<p>Congrats to your DD picktails!</p>
<p>Don’t place a limit on applying to those you are ‘invited to apply’ for. I actually was rejected to one I was sent an invitation to apply to via email, but accepted into one I applied to more on a whim!
The invitations, according to our school counselor, sometimes come because of a previous contact you had with the school, sometimes because you meet a profile (racial, geographic, test scores, etc.) they are looking for, sometimes because of relationship they have with your school or organization, etc.
Oberlin sent one to every African American, Hispanic and Native American senior girl at our school (competitive boarding school). Lots of us got the invite from Bowdoin too…and Dartmouth this past summer. But we are all digging through the full list and applying to the ones we are really interested in and otherwise might not get to visit rather than just those that reach out to us. It is so time consuming and none of us can miss more than a few days of school, so juggling this all while doing everything else has been exhausting.
Batting 50% here…I figure the rejections are good prep for college responses (smile) and the acceptances good experiences to travel and see schools on my own. The whole thing is teaching me to manage my time, I can tell you that!</p>
<p>HSG</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice! (and the kudos, lol.)
DD sent in the Tufts app yesterday (100 word “essay,” so easy-peasy.)
She then put off Middlebury because of the 500 words…</p>
<p>I also sent a message to the guidance counselor asking about getting her excused for the days of these programs, and she is looking into it. My daughter is one of very few students “of color” in her class of 126.</p>
<p>Yeah…our school gives us a few days off a year for college visits. I am trying REALLY hard to analyze days to miss before being accepted vs. after. I want to do some overnights once I am admitted.
Tufts fly in won’t work for me due to my school schedule. I am at a boarding school and our schedule is odd. But I’ve been to Tufts and liked it. If your daughter gets in and goes, please share her thoughts. It seemed like the ethnic students were pretty friendly. That is key in my mind. No need to self segregate but I am not up for being at a school where black student walk by each other and don’t even speak, much less know one another’s names!
Would love to hear her thoughts on Tufts. Might be out of my league, but one can always dream! Good luck to her.
HSG</p>
<p>Tufts is actually one of her top 3 choices - we’ve visited twice! (Had to leave early first time to rush to afternoon info session at Amherst, which she hated.) I’ll report back if she gies in October.</p>
<p>I agree with hsgrad, don’t let your D limit herself, either to invites or bc of the essays. These fly-ins are an incredible opportunity that she won’t get any other way at this stage in the admissions process (unless she’s a recruited athlete). We didn’t know anything about them until she started getting email invitations and visits have served to completely re-order my D’s college list. </p>
<p>She was rejected from Wellesley (where she had already interviewed during the summer), and accepted to Williams, Amherst and Bowdoin. Waiting to hear back from Middlebury, Carleton, Pomona. ( btw the Middlebury essay was the hardest for my D too). There are often 2 or even 3 (e.g. Oberlin) different weekends to choose from, (Midd does have only one). Six is as many as D could do without missing a prohibitive # of classes and sports (and she won’t likely get into all of them) but she would like to have done more! Missing school days is a bummer, but still worthwhile for the benefits. Many happen over the weekend or school holiday (Columbus Day, Veterans Day etc.). There is time during all the programs for homework and teachers understand that the absence is college related. </p>
<p>Don’t let your D avoid the app’s because of the essays - some of those essays can be re-used for other fly-ins or on college supplements etc. Remember she is getting a 2-4 day all expense paid visit to a college where she is considering spending her undergrad years! Besides exposing her to the classroom and campus culture, the programs often offer interviews while the students are there. Most schools say chances of admissions increase, often by a lot, for students who have attended these programs. </p>
<p>I’m encouraging your D bc we went through a time in mid-August when it seemed like a lot of work getting the fly-in app’s done, and I had to really hold my D’s hand for the first time since she was little, help edit every essay and keep her morale up…it was the most involved I’ve ever been in her academic life, but as the acceptances come in and she looks forward to flying out to some of her favorite colleges, the time spent writing essays is well worth it. Hsgrad is also totally right, it is excellent time management practice for the next few months (and college and life :)). </p>
<p>picktails, good luck to your D, I hope she decides to go through the list, choose a few schools that excite her and apply! (pay attention to deadlines!). There are a few more colleges offering fly-ins not on this list - I will add them when I have time - maybe they will inspire your D! Best of luck to you :)</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the detail! Trying to light a fire under my daughter, lol.</p>
<p>lol! I feel you…good luck!</p>
<p>DD accepted to Voices of Tufts Diversity Experience - whoo hoo!</p>
<p>Nice job to Picktails daughter…please keep us posted on the program! I am interested in Tufts but had a conflict that weekend (and may not have gotten in…that is a tough one!). I am in a couple of programs (fly in) and a couple of local diversity ones that just day ones…and waiting on another couple of programs. Fat out rejected by Swarthmore’s program but I figure everything for a reason! </p>
<p>Between NA and the fly in results…it has been a nice week (especially for my Dad who sees $ wins in all of this!). Now I am a bit nervous about hitting the road and missing classes, etc. but my college counselor told us to go to as many of these as we can to schools we are interested in at all because you learn so much by overnight visits. He has been very supportive on this.</p>
<p>The ‘diversity’ and ‘first generation’ kids at my school are fairly supportive of one another so it has been nice to see the smiles with acceptances and get the support when turned down. Good practice for the real deal this spring!</p>
<p>HSG</p>
<p>By the way (picktails and others) I am trying to find schools that offer $ to National Achievement semi finalist (started a thread that went nowhere). Any thoughts?</p>
<p>hsgrad - will do. I notified the guidance counselor of these opportunities and she then got my daughter officially excused from school by the principal. So all good!
