Sounds like our HS may be getting inundated with e-mails requesting the status of LOR and transcripts. We received the following e-mail this morning.
“XXX HS understands this is a stressful time for seniors and their parents. College deadlines exist for a reason and XXX HS will meet the deadline for every school that a student has requested a transcript for. There are many items that must be in place before we can send transcripts and we are working tirelessly to ensure they are completed in a timely manner. Teachers have been reminded of the upcoming November 1 deadline, and I promise we in the counseling in the office are on top of what needs to be done. You need to trust that your students, all 500, are our top priority and all documentation will be submitted in a timely manner.”
Sounds like they are basically asking parents to stop pestering them.
Congrats to those of you with acceptances in hand! I’m sure that is a huge relief to have options. I remember when D17 got her first acceptance and we knew she had someplace to go!
Is my kid the only one who hasn’t turned in a single app yet? I don’t think any of his schools have rolling admissions, and according to my spreadsheet, the EA deadlines for his schools are later, in December, unlike D17 whose EA deadlines were in November. I need to double check. It’s been stressful here as I’m also in the midst of my youngest applying to h.s., so she is in the midst of shadowing, etc. On top of that, ny dad had a heart attack less than 2weeks ago, and dh is overseas! And my youngest is currently really sick, and we are supposed to fly out this weekend to visit D17. Praying none of the rest of us get it.
A little bit of good news. After putting off looking at his SAT score, S19 just texted me his score. He brought his score up 50 points in reading. However, after spending way too much on a math tutor this summer for the SAT, his math score actually went down 10 points! He said right away after taking it that he though the October test was harder than the last one. He wants to take it again in two weeks, b/c he said he was tired during the reading portion and could not concentrate. However, he has a game the night before against their arch rival, and if they win, his team is in the championship…and if they lose, they might not depending on how the other teams do. So I’m not sure his brain will be in the right place.
So I’m happy his score went up, but it still needs to be a minimum of 50-100 points higher or he’s going to have to settle his sights mostly on his safeties, or test optional schools. And it could also affect whether he gets offerred a recruited spot for his sport.
@DCNatFan That is definitely a message of Settle Down. I think the frustrating thing for many parents is that we inform and nag our kids, but they have no concept. I’m sure schools see it every year and get so annoyed. I am guessing that most seniors are procrastinators and I feel bad for the teachers and GCs trying to balance hundreds of demands.
Thanks everyone for the advice. Juniata is too far, Marist will not give her any non-need based aid - her stats are squarely in their mid-range for everything. St Mary in Newburgh is definitely a possibility.
Just chiming in on the workload of counselors right now. Yes, I’m sure it’s a lot, but isn’t it totally expected? And what actually does have to be in place before sending a transcript? Why don’t transcripts start to be prepared in August, and then plug in first quarter grades and they are ready to go? Honestly it just sounds like clicking a couple of buttons.
I haven’t nagged our counselor yet, but son went in to check on getting his transcript sent to his non Common App, rolling admissions school (he did the electronic request as a part of the app over a week ago) and oh, the counselor is at a conference in Texas for 3 days. WHAT? With EA deadlines in 8 days, and probably the busiest time of year by 400% for this position? And what organization in the field would possibly think this is an acceptable time for a conference!
And PS…he got that rolling admission app done first on purpose…hence the benefit of rolling admissions…waiting 2 weeks and counting stinks. I don’t care about any others as long as they are in by the deadline.
Rant over thanks for listening all. But I feel like I can’t check in because I don’t want son to be put at the bottom of the pile…
@TS0104 that stinks! something similar happened to D17 when she was applying EA two years ago. I don’t recall what she was having a problem with but she was finishing up her apps the weekend before they were due. Nov 1 was a Tuesday. I told her to speak with the college admissions advisor at school on Monday. She texted me from school that the advisor was out that day. I was like “What, are you kidding me?” She said, nope, and lots of kids were pissed. Several parents mentioned it to me as well, so I was not the only one frustrated! This was just icing on the cake - she has not been an asset at the school (small private h.s.). Unfortunately for us, she is still there.
Hopefully the transcript was already sent but maybe it just hasn’t been logged in on the other end yet?
@TS0104 I definitely would have come unglued!! And you are spot on that no one in the industry should hold a conference anytime in the fall. That is ridiculous.
I hear other kids complaining about our GC and I assume they are getting that from their parents, but ours has been so supportive with my needy kids! We must be lucky so far. Talk to me next week after the deadline. LOL
Grateful for our small school and GC that has time to send in things promptly. I don’t know that he is a lot of help guiding kids through the college process, but he is able to send transcripts day-of which is generally all I need of him. DD didn’t need LORs for her apps, but will need them for some outside scholarships. We’ll start on those mid-November. This week is crammed for DD with spearheading a teen fall festival on Sunday, and two weeks after that is the musical. Not going to bug her until then!
Hi all, I’m hoping somebody can help with suggestions. DS '19 is looking for a smaller sized school to study finance, preferably with decent need based aid as our EFC is 11k, and his stats aren’t that great. 3.35uw, 3.67w GPA, 1180 SAT, URM, Football captain, youth coach and NHS, but that’s it for EC’s. His sister, D19, was a high achiever that was looking at a completely different set of schools, so I’m kind of lost at which direction to point him in. I like Trinity, but it’s a reach, he likes Rowan, but it would be full pay… any suggestions?
@eandsmom all of the others were individual applications. Clemson offers the coalition app now, but he chose to do the individual app because it was so easy and the first one that he completed . He’s really hoping to get into his first choice because it has everything he’s looking for in a school including a very specialized major.
@TwinMom2023, it gets worse! I emailed her today and got the auto reply that she is out for ONE WEEK! (And counting, she is supposed to be back today but I’m still getting the out of office email. (For anyone reading, this is our HS College Counselor I am talking about, at a conference for one week during prime app/record sending season. And she is low tech and not the type to respond to emails while she is away).
@rwpncjones Maybe Kent State, UNCW, WVU, U Toledo or Youngstown State would give enough merit. Lycoming College is also very generous and they host the Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week.
Run the net price calculator on the college websites.
Our GC misunderstood and didn’t think midterm grades were required for ED plus the twins’ dual enrollment college decided not to give midterm grades this year. FUN. They are both going ED so we are scrambling. Our lovely GC is working so hard for us. Crossing fingers we get everything in. One twin is applying to a fit school and one a fit/reach. So.Much.Stress.
@TwinMom2023 I think it varies by school, S19’s ED school doesn’t seem to require them (though he’s not yet sent submit so who knows for sure). Our midterm ends after the ED application date!