And I missed that UMD accepts common app now too! Thanks @RichInPitt for mentioning it. Two years ago it was coalition app only.
Please tell me that there are still people whose kids haven’t finalized their college lists! It seems like everyone is so ready to start the application process.
S22’s list is not done. He is still in his summer program. I’m pretty sure he is hoping he gets in ED and is done. 
Barely started here so you are not alone. It is like pulling teeth to even mention college in this house . . . I think he is in heavy avoidance. In any case he is required to finish his essay by Sept 1 for AP lit (thank you teachers!) and does have other stuff lined up, it is just that he really isn’t focused on it. I’d say CC is a poor bellwether for where most kids are in this area. Most of my kiddos friends are in the same boat (and they are all excellent students, not slackers).
Not at all! No list here, but D22 is working for a long while 
on the first draft of her personal statement 
. Also not a slacker but has no interest in anything college related.
So glad we aren’t the only ones.
Mine is in an online camp too (we hardly see him, but he is very happy) and on his first draft of the common app essay 
We were in a much better position with S20 two years ago. The inability to visit colleges this past spring and many even in summer has lots to do with it. Making decisions which colleges to see was a good driving force for us.
I wish our D22 was further along as things will only get busier. By this time our S16 had just about all his essays done.
Mine has his list done but he tightly limited the geography to two states. 
My D22 is fortunate that only two schools on her list don’t accept the Common App (MIT has their own, Washington is among the remaining with the Coalition), and she has at least 4 definite schools on the Common App. So she’s drafted her CA essay and is starting on some of the others.
She’ll still be working on the list while writing the certain essays (and MIT, come late August). The effort that takes, and how much time school/activities are taking may help her finalize the list through September, leaving October for the essays of the late decisions.
This is my first so we are new to the process. I think living and schooling through covid for 1 1/2 years really sapped his motivation and enthusiasm - it’s almost as if he was arrested 2/3 of the way through sophomore year and really hasn’t experienced much of high school life and now we’re telling him it’s college time. He is a good (though not top) student and wants to go to a “good” school, but it is still very overwhelming. I’m trying to remain balanced about the whole thing although it is hard some days. He isn’t shooting for Top 20s (or even Top 40s) so it isn’t going to be as pressure packed.
Southern college tour. My D wants to apply to schools like UNC-CH for which she has less than a 1% chance of acceptance (from NJ), so I think I am throwing the $85 application fee in the garbage, but parents know nothing of course.
Wake Forest had the most gorgeous campus. Not a fit for my D but wowza!
Earlier in this thread, both @Luanne and I noted that our student tour guides said there was an extra large class coming into Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Here’s the press release by Rose:
Rose-Hulman is preparing to welcome a record first-year class for fall 2021. The more than 620 first-year students arriving August 27 to begin orientation activities is expected to be over a 15% increase to last year’s class. They will join approximately 1,500 returning students for the start of fall quarter classes September 2.
Aww, WFU is nothing compared to the beauty of UNC! Go Heels!
Definitely not finalized anything here. Hard to get D22 to even talk about it! I’m hoping it will be better when people at school start talking about colleges too.
We are near finalizing his list. He has cut some and added others. I had him start early on his Common App and UC applications. I actually think he is about 90% done. He will then have to focus on the supplemental essays. As much as I dreaded hounding him on the UC apps, having many of them crafted helps with these supplemental for the other schools he is considering. This is my second go-around and knowing my son (procrastinator) vs my Type A daughter, I knew I had to start him earlier in this process.
Not close to really having a list. I have a long list, but he has no list. Hopefully we can get some schools on his list! Lol. He has started the Common App, but not the essay, despite me encouraging it. He’s really nervous about making this decision, I think. We may have to push a bit now and hope he figures things out more by spring.
Our D22 has a long list, and couldn’t narrow it down:(
S22 has a pretty good list of 8. Husband wants him to add a couple more schools. Essay hasn’t been started at all. Son likes to wind me up and say he’ll do it the night before- but even though he’s joking, he was shocked when our D19 told him how many rewrites she did. This weekend before school starts, we want him to work on his activities list so he can go into the school year considering his extra-curricular choices. Then he’ll take the SAT for a second time in Oct. Thats where we stand.
I’m not sure S22 will start on his essays before school starts. His English class this fall is supposed to work on essays, but that seems so late to me. I have a feeling this will not be fun.
S22 is done with 7/8 ED/EA schools. I was super anxious about it because he’s not a strong writer, but it hasn’t been terrible now that the ball is rolling. Once he got the hang of navigating college websites and looking for specific details, he was able to repeat a few of his own experiences in relation to the college’s offerings. The formula of here’s who I am + here’s what I like about your college = here’s who I will be at your college has worked for a number of the “why” essays. I’m just relieved he’s not applying to UofChicago. Talk about tough essay topics!
@packacards my D20 wrote her essay the night before. Literally on Oct 30th. She had another topic and threw it out at the last minute. It was heartfelt and sincere and clearly not “overedited”. She got into every school where she applied and several made comments about how strong her essay was. It was also dark… about death, mental illness and suicide (everything you are not supposed to write about!). One AO actually called her and told her how strong she was and how it was great to read a “real” essay. Said he was so sick of reading about kids “overcoming a sports injury” or “not getting the lead in the play”.
I guess my point is to not stress too much about the essay. If you’re being real, it comes through.