<p>It does seem like the ability to describe your ECs properly is quite limited with the removal of the EC-specific question and the removal of the attachment capability. I guess they can ask their guidance counselor to include certain details on their behalf. And presumably there’s still the little “is there anything else you need to tell us?” field. </p>
<p>And I guess if kids feel compelled to add stuff that doesn’t fit onto the common app they <em>could</em> email the adcoms directly, but it would have to be pretty important to go that route.</p>
<p>I have basically two main interests and a series of ECs branching off from them. I suppose I can address one in the main essay and one in the supplemental. The spaces on the EC list aren’t very descriptive…</p>
<p>I just checked on the ‘paper’ copy and they’re ~2 lines, which is actually more than I expected. I guess if the point is to get less extraneous info, they’re definitely doing that.</p>
<p>Question- can we send in supplemental materials, i.e. a third recommendation or a paper with the common app or do we have to send it to schools individually, with the supplement?</p>
<p>My DS’s phone call was from Pace. I was in the middle of getting dinner on the table so wasn’t really listening closely, but I did hear a polite “No, thank you.” DS said they asked if he wanted to receive admission and FA information, and he declined. The onslaught of e-mail and snail mail continues. Will need to sort through it soon!</p>
<p>First, depending on the school a second LOR is going to be beyond what they ask/want. You can send another but there’s no guarantee that they’ll read it. In fact, with the changes being made it wouldn’t surprise me to see that schools have the ability to dictate how many LORs are uploaded through the CA to them for a single student. This would go along with the theme of streamlining. This doesn’t stop anyone from sending things via snail mail but I would be exceptionally hesitant as it honestly creates more work (everything hard copy has to be scanned then coded to add to your file). Even sending via email is circumventing the regular system, requires extra steps, and you have to evaluate risk/reward when a reader sees extra things in your file, knowing you bucked the ‘rules’ to get them there. </p>
<p>Don’t misunderstand me, as I stated previously, I get the desire to make sure your activities and accomplishments are well understood and it appears the CA is making that harder. Coupled with holistic admissions at many schools, and the continual mantra to stand out, it seems a bit backwards and definitely frustrating.</p>
<p>kees4me - I couldn’t agree more. Success is how you define it and you have to enjoy your life not just constantly stress over high achievement.</p>
<p>To me the perfect college is the one your child gets in, that you can afford, where they are happy, can do well and grow. Hubby and I both went to just normal, regular colleges and are both happy, successful adults. </p>
<p>My d also takes the ACT this Saturday - we’re having her do the ACT Feb, April & June and the SAT in March and May. She’s a major test panicker so I’m hoping by doing it a lot it takes out the mystery and anxiety. She’s being tutored for the ACT and watching the Khan Academy SAT math. I don’t think the tutor wants her taking it before they’re done, but I think it would be good to have a real baseline vs the practice tests.</p>
<p>Question about the CA…do the schools only take the CA or do they have their own applications as well that you can choose to do instead of the common app? If you can choose between CA and the school’s app, then maybe the school’s app would give more room to elaborate on the EC’s.</p>
<p>Schools d1 looked at took only their own applications (no common app accepted). The schools d2 as reluctantly agreed to visit (2 so far) take either the CA or their own. In my albeit limited experience, the schools own apps are less specific than the CA.</p>
<p>Oh, and add us to the list of ACT test-takers on Saturday. And YEAH, we’re expecting a little snowstorm.</p>
<p>Well, I think for selective schools, the 2 LORs should stay because many of them ask for one math/one humanities teacher or whatever or just have huge app pools so they need SOMETHING to look at. The third LOR is really important if a kid has done extra work outside of school, too, especially research or a job. </p>
<p>So I very seriously hope/think that they won’t do that. Why does it have to be our year that deals with this!! ?? :(</p>
<p>… and on a different note, how detrimental is it that a potential pre-med/neuroscience major is NOT taking high school physics?</p>
<p>DD14 will have 4 years of science (Bio 1, Bio 2 & Chem - all pre-IB or IB) and will take Anatomy & Physiology senior year. She is pretty much refusing to take Physics - and I can’t say I blame her. (She’s an IB Diploma Candidate and the Physics teacher is the IB Counselor … and in a nutshell, he’s an ass.) </p>
<p>She’s a fantastic student overall - top 10 in her class of 500+, great ECs, blah blah blah.</p>
<p>I guess I’m just venting about it … and a little worried I guess. But it’s her life, her schedule … I can’t force her to take it, nor do I want to.</p>
<p>KaMaMom, I’m sure it depends on where she wants to go to school, but I bet it won’t hurt terribly, unless she is planning to apply to super selective schools. My DS14 is on the same track (bio or biochem), and IS taking Physics this year (not AP) and HATES it. Save yourself the misery of having to listen to her complain about it! DS doesn’t find it difficult, but it’s a lot of math, and while he loves most Sciences, especially Biology, he does not love Math. My DH’s college roommate is now a bio prof at OSU, and he laughed when we told him how much DS dislikes math and physics…he said that DS sounded like the perfect bio/premed major, because the dislike of math is pretty much standard among bio majors!</p>
<p>I was watching the weather this morning, and I see there is a nor’easter expected for Saturday, the day of the ACT. Should it actually hit, how do you know if the test is cancelled, and do they reschedule or just refund the money?</p>
<p>On the physics front - my d switched school going into 10th and was off track with science. She’s taking honors anatomy & physiology this year, and will take physics next year. </p>
<p>A & P - at least at our school is VERY challenging. The teacher uses a college textbook and uses the college level tests, etc. However, it’s not AP - which I think is kind of a rip off to teach it as a college level course. </p>
<p>However, I think it’s a valuable class just as a human being, not even just if you’re interested in a medical career.</p>
<p>eyemam–Nov SAT was rescheduled due to school power outages post-Sandy. REAL problem for ED/EA applicants who had waited too long to take final test. Some were rescheduled for two weeks later but some were for mid-Dec. Do not know ACT policy.</p>
<p>I was reading on one of the other threads about how a parent (years ago) hid an acceptance from one school because she’d rather her child go to another. Here’s a current day version! Mom doesn’t want her beloved son to go to Arkansas! :)</p>
<p>KaMaMom - Re the Physics. Check several websites of schools your DD is interested in for their ‘required’ and ‘preferred’ (ie if you want to be most competitive) high school courses. These can be two different things. When in doubt call the school. Most of the schools S3 is looking at so far, and the ones S2 looked at wanted four years lab sciences from three different areas (bio, chem, physics). S2 was engineering. S3 is looking at competitive, but not Ivy. </p>
<p>There are always exceptions and that’s why calling can help. Every student is unique and sometimes trading a ‘published preferred course’ with another equally difficult one that serves them academically can be okay. They may suggest a notation by the GC on his/her report.</p>