Sorry, I don’t know anything about $$ for NA. We are using a counselor who advises minority students applying to top tier schools. She knows where the money is!</p>
<p>Thanks picktails. We get 2 or 3 days off per term for college visits so I am in shape on that end. Just more concerned with catching up with work upon my return and missing sports, etc. But as my parents said…you can’t pass up these things. It’ll be fine. Kids are already missing left and right. There was some hush hush minority thing at one of the Ivy schools a couple of my friends already where flown into…no app…private, direct invitation.</p>
<p>As for advising…our counselor seems good with advising on top schools, fly ins, etc. BUT I am looking for financial and admissions safety schools that guarantee the $. HBCUs I know of. But wondering if there are NA Semi deals like the Alabama one…
Counselor is suggesting some tier 2 schools and that is just fine. Mainly, though, I want to see what NA semi can bring to the table, if anything.</p>
<p>HSG</p>
<p>HSG-any more info on the “hush hush minority thing?” Are the students athletes? This would be very interesting if they are not as I have never heard of any recruiting of students based on academics.</p>
<p>One was an athlete but had not considered pursuing it in college. Not sure with the other. I will ask them. They were stunned…and excited (rightfully so).</p>
<p>As for me, but 50-50 streak continues. Rejected by Middlebury for a fly in, accepted at Scripps. California, here I come!
picktails and others…any how did your kids do with Middlebury? Hope they had better results than I did!
HSG</p>
<p>hsgrad - she is actually submitting the Middlebury program app this weekend. She took the ACT (again) this morning and I try not to nag…</p>
<p>Is there a second Middlebury program? The diversity fly in app was due awhile ago (“Please complete your application by accessing the link on the right by Friday, September 13, 2013…”) and we’ve heard that decisions were already released.</p>
<p>Picktails, please do share if there is something other than the Discover Middlebury program coming up in less than a month.</p>
<p>T</p>
<p>hsgrad, My D was rejected from Midd too. She was surprised bc Midd accepted 1/3 of applicants and she was accepted to more selective programs. So, not sure what they were looking for…but Scripps is so exciting for you!!! We know 3 other AA girls who are going to be there - really nice girls. My D applied to Pomona and hasn’t heard yet, but younger D is interested in Scripps. Pls post your impressions when you get back!</p>
<p>So turns out Middlebury app was due September 13, as my D discovered last night when she finally went to do it. Maybe she’ll listen to me now, lol.
Thrilled to get Tufts, and will try for Oberlin.
Biting my tongue. …</p>
<p>Glad to hear about the acceptances to these programs.</p>
<p>I also need to reiterate that this is a kind of snapshot to what college admissions will be starting in November. IT IS A CRAPSHOOT. </p>
<p>It is not unusual to be admitted to a more highly selective school and get rejected to a lower ranked school.</p>
<p>Schools are building a “CLASS of Scholars”. They are looking for people who fit the class they are building. </p>
<p>Once the kids have the stats, EC’s,great recommendations and have crafted the best essays they can. Nothing more they can do at the end of the day than sit back and rejoice with acceptances and move on from rejections. </p>
<p>Good luck to you all. This is great practice for what’s to come and the kids will all do well.</p>
<p>One thing you all will learn on CC is “Love thy Safety”.</p>
<p>Thanks so very much for the list of Diversity Programs. My daughter has been accepted to the MiddleBury program and has also applied to attend Smith’s Women of Distinction. </p>
<p>This information has been invaluable. We greatly appreciate your efforts!</p>