<p>So I mentioned earlier that my daughter was only applying to the one school. Last night, she caught us way off guard.</p>
<p>She got a free application email to another school, and she applied!!! (without the Common App and associated bits!!) I was surprised, this wasn't even a school she had ever mentioned. </p>
<p>Their team would actually be a good fit for her, too, but I don't know that she has contacted the coach. I'm going to mention that to her and see what she says, but since this school wasn't on her radar until that email arrived, I think she considered it a safety school and she still has her hopes set on the other school, the one that cost me $70 to apply to ;-)</p>
<p>actually, the "free" school cost me $20 because I had to send the ACT and SAT scores there too ... I think she may be holding off on contacting the coach because to contact him this late in the game if she thinks she really wants to go somewhere else might not be a great idea ..?? Or should she keep her iron in the fire? :-D</p>
<p>I was kind of excited because I thought maybe if they sent her this application they'd consider her for merit aid, but I looked at their site and they seem to support a lot of minorities and low income groups with their merit aid (understandably) so I don't know how much they give out just for having good scores and grades. I guess we'll find out.</p>
<p>My daughter has been getting those emails also, and from schools with her sport. Unfortunately, her parameters are pretty narrow, a good and bad thing. Right about now, it feels like a bad thing. I worry that she has cut loose some great schools with good opportunities for her sport because they weren’t what she wanted, either size wise, location, or academics. I know that fit is most important, but I am worried none the less. Now, this will be a great thing when she makes it to the alter with the perfect fit! Right now, it all feels so shakey…</p>
<p>fishymom, Shaky, I know that feeling ! with this most important visit still looming ahead of us, I don’t know what to think. One day we are all excited thinking what a great fit the school is for her and that we think she falls in their parameters for either their Honors College, strong merit aid, or both, and then also they have the ability to give scholarships in her sport, and a fair number of them. </p>
<p>Then the next day we think - what if this is wrong? The process has been so disillusioning from the start that I just don’t know what will happen. She is stressed, we are stressed - I think she just wanted to apply to a school where there were no strings attached!</p>
<p>Incidentally, my alma mater sent her such an invitation as well - they said she might be eligible for a VERY GENEROUS scholarship !! ;-)</p>
<p>Too bad they don’t even offer her sport, and are academically beneath her stats… because they do offer some good programs in the areas she wants to study … (she is a much better student than I ever was, luckily for her !)</p>
<p>Welcome to our world! As I said in a previous post, our DD ended up at a school that only came to her attention as she investigated the conferences of her #'s 1,2 and 3 pick schools - surprise! In her case, the athletic and merit scholarships were more than we ever hoped for, which made it a no brainer to apply to. </p>
<p>FWIW, DD is extremely happy, fitting in beautifully socially (is not homesick, has lots of friends, has joined a sorority), academically (doing great in all her honors classes, loves the academic freedom of college) and athletically (feels stronger than ever, and the upperclassmen on the team call her the “freshman capitain”). Sometimes it’s the “out in left field” opportunities that end up being the best choices!</p>
<p>MereMom, that’s a great post, thanks. I do believe it is true that things have a way of working themselves out. My daughter’s friend’s sister is a freshman at the school she applied to ‘on the fly’ and her friend may apply there as well. Also, my husband got his MBA from there many years ago. So she saw that email, gave it a bit of thought, and that was that. We’ll see!</p>
<p>I did get an email from the Dean of Admissions today. He said he was very excited that she had decided to apply and he can’t WAIT to review her application! (he also said he needed her scores and transcripts … with our district’s budgetary woes it may be a miracle if anyone gets into college this year, the poor guidance counselors…)</p>
<p>Wilberry228, contact like that from a Dean is a great sign! </p>
<p>At DD’s HS, there are only 2 GC for 600 seniors/1200 upperclassmen, so we had to wait a while for things to be sent out, too.</p>
<p>In order to speed up the pre-read process at one school, I scanned and emailed test score sheets and last report card to coach and admission while we all waited for GC’s submissions - it helped start the admissions conversations and the Dean was able to tell us right away whether DD would have a chance at merit aid.</p>
<p>^ So glad you’ve started this thread! I am hoping that this will happen to my D (who is a junior). She’d like to play her sport in college and also has grades that might earn her merit $ at some schools. Are your Ds walking on a team? Or are they hoping for athletic scholarships?</p>
<p>MereMom … thanks but I think it was a form letter ;-)</p>
<p>WOW that is a terrible ratio for the guidance counselors! I think we have three for 375 although it may be four. The school is probably 1050-1100 in all…they came up with some ‘creative’ new way of doing the allocations this year and my daughter’s counselor was sent back to teaching. Luckily, her new counselor is also her coach at school, but a lot of seniors got stuck with new counselors that don’t even know them.</p>
<p>lilmom … we are still hoping for an athletic scholarship but it probably won’t be much. The schools she’s being recruited by (or the ones she has shown an interest in being recruited by) aren’t schools that give a lot of money in her sport. But they are expensive ones! So I told her she has to branch out a little, and we’ll talk about it when the acceptances roll in (or don’t…) unless her top pick turns out to be all we’re hoping, in which case she will be done in November. The merit money is much more appealing to me, at this point. I’d be fine with her getting into a school on merit and walking onto the team. I think she would be as well.</p>
<p>Good luck to your daughter! Junior year is exciting because all the options are open and there’s so much time. I wish we had seen more colleges last year but then school, sports, and life got in the way and we never had free time.</p>
<p>My goal for D is to help her generate a LIST! She’s got so much going on right now and it’s apparent that she’ll need much guidance. She has an athletic scholarship offer on the table but not to one of her choices. It’s still early in the game (so I’ve been told) and there’s so much in the junior year - APs, tests, tests, tests. I don’t remember having to go through all of that back then!!</p>
<p>I don’t either lilmom, but then I don’t remember much about my school days! :/</p>
<p>Lists are good … depending on the sport, things happen earlier for some than for others. There are athletes in school with my daughter who have known where they are going to go since last year - my daughter still doesn’t know and neither do any of the others in her sport! (that she knows)</p>
<p>Good luck to your daughter! It’s great that she already has an offer. It’s a good sign!</p>
(he also said he needed her scores and transcripts … with our district’s budgetary woes it may be a miracle if anyone gets into college this year, the poor guidance counselors…)</p>
but I think it was a form letter ;-)</p>