@TwinMom2023 Four types of admission. Regular Decision: you know what that is. Early Decision: This is an early application with an early decision…but it is BINDING meaning if it is a yes your child has to go there (unless financially it won’t work after you get the package). Early Action: early application and an early decision but the decision doesn’t bind your child to go to that school. Rolling Admissions: as someone else noted, this is schools that take applications early (typically starting now or Aug. or Sept.) and review them as they receive them. Typically some of the big state schools though others do this as well. I hope that helps!
@TwinMom2023 Penn State is rolling, non-binding. The app opens 8/1. And at last week’s open house at the University Park campus, they said decisions will start to release in October. With the branch campuses, it can be even earlier.
The only other rolling, non-binding school on S19’s list is one of the actual PA state schools. Others I know of are Pitt and Lebanon Valley.
Thank you. I’ve been so focused on ED that I missed the whole nonbinding rolling thing. Getting twins ready to apply to colleges is not a picnic. They need completely different types of schools. It’s like a part-time job!
@twinmom2023 I hear you about preparing twins for college applications. My neighbor has triplets and had to do them all at once LOL! One went to a community college, the other went to university of Miami, and the third went to High Point University. I can’t imagine the busyness she had at that time! Actually the one who went to Miami did not end up liking it and is transferring to High Point this year. So I guess her work kept going even after college applications LOL.
Oh, the work keeps going long after the admissions - keeping the FA straight, taxes, medical file updates…Endless.
@TwinMom2023 make sure if you child applies ED that they understand that they are committed to go to the school. The only way out is because it is not financially feasible .
Essay anxiety: Anyone else have a child reduced throughly to jelly by college applications? D19 has a pair of 80–90%-done essays that are honestly really, really good, but she’s convinced they’re horrible, and refuses to complete either of them. Any suggestions on how to get her over the anxiety? She’s not normally an anxious person, but the essay thing? There have been tears. (And I have told her that the essay isn’t remotely as important as she thinks it is, but she isn’t listening to that.)
Medical professions: Echoing @carolinamom2boys’s mention of the job outlooks for PAs. Also, pointing out that the market for PAs in Alaska specifically is really, really good, and expected to only get better, especially in remote locations—we have a lot of places up here that can’t support having a MD/DO, so a PA (or NP, especially in non-hub small communities) is the local source of medical care. if your kid is the sort who can handle living not just away from hustle and bustle but in or near the actual middle of nowhere (not just in Alaska—this goes for rural and rural-ish communities across the country, really), there are some really good options for PAs and NPs, alongside the more widely known professional options available in urban and suburban locations.
Rolling admissions: Rolling admissions simply means that admissions decisions are made as applications come in. There’s always a starting date (1 July, for a lot of big state schools), and often but not always a cutoff date (though, of course, the first day of classes forms an effective cutoff deadline even for schools without one, and if they fill their class it’s done at that point anyway). ED and EA are quite different animals from rolling.
Probably a stupid question but do you have to send official transcripts to all these rolling admissions. I read that some have acceptances already - did you get transcripts sent from your school? D is filling out WVU online application and we have a copy of her unofficial transcripts so entered all the info. But guessing they all wait for official transcripts too?
@DCNatFan - I like Clemson a lot as well but way too expensive OOS for us and my D stats aren’t good enough. They don’t seem to offer much of anything to OOS money wise. My D desperately wanted to visit but I nixed it. Sad though because I think she would LOVE it but we can’t shell out $50K a year. Bummed. Hope your D gets in!! I wish my D had the stats to get in!
@Cotton2017, it depends on the school. Many if not most allow self-reporting of classes taken and grades received, with an official transcript to follow to verify everything if the student opts to attend, but some do require official transcripts as part of the application. (Some others that don’t require transcripts for admission do require official transcripts before merit aid offers are made.) Really, it’s different for each place, and so you need to read their stuff carefully—but in my experience, admissions offices are happy to clarify their policies for you if you need help with it.
While we toured Flagler this weekend , the AO said that they are going to self reported grades , but upon acceptance they do require an official transcript to verify.
@dfbdfb My S19 has an aversion to writing about anything if he doesn’t absolutely have to, so our struggle will be getting him to attempt the essay prior to Halloween with November 1 deadlines looming. I’m hoping he will have to turn in a draft essay for English early in the school year, but it’s not a given.
Is there a reason your D feels like she needs to complete and perfect her essays in July? I would probably continue to offer assurances on the quality of the work and the abundance of time remaining when she brings the subject up. Maybe a third party can review her drafts when school starts?
While some schools have rolling admissions and no real cut off date, that isn’t always the case for FA. One daughter’'s school required acceptance (by the student) by May 1 to get the OOS freshman scholarship. Watch those deadlines.
@ninakatarina We visited Arcadia end of June and D19 wants to apply. Do you know if they allow health sciences majors to do early app and did you self report grades or get official transcript?
@Cotton2017 I hear you about the cost of Clemson. Not just the cost but I am also a UGA grad, her selections are not sitting well with me. After our visit to Clemson D19 has now added Auburn to her list. Apparently she read something about the schools being similar but Auburn having more of a town surrounding campus. We have family in Alabama who have volunteered to take her on tours of Auburn and Alabama this fall.
@eh1234, she needs to complete an essay before the end of the month to complete one of her applications in time to get a fee waiver. Not a necessity, but a good thing, you know?
@EENYMum we sent the official transcript; our school uses Naviance so that makes it easy. I believe they allow everyone to do the early app. But it wouldn’t hurt to call their admissions office and learn the details for yourselves.
Ah, I didn’t realize that fee waivers were available for very early applications at some schools. No wonder she’s feeling some pressure! Hopefully she can take a step back for a day or two and finish it up - a week is still a decent amount of time to write 10% of an essay. (And hopefully whatever she finishes now can be used for her later applications - she’ll be set!)
DS16 applied to 5 schools and we didn’t pay an application fee for any of them.
D19 told me yesterday that she wants to be absolutely done with all her EA apps by September 30th. She’s done with her personal statement but needs to edit it down to 650 words. She’ll start working on school specific supplements on 8/1. All this without any prompting from me. I’m proud of her.
She also decided to take the ACT one more time. She got a 30 in June so she’s hoping to improve on that.