<p>My S just completed an early application to his first choice school. He started working on his essays in late August, so it's been a long haul. He's been very focused on this school for the past two months - visiting the campus, talking to professors, attending a local info session, and talking to a coach. He has a list of other schools he plans to apply to, and we've done campus visits to most of them. However, he hasn't done the same in-depth research at the other schools. Any advice on how to proceed from here? My older son applied early and hadn't started on another application before he got his acceptance in late December. I don't want to go through that again.</p>
<p>My S also sent in his EA application. He will begin working on other apps soon. An important concern is asking teachers for recs. Ordinarily, our school ask students to give teachers at least three weeks for recs. But for RD, teachers like to have requests before Thanksgiving. Obviously, this has to be done before the results of EA apps are in. So my S will try to get everything together, ready to go out after mid-December. For campus visits, however, he plans on going in April after he hears from the RD schools, should he not get into his EA school. By then, the pressure will have eased off, and he will be able to take some time off for visits.</p>
<p>We found with my D last year that as she continued to fill out her applications (after the EA one), she continued to revise her essays and they got better. So I would continue to finish the other apps. Plus, wouldn't it be great to be done with all apps before December?</p>
<p>Good advice on both counts. I assume that the teachers will use the same letters they wrote for his early app, but he should let them know he will need more recs. I agree with the essay improvement. He actually had to interrupt his early app process to complete two scholarship applications which also required essays. He told me the other night that all this essay writing for the apps has helped him write better essays for school.</p>
<p>I'm also starting to check special requirements for the other schools on his list. For example, I just found out that MIT wants all interviews set up by December 1, which means the first part of the application has to be in by then. Martie, do you know anything more about this?</p>
<p>Actually, it's a good thing you mentiond the Dec. 1 deadline, as my S has been lackadaisical about following things up. My understanding from the info session is that you contacted the alumni rep in your region and set up the interview independently of the app. When my S sent in for an app form, a postcard came back from the alum rep. My S still has not sent in his app, nor set up the interview. If you have not received the info, contact MIT and ask who is the alum in charge in your area.</p>
<p>Oh, Marite, one more thing to nag about. S got the name, and now it is lost in his room. It will probably be easiest to request again. :(</p>
<p>The card is probably lost forever here, too. Luckily, mom has quite a capacity for retaining trivia (and forgetting important stuff!) :) There may be a list on the admission website of regional alumni reps.</p>
<p>After my son filled in Part one, his alumni rep's name and phone number appeared on the webiste under "MyMIT".</p>
<p>Unlike this mom, who has a mind like a sieve. Thanks, both, for the ideas. Texas, did your S apply anywhere EA?</p>
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<p>"Texas, did your S apply anywhere EA?"</p>
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<p>Yes. MIT (that's why I know that the alumni contact is on the website) and Caltech.</p>
<p>I wish him well!</p>
<p>Texas, did you homeschool your son? Just curious..</p>
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<p>"Texas, did you homeschool your son? Just curious.."</p>
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<p>He went to kindergarten. Then we homeschooled until he started taking courses at the local college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info on the interview, Marite. S went to the MIT info session a year ago, so we don't remember these details. He just sent for the application this week. He's been on their mailing list since he was a sophomore, so I was surprised they didn't send him one. He's gotten so many applications from places he's never contacted youd think that a school hes visited and sent his SAT scores to four times would have sent him an app!!</p>
<p>Cookiemom:</p>
<p>Thank YOU! I've just reminded S that he needs to contact his alumni rep to set up the interview. I would have forgotten to, otherwise.</p>
<p>Cookiemom</p>
<p>You didn't mention anyhting about his first choice school being a "reach" or "dream school" but in case it is, my recommendation for the next step would be to have him start working on his other applications, particularly the essays, now. Most of the rest of the apps can almost be a cut and paste job but the essays (unless using common app) will be varied.</p>
<p>The reasoning behind this, as many others have stated elsewhere, is that if he receives bad news in December, he will not be in the position of trying to complete applications and essays while dealing with the disappointment, or as in many cases last year, devastation that set in.</p>
<p>Re-read some of the posts from last December from students who had put off completing apps who were desparately scrambling to meet a deadline while finishing semester finals and trying to remain positive when their "dream" had gone up in smoke before them. It was not a very pretty scene and certainly one that could have easily been avoided.</p>
<p>Yes, ED app is in--- but S is in a different situation. His ED school is a safety/match. As I see it, he has 90% chance of acceptance. His school's scattergram shows 3 applicants and 3 acceptances over the past 2 years, and his GPA and ACT are higher than the accepted averages. But I learned a lesson from the Yankees. Don't take anything for granted! Nothing is set in stone until the big fat package arrives. </p>
<p>A few weeks ago he sent Part 1 of application with $60 fee to #2 school, which is a safety/match as well. Clever, this school. You have to send your $$ before they send you Part 2 of the application.
Part 2 is due Jan. 15. If he is deferred or rejected by ED school, he has time to mail Part 2 after winter break. Teacher and GC have rec letters on file, so it would be simple to request those with another transcript. His essay could be easily tweaked. School #2 offers EDII and RD with Jan. 15 deadline, with an EDII notification date of early February. </p>
<p>I know this is probably all needless obsessing and preparing. I keep trying to convince myself he'll be accepted...the chances are better than excellent. Then again, there's that tiny chance that a Yankee hater in the admissions office will toss him on the reject pile.....</p>
<p>Good point, eadad. I was just thinking about that possible scenario today. My older son applied to an ED reach, and I knew the devastion of a rejection would make it difficult for him to complete other applications. Fortunately, this was before SCEA and he was able to apply to his second choice EA which he loved just as much and was more of a match. He heard from EA school first and was so happy he didn't care that he got rejected from his ED school a few days later.
My other son is in a differecnt situation. His early school is more of a match than a reach, but it's a school with an extremely low admission rate. He's agreed to start on some other applications, as most of the schools on his list are extremely compeititive ( i.e. HYPM) and the applications will take time. He's talked to a professor at only one of the other schools, but is familiar enough with their math and physics departments to know how well they will meet his needs.
He's been speaking to a coach at his early school and is quite excited about the prospect of playing a sport for them. However, he hasn't contacted coaches at any of the other schools. I'm wondering if it make sense to do this at some of the other schools he's interested in.</p>