@curiositycat333 I don’t know if they pay attention to interest but you might look at NAU. They have rolling admissions and no essay. 
They are part of WUE so California students receive reduced tuition.
@curiositycat333, you should be able to find that information in the school’s Common Data Set–for something lke that, you probably could just go to CollegeData.com, where you can look up all schools of interest in one fell swoop. I don’t rely on College Data for SAT/ACT scores or GPA,as the CDS information is more up-to-date, but for weighting of admissions criteria (things that aren’t likely to change from year to year), I think it’s pretty good (and convenient).
S17 won’t look at Arizona or New Mexico. I know NAU is in Flagstaff & it’s not at all like Phoenix but these teens they will be stubborn. S17 has never been to the area outside a trip to the Grand Canyon years ago so he doesn’t really know what it’s like. But for S17 location is one of his top criteria. He wants “west” and for that he meant the schools along the coast. It’t taken quite a bit of persuasion to get him to look at the Colorado schools.
We have the same issue with NAU and it’s a bit frustrating as they are quite strong in EVNS. Good friend has already applied, received admission and his WUE award. Grr.
Does an offer of a “fee waiver” hold any significance, or is the school just trying to goose its admissions rate? I’ve been laughing at all the post cards and such from UChicago coming to our house, as there isn’t a prayer that D17 would be admitted if she were to apply. I’ve seen on other threads here at CC that UChicago is known to be a craven application monger looking to drive down its admissions rate and improve its “selectivity.” But today D17 got an email from Fordham (once on our list but eliminated due to cost and lack of really knowing much about it other than it was going to be a reach) today with an offer for a free application (waiving the $70 fee, regardless of whether Fordham app or the CA is used). To me, this a little bit different from just getting a letter or brochure or post card urging an application–they’re putting some (very little) skin in the game. Should we just delete that email without a further thought and congratulate ourselves for not getting sucked in, or is this a more targeted solicitation for a truly viable candidate? (D is in the middle 50% for SAT scores, but below the average GPA.)
@klinksa I am in the belief that you are somwhere in the range of any school, and you truly want to attend there, apply and let the chips fall where they may.
I think a lot of people worry about the 25-75% range because that is what we see over and over on this site. I think it matters some, more so at tip top schools. Mid range schools I think are looking more at the total package- kids scores, grades, interests and ability to pay or not.
I might be in fantasy land, but this is what I think. Fordham is a great example. I can’t imagine they are getting inundated with applications from super geniuses who shadow doctors at the kiddie hospital during the day and then perform in Annie at night while practicing their fencing technique. I think they get a lot of applications from all sorts of kids and if you want to go to school there, show some interest and apply.
@klinksa I’m a bit confused what post you were answering. I was looking information up for others , not for myself. Perhaps you meant to address that answer to them. Or would information about if they tracked ‘interest’ be in the Common Data Set.
@klinksa 
Spoke too soon. OK I went to the web-site you were suggesting and I do see the information. I’m a bit surprised. Any idea how reliable this data is? For example OSU says they don’t look at letters of recommendation, and this web-site lists them as considered but not important.
There is still a little cost involved in applying with an application waiver. You still have to pay for score reporting, and if a CSS school, for that fee. If your daughter is truly interested, decide if it is worth the $30 or so to send the scores/CSS, plus of course the time and the administrative work of keeping track of all applications and deadlines associated with that application.
My '17 has already been accepted to NAU as well. Last week we received a letter notifying '17 of a 4 year scholarship on top of WUE tuition as well.
NAU is rolling admissions so first applications in are the first accepted. Even though we won’t hear from other schools until spring, it is nice to know that there is at least one option. 
@lkg4answers Congratulations! That is wonderful news. It’s a nice campus in a beautiful natural setting and has many strong academic programs.
NAU has been showing my D the love for awhile now but she has no interest in going to AZ for school. 
@curiositycat333, I believe it is common data set info that they have compiled, but from a year or more ago–I wouldn’t expect to see discrepancies in the admissions weighting criteria, but I guess that wasn’t a safe assumption. I would go with the school’s CDS over College Data. Sorry for any misdirection or confusion!
@twoinanddone, that’s a good point–nothing about this process ever seems to be truly free (financially or mentally).
@RightCoaster, I would dearly love to think you’re right! I do tend to forget that most of what is on this site is filtered through a lens that doesn’t reflect our reality.
@lkg4answers, congrats on getting such an early acceptance! What a great way to start senior year!
