I’m back with the last of my 3 kiddos. I got great advice here for my two daughters (oldest graduated from Carleton this year and is attending U of R medical school now), middle is a senior at St. Olaf (music major). Both girls found the perfect fit for them and have had fabulous college experiences!
Our son is a HS senior and will be graduating with an IB diploma. Great stats (straight As, ACT 34) and good ECs including being video editor and now editor-in-chief of a nationally award winning year book (probably one of the top 3 books in the country) also band section leader and 2 years on the golf team and one year running X-Country. Great kid, curious and self-directed.
He’s thinking about a career in medicine, but is not sure what he wants to major in, possibly political science. He’s looking at the following LACs: Bowdoin, Carleton, CMC, and Haverford. He has visited Haverford and Carleton, but not CMC or Bowdoin. I went to CMC and his grand-father and great-grandfather both attended Bowdoin (not sure if that makes any difference). Of course his sister went to Carleton, but we have no family connection to Haverford.
In normal times, I’d say he should apply to all of them and see what happens. This year because of Covid, I’m thinking he should choose one to apply ED, but I’m not sure how to help him to narrow it down since he can’t visit these campuses. I’m seriously concerned about the admissions scenario this year with so many kids taking gap years.
I am guessing you might live far away from some of these schools, but if not, if the school is not in session (or, depending on the school, if it is) you could always visit on your own, and take the virtual tour in real life (i.e. stand outside the buildings they are talking about on the virtual tour. I just did that with my son, and (I think, anyway!) we were able to get a strong sense of the school, and my son’s ED-ing there.
Bowdoin and the 5C colleges did not return all classes to their Fall re-openings (in fact, the 5Cs, which would include CMC, did not open at all.) This might correlate with a lot of people coming back from gap years just when the Class of 2021s are are applying as first-years.
@Earthmama68 For some match/safety LACs that offer merit scholarships, the ones I applied to were Juniata College, Allegheny College, Oberlin College, Trinity University, and Southwestern University.
There probably is a ED bump at those schools, even after accounting for hooked candidates.
I don’t know CMC or Bowdoin’s legacy definition, and how much it plays into the admissions decision, but I would find out what it is and if one has to apply ED for it to be considered.
It is also appropriate for your son to be asking AOs what does the situation look like for class of 2021, e.g, the impact of 2020 gappers, how many spots are already taken, etc.
AOs should be transparent about this, if not that is a red flag, IMO.
Will you be applying for financial aid? If so, make sure the school looks affordable per the net price calculator before applying ED (or at anytime, really).
When I visited LACs with my D I felt that each one had a personality, a vibe or whatever you want to call it. A couple of schools that I thought on paper looked perfect she dismissed immediately after (or during) the visit (too artsy…too preppy etc.). Fit is very important. I would hesitate to apply ED to a LAC he hasn’t visited.
I agree with you about fit. He is doing the online info. sessions etc., but it’s really not the same. We had planned to visit CMC this spring, but of course that all went out the window. I actually think Bowdoin is the best fit and I visited there with my daughters, but he wasn’t with us. Although I’m a huge proponent of finding the right fit, I feel like he would thrive at any of these schools.
Update! Son put a lot of thought into it and has decided on definitely applying to Haverford. He’s very excited and so am I.
After watching an info session on CMCs plans for the integrated science center we decided to cross CMC off the list. (Science center sounds amazing, but the program will be just getting off the ground and the campus will be torn up when he would be there).
He still likes Carleton and Bowdoin, but he’s just always loved Haverford and decided it is “the one.”
Wish him luck! I feel like this is SUCH a hard year for these kids, reducing stress by being admitted ED to a school he’s this excited about would be such a blessing.
@Earthmama68 This 'Ford is rooting for your son. I think it’s an excellent year to ED. I wasn’t premed, but many of my classmates were. There are many prominent doctors in academic medicine who are Haverford grads. Among them Dr. Kari Nadeau and Dr. Eben Rosenthal at Stanford, Dr. Stacey Rizza at the Mayo Clinic to name a few. I think it’s a fantastic place for anyone interested in the sciences, now more than ever.
In at Haverford. So excited!!! He cried when he found out. We are so happy. Thanks for the advice and support over the years. This is my last kiddo. This forum has helped me with all 3 (D1 Carleton '20, D2 St. Olaf '21 and S1 Haverford '25).
