Good evening and so glad once again we found this forum. Our Son 2023 graduate is waiting to hear from his #1 pick Coastal Carolina. Unfortunately, being a Covid kid his grades slipped the year they were remote. Having said that he has a current 3.1 GPA, tons of volunteer work and campaigns he led and managed. In addition, his essay I would consider to be very strong.
They put him on “hold” until his first quarter grades and wanted an additional essay and recommendation. I believe he now has 5 recommendations from teachers, etc. His grades just wrapped up and most are B’s a few A’s and his only AP class was a C-.
He is working so so hard and wants this so bad. It’s hard as a parent to say “pursue your dreams, work your butt off and fight for what you want” and if he still doesn’t make it, that would be deflating.
Any thoughts on what else he should be doing. He wants to talk to them, write letters, etc. He is taking so much initiative and we really hope it pays off. It’s such a great fit for him.
That they want to see further grades is a good sign.
Here’s a secret - there is no perfect school. You go to the dream, have a bad roommate or bad prof or hate the food. Or you go to the school you didn’t want to go to and meet your BFF. Kids can be happy at many schools.
Like all - you need a backup. Or you need to go to a CC and transfer in - but only if it doesn’t work out. There’s a good chance it will.
Focus on him being a kid and stop with LORs and other things that at this point are overdone.
Also, the C- - what subject ? Has he gone for tutoring ? Does he not understand the material ? If he has more As than Cs - as long as he can keep that grade, he may end up ok.
But if not there are still other schools - well known schools that would love to have him.
At this point, he’s experiencing the competition of the world but he’s likely done too much and should leave them alone. Overwhelming them will not help. Do you have a safety school just in case ? If not it’s time to find one.
Life will be about him - not his school - and it sounds like he has a lot of persistence. Perhaps a career in sales awaits
Most of his Q1 grades are A’s and B’s and the only one C- which is an AP class. All his other classes are normal. The LOR’s were recommended by a college advisor so the school gets a real sense of who he is as a person and his character.
I guess the advisors input was, you have to lay it all out and give it everything you have. Not sure if that was sound advice or not but he’s guided 100’s of students we know.
Yes he has gotten into several other schools so this is not putting all his eggs in one basket.
They didn’t reject him - so they want a reason to accept him and hopefully it works out.
Two letters was enough (IMHO) - but just have him focus on being a good student. It’s all that matters. If he’s getting a C-, he’s struggling - so definitely have him get tutoring.
Best of luck to him.
PS - that he’s got other acceptances.
As for this - . It’s hard as a parent to say “pursue your dreams, work your butt off and fight for what you want” and if he still doesn’t make it, that would be deflating.
Unfortunately, this is often in life - jobs you are going for, girlfriends, etc. - so hopefully, while it stinks, he’ll adapt ok.
Is everyone recommending we pull some of the LOR’s out of the portal? I would think it’s too late for that. We are new to this and taking the advice of someone who advises students and parents. Maybe should have come to this forum instead of using the gentlemen we are using.
I’m not saying to remove anything - I’m just saying it’s time to stop and focus on school.
He does not need to do this anymore: He wants to talk to them, write letters, etc
They know he wants to go there. They want him to go there but they want to ensure he can handle the rigor of their classes and they’re just triple checking.
So the only thing he needs to focus on is working hard in school. Leave everything else alone.
Many schools offer spring admission to students they like but cannot admit in fall due to space/stats etc. Contact the regional recruiter and ask if spring could be in play if you are ok with it.
Many schools come up with credit granting study abroad semesters that are often a lot of fun and a good way to integrate into college in the spring. This is true of many elite schools. I know here in NC, both NCSU and UNC have such programs.
I think your son gets in. Good luck!
Best of luck to him. I feel like he will end up where he is supposed to end up. My sister had her heart set on Middlebury. Applied ED and got deferred. Then denied. She was heartbroken. She went to Sarah Lawrence instead and then applied to transfer to Middlebury for sophomore year. Denied again. She ended up transferring to Barnard and found her people and loved her three years there. I had my heart set on Georgetown but was denied. Ended up at Boston College and cannot imagine having gone anywhere else. And it’s funny three of my closest friends from BC had all wanted a different school but ended up at BC and we all still talk about how it just felt like the right school for us once we were there. I am trying hard to make sure my S24 keeps in mind that every school on his list should be one he would be thrilled to attend. In today’s admission climate, I feel like there are no guarantees. Best of luck to your son
This should be framed and passed out to every student in the process. Sure, it’s hard to know up front - but putting something on the list and yet shaking your head at the prospect of having to go there is crazy and it happens every day.
Asking your friends or family members who have experienced a similar circumstance in the past can help you acquire some advice. You can also search for any online communities or groups that might have suggestions for your particular issue.
really think he’ll get good news.