<p>“What are all of your rising seniors (or rising juniors?) doing for the summer?”</p>
<p>Our rising senior is spending a week in Appalachia with his school’s service program, a week as a volunteer camp counselor locally and a week at a soccer camp. He’s also going to cram all of his driver’s ed into a few weeks. (His school doesn’t offer it, so he couldn’t fit it in during the school year.) He also wants to log some more hours flying, and in theory start essays and the common app. Of course, there’s the college visit road trip, and we can’t forget the girlfriend either. </p>
<p>I had actually wanted him to get a job (any old job), but our timing was off, and right now it’s hard to find anything at all. To me that would have been more valuable than anything else he’s doing (except for the service trip, which really does make a difference in people’s lives, but that’s only a week). I say this not from the perspective of college admissions, because I think either way his summer won’t be a serious resume enhancer. Its just that I wanted him to work hard, get tired, get dirty, get paid and then think about what that all means. We’re still trying, but at this point, his summer is disjointed enough that it appears unlikely.</p>
<p>Otterbein and Marietta, I feel, are more regional schools. Also, the last I checked Otterbein was planning to go to semesters from trimesters. I don’t know how that might impact your child. Another reach, but you might want to look into Denison when you are in OH. If your son is thinking at all about Earlham, I definitely recommend a visit, because I found that school to be very unique. BTW, Earlham is certainly not a regional school and they are about global learning.</p>
<p>yayabe, I read an article saying that Susquehanna really stepped up its recruiting this year, in part because it did not fill its class the year before. The article said that it yielded many more international students.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how this will affect future applicants. My S and I toured the campus more than a year ago. I thought it was very nice, and they are building a new science center.
My S crossed it off his list (too prematurely?) because he thought it was too small.</p>
<p>Warriorboy, my S also received an invitation to apply from a LAC he visited this past year. It says that if he applied by 7/15, the application fee is waived, and they will notify S of the decision by 9/15. The letter specifically said that this was not binding on S, so I do not see any downside to applying. The application requires ACT or SAT scores, and requires his HS transcript (including junior-year grades), and there is a supplements for music and athletics, but there is no requirement for an essay or for teacher or counselor recommendations. Seems pretty easy, but still requires some scrambling. S will probably submit some kind of essay (‘why X college’) as well as a teacher recommendation.</p>
<p>John2698 - It sounds as if it is the same school. We are visiting next week. If he likes it then he’ll have to work quickly to apply. Do you think this is a priority app or just a way to get us to apply early? Also, are you going to fill out the rest of the paper form or do the app online. We RARELY open paper work from the schools especially if we get multiple copies. Now we’ll have to start opening everything (just in case)</p>
<p>Warriorboy–I think they call it “summer rolling admissions” and it seems like a good deal because the decision comes out so early and it’s nonbinding. S will probably fill it out online; haven’t checked to see if all the forms are there. He does participate in music and will need to fill out the music supplement. If you send me a private message I will tell you the name of the school.</p>
<p>Please view page #7 of the 8 pages, especially look at Sample packages #4,5,6,7,8…
Some of these income levels on Hobart’s sample packages seem quite high, yet they are giving grant money to families of this income level? What do you “kids” think?</p>
<p>According to this, rodney, the “HWS Grant” is need-based, it is not merit based. So is HWS giving 10K in need-based grant money to families making over 350k? </p>
<p>As we had all previously discussed HWS before & their lack of financial aid, I was just looking around on their website.</p>
<p>I don’t think that is a typical example, just a real example of one family. My guess is that there were unusual expenses that were considered (ie: nursing home bills that can be proven, high medical bills that can be proven, private special school for a disabled child that can be proven as part of family expenses). Not HWS, but I knew of a situation where a young man was attending a OOS public flagship. The student’s father became very ill with a poor prognosis and became a dailysis patient after the student was in this school for a year. The father called the financial aid to discuss his situation and the student’s financial need was covered in full after all the documentation was received by the school.</p>
