Think you all might need another dose of this 
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Another weekend passed, there is no progress. I need to look young because I have a 6 years old, I donāt want to be mistaken as a grandma. There is an ED application pending, I just keep saying in mind just ignore.
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(Poem to the tune of āYou Better Watch Outā)
You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not swoon
Iām telling you why
ED applications due soon!
Youāre making your list
Checking it twice
Hoping your schools
Are not naughty, but nice
ED applications due soon!
They know if you are pointy
They know if youāre āawakeā
They know if youāve got ECās
So get a hook for goodness sake!
So, you better watch out
You really must try
You better write well
Iāām telling you why
ED applications are soon!
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Now that my son has finally submitted his first set of applications, I feel like I belong here.
He will major in computer science. Weāre in CA and heās pretty much just applying to CA schools. His first and second choice schools are Cal Poly SLO and Cal Poly Pomona (both CSUs) and thatās the application heās already submitted, so as far as Iām concerned, the important one is done! He still has the UC application to submit. Thatās the one with short essay questions. The reason I donāt care as much about the UC application is because the UCs heāll apply to (UCSD, Berkeley, UCSB, & Davis) are more selective than his second choice school (CPP) which he should have no trouble getting into. So I donāt really see a realistic scenario where heās accepted to a UC and winds up going there. But I also believe in keeping options open, heās interested in applying to them, so heās applying.
Weāve completed the FAFSA even though he wonāt qualify for financial aid. We did it for merit scholarship possibilities, but mostly because his school gives us an extra ticket for graduation and he doesnāt have to sit through a FAFSA seminar at the schoolās college kickoff day if the FAFSA was completed by Oct 18. So we did it.
The deadline for the UC application is the end of November so heāll pretty much be done by then. He says heās thinking about applying to MIT, but recognizes that the pressure cooker environment wouldnāt be the best for him. I think he also thinks his chances of getting in are better than they are. I donāt think he truly understands the odds of getting into the super-competitive schools. But if he wants to do the application Iāll certainly support it.
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Btw, Cal Poly and CPP are not the only CSUs heās applying too. Theyāre just the only two on which I focus my number crunching and odds evaluating.
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Iām just venting a little bit. I had my son finish his EA applications by Oct 7, (I asked for Oct 1, but Iām happy I got Oct 7) because I know his GC is scatterbrained and she wonāt send transcripts or write student letters until the application is submitted. She STILL hasnāt done it. I wanted to avoid stress, and now Iām really stressed. Deep in my heart, I know (think) she will do it, as one of his EAās is Maryland, and we are in Maryland, so I would assume she has a lot of Maryland applications to send stuff for, but I am angry with her. Friday I had my son send her an email, and I told him to approach it from the āI wanted to make sure I have everything in to you that I need to, and Iām not missing anythingā angle, and she wrote back that she spends about 1 hour on Naviance a day getting things done and she will get to his āsoonā. Iām giving her until tomorrow before I send an email, and Iām considering CCāing the principal. Iām just frustrated and angry with her, thatās my vent. I had to get it out somewhere so thanks for reading it.
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Soul Man was prophetic.
In one of the early MIT MITE summers, one of the students in my cohort was a Miami student who openly admitted she was not a minority and lied on the application. She said she really wanted to get a chance to get into MIT and if she had to lie then she would lie. More disappointing than that was she avoided all the students in our cohort and spent her free time with white and Asian students on campus.
This has been going on a long time.
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Our GC told us not to expect transcripts and letters to be sent for two weeks after submission of the application, and that the deadlines are meant for the student controlled portion (essays, personal info). But it is stressful!
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I canāt begin to express how wrong that was. I guess it shouldnāt surprise me after learning about the lengths people will go to in order to get into the ārightā school, but itās another a bleak reminder. Apparently there is no ālowā too low in the pursuit of a top 20 school.
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Sad but not shocking. It wouldnāt occur to me to lie about anything on an application, but in this world of outright Varsity Blues-style cheating, some stretching or shading of the truth is to be expected. I feel twinges of guilt about my kids getting a URM boost they donāt really need ā theyāve grown up in extraordinary privilege and have no race-based academic deficiencies. But there was a time not long ago when their race would have been an active detriment to admission, regardless of their abilities, and society is still in the process of balancing out those large-scale historical hinderances. Itās complicated.
