<p>"Losing perspective - failing to remember all the incredibly successful people I know who went to colleges and universities that do not appear regularly on CC."</p>
<p>BINGO!!....From my limited time on this site, I sense from both students and parents that if they do not get into a "top" university, their lives are over. Sadly, I think in many of these cases, the parents attitude has greatly effective their kids perspective.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Losing perspective - failing to remember all the incredibly successful people I know who went to colleges and universities that do not appear regularly on CC.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That is really inexcusable on the part of parents. Kids may not know better but adults must know many many people who have fantastic jobs who graduated from no-name university - or more accurately, they don't know where they went to school because no one talks about it.</p>
<p>Whole articles have been written about the Ivy-ness of President Obama's cabinet. One wonders if they may skew perspectives for the class of 2010 when they apply next year, when the economy is likely to still be in the doldrums.</p>
<p>The kids need to hear that while it's laudable to reach to the best U you can get admitted to, what really counts is what the students does when they get there, no matter where the U is on the prestige scale, which is really just one of many ways of measuring things and a rather poor one at that.</p>
<p>I miss Tim Russert so much. I hope our kids (and the parents too) were paying attention when the news reports talked about his every day background - undergrad from John Carrol University and law degree from Cleveland State. Somehow, the guy managed to do okay.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So, if you think your child is "borderline" and really REALLY wants to go to that school, apply for Summer session.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>How many colleges offer summer sessions?</p>
<p>A few things:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Start everything sooner. </p></li>
<li><p>Visit schools before applying. Visit them in Jr. year. </p></li>
<li><p>Do not, do not, do not impose your desires onto your kid. Listen to your child's desires, not your desires for him/her.</p></li>
<li><p>Understand that the whole process is much harder for some than for others. Try not to be envious of the parents whose children breeze through it. Try not to be impatient with your child who doesn't. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that come to mind right away.</p>
<p>Really really really start on those online applications early, even if it's just opening the form and filing in your name and address. We experienced multiple glitches using various online forms...one was the school's fault (they have since developed a new form with a new company since the first one was so bad). Other problems were with our own computer, e.g. some program that was installed for another purpose was auto filling in certain blanks with inapplicable info, etc. You DO NOT want to be dealing with computer glitches the night before the deadline.</p>
<p>Tip-Set up an email account (no cutesy names) dedicated solely to college communications and check it everyday.</p>
<p>My-3-sons, ds did just that so that neither of us is inundated. I need to go check it.</p>
<p>Mistake #1--not checking out how long it takes the typical student to graduate from a school in a particular major. Let me give one example here: How many engineering students graduate from California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo in 4 years? The answer is 0%--not 30% or 10% or 5%--but 0%. Turns out that the ability to get the classes you need to graduate in 4 years when you are a freshman is absolutely impossible.
(P.S. My son is not at CPSLO--but had a similar problem in his original major at his current school).</p>
<p>Mistake #2--overlooking free money by not applying early. At IU-B, where my son does go, the amount of money you can get in merit scholarships depends upon when you apply. Had he applied 2 months earlier than he did, he would have been entitled to $12,000 more ($3,000 per year for 4 years)</p>
<p>Mistake #3--not considering how the schools view the GPA/rank that the high school submits. We didn't know that, at IU-B, and other colleges where my son applied, the school considers whatever GPA the high school puts on the transcript in determining the ability to get into honors programs, direct admittance programs (to schools like the Business, Music, Journalism, and other limited programs), and in determining scholarship money awarded. My son's school put his unweighted GPA only on all transcripts. Had we been able to get them to say what his weighted GPA was on the transcript (or in an enclosed letter), he would have been directly admitted to these honors and direct admittance programs.</p>
<p>Mistake #4--this one was actually after he was at the school--not realizing that the colleges give information to the honors students/direct admit students that are never shared with the rest of the student body. For example, the honors students were told about the Investment Banking Program and the Consulting Workshop Program, and the sophomore summer overseas possibilities and the ability to meet with possible internship employers 2 months earlier than the rest of the student body at a special function thrown by the school. My son and I only found out about some of these programs after a year or two at the school--and then when it was too late to apply. He found out that the necessary requirements to get into the honors program had changed effective the semester he applied. (He applied based upon meeting the previous requirements.) </p>
