No scores for D either. She’s not concerned. Not that she shouldn’t be-- I certainly am-- but she’s just…oblivious.
@petrichor11 I would venture a guess that she will have a much more pleasant weekend than we will.
Sympathies for those waiting for ACT scores - D waited almost 4 weeks for her June scores, but it felt like 4 months at the time. Her June SAT was lower than her March SAT, so that made waiting for the ACT even worse. She decided not to do any testing this fall. She probably should have taken the ACT one more time and maybe actually prepped for it this time, but that suggestion got a gigantic nope!
Her English teacher told them to draft a common app essay for next week. Hallelujah! She’s only applying to one school that requires a common app essay, but at least she’ll have one available if she decides to add more later. Other essays she has to write are more of the “why this major” type which seem like they require less effort. Still, she has written zero words so far and hasn’t been home for more than two hours since school ended yesterday. For some reason, a lot of her college freshman friends are home this week.
@eh1234 The waiting game begins again for my son after next week’s SAT. Had he not been so close for higher money, he would’ve been done too. I’ve used his experiences to educate many of my friends who have underclassmen to
start testing early in their junior year to avoid this situation. We did start early, and although it is difficult to wait, I’m thankful for the opportunity.
Congrats to your D, @labegg!
My daughter plans to apply to Ohio as well (so I’m encouraged to hear your D got in).
She wants to sit down this afternoon and tomorrow and fill out apps for there and SIU-Carbondale. About to submit the app to Ball State.
Went into her room earlier and saw her on her laptop. Thought she was goofing off on tumblr again, but - she looked up at me and said, “Hey, I’m making a document on potential majors and researching them online.” She showed me her document. Wow. So, she is thinking about this stuff, after all! (Anthropology and Linguistics are still on her mind, apparently, so it’s good she’s taking the Stats class, I realize.)
So, we just sat down together and made a spreadsheet of the schools she’s applying to, as well as some others she might apply to, and what majors are offered, etc. Two spreadsheets, one for academic fit, one for social fit. We knew all this already (or I did) but it’s helpful for her to see it all on a chart.
My D also did worse on her June ACT than her March test. Granted, she had a bad cold on the day of the June test and she felt horrible. However, she decided she wasn’t taking it again.
She got a good score back in March, and I honestly worry that if she did any better at this point, it will just make her look like the quintessential “bright slacker” (which she was, but she doesn’t need to highlight that!)
And she also has to have a rough draft of a college app essay for her AP Lit class (bless her teacher!!) for Tuesday. A few of her schools require a short essay (“personal statement”) and I was predicting to myself that she might not bother even applying to those now, because of that… her favorite schools so far are publics that don’t require one.
But now - she has no excuse for not sending in those free applications to small LACs she is still considering!
I wish English teachers at our school had the kids write college essays for a grade. Maybe we’d actually have some done. OTOH, given the Lang teacher S had last year…maybe not.
It’s very heartening to hear that others’ kids’ June ACTs weren’t so great-- D’s was awful, a good seven points below her averages on practice tests. I’m hoping this one will come up at least a little. Even three points would bring her to “kinda almost average” from “wow, that’s pretty bad”.
My son thought he had finished his common app essay, but his English class is also going over the essays. I’ve been on him about making rough drafts for the other college essays. Luckily, some are only 250 words.
I really wonder if we stress and worry more than they do 
At my D’s school all of the senior English classes work on college essays for the first month…all the English classes EXCEPT AP English…I guess they feel those 60 or so kids have it all under control? NOT!. At least she has the common app essay done and several short answer essays. Just need to get her to finish up the last “why I picked this major” essay. It’s like pulling teeth!
My D’s June ACT was worse than her March score too!? Hope this September score is better but the way things are reading over in the Sept ACT thread things don’t look good.
Well, the weekend is almost over and no draft essay has been worked on. I hope D has English class on Tuesday!
My D’s ACT went up 3 points in June, but when she took it in April, that was the first time she had ever seen it! She was bound to do better once she knew what was on it, I guess. Her June SAT was pretty sad, especially math. We didn’t bother with the free re-take.
