@4kids4us Well the main difference in the UK vs the US is that in the UK you go straight into your Major/Course (of study) with no Gen Ed requirements and usually you are not allowed to take any other kinds of classes(modules). So for my D22 who wants to study English Lit and Creative Writing she would only be allowed to take those classes/modules, no electives like Psychology or an Art class or anything. This can be great if your kid knows exactly what they want to do. There are a few unis in England that offer a degree in Liberal Arts (thatâs what the Course of study is called) that will let you take a variety of modules/classes.
The unis in Scotland give a little more leeway and you are allowed to add some classes (modules) from different departments, but only certain ones. Scottish unis are also usually 4 year programs whereas the English and Welsh unis are 3 years unless you add a year abroad or a year working, but Iâm not sure how that works for US students. St Andrews in Scotland has a little more of a US model (still not as wide open like US schools) and might be worth a look for your D23.
Anyway, itâs very intriguing, but COVID is making me nervous too so Iâd be glad for D22 to go to college in the US and just do a semester/year abroad with her US college later when COVID is more under control. Iâm trying to help her find some colleges with robust study abroad programs.
I mightâve missed it @4kids4us but where did your S21 end up?
Bard
Centre
Wooster
DePauw
Gettysburg
Ithaca
Knox
Lawrence
Loyola New Orleans
Oberlin
Rhodes
University of Hartford
University of North Texas (should be auto admit)
University of Puget Sound
A few are a real stretch (Rhodes and Oberlin) but he is full pay, great music and athletic ECs, and he is showing signs of working harder than ever this semester so who knows?? He is doing all RD and test optional unless he happens to get a great score this fall when itâs administered for free at school.
Iâm so glad so many of you are looking at Agnes Scott. I really wanted my D20 to go there, but it just wasnât strong in her major.
@sweetgum, thx for the brief overview. D23 has a list started - she was mainly looking in England and Ireland b/c she said the Scottish accent was too strong and difficult to understand . She has since added a few in Scotland, including St. Andrews.
S21 ended up at Xavier. For info purposes, he fell squarely in this B/B+ category. He graduated with close to a 3.5, no APs, and one honors course. He has an LD and is an extremely poor standardized test taker even with accommodations so we focused on schools that were TO. ECs were typical, nothing oustanding, mostly sports and also had a job. His final list was:
Accepted with merit:
Xavier
Dayton
St. Josephâs
Loyola of MD
Accepted:
JMU
Salisbury
Deferred EA then Waitlisted:
Fairfield - applied to business school
I found that many of the Catholic/Jesuit schools are TO which is why his list is majority Jesuit schools, plus they tend to be mid-sized which was perfect for him.
Just dropped our S21 off at Elon last weekend. Heâs loving it and I canât say enough good things about how well the college is run and the resources available to both the students and their families. Happy to share any info I can.
D22 is starting to get a little more momentum for the college application process. She has come to me several times talking about colleges and has decided to stick with US colleges and save the UK colleges for Study Abroad. Sheâs still got a ways to go (no essays written, no apps completed, no letters of recommendation requested) but sheâs thinking about it and has been asking to visit some schools so thatâs good. Wish I could have gotten her going in the summer, but I think she needed to see friends who were a little older go off to college and hear her friends at school talk about where they want to go.
Sheâs really struggling with wanting to find the right vibe, though. Sheâs a picky introvert and is wanting to find her tribe of like-minded souls. Not interested in the Greek scene, but doesnât want only studious nerds, doesnât like to party/getdrunk, but would like to have a social life.
I have made a mistake on My common app and coalition app. I have typed in that my weighted GPA is on a scale of 6 however its on a scale of 5 (just checked with the counselor and this change has been made recently. I have already submitted my application. What should I do now?
You might consider emailing your Regional Admissions Officer at each of the schools youâve applied to. 1. youâre GPA will look better on a 5pt scale than a 6; 2. it will show demonstrated interest to the colleges - that you really care that they understand you.
Does anyone has experience with connecting Parchment and Common App. I ordered Parchment to send my transcript to Common App and it has done so 2 weeks ago but I cannot see it anywhere in the Common App. I donât even know what its suppose to look like or where exactly does it populate. Whatâs the process? What am I missing?
@milgymfam had a daughter who was accepted and planned to attend Goucher (decided to go in a different direction) - she probably has lots of really good information about the school. I remember her being very positive about the school, but not the specifics.
