Judge says UC’s can’t even use ACT or SAT in test optional years. There are so many reasons to agree with this and I empathize with so many of you guys and our friends whose kids keep getting exams canceled. I also am bummed for S21 who has a 36 ACT that he will likely not be able to use. He’s a 3.89 UW/4.45W GPA w/ extracurriculars and was hoping that his scores would help him get into his ideal UCs if he doesn’t get into reach schools.
S21 finally finished his UC essays (4 shorter ones). They’re pretty solid so now he’s moving on to the common app essay. He started down one path but I think he’s found a different topic that allows him to dig deeper.
Question to those who have done the common app or have experienced here. Do your kids do the topic of choice prompt (the last or do they go with mainly the preset prompts)? It doesn’t matter, right?
S21 did an essay writing workshop and was told the specific prompt doesn’t matter. His essay ended up being about a first job and how it helped him lean to overcome his tendency to procrastinate.
It doesn’t matter. Strangely, my daughter wrote her essay without referencing any prompts (assuming it would fall under the last prompt), but when it was finished, it actually fit a specific prompt.
Same here. S21 just wrote what he wanted to write about, expecting it would fit the last prompt, and it ended up fitting, I believe, Prompt 5. I’ve listened to multiple podcasts by admissions officers and admissions consultants, and they’ve all said it doesn’t matter…I think those prompts are just to give you ideas about the kinds of things to delve into so you write something in the general realm of what they want (a reflective personal essay)…from what I understand, they often don’t even look at what prompt you chose - they just read the essay.
@MommaLue I am wondering if it would be ok to mention the 36 in an essay? Others here might have an opinion on that. It does seem like a big deal to me for a student to have a 36 and not be able to use. I am not familiar with the UC app. Maybe others would think mentioning it anywhere on the app would be a no-no? Curious.
Sorry to drag this back up. But it showed up in my facebook feed and I knew it was mentioned here but didn’t read it.
I wish I hadn’t honestly. The standards they used for cutting applicants infuriated me. They say they want to major in “x” but they don’t have any activities about “x”. Denied.
I’d love to take a poll of American professionals and ask them what they do with their free time. How many of them will say participate in/ watch sports, spending time with their families, dining out, travel, etc vs the number of them that will say, I spend my free time doing something related to work? Not continuing ed that will benefit their career, but actual: I have some free time after work, I think I’ll do some volunteer accounting for this organization. Some might, but what percentage?
It’s just setting the bar way too high. Let these kids play sports, plan the homecoming dance and write for the newspaper, even if they want to be a doctor. And believe them when they say that on September 25th of their senior year; they want to be a doctor…look to their grades in Science classes if you want, but don’t make them search out some future doctors group to spend their precious free time at in order to take them seriously.
D started her essay for Prompt 1, but when she finished she decided to do the last prompt. I didn’t think you even had to identify which prompt you picked.
I understand, but in reality we are only talking about a relatively small percentage of the 3,000 or so 4 year schools that ‘shape’ their classes as depicted in the article.
I have an easier time moving a kid to the deny pile who didn’t do any ECs related to their major (or seemingly even mention that in their essays by speaking about specific classes they would like to take and/or profs they would like to work with), than I do moving a high financial need applicant who has better academics to the deny pile to make room for someone with lower, or no, financial need.
In the end, I don’t feel the need for more transparency in college admissions because colleges can build classes how they want to.
College admissions don’t seem much different than hiring at companies…candidates don’t typically know the details of the process or why they were rejected, and as someone who has hired people for decades I have seen people rejected because of the color of the suit they wore to the interview, their unkempt hair, the tone/timber of their voice, and a whole host of other things that had nothing to do with their potential ability to do then job.
@1lotus Maybe have the guidance counselor mention the 36 in the letter? If your son were to do it, it might give the impression that he’s trying to get around the test blind policy and that could backfire.
@1Lotus , I like @mamaedefamilia 's idea about the guidance counselor mentioning it. I think it can also be recorded on the transcript too by the school. I don’t agree with penalizing students who took the test before Covid. Those scores should be allowed.
My daughter also has a 36 and was considering applying to the UC system. She will be a NMSF so that will be on her app and would hopefully show strong test taking ability.
I like the idea of TO/TB but in a system like UC, that doesn’t really seem to weight ECs much, it seems like the way they calculate their adjusted GPA even further harms kids who don’t have access to AP and IB classes. With grade inflation, you’re pretty much putting everything on the essays at that point, which again, slants in a lot of ways to kids who have access to more resources. This is such a complicated issue but it seems like an all or nothing approach could end up having unintended consequences to those who it is meant to help. I’m all for my child giving up the ability to present her score if it helps make things more equitable – I just hope that is the actual outcome.
@3kids2dogs , I hear ya loud and clear! My son is applying to a “public Ivy” and they have the same concept on showing fit to major and demonstrating years of preparation for their intended major. It’s all about the rankings and keeping that high 4 year graduation rate. They don’t want kids switching majors because that delays graduation rates. I suppose it also helps to weed out the thousands of applications by splitting hairs on how they prepared for this major throughout high school. My son has lots of well rounded extracurriculars and service activities but very little fit to the major he’s applying for. It’s their game though; they can call the shots. I will be shocked if he gets in. If he does, they are putting their money where their mouth is when they “say” they are truly holistic in reviewing applications.
I see merit in both sides of the standardized test argument. My DS21 has a good score because he diligently studied and took the SAT last fall, before Covid, and is working on applications to UCLA and Berkeley. If they’re not allowed to see his SAT score, then I think that is a shame and isn’t fair to him. He didn’t “buy” his high score with a fancy, expensive tutor or any other unfair advantage. On the other hand if he had waited until later like so many other kids then I would also be upset if the tests kept getting cancelled like so many of you are dealing with.
I am unclear how the acceptance decisions will be made more fair with fewer data points - how can fewer data points be considered more fair?
@mamaedefamilia the guidance counselor mentioning it sound like a better idea than mine. @nanosec If student is an NMSF, then mention of the 36 probably isn’t necessary either-that mentioned somewhere would say a lot about the strength of the candidate.