<p>Aparent, After reading about Tlkatan's interview this morning where the interviewer basically just said "tell me about yourself," your advice seems even more valuable. I'm going to save your ideas for my daughter.</p>
<p>Soozietvt (susan)
Could I mail an essay for your riview. I am applying Brown ED. Thanks,
PS: My e-mail address:<a href="mailto:onomotopia12131@aol.com">onomotopia12131@aol.com</a></p>
<p>Your D is qualified and ED will help, but Brown is a reach. </p>
<p>I was a bit surprised to see the other schools on her list, as they are somewhat different from Brown and do not necessarily share some of the things your D liked about Brown.</p>
<p>Good luck to your D MarylandMom. My son is also very attracted to Brown and has it high on is list of schools. He's a senior.</p>
<p>I don't do predictions because IMO no one can figure out what admissions at highly select colleges will do. However, her being first generation college is a big plus. Her stats are in the ballpark. I'd definitely say she has a chance. </p>
<p>Not only are places like Ivies trying to attract more first gen college students, but also the president of Brown, Ruth Simmons was a first generation college student herself. Her parents were sharecroppers.</p>
<p>One question I have: Is financial aid a consideration? Just be aware that if financial aid is a consideration, she'd probably be better off not applying ED, but applying to a variety of colleges, including some that she knows she definitely can afford. If she decides to change from ED to RD for financial considerations, I would think that if she made that clear to the college by sending an explanatory letter, the change would not count against her when it comes to admissions. Colleges understand and know that students who come from families for which financial aid is important aren't likely to apply ED.</p>
<p>reidm, Momsdream & Northstarmom:</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies - I appreciate the feedback.
reidm: That's kind of how we are looking at it - it is her reach school. the others on the list are different and we have not visited (except for Wake) but there are things she likes about all of them.If she is not a ccepted at Brown and gets accepted at any of the others she will visit to make up her mind. Anything in particular that you think would be a concern about any one of them?</p>
<p>Momsdream: My D loves Brown - she is a senior as well. Has your son visited?</p>
<p>Northstarmom: Thanks for the encouragement. This last weekend was particularly painful as she had to complete the app and essay since it is all due Nov 1. All rec's etc. have been mailed along with the first two pages of the app. & remainder goes in tomorrow.Although financial aid is a factor my D is so excited about Brown that we decided to chance the ED. We know we can't compare offers but think this is the best route to take. My daughter is also Asian which if I understand correctly may work against her at the highly selective colleges. Any other advice you can share?</p>
<p>Yes, he visited in August and really enjoyed the campus. Brown makes cameo appearances at the #2 spot on his list....amongst several others - unusual suspects. Ever since he submitted an ED ap to his top choice, he won't discuss other schools (superstitious). I think he knows the rank in his own mind. He just isn't sharing and I haven't asked. I felt the same about Brown.</p>
<p>I really appreciated aparent5's comments. I think school's go out of their way to raise the number of applications by saying they don't focus on numbers. I have sat through school after school coming to my daughter's school and saying just that these last 2 months. Than last week at went in and studied the college acceptance stats for the last 4 years. Guess what? Every ivy and top school proved numbers oriented. Totally and completely. Some 1600s were passed over for athletes with 1500, but that's about the extent of it.</p>
<p>One good thing about Brown re: ED is that they recently got a huge donation which they are focusing on student aid. I believe they now qualify as a need-blind/full-need school, and are likely to offer solid aid packages to all students.</p>
<p>Obviously, the other schools on her list are very good schools. And I don't see any serious red flags for any of them. But your D did appear to respond to the open-minded and diverse nature of Brown (open curriculum; an engaged student body with a wide range of interests; good representation of minority students) and the other schools on her list (and their student populations) are more traditional and structured, both socially and academically. Frats and sororities, parties and college athletics are a bigger deal at all of them. (Can't comment on Loyola College as I am not sure which Loyola it is and don't know a whole lot about any of them.) </p>
<p>It may be that a specific academic interest or combination of interests create has created this cluster of schools, and if your D can thrive in a wide variety of environments, ignore all of my comments. </p>
<p>Anyway, best of luck with her October SAT results and the Brown app.</p>
<p>my daughter is also doing ed to brown and did visit but did not do an overnight or contact departments how impotant is this and shoud she consider this before nov 15 when do they really review the app nov 2 or dec that do you think?</p>
<p>rmom:
The overnight was very valuable because it gave her the real feel of the campus and the make up of the community. If she can fit it in and get it scheduled I think it is important especially when applying ED. ED is binding and it would be awful to be accepted ED and then find out she is miserable with the living arrangements or didn't get a good feel for the students.Since the last date to take the SATs is Novemebr I doubt they start reviewing the apps before 11/15. Good luck to your daughter!</p>
<p>Onomotopia....I am sorry it took so long to reply to your request, but actually I was away at Parent Weekend at Brown which by the way, went great. I enjoy helping young people and particularly with their college process but I have drawn the line with helping revise or give specific feedback on essays to posters on forums. I simply do not have the time with my regular work, plus my own kids' stuff to boot. Not to mention that I like getting onto forums just to relax sometimes and already spend too much time on it and am backlogged on email and much else! If I say yes to you, I will be asked by others and inevitably will not be able to handle the onslaught of requests and am not comfortable saying yes to some and no to others. I often try to answer questions or issues from students on these forums when I can or choose to and sometimes make general comments regarding essays or topics but just don't have time to help edit or give feedback on essays and I know more requests will pour in if I say yes. I am sure there are adults in school or your community or family who might read it as well as some parents on here who are willing to take that on. I am sorry to not do it. </p>
<p>On the visit question by RMom...I sort of think RMom and Maryland Mom are not talking of the same issue. Maryland Mom's response (which I agree with) about doing a comprehensive visit including an overnight is very very beneficial to students and important to those entering into a binding decision, for the reasons she gave to really be sure about the school. But I get the sense that RMom's question had more to do with if her D should meet with professors and do an overnight before the application is reviewed in terms of how these efforts might appear with regard to admission and interest in the school, etc. I think kids should do the full visit for their own purposes and interests to benefit themselves in this process, not to show admissions their interest. Yes, of course, when a kid does do these things on campus, he/she would mention it when writing an essay on "Why X College" and can refer to specifics gleaned from the in depth visit. That is kinda an added benefit but not the main purpose of such a visit. </p>
<p>In RMom's D's case, with the deadline being Nov. 1 for the ED app, the visit cannot be before then and thus does not meet the child's purposes of exploring further to see if she wants to enter into a binding agreement. The visit could still be beneficial to her of course. As far as the benefit I think she is looking for in terms of admissions itself, I suppose she could visit in the next two weeks and send a letter letting them know of it. But I personally would not advise that because if that was so crucial, it would have gone in with the application. If I recall Brown might even have a Why Brown essay so sending anything more at this point regarding that is overkill. It would be ok to do though. I just don't think it is NECESSARY (or affect her admissions chances) which is what I think RMom was asking. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Does Brown still have the requirement that the essay must be handwritten? It seemed to me so quirky but in a good way that is respresentative of Brown. My son spent days writing and illustrating his essay, so he was somewhat disappointed that he had to withdraw when he accepted another ED offer. Just disappointed on the essay, that is. In retrospect I don't think the open curriculum would have been a good thing for him as he does better with some degree of structure.</p>
<p>Momrath, that very question was asked last night at the Brown Information session we attended, and the answer was no, the essay doesn't have to be handwritten.</p>
<p>While everything used to be handwritten in the past, that was not the case last year for Brown. It all could be typed. They changed it. ;-)
Susan</p>