D got accepted to UT Dallas the other day. So we have two affordable options now, one within driving distance (but we haven’t seen either in person). If COVID rates stay ok in Texas, we are planning to drive up to Dallas for a night before Thanksgiving.
“Planned power outage” for utility work in our neighborhood from 9-3 today. Should make virtual school fun. ?
@TVBingeWatcher2 I’m so sorry to hear this
@mm5678 I live in the Dallas area, let me know if you want any info about UTD and the area surrounding campus.
From everything I’ve heard, ED applications seem to be up. I would have anticipated the opposite but maybe kids want the certainty of an answer in an uncertain world. I’d be curious to hear others chime in. ED applications are double at my D’s school this year.
I think your son’s ACT score will boost his application for sure. My D21 is applying ED to Middlebury and I just found out the only other student from her school who was admitted had a 36 on the ACT and was a champion tennis player. This makes me a bit nervous. My D has solid stats and is taking all IB courses but she hasn’t done anything extraordinary like so many others I see on CC. I’ve often thought that if she gets admitted, it will be because she’s kind and she comes from an underrepresented state. I think most of the kids who apply to these schools have a high GPA and high test scores, and what separates them from the pack are ECs and character. I think a 36 is rare enough that it will get noticed. Best of luck to your son!
Thanks @Momof3B! If you have any suggested “must sees” around the campus, and a good place for takeout that would be much appreciated!
The late decision that turned UCLA test blind is a bummer, especially since most kids already had their scores populated in the application. My daughter is applying OOS and has a 36 as well. I think she feels like she doesn’t have nearly as good as a shot of getting in at this point.
Was that tennis player recruited to play at Middlebury? That could have made the difference. Most (but not all) kids at our school who are at top LACs are athletes recruited in ED.
Agree that the UC last minute test blindness is a disappointment - especially for those 36 kids. Yesterday I was scoping out the UW page and they only consider test scores for certain students during the shaping round and not the initial holistic read, if I am reading that right. If you are in the small group of people who are affected, they will ask for official scores. I found this to be an interesting approach.
@GoldPenn Keep the faith! Your D sounds like a very strong candidate. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, my unhooked, nonathlete D from an overrepresented state applied ED1, September admit-only, was deferred and then accepted RD, along with other selective SLACs. Her SATs were not equivalent to a 36 ACT.
I"m sure that ED is a big boost at Middlebury. Our S19 went RD and was waitlisted with a 1540 and lots of acceptances at other top LACs. He showed a ton of interest - short of visiting, he met with the AO at our school and had a two hour long alumni interview near our home. Without any supplemental essays, I think it’s hard to show fit. @GoldPenn I’m rooting for your D!
@homerdog Maybe my D got a boost from visiting in February 
But seriously, she didn’t submit a LOCI after being deferred, but did submit a visual arts portfolio, which she didn’t do for ED1 (despite my nagging). You’ll appreciate that my D was rejected from Bowdoin, which we also visited in February and she did the optional video, alumni interview, and submitted her portfolio–such an unpredictable process.
I do wish Middlebury had a supplemental essay to give more opportunity to demonstrate fit.
Gotham_mom, I remember your story and I relayed it to my D so she would be prepared to be deferred (possibly rejected), and that it’s not personal.
Homerdog, I remember your story as well. Your S19 did everything right and clearly had the stats. That’s what makes this so difficult. Your S19 was probably admitted to LACs more selective than Middlebury.
It’s hard to know what they’re looking for, and where to use one’s ED; every school on D21s list would be a good fit, though some better than others.
I appreciate the encouragement and I’ll be thinking of your stories in the weeks ahead. Thank you for rooting for my D — fingers crossed!
I’m bummed about the test blind policy at UC as well. My S has a 35 ACT from the Feb. 2020 date. I know everyone says stats aren’t everything, but for my S they are (were?) a strong part of his application. I wish they would at least be test blind because for the kids who took the exam and like their score, it’s disappointing to find out they won’t be counted. Oh well, just one other aspect of this process that’s out of our control.
I don’t know if you making comments about the UC’s are in or out of state but I am in state, and in the last two years, i know 6 kids off the top of my head who did not get into a UC with 35’s and 36’s, three of whom were full IB students as well and academic profiles that matched those high scores. They didn’t apply to all the UC’s…they each applied to two, but they weren’t the same ones (included San Diego, UCLA, Santa Barbara, and Berkeley). They’re all doing fine at schools like Vandy, Harvard, Wash U, Penn. Don’t worry too much, that 35 or 36 does not mean entry to one of the 4 UC’s I listed.
Well, TO is going to increase apps at top schools. Very few highly ranked schools offer EA so that’s an additional reason why UVA likely saw an increase. Doesn’t mean that more of those kids are necessarily strong enough to be admitted.
October ACT score is in. S21 got a 34. It’s a 35 when superscored with his previous attempt so he’ll be submitting his score to every school that is taking them. I think only Dickinson on his list isn’t accepting scores. What a relief, and the extra hour drive was worth it!
I think FL was discussed upthread. Too bad FL isn’t on anyone’s list in our house. (hmmm… lol)
Yes. I just saw that stat about UVA.
ED applications up 35% and EA up 15%.
I wonder if schools will take a slightly higher percentage during ED if their early applicant numbers have increased?
@homerdog Although I have no evidence to back this up, I have a hunch there’s a good number of students applying to schools that would normally be beyond their reach due to test scores. It’s going to be an interesting year!
I just did a parent webinar for Sewanee. My D21 is very interested and has applied. It’s sort of a late find dark horse for us. I was impressed with what was presented. Most interesting though was the fact that they are opening their own microbiology lab to process COVID tests at the school. Two biology professors will run it and have positions for students to get experience in the lab. This allows them quick turnaround and on demand testing for not only the students but all members of the community and town.