities all come into play. Being a high achieving 1st gen from an under represented state is definitely good for you regardless.
That’s a lot of classes! Is that through self studying? For an extra challenge? Common at your HS?
Have you reached level 3 or 4 in a foreign language?
Does your HS offer Math HL? (BC is very good but if the teacher is unprepared etc, might an alternative be preferable???)
It’s good - it means your school is a “known quantity” at top schools (so, being Val from that school will be quite meaningful) and that the school profile is usable for highly selective schools (not a given). Your college adviser will likely have some data on where your school’s top students got in over the past few years.
These are the classes on my schedule. No self studying. I wanted to continue into the fourth year of engineering academy and do it pass fail so it would not affect my gpa so I had to add a weighted class. Also I have to take an art class for UCs which I had planned on applying to before I knew costs. I took IB Spanish SL as my fourth level in junior years. I did math SL in junior year there is no HL.
I had a talk with my parents and siblings about financial stuff. Everything is figured out. Thank you for all the help with the financial aspect. We would like to move on from that. However, if any scholarship info comes to mind I would appreciate info on that. Thank you.
There is no way around that. For the schools that have their own apps, use those…so for Alabama, UAH, Auburn, for example, you apply using their own app which saves you room on the common app. You can go to each of the schools on your list and check their websites to see if they have their own app. Some schools use Coaltion app, but that is time intensive and not ideal.
Auburn’s app isn’t open yet, I don’t think Alabama is either, but UAH is…go to the websites and double check.
My son did the Alabama app on common app and it was extremely easy. I would use common app and really put the time in to create the best application possible with as much detail as you can give to ECs and awards. I don’t recall Alabama needing an essay at all. Those in state schools could be your first apps, then you have them in the bag with early acceptances.
They’re not supplemental essays, just info on activities, awards, leadership, etc… Again, I would just get started on common app, then you can really put the time into that app and submit them all that use common app from there. As soon as the application period opens you can submit and have an early answer and scholarship offer back.
I just did completed UAH’s application (did not submit it though since they have not opened for fall of 2024). They did not ask for anything like transcript, awards, or GPA. How will they get all the info?
There have been students who have done the ‘shotgun’ approach and applied to many schools. I have never seen results that showed that was a good approach and that the student wouldn’t have gotten the same (or better?) results by applying to ‘only’ 15 or 20 schools.
Twenty, to me, is insane. You have to follow all those apps, the financial aid applications, supply any extra information, try to figure out which school made a change to your FAFSA if they do that. If you get accepted to an Alabama school and can then compare “Would I go to Washington over Alabama?” If not, don’t apply to Washington. “Penn over Auburn?” If not, no application to Penn.
Also, applications and CSS cost money, You can save $1000 by cutting 10 schools off your list. And a lot of time.
My kids did all their cutting up front. Each applied to their #1 schools in Oct, were accepted, and were done.
Alabama’s application is NOT open for Class of 2024 yet. Here is what the website says:
First-time, main-campus freshmen enrolling for Summer or Fall 2024
Early August – application opens for undergraduate admission
Early October – housing application opens
December – FAFSA opens
January 15 – priority deadline for admissions and automatic merit scholarships
January 15 – competitive scholarship deadline
After January 15 – Admission applications considered on a space-available basis
February 1 – housing application priority date to participate in room selection
Early February – Bama Bound Orientation registration opens
May 1 – automatic merit scholarship deadline for admitted students
This is what the portal shows when you create an account to use the UA application (it’s still set for 2023, so if this is what you completed, it is wrong):
Again, I would do all of these through common app. There’s no reason to fill out the same information multiple times. This will lead to sloppy and rushed applications. Common app opens in one week. Put some quality work into your common app and submit through there.
OP is merit hunting with a complex family financial picture…hence they may go over 20 apps, common app’s limit. So some posters suggested OP do some apps that are school specific to save CA slots.
