Yikes regarding the GC! That seems like administrative malpractice!
My S has talked about how a lot of his engineering friends applied to NC State, VT, and then only top 10 schools like Duke and Northwestern. I guess it’s okay as long as they are happy with going to NC State and possibly VT, but he thinks they are going to have a rude awakening b/c they expect to get in a lot of places.
It will be interesting to see how VT applications do for our school – it’s been a lot more popular recently b/c some kids want to go farther away than NC State and like the VT campus better. And now it’s on the Common App. It used to not be so hard to get in VT from our high school, according to Naviance, but I feel like it’s going to get a lot tougher this year. My S knows so many high stats kids applying there and they can’t accept all of them!
As others have said, I predict a lot of WL decisions this year as colleges figure out how to manage their class size b/c I think yield will be very hard to predict. I still remember a couple years ago when Virginia Tech way over-enrolled and it was a mess!
That VT overenrollment was a pretty big mess. They ended up offering students money to take a gap year because they just didn’t have the space in dorms or in classes for so many kids. It would make me a little weary of VT?
VT is always a mess- if you look at the last couple of years they either over enroll by a lot or have to go to waitlist heavily. I don’t understand why they can’t get their numbers close any year.
I would be weary, but for kids in NC, it’s the next option after NC State for engineering.
Can I ask what UMASS parent info session there is ? D was admitted EA but I haven’t received any emails/info and had no idea they had parent sessions, and didn’t see anything on the admissions page of website. Thanks for any info.
Agree. I mean, I’d hope they learned a huge lesson so there wouldn’t be a repeat. Certainly needs to a be consideration factor for my S, should he be admitted!
They’ve had so many admissions changes at VT in the last few years. Just hard to know what to make of it, really.
@almostthere18 I saw that information about decision outcomes on their website. I’m sure deferrals would only give them more work than they need to have since applications are up. My D21 only applied thinking OOS applications would be down b/c of COVID so we’re expecting a rejection. Exciting weeks ahead for everyone. Good luck to everyone waiting to hear from schools.
I’d be interested, too. I’ve had very little involvement with the college application process with my twins, and right now UMASS is one of the most affordable options.
D21 accepted to Boulder OOS, with Presidential Scholarship (top 1-3% of applicants) plus Arts and Sciences scholarship. Total 17k. Not ungrateful, but compare that to U of Arizona, where just having 4.0 netted S21 35k a year! D21 really liked Boulder when we visited, but really wants a smaller, more diverse school. She won’t hear about any more decisions until late March. Ugh.
Congrats to everyone on various acceptances and on Presidential scholar nominations!!!
Yes, this is a prestigious award and being nominated is an honor so I would include it in all application updates.
One of D’s classmates was accepted at Yale and waitlisted at Harvard. When he was one of the 160 or so students named a US Presidential Scholar he told Harvard, and nearly immediately was offered a spot off the waitlist.
I hadn’t heard about it before this year, either. It’s an award based on getting the highest SAT/ACT scores in your state or by getting a nomination from the state education officer. Candidates were just notified and there is a lengthy application which includes 5 essays. I believe there are around 4000 candidates nationally, and around 165 winners who get an expense paid trip to Washington DC in June (covid permitting). Last year, the trip was cancelled for the 2020 winners.
It seems prestigious and it was a total surprise for us. D21 is very excited about it, even if she doesn’t end up advancing.
The US Presidential Scholar nominated student at our school last year was accepted to Harvard, Oxford, Brown, Full Ride at UT Austin and some others I can’t remember. He was truly an outstanding student. That is what I think of when I think of US Presidential kids. Our local kid did not progress to the next level but clearly he did not need to.
We really didn’t know anything about the program before either. The email came as a complete surprise - interestingly it did not go to the email DS21 uses for Collegeboard and SATs:
*“On behalf of the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the United States Department of Education, we are pleased to inform you that you have been named as a candidate in the 2021 United States Presidential Scholars Program. Your candidacy is based on either your outstanding performance on the ACT Assessment or the College Board SAT, or nomination by your Chief State School Officer or one of our partner recognition organizations. Of the nearly 3.6 million high school seniors graduating this year, you are one of approximately 4,500 students to receive this invitation.”
I’m frustrated by schools having virtual admitted student day during school hours on weekdays. Why do they do that? Couldn’t they at least have one on the weekend or evening? Makes no sense.
Has anyone done a virtual admitted student day? S21 has one tomorrow and I am unclear regarding how it will work. It says it is Zoom, so I assume students will be visible? Or do you think it will work more like a webinar where only presenters can be seen?
There was a spot somewhere, I think when we looked on the portal after admission and were trying to find her FA award, to sign up for parent notifications. The email came directly to me on 1/21 from UMASS admissions.