Maybe someone knows the answer to this…D17 hit submit on her CA app to UVM a few nights ago [Thursday?] and got her portal info. I looked at it just to see what it’s like, and it shows that her CA and scores have been received but not her transcript. Her transcript got sent a few weeks ago along with her LORs, so I’m wondering if there is an issue or if it just takes a while to show up in her application bc they have to match them up manually, not like scores or whatever. Anyone know? Wondering if I need to call or if this is normal in the first few days after an app is submitted.
@kt1969 we haven’t submitted yet so no portal yet but I will let you know what I see once we do. I know our LOR’s are uploaded to the CA but transcript is sent separately. Maybe @snoozn 's D can check hers?
Submit date is tomorrow here!
I’d give it a few days and then follow up. Probably just a timing thing, but I had an experience where my daughter had two files and some stuff got put into the first file and some things into the second. When the high school sent the transcripts (3 or 4 times) they were in the ‘wrong’ file. Caused all kinds of trouble.
@snoozn I think S17 is stuck on those 6 short essays. I believe he has the rest of it all done. I honestly don’t know if he will get it in. It’s Sunday AM, he has been busy with band stuff all weekend. Has robotics this afternoon & friends have a Halloween party tonight. There is homework… (Physics has a HUGE amount all the time) Tuesday he’s gone all day for a marching band event and won’t be home till 10pm or later. Can’t drop the ball on homework…
Not sure he’ll go to the friends Halloween party. I’m bummed because I consider his social skills as important to nurture as his grades & he goes to few social activities with these kids. But well… something is going to have to give. I’ve considered letting him off the hook os OSU as EA. There is still a lot of time to get regular admission is… but I’d hoped he would hear from this one early. It’s not quite a safety but close. (I’d be a bit shocked if they turned him down.)
I just found this thread while I’m sitting here stewing about how S17 is dragging his heels on his college apps. S17 is my second to go through this, and is not at all like S14! I could use a supportive group as we navigate the next few months, so I’m joining in, for my own sanity!
He’s a little above the stats stated but definitely belongs here. He’s not involved in a lot of school activities and he’s not at all caught up in the prestige of schools. He wants a low-stress atmosphere, so he’s applying to schools well within his reach. Think “smart skateboarder,” lol. He wants to study business and wants access to a good music scene. He’s gone on three campus visits (only one school remains on his list) and didn’t go to any HS visits. We will probably insist on him seeing at least the CO schools he’s admitted to before he makes a final decision.
Stats: 3.66 uw/4.1 w. ACT: 29, SAT: 1350 (took each only once)
EC list: He began working at age 16 (by choice) and he works at his job 4-5 days/week. He loves music and is writing his CA essay about how it defines him (he’s seen over 150 shows and taught himself a couple instruments). No clubs. No athletics. He has just 2-3 other things on his activities list.
Rigor: Honors classes in science, math, and Latin. Regular in everything else. He’s also part of the TV production team that does the live announcements program each day at school.
Honors and awards: National Honor Society; honor roll all semesters for GPA.
LoR: Teacher recs should be strong. They love his unique mind (although he is sometimes outspoken) and a few have confided that he’s one of their favorite students. One even wants to send a non-solicited one to CC because she is certain that’s the place for him to be! Not sure how the counselor’s rec will be, though – she doesn’t know him well.
List of schools:
High Match/Low Reach - Colorado College
Match - Lewis & Clark, U Denver, U Colorado - Boulder,
Low Match/Safety - DePaul University
I think he’d like any of the schools he’s applying to, but DePaul is the only one close to home and he’s not sure he wants to go far. DH and I think he’d love Boulder, though. We were there recently and agreed it’s right up his alley. I do appreciate how he really seems to know what he wants, though.
S17 wants to do all his apps EA (so, due 11/1 – 11/15) but he’s not quite done with his essay and hasn’t even started any supplements or entered his activities in to the Common App. It’s driving me crazy, but he’s always managed to make his deadlines so I have to go on trust. I’ve also offered to help enter the details, but the essays will be all his. Wish me luck over the next 48 hours until the first one is submitted!
Welcome @julesegr ! I completely understand - yesterday I was doing a bit of stewing myself when DS spent the entire day and evening hanging out with friends. Not a minute spent on school work or apps, never mind chores. I was very stressed out - but clearly he isn’t! So when he made a brief appearance to change clothes we had a discussion. I gave him the college binder, and signed out as navigator of the apps process. At some point today I’ll show him how to set up a new portal and check the existing ones, etc. I really don’t mind helping out when it’s a team effort, but I’m tired of feeling like I’m pushing a boulder through sand. He’s an awesome, talented and smart kid, but he needs to take a turn driving this process to understand what is involved. He has 6 apps left, including ones for his top 4 schools, so I hope he is ready!