@Theoden has a student at Knox iirc, if you are looking for more info on that school.
Goucher was a perfect fit, feel wise, for my daughter who sounds similar to yours- introverted, not interested in Greek life nor a study grind atmosphere. She fell in love with the campus, the vibe, and very much liked every student and teacher she met. Their scholarship offer was also amazing. She did ultimately decide it wasnât the right place for her, but that was based on location and some very specific details involving her planned majors. I think had she had different planned major(s) she would be there now.
Happy news here today! We checked her portal at UNT and she has been admitted! The safety school is in the bag and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The bit of cloud is that we did visit there yesterday for a tour and she didnât love it. She didnât hate it either, more like, yeah this would be ok I guess⌠Itâs a huge campus with nearly 40,000 student so very different in character from all the other schools she is looking at. But her sister just transferred there and the food was good (one of her top criteria lol) so she feels like if nothing else pans out she could be happy there.
So it sorta violates the âlove thy safetyâ rule, but at the same time, it gives her a space to breathe and realize that everything Iâve been saying to her for the past year is correct. Colleges will accept her! Now she just needs to get that essay written!
Congrats @1822mom. My S is using UNT as his safety as well, just needs to figure out if he wants to try for a music major or something in health sciences. We have not seen it yet, but it seems to attract your more artsy-type kids which he likes.
Congrats! I remember D19âs first safety acceptance and it was a HUGE load off! She felt like âok, I AM going to college. Someone has accepted me.â And it really was just like you described it - space to breathe. So congratulations!
Thanks for the link to the Forbes financial health link. That was very useful to look at as we compare schools. Would like S22 to go somewhere that has the resources to keep up the standard of education.
@milgymfam and @beebee3 thanks for the positive notes on Goucher. It is one my D22 has rated pretty highly on paper. Maybe weâll get to go see it in person.
@1822mom, congrats on an acceptance! Thatâs fantastic. D22 is more motivated now, but still hasnât sent in any apps yet.
We have scheduled some college tours, though, so excited to see some forward momentum. Weâre going to see Warren Wilson and UNC-Asheville next weekend since we will be headed to the mountains. Then we also have open house admission events scheduled for Hollins and Agnes Scott in Oct and Nov. Working on more too, but havenât got an itinerary set yet.
Hi, I was hoping to get your input on my brotherâs college list for Early Action. He is class of 2022 with a 3.17. He took 1 AP sophmore year, 3 junior year, and this year(senior year) he is taking 5 APs. His transcript is riddled with Cs, 11. He will be test optional, as he has not taken the ACT or SAT. Ideally, we would like a meets full need school, which is why we have a decent amount of reaches. He is at a competitive school district in MD, so I think there will be some overlap with respect to classmates and reaches. I want him to focus on early action for now because if he is able to get a few acceptances(especially with good financial aid), it will take the pressure off. Can you guys please provide feedback when you get a chance?
Safety
Towson University
Salisbury University
St. Maryâs College of MD
Low Match
Morehouse
Howard(per the school naviance they have admitted studentâs with 3.0, etc.)
Reach
UMBC(due to their emphasis on GPA)
University of MD College Park(due to their emphasis on GPA)
High Reach
St. Olaf
University of Richmond
Macalester
Case Western
Obviously, if we add further schools there will be more supplements.
I am strongly considering Bard, but there was a $13K gap when I ran their calculator and it may be too quirky for him.
Other schools we like that have relatively good financial aid
Notre Dame
Babson College
Northeastern
Colorado College
I realize the above are all high reaches, but would like your thoughts on whether we should add any of these schools-my gut is that we should not bother. Or if there are other schools that come to mind that we should add, in light of the need for financial aid.
I donât see any way to be admitted to reaches, unless a legacy or recruited athlete. What is outstanding about a 3.17 GPA and no test scores? The reach colleges want to see preparation for rigorous academics.
. She has since added a few in Scotland, including St. Andrews.
The safety school is in the bag and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The bit of cloud is that we did visit there yesterday for a tour and she didnât love it. She didnât hate it either, more like, yeah this would be ok I guess⌠Itâs a huge campus with nearly 40,000 student so very different in character from all the other schools she is looking at. But her sister just transferred there and the food was good (one of her top criteria lol) so she feels like if nothing else pans out she could be happy there.