<p>Let the college admissions process for the Class of 2016 begin!</p>
<p>Has anyone received notice from their high school regarding letter and verification for NHRP?</p>
<p>Thanks entomom for starting the 2016 thread. First son is a junior now and we have much to learn. However, I have learned much by just reading the 2015 forum.</p>
<p>PS - thanks for the PM!</p>
<p>I agree, thanks for starting this thread entomom. </p>
<p>The application process as a whole seems daunting, but I’m excited to learn, grow and apply. :)</p>
<p>College Class of 2017 here… I hope all goes well for you guys! :)</p>
<p>Good Luck to all those applying for the class of 2016!!! </p>
<p>It is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. My son went through the application process this year and it was full of many unexpected surprises (good and bad) & it is very, very nice to be done. We found that a process well begun is well ended. It will take a lot of time, energy and effort for students and parents, but well worth it. My son can’t wait to start college in the Fall!!!</p>
<p>My best advice to Class of 2016 for this summer is:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Begin developing your potential college list. The list doesn’t have to be perfect but have reaches; safeties and matches. Seriously in this day 10 colleges to apply to is a good number but you can be flexible on it. </p></li>
<li><p>In July write to each college on your list for “view books.” You will get a nice mailing and start being on their radar.</p></li>
<li><p>Essays. I can’t stress enough how important it is to start writing your essays over the summer. At least a draft. Once school starts in the fall it is difficult to do school and college apps so getting a start on essays will help a lot. Ask any of your current teachers if they could look over your essays over the summer. </p></li>
<li><p>Although the least amount of money is from private scholarships; try to develop a list of 5 that you can apply for and see what their requirements are.</p></li>
<li><p>Look over testing requirements and see if there are any others that you need to schedule.</p></li>
<li><p>Start putting togeather your resume. Sometimes you have to dig through old school papers to find awards etc which could be put on your resume.</p></li>
<li><p>For colleges that you are interested in be sure to read the postings about those colleges on college confidential. I found a lot of good info on such postings and helped my DS in making notes for future reference. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>My list may seem daunting but in my experience being a steady turtle really makes the process much more manageable. Afterall you want to have time in the summer for fun etc so schedule one day a week over the summer to spend a little bit of time on college things. </p>
<p>Good luck!!</p>
<p>Oops forgot one.</p>
<ol>
<li>The common app is usually released in July so download it when available and begin the registration process. For college that you want to apply to that use the common app get their specific essays and chart deadlines. The early bird seriously gets the worm of scholarship money etc. Nothing is as good as the first acceptance and to get one in October is wonderful motivation for future work.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks so much for kicking off the group, Entomom and for the list Itsv. I have followed for a year so now it is time to jump in.</p>
<p>My DS2012 has a pretty good list of reaches, matches and safeties that will probably end up being closer to 15 than 10. He is going to end up being one of those mediocre GPA, high test score kids. </p>
<p>This summer is in competing at the National Forensic League’s national tournament in Dallas and then, hopefully, get an internship in a local law firm. He is hoping for something, even if it is an unpaid gofer!</p>
<p>I am fastening my seatbelt for the ride ahead!</p>
<p>azcpamom… This is a very exciting time of year! My S applied to 15 schools this year and applying to that many schools is really a full time job for kids. I wanted to share a few lessons learned that I wish we had known before applying to that many schools. </p>
<p>Organization is key! My S had to have a detailed spreadsheets with deadlines, essay prompts, SAT II requirements, etc. for each school to keep everything straight. While he got quite a few of the application fees waved, it was still a rather costly process to apply to that many schools (we definitely didn’t think of cost before hand). Please just keep in mind that aside from application fees, testing fees for SAT/ACT, he will get four free reports sent EACH time he takes the SAT and SAT II’s but after that you/he will have to pay $10 per school to get the scores sent. The schools my son applied to didn’t participate in score choice so we ended up sending SAT/SAT II scores more than once. I’m sure there is a similiar fee for the ACT. </p>
<p>For financial aid the FAFSA application is free but most schools also require the CSS Profile which has a fee associated with it. All in all in cost us a little over a $1,000 to apply to that many schools. </p>
<p>The process is very doable but can be overwhelming at times. My S started writing essays as soon as the prompts came out in July/August, he also finished his student resume during the summer. A little head start goes a long way to getting the apps completed in a timely manner. Wish you and your son the best of luck!</p>
<p>
How do you determine what is a reach, what’s a safety and what’s a match?</p>
<p>Tejana, thank you so much for this information, as well as for that you have shared over the past few months. I have followed your journey closely.</p>
<p>Given the fact that our family income is below the $60,000 threshold and that we have faced some special challenges, my son will be applying through Questbridge. That will help off-set some of those horrendous application costs, but I know that we will have to fork out some bucks. With that in mind, we have not gone on the pre-application tours like some of his classmates. I figure we can wait on that to see where he gets accepted.</p>
<p>DD’s high school hasn’t received notice about NHRP yet either, but they’re on the lookout. After reviewing some of last year’s threads, it looks like some schools didn’t get notice until mid-May or so. Patience is a virtue, right?</p>
<p>Excited to see some new names for 2016 after, like azpacmom, watching this unfold over the past year for the accomplished class of 2015. </p>
<p>We have 17 schools on our list currently … trying to figure out how to cut it down. School’s CC helped us with determining reach/target/safety qualifications.</p>
<p>Yes, chessysmom, patience truly is a virtue. And something I definitely need more of. You are fortunate that your DD’s guidance department is on the lookout for the notification. I am very concerned that it may slip thru the cracks at our public high school. It’s going to be a very interesting process for us. Of that I have little doubt!</p>
<p>There are many things I get frustrated about at DS’s school, but, fortunately, the GC is not one of them. She is very experienced with college apps, personable, and quite efficient. From the time she first met my son when he was an 8th grader, she mentioned NHRP. True, our school is on the small side, but she takes full advantage of that and works doggedly for each and every kid. Having said all that, I do hope the mail gets opened in a timely manner, as May 26 is our last day! </p>
<p>Just realized that I need to add a disclaimer: Once upon a time, I was a GC, albeit JHS, not HS. I think this makes me really hard on them when they don’t do their job and really a big cheerleader when they do! ;)</p>
<p>Seekinguni-</p>
<p>With respect to what is a safety; match or reach college-here are some links that explain it:
This link is helpful [Researching</a> Colleges: Choosing “Safety,” “Match,” and “Reach” Colleges ? StudentAid.com](<a href=“http://www.studentaid.com/Planning/Apply/Selectivity]Researching”>http://www.studentaid.com/Planning/Apply/Selectivity) and explains the 3 terms as:
Increase your chances of being accepted by following the strategy of applying to colleges in three categories: Safety, Match, and Reach.
