I have been trying for the entire day to get S19 to write 250 words about what he hopes to get out of his studies at Indiana U so he can hit submit on that application and 200 words about what his goals are for the music school at UMD and why he wants to study there. These are the two things that have to go in by Nov. 1, although he needs to get busy with his other music supplements so we can set audition dates. Maybe I’m just in a mood, but he’s driving me nuts. I don’t want to be dealing with this two minutes before the deadline!
It’s interesting hearing people’s thoughts on Drexel. Temple is one of S19’s favorites. I can’t say I’m crazy about the neighborhood, but the campus seems secure and he’ll figure out the trains and subways (they actually seem to have a first year seminar kids can take that gets them acclimated to the city - they might get an assignment to go get a cheesesteak in another part of the city and bring back the receipt). I’m just a little bit nervous about housing (if he gets in) since he won’t have a decision until March.
@ashmomjk I got a B.S. in what is now called Criminology at Penn State back in the 90s. (It was called “Administration of Justice” then). Yeah, definitely not the place for someone who wants an urban school!
Eight applications submitted! Whew. It’s been an insane fall. S auditioned for fall play at the end of August and got a major role, so we have barely even seen him for the last 9 weeks. Fall play wrapped last weekend and but they traveled and competed in one act play two days later. He returned to homecoming this weekend which he attended in all its many parts with his first (sort of?) girlfriend. (When did homecoming metastasize into a full weekend of events, I ask you? And become a cocktail dress event with a more elaborate proposal expected than any of us gave or received for marriage? It’s like a big wedding weekend without a bride and groom.) And musical auditions start tomorrow!
S is of course sick from the long hours and stress but the EA applications are in and done. Thank goodness he didn’t procrastinate (pats self on back.) His two reaches don’t do EA so I’ve started fantasizing that he gets enough options by December that he just never has to write those three additional essays. That would be the best Christmas present ever.
I find it interesting when folks compare Drexel to Temple. Other than both being in Philly I see them as being drastically different and wouldn’t expect them to appeal to the same student.
@AgouraLiz welcome! Very happy to have you here, pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and feel free to introduce yourself. Lots of experience and wisdom here and we celebrate all kids!!!
@fwtxmom 8!!! Congratulations! Amazing to pull that off during a show, color me impressed.
We have 2 in. Was hoping for the 3rd tonight but, nope. T-4 on that one.
Cool, I guess the perception of UW Bothell at my daughter’s school is different than your’s eandesmom. I agree with everything you said though and did not know a few things that you said. They have kind of an ego driven ceremony for the kids where they announce the college each kid will attend. Evidently when they announce a CC, UW Bothell or gap year then nobody claps. If it is UW or some higher prestige cool then a lot of kids clap. They really should just give out the brochure at graduation and skip that ceremony as it is crappy.
Interesting about your Son’s experience with UVM. I was thinking it would be a poor choice unless they really came through with scholarship $. Maybe they will.
Welcome AgouraLiz!
I found this interesting site called Cappex that chances college applications. Only problem for me is it is slightly incomplete as my daughter’s school does not officially class rank. It is a good thing as the unofficial class rank has unweighted grades which stinks when you take a lot of AP. Anyways was pleasantly surprised at the results. Would be thrilled if it was accurate albeit a few results were “middle of the pack” and “on the fence” which is rather non-commital!!
Yesterday morning I posted that transcripts and the GC rec letter hadn’t been sent yet despite being requested a month ago, and that an email would be needed today to find out what was going on. We were looking at portals and Naviance again in the afternoon and S wasn’t happy about the missing items. He decided not to wait for Monday so instead sent an email our yesterday afternoon asking about the items. An hour later (on a Sunday afternoon!) she responded with “They’re going out today for everyone with Nov 1 dates”. He checked again and sure enough both Naviance and Common App had been updated to show they’ve been submitted. Coincidence that they were sent out an hour after he sent an email? Maybe, but I really do wonder. I guess it doesn’t matter since it now looks like everything has now been sent, but I am shaking my head. So glad he sent the email.
