D21 spent yesterday filling out the Common App. She refused to abbreviate anything in the Activities section even though I assured her that was allowed. Today I will go over it with her to proofread for typos etc. Then hopefully she will submit to at least one college by the end of the day.
It is so weird for our kids to have to boil down all their accomplishments into a tiny amount of characters. Really wished she would abbreviate! She swears up and down she doesn’t want to though. Gah.
My D had lunch with two friends going to UVA. They just found out return to campus was pushed back by 2 weeks. The school is saying they will still likely come to campus, but gave a tiered refund schedule for dorm fees based on how long they remain on campus from 100% refund (under a week) to 0% (my D thinks that was 5 or 6 weeks.) Her friends were guessing they’d stretch them out to the max for 0% refund and then send them home, but as they were hanging out they got the email that the move in date was moved back 2 weeks- so who knows now. They watched their phones blow up as student speculation took off on the admitted student groups and they were all guessing they might not come on grounds at all.
I’m starting to wonder of we need to try to drive to a few campuses right now, before students return in case things get locked down and schools don’t want anyone who is not a student on campus. We have a few within a 6 hour drive D is desperate to see, and we were waiting until students were back to try to see the school “in action.” My mom said just wait and see where she is accepted, since she is applying regardless, but I have an uneasy feeling about the future of being allowed to visit. They will have to have some sort of admitted student function- no way schools will get the enrollments they need from sight unseen kids…right? No quarantine involved in the state we’d drive to/from- need to give this serious thought. May be more motivational with applications. We don’t start school until after Labor Day, and it’s 100% virtual.
@3kids2dogs I think that’s progress! Happened to S19 a couple of times. One essay he worked on for weeks, had multiple revisions, and bagged it. Thought it couldn’t be the “right” essay if he was struggling with it so much. Ended up using a personal statement that flowed right out of him with fewer edits needed. I bet your D’s writing will go faster this time.
Did you migrate to the new site already? With or without writing? Reddit kids are saying no writing scores are back yet, and it appears scores are showing mainly for students who had migrated to the new site prior to today.
D has a Zoom set up tomorrow with her favorite English teacher to go over her essay. Her email said, “good start but room for improvement (isn’t there always??)”. At least she’ll listen to the feedback coming from her teacher! From me, not so much! LOL
She’s graciously offered to do it for free, so we plan on getting her an Amazon gift card or something along those lines when they finish.
@Rue4 I am thinking the same about visiting a few schools now, before students are back and in case everything gets turned upside down again.
Last night we sat down and looked at the last couple of schools together (YouTube on TV). I think we finished the list! U Mass looked really great, and S really liked the WPI video (much to my husband’s chagrin because small and no football). We still need to see the counselor but not sure that the list will change much as it has 4 “likely” and plenty of “targets” per the program.
S is using the College Kickstart program and I do like it. S got a “B+” for balance since he plans to apply to more than 12 schools for now. It gives you all of the deadlines and the # of supps. It tells you where you should apply early and which apps you might be able to get out of doing if you get into a favorite early. Interestingly, they are also including a new feature that suggests where S should and shouldn’t include the one test score that S does have. All of this we will discuss with the CC and take with a grain of salt, but I do like it as an organizational tool. They also have some interesting fresh blog entries about 2019 admissions.
@mm5678 thanks for the new feedback on UMass. It’s interesting because for our target mid-tier UCs here in California, the OOS have a strong admission advantage - double the % in some cases. It will be interesting to flip it and apply somewhere else where you are on the gaining end of that business. UCs also have some public policy drivers that do not favor S. Our list is much heavier on the West than originally planned, but in case Covid is relatively controlled by late spring we want to keep a few of those farther out high reach and good fit options in the mix. I definitely don’t feel like S is in the position to ED anywhere.
Ugh, ACT score came back and didn’t help. Her math went up a couple points, but between reading and science she managed to drop her composite 2 points. At least English stayed at 35. But I’m guessing no one ever sees the results of this one. I don’t think the 2 point math bump is worth the 2 point composite drop.
Maybe getting up at 4:00 am to drive herself to the site she was moved to a few days before the test wasn’t the best idea. But there wasn’t a reasonable hotel within an hour, and she was afraid 2+ hours in the car with mom would just get her more worked up and nervous. I hated to scrap it after she had prepped, for the 3rd time.
I think this is a secondary issue with the tests this year. Some kids are going to technically get a test in, but certainly not under ideal circumstances.
I knew that it wasn’t ideal, but really just wanted a score she was comfortable with so we could be done. Now she will probably study for the Sept one, while starting essays and starting school.
Mostly I’m just venting here. Frustrated with her that she didn’t study a bit harder or let us drive her that morning. More frustrated with ACT and the whole testing situation. Most frustrated with COVID and all the things it has wrecked this year.
