D21 has been to Davidson so that’s something I guess. For Richmond, we have a very close friend whose daughter applied and was accepted this last round in ED and we have been talking to them a lot. D21 knows the daughter a bit and they really like each other. That makes Richmond feel like a good option. D21 can get a ton of info from this friend’s daughter and, if D ends up there, she will have a friend on campus and even someone to travel back and forth with since they live only 30 minutes from us. We really respect this family and their choices. They took their D to SO many schools to tour (maybe 25? all over the country) and she chose Richmond. To us, that means something. The girls are very similar and I could see them liking the same sort of campus. Plus, Richmond has a large endowment which we need to focus on now more than ever. D is doing an online info session for Richmond today.
D21 is still talking a lot about Wake but, so far, they have no online info sessions, etc. I’m surprised since every other school on D’s “long list” has one coming up except Wake.
I’m starting to think a little more about strategy now.
(1) She could apply somewhere ED still. If she could feel good enough about Wake super early, she could apply ED without a score this June. Seems risky but what could be the downside? Do I think she’d dislike it? No. I applied to Northwestern ED and all I did before that was walk around campus with my dad. She could apply to Richmond early but that deadline is the usual Nov date so I think she could maybe get an SAT in by then and I don’t know if they’ll be TO at this point. She could apply to Davidson ED - same situation as Richmond.
(2) She could skip ED1 and just use ED2 and maybe there will be a chance to see some of these schools before that deadline.
(3) We could just bag the ED idea and have her apply RD to places. This was not necessarily something we were considering before COVID because I was concerned about SAT scores and I thought she could use the ED bump. But, the more I’m reading about how full pay students could be getting a bump anyway, This would give her a chance to likely go to admitted student days to multiple schools and make her decision later. Most of her schools are need blind, though, and I don’t have a grasp on how blind they will truly be this time around.
@homerdog , Happy to discuss Wake and Presidential Scholarship with you by PM if you have any questions. DD was admitted in RD and was recently notified that she won the scholarship. DD considered and applied to several of the schools mentioned in this thread in EA and RD with unpredictable results. Oddly, she was admitted to the reachier schools and denied or w/l at some of the match ones. Everywhere she interviewed she was accepted so demonstrate interest even if the college says that they don’t consider it.
Interesting strategy to consider foregoing the early ED round.
If you decide to go this route and your daughter has a clear first choice school that is a reach–such as Vanderbilt–then why not use the ED option on a reach school ?
I know it has been thrown around here lately that colleges will be courting more “full pay” students but do we really know if this is the case? While there may be some short-term setbacks in the economy (higher unemployment until businesses get back up and running), this could be a short recession and we just don’t know if colleges will be changing their admission criteria for Fall 2021. And as you pointed out, many of the colleges you are considering anyways, are supposedly “need blind” (ex. University of Richmond).
The bottom line is that college applications for most institutions are 6 to 8 months away and we should know a lot more come fall. Right now, I would stay the course without regard to how CV might effect college admissions and focus more on best fit colleges. Just my 2 cents…
@homerdog said “If she could feel good enough about Wake super early, she could apply ED without a score this June. Seems risky but what could be the downside?”
This is important. Wake is one of very few top universities that has a rolling early decision process. One can apply in June using their own application, since the Common Appication isn’t available until August. Decisions are usually made within 3-4 weeks of application. If denied, a student has two more early decision opportunities, not one.
Listening to Richmond info session and the AO just said they “discussing TO” for this coming year but right now they are telling kids they will likely need a score and should plan on taking an ACT or SAT.
The downside of June ED would be having to commit super early. I would be wondering whether the impact on chances might be negligible by waiting at least until August, perhaps, for this unique admission season. June seems too soon.
But if you act now, Wake can be yours for three easy payments of only $19.95, while supplies last… (i.e. super early ED seems like almost a sure thing?)
@evergreen5 Yes, agree about June being too soon for most. DS applied ED to Wake in September after he was sure it was his top choice, got his admission notification in October. He’s had a much less stressful senior year than DD who is a junior at Wake and was admitted RD.
Davidson just announced test optional for the next three years as a pilot. (Side note: does any college actually end up going back to requiring tests?)
@homerdog I definitely would have your D look into both Wake and Richmond - my D toured and then went back to interview at both and would have been happy at either. Wake and UR both have beautiful campuses and are very similar schools as far as campus life (Greek a little heavier at WF) Both have great campus traditions, sporting event to attend but that don’t dominate, living on campus all four years options, and are solid as far as academics (you will hear ‘work hard, play hard’ more when touring WF than UR though but). DM if you have any questions about our tours.
Maybe while there is a hiatus in visiting colleges have her look through various Instagram and Facebook pages. See if there are any student blogs on their website or youtube posts. There are all kinds of ways to ‘virtually’ tour campuses and get behind the scenes info. Good luck! Look forward to following your journey.
@AlmostThere2018 YOu know I like that!! I love Davidson. S19 was down to Bowdoin vs. Davidson and our family was willing to pay the price for Davidson back then just like we would be now…and D21 has already been on campus. I think her only reservations are (a) maybe a small LAC is just a bit too small for her and she wanted to at least see schools that are a little bigger and (b) she was kind of hoping for sorority life which is not traditional at Davidson. They do have an audition dance group and she was planning on meeting the leader of that group (today would have been that meeting!) so she does have someone to talk to about that.
I’m feeling a bit snobby about these info sessions we are watching. I felt this way when we did them with S19 too. I know it’s not great to judge a school by these presentations or their AOs who present but, wow, some are just better than others. I want an AO who is well spoken and friendly and, sorry, but bright too. So far this year, Boston College blows everyone else out of the water. That one was in person with four students who were terrific. Yes, the others have been virtual but these AOs are giving pat answers to questions and boring power point presentations. Notice to schools - if you’re going to bother having info sessions, get some AOs who are going to be the kind of adults you want your kids surrounded by when they get to school. I know I know - the students never see these people again but I’m still going to judge them! Tulane was the best virtual info session so far (if anyone is wondering lol).
@UGG2023 You are @marrast are my Wake people! I’ll continue to ask when we need info. Thanks!
Just watched two webinars… One was live tonight and had the Davidson admissions director on. He said they will be generous when granting gap years. He said they usually give between 6-12 and, if it got up to more like 30 or 40, then it would really affect the 2021 group. Ugh. Then I watched a webinar from last night with the same host and the Georgia Tech admissions director said pretty much the same thing. That they will be compassionate and grant gap years and it could very well affect the 2021 high school class.
I do not like where this is going. Back to thinking ED might be important.
ED is too valuable to waste. As I suggested earlier, at least use it for a reach school that is also a first choice school.
This Fall could be a mess and next admissions cycle could be heavily impacted.
Full pay, however, should yield a significant boost whether or not schools currently claim to be need blind.
P.S. It would be interesting to read your daughter’s thoughts about preferences and preferred schools.
Although interesting to read, and exciting to be a parent so heavily involved in the college search process, it has to be taxing on the student–especially with so many unknowns & uncertain factors.
