Would you share what school it was?
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I’m sure it is a great college for many kids, but the extended visit and discussions with current students revealed that University of Vermont is not a right fit for my daughter.
We love the nearby/walkable city of Burlington.
Highly recommend:
- Saigon Kitchen and
- Burlington Bagels - especially the asiago jalapeño bagel (I’m a bagel snob)
I’m grateful for this fly-in experience:
- daughter didn’t realize just how important diversity is; it’s moved up in her priority list
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Really interesting. Many moons ago I was invited to do a “diversity weekend” at UVM and they had current students give speeches about their experiences. Most were typical speeches about all UVM has given them to succeed in their goals, etc. But then one student got up and went off to the point where he was crying, talking about how much of a struggle it was for those who are not white. It really was a moving speech and I appreciated that the faculty allowed him to finish. Everyone was visibly shaken (UVM people) because it was obviously very unexpected. The dean who spoke after that student tried to address some of his concerns and said they are working hard to make UVM more diverse and a better experience for the POC. This was back in 1990 so it sounds like they still have a lot of work to do…
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EXACTLY!
While the 2 leaders of the DEI (Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) program were in the room, the panel of 2 POC and 2 white students gave typical canned responses to high school students. But when the leaders stepped out, this black young man told the truth:
- he was only there because it was his most affordable option (UVM gave him a lot of grants), but he dislikes just how much he doesn’t fit in at the college. He has to speak differently to people, he can’t be himself; diversity programs are more for “show” than actually helping the POC students, etc.
I feel so bad that UVM DEI is not successful in their quest to increase diversity. UVM is still ~81% white.
There were about 25 students participating in this fly-in, all funded by UVM and while the students enjoyed being TOGETHER at the fly-in, the feedback is that they don’t see themselves at UVM.
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That being said, Vermont, itself, is not a very diverse state. It is not terribly surprising for the public university to match the demographics of its state.
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Yup- we all ended up at different schools and some of us stayed in touch. It’s a shame because it is a great place and I loved their nursing program, but it just did not feel right.
Two more apps submitted last night. I mentioned upthread that one of them does not review the common app essay, but instead has their own prompts. There was a question about whether D24 wanted to include the optional writing section and she said no (the wording was confusing, and we thought it was referring to the general common app essay). Prior to submitting she reviewed the PDF and confirmed her supplemental text was included. I’m not sure what happened - either D24 made a mistake with her response to the question about including the optional piece or the system had a glitch. In any case, upon reviewing the PDF after it was submitted, the writing section is empty 
D24 emailed the AO immediately to ask how to amend/include it. I’m hoping this isn’t held against her…as long as she is able to get it to them before the 11/1 deadline. Of course, I was super chill and reassuring that it was no big deal when discussing it with D24, but inside I’m 
This shouldn’t be a problem at all to amend. She’s emailed the AO, so I’m sure she’ll get a response today or tomorrow at the latest.
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I’ve worked with a lot of applicants who needed things corrected or added in their applications, occasionally interacting directly with an AO to get that done. Your daughter’s glitch would be just one more that someone in the AO dealt with that day, and the day before, and the day after. No one cares, as long as it doesn’t involve something that’s late.
RIght now it’s the time before the play when everyone is rushing around backstage getting into position for the curtain to open. The details of that aren’t important, as long as everyone is in position when the curtain opens.
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D24 said today that she’s basically done w/her Southwestern Univ app and will submit it tomorrow. She wants to submit it during class, but I asked her to do it tomorrow evening so she & I can double and triple check everything one last time before she hits the ‘submit’ button.
She said that the Centre College prompt has a max word limit that’s pretty small, so she’ll be able to finish that up before the school week is over.
Kid is still working on her 2 Austin College supplemental essays. Still working on completing and submitting by the end of this weekend.
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The journey is an interesting one to witness. School number 3 bumped up to number 2 after an open house this weekend. DS is funny, that that he didn’t share that right away. The other thing is the parental recommendation school was #2, so I felt pressure. Now that it is #3, some of that is off. I can see in Scoire, that one of is recommender’s submitted their recommendation. Another 
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Centre College app submitted today by the kid!
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Endicott submitted today! She hasn’t gotten her final final grade/comments on her essay (it was part of a quarter long assignment) but the deadline was 11/1 and I said “what could possibly change between now and then, just get it done to be done.” And she agreed and hit submit. The next EAs are both Common App (endicott is not) and 11/15, and she can now work on the optional stuff for Wheaton (which is her first choice) and UNE is pretty straightforward. Lesley is 12/15 but she will be able to hit send on all 3 before the 11/15 date and then just wait, I guess! I will be glad to have hit send - little worried that her transcripts were already sent (1st quarter has been her best yet, and it won’t reflect that or her distinguished graduate candidate status until midterm, which is a bummer.)
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And now Austin College app has been submitted!
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DD has been stressing and focusing on her Q1 grades, with 11/6 deadline, scrambling to make sure every assignment has been turned in, etc.
I was a bit nervous, reading everyone’s children’s submissions, while DD2024 hasn’t submitted anything.
Well, she applied to SUNY Stony Brook yesterday w/ the application waiver, and Clark today.
3 more supplementals for 2 remaining EA applications.
The other 6 (probably will drop to 4 since she may not want to write those supp essays) are for RD, which she will continue to work on in November.
Having learned from big brother (who waited until after 12/18 MIT deferral before starting on the 8 RD applications), she will NOT take a break on applications, but will continue and submit way before the RD deadlines.
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D24 also said that the Common App shows that Southwestern downloaded her application today.
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I’m so excited. I checked Scoir again today and DS24’s counselor downloaded all the docs for the applications before the due date of 11/15!! Now we officially wait…
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This evening, D24 said a few interesting things:
- she’s relieved to be done w/all college apps now
- almost everybody else in her class is stressing out because nobody has finished their essays for the apps that are due 11/1.
- lots of the seniors have been bugging the counselors for last minute essay feedback.
- the seniors think that the counselors are being “mean” for refusing to provide any more essay feedback.
- And “Heck, Mama, the counselors have, like, at least 10 things to follow up on for each of us for the 11/1 college app deadlines. They don’t have any more time to give you the 5th round of essay feedback at this point.”
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I’m not sure if it’s across our HS, but our students know not to bother the guidance counselors for essay help.
Counselors have soooo much to do right now, and they’re not essay experts.
Our students:
- have their own hired essay/college coach
- bother their AP Comp teachers, or
- struggling on their own
Our house right now is dealing w/ a “too-sexy” Halloween costume for tomorrow’s Senior costume contest. UGH!!!
Only the Senior students are allowed to dress up at High School tomorrow.
DD is the orange Lorax, best friend is the Once-ler.
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Learned this evening that although D24 submitted her Austin College app yesterday, they still need the HS transcript from her HS, so she needs to bug counselor about that. AND they have interviews available on Thursday ONLY this week, so she needs to respond to that email. Didn’t know that she should have already scheduled the interview. We thought that you had to submit the app first.
Southwestern, meanwhile, responded with a link to click on to schedule your interview. But that EA deadline is early Dec.
Centre College responded with an email saying that they’ll send her an email with a login ID and initial password in a day or 2 to their online portal.
Now here come the regular nagging from Yours Truly to The Child to check the portals regularly for all of these schools.
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