What I have heard is apply early and then send in quarter grades if you think they help and then semester if they ask or again they help. An initial merit offer can be made that is then raised based on those senior grades.
We are doing 100 EA in hopes of better merit. We will see if that pays off! Our first quarter progress report is after the first set of due dates but before the 2nd so in theory could send with the 2nd batch if they are strong and seem to help.
@snoozn apparently the GC’s are visiting classes yesterday and pray to discuss the seniors scheduling just such a meeting in October. He didn’t mention it yesterday so hoping it’s today and he bring it up and schedules his early,
Good luck to your D today! I know Smith is her top choice.
@curiositycat333 I would definitely note first chair, if not under leadership then with music/ performance group its for as the position held. Our director doesn’t believe in chairs but we aren’t sure how to note that. Hope it doesn’t hurt him by being silent on it.
I had that cal poly link somewhere, I’ll try to look. CS is super impacted I thought, I have a good friend whose S17 is applying there for thy and she’s really worried about his chances. I don’t know his GPA but believe it is quite high and I know he’s got solid test scores and EC’s. But he also has the OOS disadvantage.
We do know a lot about CS, just not specific ones at specific schools. I’m trying to be casual about his choice, since it’s the field both his father & I are in. I think it’s a great choice for him (in some ways he is a LOT like me) and one he can do well in & enjoy. But I’ve been trying not to push in that direction other than to encourage him to take AP CS this year.
I’ll encourage him to do the A&S CS for Boulder. I think he’d have a much better chance of getting in that way as well, particularly since I think his overall changes at getting into Boulder A&S are good, but not for Engineering.
My feeling about Cal Poly for him is it’s a reach for anything in Engineering & that includes CS. He could possibly get in for math or physics. And could get in easy to a program like their forestry one. (But he’s not interested.) Thinking about it today, I think it’s best he apply to what he is interested and consider the school a reach. Trying to play the game of apply in a field you think you can get in rather than the one you want doesn’t seem like a good long term stategy.
Took at good look at UCSC CS program. I really like it for him, I think its a better program fit & he’s a strong match for getting accepted. We are seeing it in less than two weeks. He has friends from camp who attend it. The biggest downside is it doesn’t have a marching band. Be’s saying that marching band in college isn’t as important to him as it was last spring. (Honestly doesn’t surprise me.) I think the campus is exactly what he wants it’s not really remote, but there is a lovely state park with redwoods walking distance from many of the dorms. He can escape into the hills & nature easily. Plus know a lot about it since it’s where I got my BA except I’ve only been back once in the past 20 years.
CS for his other UC’s makes them a reach. Shouldn’t make a difference for either UofO or OSU.
IIRC, my nephew was accepted to Boulder in A&S first, and then about a week later was accepted to engineering. This was only in 2014, so I’m sure the system is the same that an application will be conside red for A&S first, then engineering. He went to a well-know-to-CU Jesuit high school so I’m sure they could judge his gpa easily, but his test scores were not that high. I think the engineering school looks for a balanced application.
Question regarding resume: My D has several interviews with admissions rep coming up over the next few weeks. It seems like it would be a good idea to be able to hand to the interviewer a resume that summarizes the salient information (GPA, SAT scores, class rank) and activities. But, as I have mentioned before on this thread, my D is very light on ECs. She does have a part-time job, and she does do some babysitting, but her involvement at school has been very minimal. She’s just basically a kid who spends her time either studying, working, or hanging out with friends. Her jobs aren’t anything special, either (that is, not something that showcases leadership or special skills, like a camp counselor or life guard). Not being the kind of family who forced activities for the sake of having activities to put on her college application, we are now looking at a very limited resume. When I look at it on paper it makes me feel like she might be better off without one at these interviews–I consider the academic info to be strong (class rank, course rigor–for the schools we’re looking at GPA and SAT score are OK), and the job experience looks good, but the other stuff looks pretty pitiful (a year in this club, a year in that club, a season doing this sport, a season doing that sport). No awards. There’s nothing on the resume that isn’t already included in her Common App (but of course the admissions reps won’t have seen that yet). Any thoughts on how we should proceed?
Very much looking forward to seeing the answers to @klinska 's post as apparently we have exactly the same daughter. Who knew? She has an interview with Goucher on Monday and College of Wooster on Oct 16th, and will need to schedule some others I think, for Smith at least. Was wondering the same thing.
How about filling some space with a Summary Statement or Objective at the top of the resume? Use some key words about intended major and the type of program she is looking for (e.g., collaborative, hands-on, challenging, etc.).
I don’t like the ‘handing the interviewer a resume’ idea. I think there would be an ackward silence while the interviewer read the stats, and then they’d talk about the stats. I think your daughter(s) should learn an introduction, the answers to some expected questions like ‘tell me about yourself’ or ‘Why College X?’