<p>Mistake #5--not getting more feedback from current college students for my son to listen to. For example, when we first looked at schools, my son absolutely refused to consider going to a community college for two years (rinky-dink, he called them)--and decided he wanted to go to a 4-year business school in the Midwest or Northeast section of the US. After a couple of years at his school, he's asking me why I wouldn't help him save money (for his future law school attendance, like I was supposed to know he wanted to go to law school) and boost his GPA by forcing him to go to the local community college (where he has taken some summer courses) and then transfer--and why I ever allowed him to go to a school where he'd be freezing all during the school year. For that reason, I strongly suggest you consider visiting your list of candidate schools during the middle of winter (or in September if you are considering a school in Arizona). Only then will they know what to truly expect weather-wise. </p>
<p>There may be more, but that's my list for now.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Mistake #1--not checking out how long it takes the typical student to graduate from a school in a particular major. Let me give one example here: How many engineering students graduate from California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo in 4 years? The answer is 0%--not 30% or 10% or 5%--but 0%. Turns out that the ability to get the classes you need to graduate in 4 years when you are a freshman is absolutely impossible.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Excellent point. One school we visited, that was fairly "affordable" for a private, said that they require 128 hours to graduate. I said that if you take 15 hours a semester for 8 semsters that's only 120 hours. The guy said that everyone either takes summer school or stays an extra semester. Well, when the merit aid is only for 8 semesters, the affordable school no longer looks so affordable.</p>
<p>Take both SAT and ACT by the middle of Junior year and establish which test is best for your kid. Then prep for that test and forget about the other, Wasted money on extra tests.</p>
<p>Don't send scores the first time around. This doesn't apply to the SAT2 if, like my kids, yours are only planning to take them once (wasted money by not sending score reports for SAT2s when registering for the test)</p>
<p>Take SAT2s after those classes which means you may have to start in Sophomore year...wish we had known that!</p>
<p>If you know you will need merit and need based aid, cast a wide net.</p>
<p>Make sure your child only has schools on their list they would be willing to attend.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Don't send scores the first time around. This doesn't apply to the SAT2 if, like my kids, yours are only planning to take them once (wasted money by not sending score reports for SAT2s when registering for the test)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Aren't the SAT 2's listed on the score reports with the SAT scores?</p>
<p>Take SAT II tests. Our school didn't even mention them so my S didn't take any. He had to decide between taking tests this fall, months after finishing the class, or not apply to some schools. He didn't apply.</p>
<p>Go with the kid's pace, if possible. Because it was recommended, I dragged my S to college fairs and campus visits spring of Junior year. But he just wasn't in to it and doesn't remember anything good about the places we visited. It really wasn't until his friends started college talk in the fall that he got interested. I wish we'd done those visits in the fall when he was motivated to talk to people and ask questions -- he really would have liked those earlier colleges better.</p>
<p>I just started reading one of the books reccomended by Tokenadult in his list posted in the Admission forum. Wow, quite an eye opener, even after reading posts on CC !</p>
<p>The author reccomends that students take SAT yearly, starting in freshman year! Her reasoning is that this way you can identify weaknesses, get used to the stress, test format etc. Who am I to say NO, since my kids has been writing SAT starting in 6th grade. But the common wisdom seems to be -last SAT in 8th grade and then hiatus till junior year.
Has anyone done differently? What do you think about the approach described above?</p>
<p>Also, she strongly reccomends cramming in and studying with your child, not only for SAT but for AP as well. Any thoughts from people who took this approach. (I can see some pleasure in studying for AP Euro :) )</p>
<p>Remembered another one (might have already been mentioned, sorry if it has)- as added motivation, have a good idea of the AP credit policy at the various schools on the list you are building. Some are OK with 3s, others you have to have a 4 or 5. It is nice to be able to take advantage of this, particularly in subject areas not in your major. I think D would have studied a little harder for those two history APs to get that extra point!</p>
<p>Kelowna - I think that author is crazy! My kids do not want me cramming and studying wih them! Not only that, but if you have a kid who requires that kind of attention, what will he or she do in college?</p>
<p>As far as taking the SAT yearly - well, I suppose it depends on the kid. It might discourage kids who aren't as advanced in math because they won't have learned a lot of the material on the test during their freshman year.</p>
<p>thanks LIMOM; I thought the same but didn't get to respond......this process is not one size fits all...important to remember; thanks 4 the post</p>
<p>No way would either of mine sit for an SAT every year. They didn't want to take the SAT for CTY/TIP, either. One and done is the mantra around here. Too much other cool stuff to do!</p>
<p>On the other hand, DH sits down and goes over practice SAT/AP exams with the guys to analyze patterns, ways to improve, etc. That has proved very useful. But actually getting wrapped up in course content? BTDT -- no thanks!</p>
<p>seiclan: blame it on a raging head cold and sinus infection. The key important detail I left out of my advice was, If you child is using the ACT for admissions purposes but still needs the SAT2...in our case for UCs...go ahead and send those scores from the get go if your testers are like mine and counting down's following the one and done test taking stategy. Sorry for the confusion.</p>
<p>agree totally with LIMom and Counting Down: My kids would have utterly rebelled at the advice listed in the post ablove</p>