• A Safety College is one whose admissions requirements you meet or exceed, giving you a strong chance of acceptance.
• A Match College is one where your grades, achievements, and test scores are within the range the college prefers, meaning that your chances of being accepted are good, but you may not be at the top of the entry list.
• A Reach College is one whose admission requirements you do not quite hit, but you’re still interested in attending.
Review the admission requirements for every college of choice to determine how to categorize each. Look specifically at high school GPA requirements, SAT and/or ACT scores, and course-specific requirements, such as math or science grades.
On your list of colleges, note which ones are Safety, Match, and Reach candidates. Consider applying to at least two or three colleges for each category
Here is another link on the topic.
You can go on collegeboard.org and look under colleges. You can then put your stats in and it will compare you to the group of students to get accepted. By doing so you can find out where you fall and therefore which school is a match; safety or reach (sometimes called dream college.) Here is the link ot get you started. [College</a> Search - Find colleges and universities by major, location, type, more.](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>Hope this info answers your questions.</p>
<p>@Itsv: Thanks a bunch! That helps!</p>
<p>I’ve spent some time this evening creating a table with prospective colleges… I’m not done yet, I just wanted to see if this will be of value and if I’m using the right stats and also if I’m properly distinguishing between what would probably be a match and a safety. </p>
<p>
<a href=“http://i55.■■■■■■■.com/2lcu4o5.png[/img]”>http://i55.■■■■■■■.com/2lcu4o5.png
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</a></p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>^^^Since your ACT is so good, I’d focus primarily on that rather than the SAT. Most schools will take the ACT in lieu of SAT + Subject tests and your ACT and gpa make you a competitive candidate for any school in the country, while your SAT scores are at the lower end of the range for the most selective schools. </p>
<p>Also, the final piece of the numbers part of your application is what your HS GC will mark down for your course rigor: most demanding, very demanding, demanding, etc.</p>
<p>If you get a chance, look in your library for the book: Admission Matters by Sally Springer. I think it’s an excellent resource and a new edition came out last year. You can also buy it on Amazon, but I found it at our local library for free, so it’s worth checking.</p>
<p>Oh yes, a great book! I had the privilege of speaking with one of the authors for about an hour and it was very helpful. The book is available in our library system so probably would be in most libraries.</p>
<p>SeekingUni:</p>
<p>I looked over your chart and I do think you are understanding the point of safety match and reach. However like entomom suggested; your ACT score is so good that I would use that as your test score. Based on your grades and your ACT score I agree that you would be a competitive candidate at most schools. I assume you are Hispanic which would increase your candidancy even more.</p>
<p>A couple of more points:</p>
<p>Penn State on their website has a chart where they show you what combination of test scores and grades will gain you admission. Here is the link: <a href=“http://admissions.psu.edu/info/counselors/bubble_chart06.pdf[/url]”>http://admissions.psu.edu/info/counselors/bubble_chart06.pdf</a> Based on this chart you should be accepted to Penn State’s main campus. </p>
<p>Do you want to stay in Florida since most of your colleges are there? If your PSAT score is high enough you could qualify for some good merit scholarships. Check out the thread for available scholarships under NHRP. Also you could be eligible for a scholarship under the Florida Bright Futures program. [Bright</a> Futures Scholarships](<a href=“Home - Florida Student Scholarship & Grant Programs”>Home - Florida Student Scholarship & Grant Programs)
I don’t know about the specifics of the program but I do know some of my Ds’ friends got money through it. Here is the link: [Bright</a> Futures Scholarships](<a href=“Home - Florida Student Scholarship & Grant Programs”>Home - Florida Student Scholarship & Grant Programs)</p>
<p>Ianother added column for your chart maybe financial aid or merit scholarships. Some schools give only financial aid and no merit aid so if money is a factor for you; you also may want to have schools on your lists that are finanical safeties for you.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>