<p>anxiousmom i mean cornell would have been a dream if he were doing his high school years again and i just can't imagine that our lack of education could make up THAT MUCH to even give him a fighting chance there....do you think? I think he has about 3 or 4 safties now, which I think is a fair amount, most are slight reaches and he doesn't have any real major reach, actually he does its BC. He is going to keep forging ahead and we are going to hope for the best. He I dont' think is applying to Newhouse at Syracuse at this point, just their LAC program. He is not sure that he wants to lock himself in....as we have all speculated anything could happen here, the only immediate dilemna we are facing is to apply EA anywhere, we have been advised by more people to NOT do that as he cannot show any of his senior grades, from which is taking a rigorous full IB 5 courseload curriculum. Any thoughts? Thank you again...........</p>
<p>ctmomof3</p>
<p>“we have been advised by more people to NOT do that as he cannot show any of his senior grades, from which is taking a rigorous full IB 5 courseload curriculum” - My S has similar situation, although S did not get any failing grade in 9th, but did poorly though. </p>
<p>From my own experience, last year S applied EA to one school, they deferred him, then rejected him in May. S also applied to rolling admission to his top choice school, the school deferred him and wanted to see his first semester grade of senior, which came out in late January (4.0). Then in February, he got the offer letter from his top choice school. (Emphasis added) We also visited his top choice school the summer before his senior year and spoke directly to the college adcom and the dean of the department that S was applying to (I guess this visit had helped him a lot). My guess is you really need to take a good look at the school that he likes to go into. Email the adcom of any changes during the deferred time to inform him/her that your S is still interested in the school. At least that what my S had done, and S is now a very happy camper at his top choice school.</p>
<p>hi iam in a very similiar situation and from what everyone has told me they have all suggested i not apply EA or ED and exhibit my upward swing through my much new and improved grades in senior year. Especially if you S is taking such a tough courseload, believe me that really gets the admission's attention!! I dropped a class which i was advised was not a good idea but it just wasn't working and I couldnt' imagine a whole year of such brutal work. Sounds like you S is going to do just fine, good luck. Also was advised to keep the colleges up to date with any recent activities, awards, great achievments of any kind...........good luck.:)</p>
<p>ctmomof3:
I don't have anything to add on the issue of where your son could get in. True, he won't get into Harvard (which he isn't going for anyway), but most students with Harvard-level stats won't get in either. There are THOUSANDS of schools out there, and the vast majority have very high admissions rates..</p>
<p>I think your son will be a very productive student in college and MUCH more productive than I was (despite the fact I was salutatorian, AP Scholar with Honor, National Merit Finalist, etc.). He has motivation that goes BEYOND GPA. When I was in high school, I was more interested in my stats than in my education. By college, I ran out of gas and lost interest in the study-till-you-drop-for-the-most-stats game.</p>
<p>EVERYONE has a period of underperformance at some point in their lives. It's better that the underperforming period happen early on rather than later.</p>
<p>OP: You don't need to feel so insecure about your background. As other's have said, first generation college is a big advantage at many schools. A lot of us feel at a loss in this process, even if we know exactly what to do. Everyone experiences a loss of control because intially, at least, the control is fully in the hands of the adcoms.</p>
<p>I am confused about son's list. Is it driven solely by communications major? I think a more diverse list might be helpful, but I'm reluctant to suggest schools because I don't know what your son is looking for.</p>
<p>There are schools that like to take the diamond in the rough, so to speak, like Ursinus.</p>
<p>I would also recommend looking into Emerson for communications. Or he is focused on a university? Another possibility, and financial safety, is a SUNY school. I think he would definitely be competitive at some of the colleges, and some, like Oneonta, have excellent communications majors. I haven't researched this much, but it would be very easy to do. OOS tuition at SUNY's is very reasonable.</p>
<p>Which state are you in? Your name suggests CT.</p>
<p>JSHU, when you said what he has done goes beyond a GPA you are so right, believe me OP the admissions people WILL see that also, and will give him due credit. They would much rather see a major upward swing then the opposite, someone who starts off super strong and goes down and by senior year is taking a couple of easy classes, your son seems to be taking the most challenging course load........this will mean something in that admissions deliberation!</p>
<p>I agree with post #46.....the upward movment in grades effort and intrest by your son will be noticed and appreciated by admissinons staff</p>
<p>relax</p>
<p>Hello and welcome! I wanted to jump in and add a voice to the others suggesting that your son increase the number of safety schools on his list. I agree that there is a lottery element to the admissions process, and it worries me that your son can't stand several of the schools on his list. I think it is extremely important to have more than one safety school that he would be happy to attend, and where he can picture himself really enjoying four years. If his school GC knows him pretty well, maybe she can make a couple of suggestions of places where she could imagine him. A number of wonderful additional schools have been suggested here (tho certainly not all safeties!!!) and it would be great if you could open up the search a little bit asap. Your son has worked hard and he deserves to end up at a school that is right for him. If all of his safeties make him want to run in the other direction, his list might as well be just high matches and reaches, and with so many kids applying to college this year, yikes!!!</p>
<p>Actually he has about 4 safties, in terms of fitting it with his GPA and his SATS are quite on the high end for those schools, then another five are matches/semi reaches and he has 2 real reaches...so I think the list is pretty well rounded now..and he is still looking into a few other schools. His advisor really feels he should use the second part on the common app where it says is there anything else you want to add to put something about his ninth grade year and how he has grown from it..incidentally on his Villanova app. he did an essay on that because the questions asked about an experience where he was transformed so he is thinking of using that essay on the common app for that blank section..its beautifully written, truly if anyone cares to read it I could ask him if he would mind, I think its so heartfelt..so what do you think? Is that good advice? Thanks!</p>