My D plans to apply to at least a couple colleges this summer when their applications become available for the 2021-22 school year. I remember for my son’s applications, they asked what classes the students plans to take senior year. She is strongly considering PSEO/dual enrollment and if that is the case, I don’t think she will know what classes she would be taking until late in the summer.
Any suggestions on what she would write in that section or would she need to wait until she knows what classes she would take?
I will remind her to get a couple teacher recommendations and let the guidance counselor know that she plans to apply in the summer since I’ve heard the earlier to apply for merit, the better? Once summer is here, I think teachers/counselors at her school arent’ readily available until about a week before the school year starts and I’d like her to have some of the applications in before school starts.
We should have access to ordering transcript/ACT scores/SAT scores. Any other items that she should prepare in advance?
I would see if your D could get a meeting with her GC this spring to walk through everything. The GC may have recommendations on how other students have handled the course section of the app.
I would also suggest your D have her common app essay done and edited early, especially if she wants feedback from her english teacher.
FWIW, my D applied 8/1 to some rolling admission schools, she self reported everything she could, but the GC’s stuff didn’t get done until school started.
We had a similar plan for S20 last year, particularly since he was also thinking about ROTC which has a number of extra requirements. Our experience was that the schools that had rolling admissions (where you would actually want to submit it over the summer) didn’t require letters of recommendation. We did have to send transcripts and ACT scores, so it was helpful to have official transcripts ordered and ready to go before school let out for the summer. He applied directly to the schools and it was very easy to do- no need for Common App for those programs. If you are submitting through Common App- they will re-set the application during the summer- I think towards the end of July. You don’t lose most information, but if memory serves me there are some things that didn’t transfer across.
I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but other than schools with rolling admission, there is no benefit to submitting months in advance of the ED/ EA deadlines. They will review everyone that submits by those deadlines as a cohort. So- not sure which schools and programs you are thinking about specifically, but check if they are rolling or not. That will also give you an idea on what to put down for classes she will take as a senior.
FWIW- S20 did apply to three rolling admissions programs with strong guaranteed merit aid (based on grades and scores). It took a lot of pressure off of him to have a few affordable acceptances in the degree field he wanted before his senior year even started.
@chaphillmom-thank you- If you don’t mind saying, which schools had the strong guaranteed merit aid? We are looking for merit and interested in any that have specific charts based on grades/test scores.
Wouldn’t we want to wait until after junior year ends to order transcipts so all junior grades included?
Are common app essays available before summer? I am not familiar with the common app. Are son applied to 2 schools directly. I think one required an essay and the other did not. Does the common app essay prompt change yearly or can one write about any topic?
@momofsenior1 I am not real confident on the counseling at my D’s school. I get most of my good advice from here and I don’t seem to feel D is getting much info from the counselor. We will rely a lot on CC.
The common app typically releases their prompts in advance. The last two years they were the same questions but I’m not sure if they will change them up for the next cycle.
Yes, you want your junior year grades on the transcript.
Your D will also be able to self report grades and test scores on the common app.
Do you have Naviance? There are interest questionaires and resume prompts. My D20 filled out junior year so GC and teachers could review before writing their recs.
@1Lotus - we actually ordered his transcripts online through the school district central office and picked them up over the summer. Snail mailed them to the various colleges and programs. It saved us from having to track down a GC over the summer at his school. They came in sealed/ stamped envelopes to prove they were official. DS was applying for engineering programs. There is a collection of universities that aren’t in the T20-T40 range, but have really strong programs; and- if you have a student with high stats - they have guaranteed merit scholarships. The most commonly mentioned on College Confidential are University of Alabama, University of Arizona, Ole Miss (University of Mississippi), Utah State, Alabama Huntsville etc. (that’s not an all inclusive list!) There are a lot of other schools that have great merit aid, but not necessarily guaranteed.
In our case, as the college journey has started to narrow down, we have found that these schools actually have some unique opportunities that are really appealing to our kiddo. So- I won’t try to argue that they are equivalent to going to MIT- but they may fit the needs of our son even better, and he/ we won’t have the burden of student loans. Happy to chat further by direct message!
The announcement that essay prompts were unchanged came out Jan 15 last year and Jan 23 the year before. After three years, I expect new prompts this year. The earliest reference I could find to new prompts in 2017 was Feb. 7, so I would expect them soon.
Is there any data that says applying before September 1 has any advantage? Surely next year’s courses would be sorted out by then, if not earlier.
The Common App was made available on August 1 last year, and I think this has been consistent for a few years. I would think a HS schedule would need to be finalized not long after that. While “early” may improve admission/aid in general, I seriously doubt August 2 vs August 31 makes a difference. If is was me, I’d invest time over the summer preparing essays and collecting info on EC, awards, etc., fill the app out with that data in early August, then fill in the courses and file it when courses are finalized in late August.
I suspect that a school receiving an app in early August with “TBD” for coursework would send a request for that data when available and put it to the side until it’s received. It’s a fairly important piece of data on an application.
Thanks all!! @Hippobirdy I am unsure of naviance. I keep hearing about it here on CC, but don’t know if D’s school has it. I think it sounds like a good idea for D and I to meet with the GC this spring to find out some of these details.
@RichInPitt and @momofsenior1 We have been keeping a running list of D’s activities–taking ACT twice this winter/spring, grades have all been 4.0 so far, transcript can be ordered online after Junior grades come in. Is there one common app essay instead of individual school essay? Once student applies on common app, can they keep adding schools if they decided to apply to more? Can AP scores be sent once to the common app or does she need to send scores to each school or even wait until determining which school she plans to attend before sending any?
There is one main essay with the common app but then individual schools will have their own essay prompts, which will also be accessed via the common app. D applied to 8 schools and wrote 18 essays. It was a lot. And if your D is invited for honors colleges, those usually require additional essays.
Yes, you can add schools to the common app.
You can also self report AP scores on the common app. We didn’t send the official AP score report until D was admitted and deposited in her college.
When my daughter filled out her common app she was just doing dual enrollment. She put the classes she planned to take and I think in a comments section wrote that 2nd semester classes were not finalized since the college schedule wasn’t out. In the end I think one class changed and she emailed he necessary college admissions and old them (by then she was done applying).
For first semester your daughter can put classes she plans to take and write a note that her high school does dual enrollment course selection close to school starting so it is subject to change.
For my daughter’s dual enrollment transcript she ordered a signed/sealed copy for the first 3 semesters of her junior/senior year. Her guidance counselor was able to put that on naviance for all schools that use naviance. Even thought the gc had access to the transcript online it still had to be a formal signed/sealed copy. The last semester my daughter just had it mailed directly to the school she matriculated at.
I think Alabama told us last summer that they didn’t even start looking at apps until after classes start. The Admissions Office was still working on the current class until that time.
I don’t think you can count on teachers and guidance counselors writing recommendation letters early. Our college counselors are very busy until 5/1 helping seniors weigh their final decisions and comparing financial aid packages. Teachers also have many end of year responsibilities.
Just noting you may want to check in and see if the preferred processes conflict with your intentions. My son did a bunch of college application prep in English following the junior year AP test. Students were expected to have a folder of info with deadlines on the front to hand out with recommendation requests.