<p>I suppose you are right Northeastmom, they may be “actual packages” but probably all these families had special circumstances. It may be a public relations gimmick as their reputation is a lack of aid with a 50K sticker price. Maybe the number of applications was way down last year? The enrollment manager probably came up with these sample packages in an attempt to get more applicants, especially in this economy!</p>
<p>Actually…I have some friends with very high incomes (over $400k) that were given small grants (around $11k) from colleges like PACE…they have kids with LD (so it wasn’t as if the kids were overqualified for the college) and were surprised to get anything…but I think that, in that case, the colleges know you will be going private and so want to be the most competitive (in financial terms) private on the list. So, what I’m reading about Hobart doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility, though it may apply to a certain type of student.</p>
<p>This is an attractive idea–an early acceptance could take pressure off kids–but I wonder if schools using it will be flooded by applications from kids just wanting to lock in a safety. If so, it could hurt some students with lower scores until the schools learn what their yield was from the accepted students.</p>
<p>As for our son’s Summer plans, we were hoping he would find a job, but the economy has made that very difficult. In addition, he has told us that because he worked so hard to earn an A- average this year, he is entitled to relax during the Summer before working hard again in September. This was one of the more parent-proof arguments he could have come up with (I hope his college essay is as persuasive), but we expect him to do some community service work nonetheless.</p>
<p>yabeyabe2, I think that the summer rolling admissions is being offered to students who showed some type of interest in that school. I don’t think that it is being offered as a mass mailing.</p>
<p>SLUMOM, any earlier and they’ll be admitted without grades from junior year, LOL! I don’t think that it can get much earlier!</p>
<p>I think SLUMOM is right–it may start with one school’s private mailing, but, as with the Iowa caucuses jumping New Hampshire’s primary, word will get out; Admissions staffs (or, as they are now often called, Enrollment Management) will fear they are losing out on kids, and they will become common–as long as high schools are willing to send junior year transcripts out in July (or colleges will grant admission pending confirmation of the junior grades reported by the student).</p>
<p>I definitely feel as if there is some pressure now to have things ready for the summer. It’s too late to be ready because he won’t have any recs until September. The other school that he received info from wanted everything post marked by 6/25. I’d rather pay the $35.00 and not be stressed. I’m going to go through all the college mail that is sitting in a big basket and see if there are any other interesting things in there. </p>
<p>I’m a little concerned that using “rolling summer admissions” might hurt him because I think he will have really good teacher recs. </p>
<p>Anyone know when SAT and ACT scores are coming out??? My ds still didn’t do anything but show up to take them. I’m still hopeful that they’ll be good enough so he won’t have to take them again…</p>
<p>warriorboy648- I don’t know if I would be so afraid of the “rolling summer admissions”. I wonder how many they outright reject. I would think if the applicant is questionable they will request additional information.
My son who was in this range applied to 1 summer rolling school. Applied in early July and had an answer with scholarship by Sept. Granted the school was not a super competitive school and he probably would have also gotten in later if he had waited. It was just nice to have 1 out of the way. It also made going into the fall a bit less hectic since he knew he was going to college. Also since the application also required no essay or recs it was easy for him to do in an afternoon with little nagging from me.
As I probably already mentioned previously in this thread he also applied EA to several schools that due to his all over the map grades and test scores were reaches. Several of them did not outright reject him but did ask to see the final fall semester grades before making a decision.</p>
<p>I agree completely with mom60 regarding rolling admission. We had a very similar experience. Our B+ daughter applied to a couple rolling admission schools in July and was the first person in her senior class to have an acceptance in hand in September (also with a scholarship). She was extremely excited and it really helped ease the pressure during the long wait until April to hear back from all her other applications. After seven other acceptances and a waitlist, it was one of her rolling admission “safety” schools that she fell in love with and will be attending in the Fall.</p>