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We have all new counselors at our HS this year so thatās been my concern also. At least be glad your son did his part early this month; congrats to him on that!
My son went to talk with his counselor last week to make sure his transcript was correct and his rec letter was done (he submitted the info packet for that 7 weeks ago!) She said it would be done by end of this month but then noticed his class rank and that heās a NMSF, and suddenly, the letter was going to be ready in two days.
Best of luck to your son!
Itās āgo timeā for the school this week, on S22ās Early Action apps. His college counselor has been at his high school for years, so thatās reassuring. His AP Calc teacher too. Since both are veterans, Iām generally confident things will happen in time for next Monday Nov. 1. But since this our first time going through college app process, yeah, a little stressed.
If things havenāt moved by end of day Wednesday, may have S22 do a check-in with counselor and teacher.
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Hope it gets all submitted soon.
Itās hard for people who plan and finish things ahead of time to see the clock ticking and the GC or teachers doing their part at the last minute. S22 had to send a reminder about a LOR earlier last week. The teacher is lovely and I believe writes great recommendation letters, but she does it way too close to the deadlines. I had S20 (who got a LOR from her as well) find the reminder he sent her 2 years ago, and it was written on Oct 29 for Nov 1 EA deadline. It got sent but it was way too close. Luckily, she wrote S22 LOR last week.
A daughter of a friend of mine had to find a different recommender, because her teacher left for Christmas break and wasnāt replying to any emails.
On Friday, S22 submitted whatās likely his very last college application. He still has a couple of honors school applications that come after the college does its initial review.
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My son will finish his last edits tonight and submit the final 3 EA applications so the school can do their parts. He has a couple scholarship and honors applications to do for mid-November, so those are up next. A couple more for Dec. 1. The list just keeps going and going it seems! I guess if he starts eliminating schools, the list can shorten, but until he does that, I want him to apply to the scholarships that he can.
I have mixed feelings about letters not being uploaded yet. They arenāt due until next Monday. While Iād like to have them all in by now, I think if the teachers are planning on having it done on time, thatās fine. Hopefully with a day or so buffer just to be sure all works right. But, I know my kids often have assignments due at 11:59pm on Sunday night and they donāt turn them in days early, lol. Iām happy when they turn them in a couple hours early! So as long as letters are uploaded on time, Iām okay with it.
I did have him ask teachers who are writing for honors and scholarships if they got the email invites for those. There isnāt a good way to know that it went through like it should.
This whole process is so stressful. I am hopeful my daughter will learn and start earlier, have fewer schools, etc!
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Wow. Iām not surprised, but thatās really crappy. What I am surprised by is her being so unashamed and open about her deceit.
Just adding in here. My son has 3 EA applications going in on November 1(already missed some scholarship deadlines due October 15th but submitted his NMSF on October 6th). I am sure it will come down to the last minute on November 1st. I am hoping that the next phase (deadlines Nov 15, Dec 1, than January 1-5), will be smoother as he gets into a writing groove.
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I totally relate to feeling frustrated with the GC. My ds had all of his apps submitted on the Common App on 9/20, and requested his transcripts formally the same day. Still waiting. She told him it would all be done this weekend, and itās not. Iām trying to be patient, but he has several schools that he will likely get responses from within a week. Iād like him to have a confidence boost to counteract some early onset senioritisā¦
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We had trepidations about the GC doing her job in time. But she uploaded everything late last week. I finished FAFSA and CSS last week as well and D sent off her first three apps this weekend, all her safeties, in state flagship and two auto merit schools. Now on towards 3 Nov. 1 EA schools and then a bunch of Nov. 15 EA deadlines. I think she feels some relief having finally submitted the first apps.
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I never see Cal State Sacramento mentioned. Iām going to visit Sacramento for work and am staying near Sac State. It has over 28K undergrads. I would figure itās solid for political science given its location in the state capital. I visited Cal State Fullerton many years ago to see the famed baseball facilities. Iām looking forward to another California visit.
Thanks to a āfree app by 10/18ā, S22 has submitted just that one app so far. Heās close on two others and then up to two more to go. Key thing is trying to find out special aspects of each school to mention in the Why XXX? essay.
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