thanks
Congrats @RichInPitt @JMXC21 @NewMexMama @howdidwegethere !
D also got the email, the only one from our HS too. I recognized numerous names from other high schools, that came from our middle school, so that was fun to see.
We spent the day at our flagship school that was set aside for students being considered for a private full-ride scholarship, and it was well executed. We all would be happy with that option if the scholarship comes through. Even if that particular scholarship doesnāt pan out, D found out she received another scholarship from the school that would cover 30% of the cost so thatās good to have too.
D also got an email to set up an interview with Stanford. All in all itās been a good day!
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I know last time my D22 met with her guidance counselor they discussed sending the mid year report. In her case the guidance counselor would do it.
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Is anyone else having trouble with Parchment for sending fall semester senior grades? We went on their website to order them and after filling out all the required fields it still would not activate the āorderā button. I sent Parchment a service request electronically (of course there is no phone number to speak with a human), but there has been no response.
Regarding Presidential Scholar - D22 will add it to her MIT FUN form, but updates to pending RD schools is a toss-up. As mentioned, Itās a bit like the AP Scholar awards - they already have your scores, so an award based on having that score is somewhat redundant. Though āamong top 150 in the stateā does seem meaningful. We may ask her guidance counselor whether itās something that can go in the planned mid-year update coming out in a week. Or if the FUN has other meaningful content, maybe just send it (sanitized) to the remaining schools.
I also saw the 16 hours, though I know thatās a Federal requirement and my taxes take maybe 1/4 what they estimate. Sheāll have to look at the requirements, see what she can re-purpose, and decide if itās worth it. Again, as mentioned, the chance of being one of the two of the 140+ in the state that are selected is slim. And thereās no monetary award. But it would be nice.
FWIW, my older daughter was a presidential scholar (and made it to the round before the trip was awarded; was that finalist? Canāt remember). I donāt think itās necessary to notify schools, as the initial decision is primarily based on SAT for most kids (there are some exceptions) and the schools are already aware of SAT scores and National Merit status.
My daughter did do the application. Iām not totally sure it was worth it, though if she had been able to do the trip, that would have been interesting 
Itās definitely not an award that anyone asks about post high school, and notification happens so late in senior year.
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Dropping in from Class of 2023 to learn from your experience- hope thatās okay. Open to any feedback 
Three dc (triplets). Chasing automatic merit only (will be NMSF and hopefully NMF). High stats. Only really considering instate Florida schools and University of Alabama which Iām thankful for. Iām thinking this year will fly by for us and trying to organize things in my mind.
1). For instate Florida schools- would you recommend the common app that covers them all? Or the individual school apps? Is there a difference in response time for admissions or anything? What day could you put down a housing application? I know earliest is best for selection.
2) About how many essays are we looking at? And do the prompts remain the same each year or do they need to wait? Will be doing Honors Colleges which are automatic admit for NMF, but they still have to apply.
3) if your dc applied to UCF- what were the essays/process like if they wanted to join Excel?
4) for any dc that received the NMF offers from UCF, Bama, or FSU- how is room and board covered until the COA? Does it depend on the room you pick or do they give you a set amount of money to manage?
Thank you!
Here is the NMF page for Alabama: National Merit Scholars ā Scholarships | The University of Alabama
It describes how the room fee is covered.
Thank you. I did see that, so the housing is for the room, correct? And then the stipend is used for any meals or meal plans? Back in my day it seemed room and board was all one thing, but schools seem to separate it out now.
Same here. I lump it together in my head, but we only had 2 meal plans to pick from back then too.
When we toured Alabama, they mentioned the dorms are difficult to get after freshman year, unless you have a scholarship that includes the dorm. Then they are guaranteed.
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@Mombbg23, I donāt think there will be a difference between doing the Common App and the apps on the college websites. You can create a parent/practice account on the Common App. That might be helpful. Common App
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My understanding is the housing at Alabama also includes on-campus apartments (for after the first year). It should be noted that the terms state housing, not a cost.
If you tour Alabama, be sure to contact your local recruiter and plan your tour through them. If your DS/DD is NMSF, let them know. To say that they rolled out the Crimson carpet for my son is an understatement. DM me for more info if you have questions about our tour.
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For FL NMF, you get a set amount to manage.
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Thanks. Do you know how they calculate the amount? Or what the amount is
Bd of Education sets it each year to the highest in state cost of attendance. Usually $22,000-23,000. Meant to cover tuition, room, board, fees and some incidentals like books and transportation.
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D22 is in the middle of an alumni interview right now and it occurred to me that I donāt really have a sense of what kind of impression she makes on other adults. 
I havenāt seen a teacher eval since she was in elementary school, or read a letter of rec or job review, of course.
I am so close to her, I can tell if she is nervous, enthused, etc., based on very subtle clues. But I donāt think I can see her objectively.
I mean, I know she is POLITE and reasonably articulate.
But I donāt know if others read her as shy or confident or arrogant or friendly or reserved or cerebral or relaxed or tough or funny or ā¦ what, exactly.
I donāt really have a point ā just realizing how much of her life has become her āownā and somewhat opaque to me.
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May I ask which school this is for? For many schools I am told that it doesnāt matter. Especially for the higher ranked ones. The thought is that it is meant more to make the alumni feel engaged with the school than for evaluating the kid. I heard it matters for MIT. And likely for many of the LACs which are very yield conscious etc.
Interviews are pretty much solely conducted at higher ranked schools. You wonāt see BigStateU interviewing every applicant. The vast majority of them are evaluative, so interview feedback is considered by the admissions committee. Iām sure the impact is much smaller than grades, test scores, essays, etc., but the hard final decisions are made somehow.
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Oh no, it was a top 20 school, and I donāt believe the interview is important to admissions.
I just thought it was interesting ā I was casually wondering what the interviewer would think of her and realized I didnāt have a very good guess. That was eye-opening to me, realizing how there is more and more of her world and interactions that I am not privy to.
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