D submitted two applications today! Finally.
Then I helped her go online and send her ACT scores and transcript.
She still has to have her GC fill out a form and mail that in.
Whew.,
Although these two - Ohio and Ball State - are more matches, I think, and not safeties. (hopefully they’re more the later? idk)
She has two or three sure-bet safeties, and I’ve told her to submit to one tomorrow, SIU-Carbondale. She already has the app mostly filled out online. THEN - after she submits everything for that, I will be a bit relieved, as I’m pretty sure they’ll accept her.
@BeeDAre do you mean Ohio State or another Ohio? It’s on D16’s list but the acceptances last year from her high school were not encouraging. We are in state.
Hi, @kandcsmom , Ohio U in Athens is where she applied.
Ok. Thats one of my alma maters. D16 loved Athens but not OU.
Oh, do you mean the acceptances from OSU were not encouraging; or from Ohio in Athens?
I have heard that OSU, the flagship, is harder to be admitted to.
D loved Athens and the campus - didn’t love the dorms we saw, but said they would do, lol.
One thing that confounded me about OU’s campus is that lots of new construction was going on, but - many of the older buildings on the campus green were in dire need of shutters and trim needing re-painted. I mean, it looked like they hadn’t been painted in decades. It’s a very minor thing, but I thought, why are they not hiring someone to re-paint the older buildings when they can afford to build new buildings?
Maybe it’s on purpose and part of the overall antique charm? 
@BeeDAre, yes, Ohio State, unless you are, ironically, from out of state.
And actually we didn’t notice that when we toured. Maybe the new construction is on more of a strict timetable and the rest can wait?
Not surprising that OSU is more lenient toward OOSers who will pay more for tuition.
I hear the same complaints about many other big state flagships. Especially about Indiana, which is almost 40% OOS now. IU is my alma mater, and back in the day, it was not very selective (but still a good school with excellent academics.)
UMich is another one I hear that about.
Our own, UIUC, doesn’t have many OOSers, but it is difficult for many IL residents to be admitted. Many kids with above-average stats around here, still end up at directional schools, or OOS schools where they pay more, but are more easily admitted.
Thankfully, D does not want a huge research university - she wanted a mid-sized or smaller campus, and preferred the directional or regional campuses we visited.
Ohio in Athens has all of her potential majors, and it’s OOS tuition is reasonable at 20k. I’m hoping she will get a little merit aid, if accepted, which will bring it around the costs of in-state here in IL.
My D sprung the idea of vet school on me last night (she had been talking about wildlife biology, zoos or shelter management before). Nevermind that she got a C in honors Chemistry - I guess we now need to look to minimize expenses in case this actually pans out. I was prepared to spend all of the college savings on four years at an OOS public, but, maybe not… There is also the possibility that she never gets another application done other than UMN-TC and they reject her and I won’t have to worry about any of this.
Competition is tough at our top in-state schools (UVA, VA Tech, William & Mary). VA Tech has an overall acceptance rate of near 70 percent, but kids who have below a 3.9 in my D’s high school need not apply. They can’t get in. (Kids from other parts of the state have an easier time, but there are too many high achievers in the DC burbs).
@BeeDare and @kandcsmom. I am an OU Alum too! The Dorm we saw on our campus tour this summer was on West Green, think it was Boyd or Sargeant? Anyway, I swear it had not been renovated since the late 80’s when I was at OU. There was still a phone booth in the lobby, lol. It was very dreary and sad. In fact I would say that the OU dorms were the worst of any of the colleges that we have visited and we have seen a lot! D16 was not impressed. But my old dorm, Shively on East Green, looked in good condition. Would be nice to get into those new dorms being built, but I am sure those will be reserved for upperclassmen. I did notice that the buildings on the college green needed paint scraped and repainted…I heard that Lindley Hall has been sitting empty supposed to be renovated and that the President had to move out of his house across from the Library (and will not be moving back in) because of a rat infestation.