I don’t the the interviewer should care that the ACT score is 30 or 35 as that’s not the purpose of the interview.
That’s a nice idea, @jmek15 and would certainly give interviewers a bit more to go on–she’s not having trouble filling up the page, though–it’s just what she has looks very disjointed, all over the place, and frankly, just not very impressive. I don’t think having a quality summary or objective is going to make up for the rest of the resume, and the option of just leaving the activities portion off seems like it would be a red flag.
@twoinanddone, hmm. That’s certainly one way to handle this, and these are being billed as low-stakes informational interviews–the CTCL schools seem to be going to great lengths to reassure prospective applicants that it’s a low-pressure situation. Maybe this is overkill.
The interview with Smith seems to have gone quite well from D’s report. It lasted 45 minutes which I would take as a good sign. I think if the AO could quickly tell D wasn’t competitive for admission then she wouldn’t want to waste her time. She seemed impressed with D’s concurrent enrollment classes. Anyway at the end she said “I think you’d be a very good fit for Smith.” Sounds good – I just hope she doesn’t say that to everyone!
@klinska and @kt1969, I would advise not doing a resume. I did a little research after hearing that was “a thing.” From what I’ve gathered, most students don’t give a resume although it is fine to do so. I think the AO will ask anything they want to know before seeing the app about grades, classes, EC’s, awards, etc. Even for kids who have the impressive awards and EC’s I’m not sure it makes much of a difference whether the AO sees them in print at the interview or later.
@klinska Is your D a good conversationalist? If not, then I would have her bring the resume just for the fact it will help her, and the interviewer, have things to talk about. I don’t think there is any harm in discussing why she only played a sport for one season etc…
@klinska … S17 attended an interview @ an in-state U & didn’t bring anything with him. He received an e-mail that told him his interview would be conducted by a student, approx length, suggested attire & and a few sample questions. According to S17 “she had a list of questions, we just talked & then I asked questions”. The U defines their interview process as a “nonacademic tool to gather info from a student & to see how a student would benefit the U & if the U would benefit the student”. IF your daughter brings a resume/activities list/scores, I wouldn’t offer it unless asked.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with a student giving the interviewer a resume particularly at the end of the interview. The student can offer it as s/he is shaking hands and thanking the interviewer. The resume can come in handy when the interviewer sits down to write up the report.
I don’t see anything wrong with a resume but I am also not sure it is needed. I think some AO’s like them and others will not take them at all. If a child is shy it could help but they may also feel awkward about it. A simple query mentioning that they have one with them if the AO would like to see it, is an easy entry and downplays it.
But, if you think it makes her look less strong and she will have to fill in the gaps, it may well not be worth it. I do like the idea of a summary statement on top as an alternative, which could also be a nice entry talking point to start with. I don’t know that all over the place is always a bad thing, it shows she was willing to try new things.
I looked at it again with some fresh eyes, and I don’t think it’s that bad. D said that her GC told her it would be a good idea to be able to provide one, so she’s thinking that she will. She’s going to clean it up a bit, and see if she can add a summary/objective. After the SAT tomorrow, but before the first interview on Sunday. :">
I posted this on the main 2017 thread and got no response at all…kind of disappointing. Anyway, will throw it out to you guys. Guess I can ask on a Fin Aid thread but I am comfy here.
I have a question for all of you folks…D17 has a friend who moved here from Poland in about the 5th grade…she has a single mom who doesn’t make much money and who isn’t at all familiar with the US college system etc. Not sure how she’s going to deal with the FAFSA/Profile etc. Anyway, I am helping out as much as I can, and she just mentioned that she wants to take a gap year. What usually happens to your financial aid if you take a gap year? I feel like I’ve heard that there’s no guarantee that it will carry to the next year. Any advice/knowledge appreciated.
FAFSA has to be refiled every year, so if there is a big change in circumstance there will be a change to any federal aid. Are they citizens or permanent residents? If not, there may be no federal aid to get.
Is he applying for schools and then thinking he’ll get accepted and ask to defer for a year, or is he just going to wait a year before applying? If the first, then it is up to the school to decide whether to roll over any FA award. If the latter, then there will be no FA award until filing the applications and getting accepted.
For Bright Futures in Florida, the student MUST file for it before graduating from high school. The student must start using it within two years of graduating unless in the military or on a religious mission. I don’t know what the rules are for similar awards (HOPE in Georgia and Tenn).
Then the federal aid (if any) will need to be filed again, and the school can decide if they will require a new CSS. Some schools only require that CSS once, and give the same aid each year (the FAFSA would still have to be filed every year) while other schools require a CSS every year and make a new award every year. Things change - income, assets, number of siblings in school. Also tuition changes so need changes.
She has an interview with Goucher on Monday and College of Wooster on Oct 16th, and will need to schedule some others I think, for Smith at least. Was wondering the same thing.