@julesegr Welcome! Your S17 sounds a lot like my D17. She was dragging her feet for a long time. But this past week she finally completed the CA and CA essay and was able to hit submit a few apps. I think the satisfaction of finally completing something felt good and motivated her to apply to a couple more schools that didn’t have additional essays - just in case? Or because it felt good to hit the submit button? Not sure 
Then she even finished up two other short supplements and sent those too (6 schools total!)
EA to Colorado College is the next on her list due 11/10. She is struggling some with the writing supplements and we take talked about how those are very important for CC. So I’m thinking she will stew on them right up to the deadline.
After that there are just a couple RD schools that she may or may not apply to…she has till mid Dec to decide.
Hang it there…I’m sure something will spark some motivation in your S soon…even if it is just the looming deadlines.
FYI - I don’t know much about raiseme.com but my D had looked into it a while ago and a couple of schools on her list participate in the micro-scholarships it offers.
We just logged in today and one of her schools has a NOV 1st deadline.
@julesegr Welcome. Although I sure wouldn’t put your S down as not having a lot of EC’s. Work is an EC… he should write it down. Not a lot of students around where I live have jobs. Plus…TV production is a great EC. For most kids & most schools 2-3 solid EC’s are enough. There is a craze with some students that they have to be in 5 million activities but it’s really not necessary. Our school tries to emphasis that students don’t need that many, but they should show consistency with the ones they are in. I would think he would have a good shot at L&C with those stats & activities.
I tried to get S17 interested in Colorado Collage. He’s not interested. We toured Lewis & Clark and he didn’t like it. I decided after suggested several LAC’s that I wouldn’t keep trying. This has left large state schools on his list inlcuding CU Boulder. He’s not going to do that Boulder EA though, it’s his most complicated application & he’s never been to Colorodo. (But I’m fairly certain he would love it.) Trying to get him to do CU Fort Collins as well… but eating till the U. of California apps are in. He’s trying to get OSU in this weekend, and got in UofO in the other day. And if they come back with yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if Boulder drops off the list. IDK… I think he’s really like it & it fits everything he really wants but it’s expensive.
First time commenter sounding in to wave my pompoms about Early Action. If any of your kids are sitting on anything that could be sent out today or tomorrow, it’s worth beating the rush!
S17 (3.6W) has 3 non-binding acceptances to schools he’d love to attend, 2 with merit offers (other school will notify about merit next month, though I’m not holding my breath for that one). I was shocked that he had decisions before November (and before Early Decision app deadlines)!
(S17 has few ECs, mostly music; good essays and very high ACT.)
@curiositycat333, I thought for merit consideration at Ohio State, the deadline was Nov 1.
I am happy to report that THREE applications are now in. 2 full days before the EA deadline. Whew! Now we hope for portal info so I can confirm all materials are there. They should be but I’ll feel better knowing. He would not let me review them before handing over the credit card. However, I have post payment and all suggested edits were incorporated. YAY. Probably to shut mom up but I can live with that.
S now wants a two week break before the 12/1 round work. I’m not crazy about that idea at all. But since I am out of town next weekend, not sure I have a choice. I feel slightly better as he has at least started 2 of the supplements, one he feels pretty solid about. But…I really want him to interview at 2 of the schools and know it will bring arguments as to the need. Sigh. Can’t seem to impress the optional isn’t optional when it’s local and that really, requesting a phone interview would be a good idea.
I am still struggling with the fact that there isn’t one reach on his list. I don’t know why it bugs me but it does. I really wish I could find a reach that would offer enough merit to be livable in the one “off” year where we don’t have 2 in school and meets 100% need to at least get us to the EFC. No luck so far though.
@stlarenas I had looked into raiseme before and the general consensus is that it doesn’t really “add” to what the NPC spits out, it just shows progress towards that number as small little wins. It’s pretty new though so not a ton of data points. I had thought about it but if it wasn’t necessarily stacking awards, it didn’t seem to be of much benefit.
@curiositycat333 is Boulder more than U of O? I would have expected them to be similar cost wise.
Welcome @julesegr! It is painful to watch them drag their feet! That sounds like a nice line up of schools, is there nothing else closer that he likes if distance is a concern? DePaul is a solid option I would think, my S feels strongly he wants to be away but I am making him apply to 2 in state in case he changes his mind. I’d actually be ok with 2 in driving distance, it doesn’t have to be in state but that is how it worked out so far. If he likes Lewis and Clark, what about Lawrence? The music scene there sounds really really good. I would say though (having lived in Chi town for 10 years, S17 was born there) that if he does go west, it may be hard to get him back as it is a vast weather improvement lol. I think it sounds like a nice EC list. College would rather have “pointy” kids that show passion in certain areas and combine the music, tv production and work and he sounds great to me!
