<p>My kid won't be "waiting out the scholarship money" -- I'm a full-pay. But I would still completely, totally, and utterly refuse to let the school "compel him to close the door" or dictate which schools my kid would be able to choose from on April 30th, if it takes that long for him to determine best fit. My concern is not appeased. I repeat: It's not our responsibility to make it (theoretically) easier for someone to be admitted to a school my kid is applying to. I'm with curm: your kid doesn't get a do-over of their senior year.</p>
<p>we have known people who have applied to 18 schools ( I don't know what * that * was about- merit aid probably)
and people who applied ED to one
My D applied to 4 senior year- 5 during her gap year.
Most students apply to 6-8 schools
I feel, although I am not positive- that by limiting her applications, indicated that she had a strong sense of where she belonged- although the schools were different.She also had the advantage- of already being accepted at the 4 schools senior year, so adding a more competive school, was a chance worth taking. Also by adding only one school in that category, could have indicated that "it" was the school that she was really interested in. It wasn't 2nd choice after Yale or Swarthmore.
( she also was hyper worried about cost of applications- which I did not stress- after all- applications were a pittance compared to tuition & if you received an admittance with a nice aid package- it would be well worth it- I couldn't convince her though)</p>
<p>I didn't think of it as a strategy- she would have been happy applying to 3 schools, but it worked for her.</p>
<p>I will recommend, that my next daughter apply to 6-8 schools- with hopefully several rolling admission schools included, and no more than 3 reaches. I realize that some students want to improve their chances,but if the admission offices share information, I don't know that it would.</p>
<p>My niece for example applied to about 7 schools, but 5 were Ivies all very different- I don't think she would have been equally happy at Brown, as Dartmoor- and it might have made it seem like- she didn't know what she wanted</p>
<p>mootmom, your sons' school -- & most of the schools discussed on CC --are not even vaguely similar to my daughter's. So I'll PM you.</p>
<p>On the other issue, though (not the issue of a better representation of acceptances across the board), I do support the school as to the limit. At some point -- particularly at this rigorous school which leaves little time both for apps & for schoolwork -- the whole admissions effort can begin to take over the lives of seniors, affecting their enjoyment of their last year, let alone the quality of the individual applications, the quality of the teacher recs for those apps, & the administrative time involved in servicing the whole process. Some of these apps are really duplicative to some degree. You don't need to apply to every single State University in the system, particulary if for you even the best of those will be a ridiculously easy safety for you. You don't need to pile on if you have no intention of enrolling in certain locations in the country, etc.</p>
<p>Also, I don't think that administration assumes that "it's the student's responsibility" to see that others get an opportunity. I think rather it's a side benefit of a carefully chosen college list with fit in mind. Originally, my D had 12 on her list. After more careful consideration, at least 2 of those would not have been cultural/academic/location fits for her. (Even though luckily we never needed to go even to 10 apps.)</p>
<p>I think someone on the student forums posted a question about this awhile back -- because his or her school also limited apps -- but in their case it was more severe -- like 5 or 6, which I do not agree is o.k. I think there were suggestions about going around the school by submitting anyway & explaining to the college(s) about the limit, & how it might later become possible to have them send a SSR, etc. It's hard for me to believe that any h.s. would thwart such an individual effort, if a college is interested in a student, & that student wanted to add an 11th school.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon, what kinds of merit scholarships are you referring to that hold weekend events? Do you mean national scholarships such as Coca-Cola?</p>
<p>burnell,
I think he's referring to scholarship weekends held by individual colleges. For instance, the U Michigan Shipman, Emory scholar, UNC Pogue, WUStL and Vandy, all have interview weekends that students must participate in to be in the running for the scholarships.</p>
<p>Exactly right entomom. Many of the better scholarships require attendance at weekend events. For my daughter that included 7 schools . She made 5 and part of one. </p>
<p>There were surprises in that we didn't know from the websites of a couple of schools that such weekends were required. Check because if you are lucky enough to make the cut it would tough to miss it because of a a conflict. My D was also in the process of winning the state championship in basketball through this process and the schools were virtually "un-budgeable". It was stressful.</p>
<p>Folks on the board suggested that she shouldn't want to go to any school with that little understanding. We agreed but the schools where she asked for accomodations ended up being the schools where she didn't win the "top shelf" stuffed animals. Go figure. ;)</p>
<p>I think that Curmudgeon is concerned about the indecision issue as well as finances. Some students may not have their order of preference firmed up as well as others. The HS needs to allow some slack in that area as well.</p>
<p>Exactly right again, mardad. Y'all are two for two. Maybe I can get off this board afterall. LOL.</p>