My son’s school had very tight schedules for all the guidance pieces. They didn’t care when he submitted his piece; Nov 1 deadlines all went out together, whether you applied in August or October. I think most guidance departments have it down. It stresses the crap outta parents and kids, but they’re used to it!
me29034: I sent an e-mail to the GC over the weekend since nothing was in Naviance for a bunch of 11/1 EA schools. She said everything would be out by the deadline. Stressful!!!
Those non-reading boys sound like mine. His 9th grade PSAT was 10% lower in English than Math. His grades also started to crash as soon as he started high school. We thought there might be an attention issue and had him tested. Turns out that he has dyslexia. It explains so much about him. He is smart, a great people person, and able to hide it. Apparently schools don’t identify dyslexia esp for kids who are passing and some students aren’t diagnosed until college. Understanding and accommodations like using audio books have made a huge difference for him.
@OrangeFish Good luck on tours. It’s beautiful out so you are lucky with the weather. Can’t wait to hear.
Meanwhile, Twin A submitted ED so we’re taking a breather. I think she has a super chance at getting in, but if not, we’ll apply RD to an extensive list in December. That was a very long and painful process.
Congratulations on the acceptance so far! My D19 recently had her first interview at a match school. She was very nervous and it definitely showed. She said she felt defensive during the interview so much that she might take the school off her list. I didn’t think most of the questions she remembered were unusual but a few seemed a bit out of line to me.
I am keeping in mind that this is her version and the actual interview may not have been nearly as bad as she remembers. What upset her most was when the interviewer asked her why she didn’t take AP English. She explained that she is strong in STEM so there were 4 other AP classes that interested her more and her advisor recommended her not to take five. The follow up question was if she couldn’t handle 5 AP classes then how did she expect to handle the rigor of the school. Do schools really expect kids to take 5 AP classes? This is not a top tier school and D19 has above average stats. Do you think the interviewer was just testing her?
D19 was almost in tears by the time she called me. This was just one example of several questions that upset her. I know she is really sensitive and struggles with anxiety but generally manages okay in these type of situations. I guess we have a lot more preparation before her next interview. I’d just love to know if this is normal.
My daughter had two interviews. One of them she just said the interviewer was not as friendly and it seemed a little rushed as the interviewer was scheduling for 20 minute segments. She was early on the other one and it lasted about 35 minutes. She said it went really well and the interviewer was much more engaging.
I remember I had an interview at the school I attended and thought it was pretty terrible at the time.
@Momof3kidz I’m sorry your daughter had to go through such a stressful situation. Any astute interviewer should recognize signs of discomfort and redirect the conversation. Having interviewed students for internships before, I can say there is a lot that you can learn about a candidate without making them uncomfortable. Also, 5 APs should be taken in context with what is offered at your school. Sounds like your daughter had a good reason for selecting the courses she did, and should be evaluated on her performance in those courses.
All that said, interviewing is an art and hopefully she learned how to improve for the next one. Good luck!
@Momof3kidz I’m so sorry - that is horrible! Interviewers should not be trying to stress these kids out more than they already are. My D is pretty quiet and I am happy she has not had to do any interviews so far.
I remember my first college interview. We were driving though upstate NY on our way to see Hobart, St, Lawrence and then on to UVM. My mom saw that Hamilton was on the way and even though it would have been a huge reach for me she decided to pull over so we could walk around the campus. Some nice man saw us and started talking to us and showing us around a little bit. Then he said he worked in admissions and would I like to have an interview right then. Now I was at boarding school and had gone through lots of interviews for those but this was my first college interview. I said yes but it did not go well, it was so awkward!
@eandesmom
Being in the Philly burbs, Temple and Drexel often go hand and hand. Many area students apply to both. Both are fully in the city. Both have strong ties to city businesses. Both take B students.
Drexel’s Business school has been slightly easier to get into. Temple Engineering is easier to get into.
Re post #2346, just wanted to point out that the California State University applications (like SDSU and Cal Poly) open on 10/1, not 11/1. The University of California applications open on 11/1.