@lkg4answers Must be a bit of a relief to have an acceptance in hand. Not going to happen here, but I am pushing for S17 to apply EA to at least one of his schools so he will hear by Dec 15th. And I expect that we will hear from his safety school in Dec as well.
@lkg4answers yes, same with the friend, received scholarship on top of WUE. It looks like it would basically be the same, or a tad less for us, than our in state flagship so I do wish he’d consider but, oh well. Friend is hoping for significant music money there so I am crossing my fingers for them.
I am requiring S to submit EA to any school on his list that offers EA which is most, and then the rest no later than 12/1. We are merit hunting and early bird catches more worms (if any are to be had lol). Some we will here from Nov/Dec but others may well be not till March depending on what that final app list looks like.
Nice! First acceptance of the thread.
D keeps mentioning that she needs to apply to WWU ASAP for the best chance at WUE. Yet she hasn’t budged on her essay since writing the first draft. She’s pretty excited about the school, so hopefully will be motivated soon. Now I have myself wondering if it’s better to apply as early as possible with an essay that’s just okay, or wait longer and apply with the finalized essay.
I’m glad now she decided she was done with standardized testing after one ACT and two SAT’s. One less thing to worry about.
Does anyone know how EA schools look into senior year grades? D’s HS breaks each semester into four grading periods, but of course only the final semester grade is in the transcript. I don’t know if there is some standard method for mid-semester reporting to EA colleges.
I’ve been posting on the Musical Theater thread but my S17 belongs here as well.
GPA 3.3 with 2 years of honors science (bio and chem) and one AP course (psych, A for the course, 3 on the test). He hasn’t done an exceptionally rigorous schedule due to being both dyslexic and dyscalculic. He is set to take AP Envi, but I will pull him if the work due by the first day isn’t done, AP US Government (dropped both APUSH and AP Euro because his dyslexia made it impossible to keep up with the writing demands and Business Law, which is an honors class in our school eligible for CLEP credits. Two years of FL and pulled him off math track after common core geometry and had him due accounting as his last required math.
27 ACT composite, working with a tutor to improve the 19 he scored in math and will re-take in September.
EC’s - Venture Scouting (co-ed), working towards his Eagle badge, leadership within his crew. Drama club - stage crew for several years, lighting, sound, building, stage managed. Tech for various school activities and for other students doing independent work. For the past 3 summers, has done stage crew for a local kids’ theater program and has already been offered the position of stage manager for next year’s production.
Work: last summer, employed at the HS, this year, freelance gardening and yard work.
Our college search is financially focused. He is the youngest of 5 and my family falls in that category of we are supposed to have more money than we do so we probably won’t get any aid. My other children have attended SUNY schools.
I am not sure how to categorize the schools we are considering because applying for theater tech/design production involves subjective factors like a portfolio and/or interview that many academic programs don’t. What I mean is, if he was applying to study psych (his second favorite prospective major), I could plug his numbers in and guesstimate that he could probably get into Oneonta and that he would never get into Stony Brook, even though my H is an alum.
So here’s our list:
SUNY Purchase - my D took him up to visit and they both liked it.
LIU - Post: visited and filled out an application after we were told that he could qualify for merit aid and learning that there is significant support for LD kids.
CUNY Brooklyn - if he gets in and gets a dorm room because it’s just too far to commute.
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Oswego but not sure if the program it has is suitable for him.
Pace - local and he might get money, could commute if he was that motivated.
Nassau Community College - has a decent theater program and could be our only option if he isn’t accepted into a SUNY.
For the private schools, we are thinking that we could try to swing freshman year on campus and then he could move back home if he doesn’t get a position as an RA.
Pipe dreams - financial and otherwise:
Anything not a SUNY
I’ve run the calculators on all of the other schools and I will let him apply to those that he is most enthused about but he understands, as the youngest of 5, that it’s most likely a SUNY for him since he disregarded my advice to get good grades and study for his standardized tests so merit money is fairly unlikely to be enough to bridge the gap between a SUNY and any other school.
I’m actually confused about applying this early. How do the schools get transcripts and teacher recommendations in August. The high school here doesn’t send anything out before mid-October.
@“Queen’s Mom” they accept based on the fact that what you self report is accurate. If you are unable to provide the documents substantiating what you put in your application, they can rescind your acceptance. The UCs, for example, don’t want your test scores or transcripts until after you are accepted.
NAU asks for courses, grades and SAT/ACT scores (no essays, LOR or EC). In our case, they accepted, offered WUE and a scholarship on top of that with the condition that the scores and grades '17 put on the application can be validated.