<p>***** I also posted this under the Bowdoin thread and while there have been lots of readers...no responses as of yet*******</p>
<p>Hello, my dd applied to Bowdoin and never indicated it was her first choice. I think she wanted to see where she got in and what her financial aid packets would look like.....a nod to her level headedness and practicality. her dad mentioned in passing yesterday that if she got accepted to Bowdoin, he would do whatever it took to make it happen financially. This changes the big picture. A friend and alumni is encouraging her to write a letter/e-mail emphatically stating that Bowdoin isher top choice. Do you think it is worthwhile at this late date? She also never mentioned that she is a senior and only 16- skipped a grade. Didn't think it was a big deal at all but might be a hook................... Thanks! Nervous mom here as her firstborn is getting ready to flee the coop!
Thanks for you help!</p>
<p>Personally, I wouldn't do that. Why not? Suppose she changes her mind by May 1 and decides she wants to go somewhere else. Suppose the Bowdoin financial aid package turns out to be much less, and you as a family decide it's too expensive. Instead, I would definitely visit the campus if you haven't already and visit again if you have. Fill out the card and otherwise let Bowdoin know you're there. Or contact a professor in her intended major and see if she can't connect that way, maybe gaining a faculty proponent in the process. Just my two cents.</p>
<p>please do not misunderstand me...I am very new at this and am seeking advice. I am aware of nngmm senior status and respect their judgement but as a parent I am also curious as to why this would be a liability? I am very cautious and will consider all advice before making any moves. The last thing I want to do is put my dd in unfavorable light which is why I am inquiring. I do appreciate everyone's help and advice.</p>
<p>Skipping a grade is considered more of a minus than a plus by admissions committees. Parents and teachers may think a student is more mature than her classmates, but that's a small number of people, all of whom have an interest in the student's admissions success. Admissions committees strongly prefer the extra year(s) at home because their experience has shown that older kids have fewer problems adjusting to college life. No doubt your daughter will do well in college, but I wouldn't draw attention to her age. I also wouldn't bother the admissions folks with a note indicating Bowdoin is her first choice. They are busy this time of year and highly ranked schools generally assume they are high on applicants' lists.</p>
<p>beth- dad didn't pick a favorite but was responding to her pining for Bowdoin and said if she got into her first choice school- Bowdoin- he would do whatever it took to make sure she could go. If her first choice was Holy Cross he would have said the same thing. Its all good.</p>
<p>Dntw8up- thanks for your reply. I just wanted to let the cards fall where they will but a friend ( Bowdoin alumni and big supporter of the school who does the alumni interviews for the area) is strongly encouraging her to write a brief letter stating Bowdoin is her top school. I thought it was a little too late to write it and wasn't sure if it would have merit or be an annoyance.</p>
<p>If she skipped before entering h.s., she's applying with 4 solid h.s. academic years on her transcript. So if she's younger than most, she long ago integrated that into her social personality and fits in with her classmates. It's not an achievement, exactly, to be younger just as it isn't shameful to be older.</p>
<p>Skipping sometimes indicates a kid was swift or bright, but for other kids it happens because they move into a new district with a different deadline. There are so many possible reasons.</p>
<p>If she got skipped for being bright and advanced sometime ago, it's now more important to demonstrate that intelligence through concrete achievements during high school! WHich I am sure she did... so you're covered.</p>
<p>If she skipped one of the four h.s. years, colleges will see that reflected on her transcript, since you said she applied as a senior.</p>
<p>Perhaps one of her teacher rec's gave the impression of a solid, capable student with mature insights (teacher talk for "old soul"--I know what you mean but they say it in edu-speak sometimes :) </p>
<p>I wouldn't call attention to it simply because it makes it appear that she prizes it inappropriately. There are hundreds of reasons why some kids apply a year young or a year old compared to the vast majority of freshman applicants. She's on more solid ground to let her application stand as it is without mentioning her age as a feature point!</p>
<p>I think in this case, the time to write that "Bowdoin is my first choice" letter is if she is waitlisted. Otherwise, letter is not needed or helpful. Just a cautionary note about alumni interviewers; they are wonderful to volunteer their time and serve as advocates for their schools etc, but they usually are not privy to the inner workings of the admissions offices, and their recommendations usually do not carry much weight in the admissions decisions.</p>
<p>Are you applying for financial aide? Is your daughter a borderline candidate? If the answer is yes to both, then I wouldn't bother to write. If you are willing to withdraw financial aide to make your daughter more competitive then I would let them know. If your daughter is a great candidate for the school, then I would also let them know that the school is her first choice.</p>
<p>If she knows who her regional admissions officer is, and has his/her contact info, it won't hurt to send an email. LACs can be very "personal" in that regard.</p>
<p>Just a note about the skipping a grade thing...I have a friend who skipped 10th grade at a rigorous private school. She was accepted ED to Yale.</p>
<p>So obviously, skipping a grade of high school is not going to make/break you. They will see your daughter's maturity level and intelligence through her interviews and essays.</p>
<p>There are exceptions to every rule, but all things being equal they are more likely to count the younger age against her. They can't personally know her maturity like those that are close to her. </p>
<p>One gives adcoms and the selection process wayyy too much credit if one thinks maturity can be judged by an essay (potentially polished/edited/influenced by various adults) or an interview (by some random alumni member who might possibly notice, might possibly be accurate in their judgment, and might possibly mention it one way or another).</p>
<p>While I'm sure someone could figure it out by reading the tread, it might be helpful if it said somewhere that Bowdoin is indeed the first choice school.</p>
<p>suemag, I'm not clear on the motivation(s) here. Is the issue that your daughter feels that she didn't properly express her enthusiasm for Bowdoin? or is the issue that you wish she hadn't checked the needs financial aid box?</p>
<p>If the former, then I'd just let it go. If she visited and submitted a sound application, the college will assume that she's a reasonably interested candidate. As anxiousmom said, the time to up the ante on the first choice appeals is when you're waitlisted.</p>
<p>If it's the latter and you think she may have a better chance *without *financial aid, you need to ask that question of people who know how Bowdoin operates. (I don't.)</p>
<p>The fact that she's 16 won't be missed by the college. Sometimes it's a plus; sometimes it's a concern. Depends on how mature the candidate comes across in his/her application. I don't think I'd go out of my way to point it out now.</p>