@tacocat333 thanks for delurking! Welcome! That is outstanding that your S has decisions back so early. What schools? I’d love if some of S’s came in before the posted “by” notification dates.
@mommdc it’s Oregon State. The Left Coaster’s OSU
@snoozn you probably already found this but I seem to recall you asking about WWU portal. The submission pages says 2 weeks after application is submitted before the online service is available to check on materials being submitted. Admission notifications are snail mail though. They did say when we toured last spring that admissions start in November. I know the EA date shows by 12/31 but I suspect we will all hear long before then.
@eandesmom, I’m with you about being a little trepidatious about the lack of reaches. After being thrilled and proud of D17’s acceptances, the speed of them makes me worry that he’s sold himself short with his choices considering high ACT. But that’s the insecure mom talking; I know my kid and I don’t think he’d do well in a pressure-cooker. He’s a very under-the-radar kid and he needs a college where he can shine. And cost is an issue for us, being in that lovely demographic of not being eligible for aid (and no millionaire grandparents).
There are 6 schools we have yet to hear from, including some 50-50s and one reach (Case Western), which he is not at all invested in since it’s the only one we haven’t visited.
@curiositycat333, @eandesmom - I’m not at all faulting S17 for having work as his primary EC. On the contrary, I think it will be very attractive to schools, not to mention what it’s done for my son and his independence and sense of self. I like the expression “pointy kid” – that’s definitely him. I think I was trying to draw the comparison to some of these high-achieving, Type-A kids who feel the need to have a hand in many ECs. Sometimes we are made to feel guilty if they can’t fill the 10 lines on the Common App, even though I know that depth is more interesting than breadth.
As for other schools closer to us, he isn’t really interested. He’s very happy with the idea of going to DePaul (big city, great music scene, family in town, plus good undergrad business school) and he will likely get in. It’s us who are encouraging him to see a world wider than just what he’s known and can drive to in a couple hours. We certainly won’t push, however, and there’s a long time between now and May, in case he changes his mind.
@tacocat333 Oh that’s good, I wasn’t sure if it was 3 and done or still more to follow. I completely get where you are coming from (or where he is) as my S would not do well in an uber competitive environment either. However, he does do better when pushed a bit. So I don’t want a college too below his stats (which is where he’d get larger merit). We don’t weight but he’s at a 3.6-3.7 if we did and I don’t know if that will offset the UW 3.45 and lower ACT or not. We will know a lot more once we see how these initial 3 come in. I don’t see him adding more schools but you really never know. Cost is an issue for us as well, while we get a small bump at some of his schools with the 2 kids in college, I tried to limit it to schools that would be on the verge of affordable (or financial reach but livable if it was the right school) if only 1 was in college (so merit aid versus FA) otherwise sophomore year could be unbearable. We are in the same spot full pay, but cannot afford full pay.
@julesegr Pointy is good. My S did fill all 10 lines but there is a lot of overlap or relationship between those lines so I don’t see them as 10 EC’s at all maybe 5-6. He is relatively pointy, but deep I think, and I agree,work is important. It is good that your S knows what he wants, that’s (more than) half the battle!.
Our progress today was that he was finally able to link up and send his LOR requests. Due to many factors, the only teachers he can ask for recs are the drama club advisor (who has known him since he is 3) and the auto tech teacher, who is also a lawyer, and who knows our whole family, except my D. Since he is applying for theater tech, I hope that the lack of academic teachers doesn’t kill his hopes.
He hasn’t written any essays or finished his portfolio. He wants to take a gap year and doesn’t believe that I will allow it so he is delaying. I told him that he shouldn’t apply to the schools that won’t allow a deferral and I hope that will allay his fears.
The schools on his list are SUNY Purchase, SUNY Oswego, Adelphi, LIU-Post and Pace (which doesn’t defer). I can’t get any others on his list.
FAFSA is in but I doubt we are getting any FA. I don’t know if the private schools require CSS. That might be a deal killer because I really don’t want to fill it out. I have to call the FA offices and find out if he can get merit aid without filing CSS.
@mommdc OSU – Oregon State University. I keep forgetting since nothing east of the Rockies is on DS list. Plus sadly we aren’t looking for merit consideration anywhere sadly.
Schools that require PROFILE are all listed here. The first column should be the only one you’d need to worry about. Others are regarding noncustodial parent forms and internationals.
Do you think the gap request has anything to do with your H wanting him close? A gap year can be great for kids who just aren’t quite ready. As for the LOR’s I think with his program choice it will probably be ok. Maybe not ideal but not an app killer I wouldn’t think. Is the drama club advisor an actual teacher that he’s had?
Hopefully he doesn’t have too many essays and some time before due dates. Hugs