Parents of the HS Class of 2021 (Part 2)

Parents Forum Class of 20xx Community
1974

I teach HS in Washington and Montana State is a pretty popular option for WA students because of the generous WUE tuition discount. Especially for STEM and Engineering students who can’t get into UW. It is a good option for WA residents who want computer science or engineering and can’t get into UW. Boise State also fills that niche, but Bozeman is a cooler college town with world-class skiing minutes away. It is an 11-12 hour drive for us so not obscenely far away.

It is also a popular choice for athletes who aren’t quite Pac-12 caliber but want to do NCAA sports. There is something of a pipeline of football players from the school I teach at to Montana State because they aren’t quite Duck or Husky material.

I think Montana State is trying to aggressively expand it’s footprint and reputation to be one of the premier Mountain West region schools, kind of like how Alabama did the same thing by recruiting all the National Merit Scholars from all across the Northeast.

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1975

We lived in Waco for a decade and my wife was an affiliate faculty at Baylor (she taught at a medical residency program that got Baylor interns from time to time). Baylor is about 1/2 affluent non-Baptist kids from the Dallas and Houston areas who didn’t get into higher class places like Vanderbilt or Duke, or UT-Austin. And about 1/2 Baptist kids from TX and around the country. That’s simplifying it a bit. But the school is constantly struggling with whether it wants to be the next Vanderbilt or Notre Dame, or stay a conservative parochial Baptist place. The two objectives are mutually exclusive. I think the striving for money, national status, and sports glory will win out over the desire to keep it a conservative parochial Baptist place. It is already happening.

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1976

My limited exposure to honors colleges Clemson, UDel and now Miami has been that they give the honors kids the best and newest dorms.

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1977

Well that puts the Montana State thing into perspective. Nothing wrong with schools trying to increase their rankings and standing by trying to attract high stat kids with lots of merit money.

1978

Same thing here in the Northwest with UW and UO.

1979

My sons biggest recruiter has been Alabama. They are taking notes from the football program😂. His scholarship now covers OOS tuition plus he may get more. Lots of swag, personal notes, Christmas cards, etc. He applied for business which is a top 40 program.

1980

Maybe they are trying to find their identity but either way my kid is definitely not going to any conservative Christian or Baptist or whatever identity they are trying to find in their school in any case. One of my other kids on the other hand goes to UT-Austin for Business so totally different breed there!

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1981

Do you mind my asking if your S has been still getting requests to fill out honors college info from Miami? I think the due date has passed. I help a few students and they didn’t apply to honors but now I’m wondering if it’s not too late.

1982

Happy New Year. According to Miami website the deadline for Honors application was December 8. I don’t know if they have any ability to waive that deadline.

1983

Yeah it just seems like @srparent‘s son is still getting requests to apply? Maybe I read that wrong.

1984

Is the link to apply To the honors college still accessible on the applicants’ portals?

1985

Dd19 is at UD in honors, yes her dorm was really nice, but she (and most others) were in forced triples, since they only do forced triples in dorms with a/c. She did love living there and was sad to be evictee in March.

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1986

Deadline passed, but on the portal it is still there for him to apply if he wants as they have extended the deadline. It is interesting because they texted him after the deadline but before EA came out if he was going to apply for the Honors College (there’s another one he can apply to as well but not in his alley at all) and he texted back no. They said they would then remove the link for it off his portal. So a couple days go by and the link is finally gone. Then he is accepted EA and literally the next day that link is back! So they must really want him to apply for Honors. Who knows? I keep telling him to just write an essay, it doesn’t have to be perfect and submit it. It doesn’t mean he has to do the honors program if he goes there, but he is so busy with other things it’s not high on his list.

Also note, when he applied to begin with, he also checked the box that he was NOT interested in the honors program, so that link back in October was not there either and then after he filled in the SRAR they added it.

So have the students you help check to see if it’s still on their portal or not. If it is then they can probably still apply, if it isn’t then they must not be soliciting them to do it perhaps.

@homerdog @burghdad @Mwfan1921 Yes correct, the link for my son (don’t know about others) is still there for him to apply to the honors college. I just went to his portal and here is the option
" Forms

Optional [2021 Honors Programs Application]"

When I then click on that there are two options - Honors College and something called Prodesse Scholars Program and it says this “Although the priority deadline of December 8 has passed, we encourage you to submit your application. Select each honors program for which you would like to apply. Applications for the Honors College and Prodesse Scholars will be considered as space allows.”

Oh, @burghdad his essay is different than what you mentioned your daughter’s was, although maybe similar, but basically why Miami. His says this " Please respond to the question below in 500-1000 words:

The [Code of Love and Honor] is a personalized pledge derived from our Values Statement. Its first line is “I am Miami,” signifying that each and every one of us, through our choices, and supporting and caring for each other, contributes to who we are and what we aspire to be — individually, yes, but also collectively — as Miamians.

Please explain what this aspirational statement means to you. Then, by using examples from your own experience, please share the ways you plan to contribute as a Miamian that embody the ideals of Love and Honor."

1987

I have a nephew and a niece who went to Miami (OH) and both had great experiences! Happy for your D and the adventure that awaits! And only paying room and board?? Well done and so jealous!!

Now you’ll have to keep us up to date on your D18 and her law school process!

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1988

Thank you. With D18 I keep asking how the applications are going and not really getting many answers. Lol…Of course she is nervous about the CFP game today against OSU

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1989

Yes that was the same essay she had. Sorry all I could remember was thing about how they would contribute to embody the ideals of love and honor.

Interesting that they keep extending the dates. And in light of your son getting the full OOS tuition scholarship I am sure they would really like to have in the new Honors College

1990

Thanks. I don’t think Miami is choosing certain kids to do the honors app. I just checked with two kids I help (one hasn’t even been accepted yet) and the link to the honors app is still on their portals. I"m guessing that Miami hasn’t had a lot of takers since that deadline is a bit early. (D21 has three honors apps she can still do for other schools and they aren’t due until Feb.)

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1991

Speaking of OSU. Even they are still sending mail! We got something yesterday. But, I couldn’t convince him to apply there as a safety, even though I thought that was a nice campus when we looked there with my oldest. Maybe he thinks it’s too big, although it doesn’t feel that way.

I’m glad I looked further at that essay today because it doesn’t even look like there is a deadline now, so seriously now he should just take one of his other “why xxx” and revise and stick it in there.

Has your daughter set up the ID or anything there and gone further than the applicant portal? I don’t think mine has, but I think at this point he just wants to hear from some other schools. Having one deferral and an acceptance is nice, but the deluge is about to come. I worry that there will be a lot of deferral/waitlists and a bunch of rejections headed our way, more so than acceptances based on the quantity of applications and how hard it is to get into some of these schools in a normal year, but I guess we will see how the roller coaster ride goes. I guess this is one way to get a thrill (or not) without actually going on the ride.

1992

Awesome. Like I keep telling him, they should do it. It would be a bigger incentive if they offered even more money above the full tuition.

1993

S21 finished his last two applications yesterday. He’s so happy to be finished with applications! There is one other school he may apply to as a safety with a mid-January deadline but he is currently burnt out on writing essays. To the point that he’s not applying to some of the honors colleges that he probably should apply to.

He was checking his portals and one of his reach schools shows a little green “received” checkmark indicating he applied for scholarship that he definitely didn’t apply for. Its given to students who have worked during their high school years and demonstrate financial need. He has a job but we are full pay, so its not a scholarship he would have even applied for. Should he contact anyone at the school, or just leave it?

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