I may do a post about this elsewhere, but I’m wondering how she should present her intended major. Her plan has been to apply as a history major planning on pre-med. Should she just focus on the History and not mention Bio or pre-med? Her class selection doesn’t really point either way, she loaded up on everything (although adding AP Chem after regular Chem and AP Bio after honors Bio, which gets you to the most rigorous science schedule in our HS). Same with her EC’s, nothing that screams science or history. A couple medical oriented classes in HS, including shadowing at the hospital this spring if it really happens.
B in COIVD tainted Calc class. B+ in AP Lit, everything else A.
ACT Math 27, Science 31, Reading 33, English 35 in the first sitting, math bumped to 29 second but Reading and Science dropped so don’t know if it is even smart to use that score.
I’m just concerned that her math/science looks weaker on paper, even though she is probably more of a math/science kid honestly.
@dadof4kids Sorry, I wish your D had gotten better news. It’s SO tough this year with testing.
Right now I’m playing a game of chicken with the Sept 13 ACT. I don’t want to make S study unless we think it might happen, but as it grows closer I start to question that position even though I think it more than likely will be canceled around our location. I wish I knew how many other applicants will offer a competitive test score at the top 50-70% of his list. If not many, I’d be inclined to just bag it or hold out longer on prep.
We have an Oct. date too, but I’m not sure we’d have results in time for EAs or other deadlines. I wish the common app would let you tell the schools you might supplement with a later score in the Fall but it just seems like straight up TO or T right now.
@dadof4kids I think that History and pre-med would make her stand out. Many (most?) premeds gravitate towards bio or biochem or some other STEM major.
There are also many history programs that have concentrations in history of science and/or medicine. If she’s applying to any schools that offer these courses, it would further substantiate her fit for those schools.
Does she have AP math or science test results that would balance out that ACT Math sub score? It’s not terrible, by any means, and the composite is respectable. Sorry that it didn’t go to plan. I would not be at my best with a 4:00 a.m. wakeup and two hour drive in the middle of a pandemic either! Hang in there!
I would have her apply as a history major if she’s applying to competitive SLAC and possibly list other related majors as academic interests, e.g., American Studies.
Here’s what I posted yesterday about my D’s experience applying as a humanities major last year. I don’t think she would have been accepted to some of the more competitive schools if she had applied as pre-med, STEM, or one of the more popular social sciences like econ or psych.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/22897915/#Comment_22897915
Which competitive SLACs require applying to a major?
@Rue4 Thank you! Yes, she took with writing. I didn’t think to look T the Reddit forum. With a missing AP score, I think I’m starting to get a bit concerned that something else will go wrong.
LACs sometimes ask what your subject interests are in a drop down box on the application but that is not applying by major. @dadof4kids for most smaller schools (and even the medium sized ones that S19 applied to - Vandy and W&M), he was only asked for these subject interests. Maybe they called them majors but I don’t remember. He was also a kid that maxed out APs in all subjects and had no ECs that showed he was leaning any particular way for major. He was just honest and put down a few majors he might consider.
If she’s pre-med, that’s not a major. You likely already know that. Just have her choose a few possibilities. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. These types of schools know most kids change their majors anyway.
@Mwfan1921 I should have been more careful in my wording. @homerdog is correct, SLACs often ask applicants to indicate academic areas of interest on the CA. As I recall, my D usually had to list 3 areas.
@dadof4kids I’m sorry the ACT results weren’t what your D was hoping for. Our D made a good point when we were debating if she should re-take (also for a lopsided math score). She said that even if she prepped, she can’t imagine she’d do any better on math after not being in a classroom for so many months. I think their brains have sort of gotten out of the habit of thinking critically, moving quickly through work – as the ACT requires – solving problems, that sort of thing. (I do recognize that there are kids who are prepping like it’s their full-time job, but she just isn’t that kid!)
I am also hanging on to @gotham_mom’s experience indicating that SLACs can see beyond one test score on one day, especially if her grades prove her math ability.
We’ve visited most of S21’s list pre-COVID but never made it to UVA. Next week we’re taking a short vacation in southern VA and decided to detour through Charlottesville on the drive down there so that he can at least see the campus.
He hasn’t started the common app yet (as far as I know) but I have him signed up for a couple application info sessions with UDel and VT in the next week so hopefully that will get him at least started on ideas for the supplement writing. But not a big rush – his main essay is done and he won’t do final submit on anything until he’s back to school. In the meantime he has a couple projects to work on for me and his grandfather so I’d rather he finish those.
What’s everyone’s opinion on this one - D is convinced Boston College will reject her if she puts “atheist” on her app. I think they’ll reject her anyway (lol - didn’t voice that to her!) but I don’t think it will make a difference. Told her to put Catholic if it makes her feel better, but I honestly don’t think it matters today.
If it makes you feel better, UVA has notoriously bad campus tours (not my opinion, this is from college counselors as well as my friends who are alums). It’s still on my daughter’s list but she was less excited after the tour.