What feels different to me this year is that kids seem to be applying to even more schools which makes everything a little tougher as schools expect to yield fewer so will likely wait list more to hedge their bets. Lots of kids with multiple acceptances and also lots of kids with a fistful of wait lists. I think I will be encouraging my 2020 bs kiddo to apply ED and we are starting the process a little earlier than we did with my first as fit will be even more important for her (unique talents but not a tippy top student).
If you focus on building a list of reaches, possibles, and likelies, listening to your kid’s college counselor’s categorizations of such, focus on fit instead of prestige, I think you will do just fine. I’d also add some school’s with some geographic diversity and focus solely on the 20 schools the majority of your kid’s bs is applying to.
@HMom16: That story sounds like the coach didn’t get a full pre-read from admissions before telling the kid to apply ED. Could also have had sub-standard scores. Amazing that the building didn’t swing things in his favor, though.
@doschicos Think you meant - “and DON’T focus solely on the 20 schools…” 
Yes, you are 100% accurate, @HMom16 !
We have a relative in college admissions at a popular state school. He is harshly critical of many BS college counseling offices. He believes on the one hand that they are slaves to Naviance guidance, and stated that if you named a BS and two colleges, he could name at least five other schools they’d recommended to the same student. “Out of the box thinking,” and “New England Boarding School Faculty” are not often used in the same paragraph.
By contrast, at the Proctor Revisit today, they put up a slide with the usual suspects for a New England BS: HYPS, NEPSAC, Little Ivies. And others that I was personally unfamiliar with but seem excellent for the right kid. I was impressed.
@Garandman , perhaps your friend is right for some schools. But my recollection was that in DS’ class of 150, they went to something like 127 different colleges! Friends to visit everywhere! It’s definitely a good question to ask, though. You definitely want the CC to be knowledgeable and open-minded.
Best Photodad Easter- April Fools Day prank ever : Your mother has been standing at your door knocking for ten minutes. She drove through the night to spend Easter with you.
The panic that ensued at 5am this morning was hilarious… 
@PhotographerMom :)) That’s awesome!!! We changed DH’s language on his phone to Chinese last night after he went to bed. DS started texting him before dawn this morning. He thought someone had hacked Apple.
Hahahaha!!! Such awesome pranks!
@buuzn03, I just read your post and changed the language on my phone, was able to get back in and everything worked fine. I called my youngest daughter who knows my DH’s device passwords while he was out with older kiddos, and told her your idea. She loved it and changed the language to Russian on his iPad…and then we could not get back in. Because the iPad password has numbers and letters and the keyboard was in Russian! OMG, the panic that ensued…we knew DH would completely flip if he could not use his iPad (to watch movies…nothing important really) but the 2 of us were scrambling to figure out how to translate his password, etc. Ten whole minutes until I figured out that the globe near the space bar changes the language…it was so stressful, yet so much fun!!! We haven’t laughed like that in a long time and cannot wait to see his reaction when he gets home.Thank you for that! And anyone else trying this should know how to reset the keyboard before they try it! LOL
That’s awesome, @Winter2018!! - and slightly ironic because after a full day of April 1 pranks … We decided to cap off our day by seeing Death of Stalin.
Nothing says Easter quite like Stalin. The entire day was like Empty Nesters Gone Wild…
It’s snowing like mad in NE right now. I’m so done…
Omg…the Instagram post from DS this morning was classic!!
"This is a concerning, global issue that must be addressed. Temperatures in Southborough are noticeably below average. Additionally, per @------ , our Texas source, temperatures in the xxx reached incredible lows, and were maintained for a longer period of time than the region is accustomed to. Quite simply put, our globe is cooling, which will cause water levels to recede, costing countless sea life their homes, and countless affluent persons their beachside homes. This phenomenon will also cause atmospheric effects detrimental to all life on Earth. This is something that we cannot ignore, and I will not be silenced. "
I think he’s finally done, too.
We certainly got an April Fool’s prank today. Beautiful Easter Sunday yesterday near Boston, now wintry white blanketing our streets outside today. Ugh. When will winter end?
Our weather is unseasonably warm, but resulting from the same issue I suspect. We should not be seeing temps in the 90s this early in the year. A/C in April does not bode well for our summer. 
My husband is in the Northeast, driving our girl to revisits in the snow. Should I be worried that he has never driven in such weather?
The roads should be pretty good given how warm the past few days were, plus they plow/sand proactively. As long as he doesn’t think he’s Andretti, he should be fine!!! (He may need a cocktail when he gets home, though)
The weather is getting better in NYC. The snow has stopped. Roads are slippery. Start slowing the car before you get to the red light. Sometimes the car will slide slightly.
It’s melting fast now but we had a total six inches … Our school district can’t win. They didn’t have a delay this morning and there were several car accidents… BUT when they do exercise caution and have a delay or school is cancelled - WATCH OUT if it’s not that bad! Letters to the Editor… Angry calls to the BOE…Mobs of angry moms in school parking lots complaining how they missed yoga… OMG! So happy I dodged that bullet by sending my kids to BS. ~O)
IDK- Maybe if you weren’t wound so tight you wouldn’t wrap the Suburban around a tree?? >:)