<p>Re: these “VIP” online apps. One of them S received was actually from a school high on his list. Are there any pros or cons to applying this way? </p>
<p>He was going to do the common app for this school. (I haven’t looked at it to see if the emailed invite is the common app.)</p>
<p>lilmom, some of the apps are streamlined from the common app, for example, allowing you to skip the essay and/or teacher recs (as well as interviews). I assume this reflects those schools giving short shrift to essays and recs even if you submit them and/or seeking primarily to attract students with strong numbers by sparing them as much work as possible.
The only reason I can think of not to use the priority app as is would be if you think your numbers are not a lock for the school and the recs, essay andinterview could tip the balance.</p>
<p>If, as northeastmom suggests, some schools just use these to increase their number of rejections, shame on them for their deception and the amount of extra anxiety caused if they issue early rejections.</p>
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<p>I never said that. </p>
<p>I happen to think that they do use them to boost the number of applicants that they get. I think that if you are a match, you should have a very good chance of acceptance. If you are on the bottom end of the applicant pool you might get rejected just like applying with a regular application. I have read that some schools do want to increase the number of rejections to boost their rankings, and sending out priority apps to get more applications would probably mean a bigger pool, therefore some stronger applicants to choose to accept, and there would be more of the less qualified students as well and many would be rejected unless a school accepts everyone. If my son were encouraged to apply to Yale or Harvard, he would almost certainly be rejected. It would not matter if my son applied RD, EA, ED, SCEA, or by using a VIP app (yes, I know that all of these ways of applying are not available at those schools, I am just making a point).</p>
<p>Sorry I misunderstood your earlier post</p>
<p>I asked one of the schools about their priority app and the counselor we met with said that we could apply without the essay and recs but it was much better if he sent in everything. He has received these from schools that he hasn’t even visited. This makes me doubt that they are anything more than a marketing tool. </p>
<p>The really strange thing is that one of the schools that we visited that my son has decided not to apply to has been calling about twice a week, but they haven’t left a message.</p>
<p>Another comment, but on a different topic. My son is taking AP bio this year. There are only 14 kids out of around 600 taking the course. I think it’s #1-13 in the class and then my son!!! They were sitting around talking about their first choice schools…Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia, MIT etc. (My foolish son actually shared this with me. I used self contol and didn’t give the huge lecture that I would really have liked to.) I was very mature and commented that none of those schools would have been a good fit for him.</p>
<p>Time is running out and the pressure is on. My son’s list has grown (B student, SAT of 1000 will retake in October). His list:
Marist
Endicott
Stonehill
Iona
Elmira
Suffolk
Emmanuel
Keene
Oneonta</p>
<p>What do you think his chances are? Does he need more safeties? Any suggestions?</p>
<p>warriorboy, it kills you doesn’t it? If only.</p>
<p>There are enough threads about Yale, Harvard, Brown, etc. Let’s be proud of our 3- 3.3 kids and help each other out in finding good colleges for them.</p>
<p>MaryAnnC - I think you have a good list. Stonehill and Marist are probably the “reach” schools. I don’t know a lot about the rest but I think at Elmira and Emmanuell he’d have a really good shot. Both schools are looking for males. We have a good friend at Endicott this year. She had a 3.2 GPA, (No honors/AP) and a 900 on SAT’s. She does run cross country so I don’t know how much of an impact that had. We know kids who had GPA’s in the 2.5-2.8 range that got into Keene. It’s suppose to be beautiful.</p>
<p>Have you visited all the schools? We visited Marist and hope to visit Endicott soon. How did you choose your schools?</p>
<p>Maryann, if you decide to add schools (perhaps depending on the new SAT score) in NY, which appears to be your focus, Ithaca and Hartwick, while not safeties, are popular B student options. PA would add many good, match/safety options to your list, such as St Joe, Lycoming and Bloomsburg and NJ offers Fairleigh Dickinson and Rider, among others.</p>
<p>re: VIP applications. I’ve decided not to have S go that route. He will definitely need his essay and recommendations as a part of his application. Thanks for the insight.</p>
<p>lilmom, some of these VIP applications will either recommend or require essays and LORs. They do not all waive parts of the typical application. My son completed one that was extremely similar to the commonapp, but the school waived the application fee. They will also offer a decision 4 weeks after the application is complete.</p>
<p>I think you can review each of the Priority Apps you were considering and see if there is any reason you cannot file it (thereby saving the fee; showing interest; and perhaps getting a quicker decision) while still submitting the essay and recs–and having an interview–which you think will help.</p>
<p>They may give you the option of skipping those steps (which they think will be attractive), without requiring you to skip them. This would be similar to SAT optional schools, which allow you to not file scores, but do not require you not to submit them.</p>
<p>MaryAnn, not to drag this on, but what rang true to me about Warriorboy’s comment wasn’t related to any wish for my son to attend an Ivy. To me, it’s all about kids who realize they could have done better and wish they had. </p>
<p>That’s my son. He was never bound for Yale, but with just a little more effort, he could have had a lot more choices and he’s now beginning to realize that. It’s very frustrating, and honestly, a little sad. </p>
<p>So, yes, I’ll be proud of what he accomplishes, but there have been moments when I’ve wanted to take him by the shoulders and say “This is what I’ve been yapping about all these years!”</p>
<p>Warriorboy648 - Yes, we have visited all the schools on his list (and others). We are from NY trying to stay under 6,000 students and within 6 hours from home. Also college must have business and biology. His favorite is Marist but Endicott is second. Endicott scares me because US News reports only a 48.6% acceptance rate. </p>
<p>yabeyabe2 - Thanks for the suggestions. We are going to plan a trip to PA to visit St. Joe’s. We were also going to visit DeSales in PA. </p>
<p>We plan to visit Salve Regina and Providence in RI. Would my Son’s chances be better at Stonehill, Marist or Providence???</p>
<p>Has anyone had any direct experience with VIP applications?</p>
<p>I can’t imagine that anyone would be rejected, but possibly deferred to regular admissions if not accepted?</p>
<p>Any idea what percentage of students receive early acceptances this way, and how much this option increases chances of acceptance for a student who fits the “average” profile of a school, but may be on the low end for SAT scores?</p>
<p>MaryAnn, off the top of my head, Providence is the most difficult to get into of those 3. </p>
<p>My S’07 applied to Providence & Stonehill. He was accepted at both, but was offered no money/honors at Providence while Stonehill offered him their Honors Program and $18k/year in merit money. (Disclosure - S’07 would have been overqualified for this thread, had it existed at the time. I’m here because of my D’10). Marist offers merit money for GPA’s as low as 3.3 (and they re-calculate a weighted GPA) and for ACT scores as low as 25. Off the top of my head, Marist & Stonehill seem to be looking for a similar level of student, but you’d have to look at their freshman class profiles to be sure. They’re both wonderful schools.</p>
<p>any suggestions for a student with 3.3 weighted and 990 CR/M student with sports boyscout eagle/scout… has a D in soph geometry class. 880 volunteer hours. took ACT yesterday any help would be great.</p>
<p>MaryAnn, Let me know if you need any area information about DeSales. I work very, very close to the college and know the area well. DeSales has a very good local reputation but is not very well known because it’s a fairly young school - their PA program is excellent, as is their theater program.</p>
<p>My next door neighbors daughter graduated from St. Joe’s a few years ago and loved it!</p>