Congrats to him! I have heard great things about WVU. I wish it was closer to us (and in-state tuition!)
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Yeah, donāt hold your breath for love from UMN prior to actually becoming a student there. I have both studied and worked at UMN (at both the Mpls and St. Paul campuses) and professors were excellent, accessible and supportive. But prior to actually starting there was no āloveā at all, not a peep.
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Interesting - Iād usually expect the opposite. But better the love be there when they are on campus I suppose!
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I know! I thought things might have changed since my personal experience there in the '90s and early 2000s, but nope. Hearing about other schools nowadays, that is what I expectedāsome sort of attempt to recruit. My kid had all the things you hear schools want (high stats, full pay, demonstrated interest in a young, small major that is striving to grow) but after getting his acceptance it was crickets. Which is fine with me, and was fine with my kid, but I do think other schools come off better.
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I swear with my two older kids that some colleges use the paper colonoscopy known as CSS/FAFSA as a way to gauge who will give them money later ā¦ because we got some very generous grant offers from some (private) schools not based on any stellar academic performance. I will note that those offers came from places that were cold as heck! Definitely not on the beach in SoCal. 
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For us this could be good news, since our D23 wants to go someplace as cold as heck!
Oh wait . . . except that we already give money to our own alma mater. They are going to have to bug D23 about money later and not us!
Hi everybody! Iāve been away from CC for a while but Iām back with my 3rd and last kid, S23. (warning -this is way longer than I planned!) Quick overview - 3.12 GPA/ 3.95 Weighted (our school gives .5 for Honors & +2 for AP/AICE classes so it is often higher than some schools), 1320 SAT, earned his AICE Diploma and is taking his first 3 AP classes this year. He has very little in the way of ECs - no school clubs at all, a tiny bit of volunteering and some sports. His sports were 3 years of JV lacrosse and 2 years of Varsity Golf but he started freshman year then stopped so not sure how that looks.
Sophomore year he had the option of doing in school classes but chose online (in school they just watched on the computer anyway) and it was terrible for him. His grades dropped, he got a bunch of Cās and two Dās - one semester in Spanish 2 and one semester of Algebra 2. He retook both online and got Aās but the Dās still show up of course. After talking with the doctor and lots of testing we found out he has ADD - which we should have known much earlier but never knew what to look for back then. Ever since he started medicine his grades have improved and last year he had 1 semester C and the rest Aās & Bās.
He thought he wanted to stay in state (FL) but recently asked me to show him some options out of state as well. I doubt he will go out of state but I think he just wants options. Original thoughts were FSU as a reach because he knows lots of kids there -he is shy at first so the thought of built in friends was kind of nice. I suggested smaller schools because I know he will get lost and wonāt be able to focus in big 200 kid lectures.
He resisted at first - his high schools over 3,000 so anything smaller seems tiny- then all of a sudden he changed his mind and started looking online. Next thing I know he is obsessed with Eckerd College here in Florida! His main love is fishing and Eckerd is right on the water, they sound like they have lots of support through mentors, they have a few majors he would be interested in (business type) and even the language requirement didnāt turn him off. My worry is that it is very hippy-is and he is far from that so it will be interesting to see what he thinks after he visits.
Last week he had to submit his FSU application and as we did that he asked to look on Common App at other options. We looked around and one that popped up was Roanoke in VA. I had friends who went there plus I closely followed the old thread on CC about the B student who ended up there and loved it. Turned out the EA deadline was that weekend so he checked it our and decided to apply last Sunday.
Friday night he got an email saying there was something in his portal - he was accepted!! They said you would hear in November but I did not expect an answer in 5 days. It definitely made him feel good about himself. He said if he his first acceptance was from a school he didnāt really love (you know , the āmomā picks) he wouldnāt be that excited but this is a school he would be happy to attend.
Last night he got another email to check his portal - he got $19,000 merit so I guess they use weighted GPA there. 
That boosted his confidence so much - he even said, āwow, why do they like me so much?ā
So here is the list as of now, he keeps looking though:
Roanoke - accepted w/ $19,000
FSU - applied
UNF - applied
USF
FGCU
Eckerd
U Tampa
College of Charleston
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My son got $19,000 in a merit award from Duquesne a few days ago. Nothing yet about FA from them. His UW GPA is 3.1 and I think he put 3.3 on the Common App because he was probably looking at the weighted one. Oh well. They could see both on the transcript.
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When D20 was filling out common app, she said the directions told her to put her weighted GPA down for GPA (if she had both). D23 did the same thing.
Both weighted and unweighted are on D23ās transcript, but I think a lot of colleges like those weighted GPAs for their admitted student stats. I know I was thrown the first time I saw an average GPA above 4.0 on a collegeās website for their admitted students (good but not highly selective school) - and that was when D20 was looking at southern schools. It is pretty common nationwide in my observation.
I would love for my son to apply to Roanoke but I think its off his final list.
UNF was not the short finals list but I am not sure he will apply. He has a lower chance of getting my workās tuition exchange remission there and I think it would be unaffordable for OOS.
My son is in at JU though and will apply to Stetson.
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I can answer questions about Eckerd as our two kids graduated from there. Daughter was a marine bio and visual arts major and son was International Business and Chinese major. Both of them had a great group of eclectic friends. Eckerd is a very strong community, a live and let live vibe. There are a number of honor societies including Phi Betta Kappa so itās not all āhippie.ā Daughter went on to vet school and son went to law school. The waterfront has fishing poles and bait available, it used to be free. Their motto is, āthink outsideā and offer many outdoor activities and the school is green friendly. The professors/mentors are wonderful and each freshman is also assigned a peer mentor. Free tutoring is available and the school is dedicated to their students. During Covid, the classes were all held outside and virtual classes were held for those uncomfortable with returning to campus.
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U Tampa is still trying to fix the massive over-admission they had the last 2 years.
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@2plustrio I was surprised my son was willing to look in to Roanoke. Originally he wanted to stay in Florida then the last month or two he started to talk about out of state. I donāt think he will end up there because it is not super easy to get there from here, there would always be a connecting flight. However even with the connecting flight the total flight times are around 4.5-5 hours total so not too bad. He did say he wold be happy if he ended up there though so even if he strikes out everywhere else he knows heās good now!
@sllemon The U Tampa situation is really making it go down on our list. It is beautiful, great size, close-ish to home but that housing situation stinks.
@ECmotherx2 Hi! I thought of you as soon as my son and I started talking about Eckerd! I was sure there was more to the school than just the hippy vibe but since we havenāt been yet I wasnāt sure how prevalent it was. He has watched lots of youtube videos and seems so excited about it. I love how strong the mentor program sounds -with his ADD that would be a huge help. I know my Dās schools talk about how great the advisor program is but so far they havenāt had any interaction with them at all unless they need permission to add more credits or declare a major. We are signed up to visit in a few weeks and will tour Eckerd, U Tampa and self tour both USF campuses.
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Itās far from Florida, but I think Cornell College, with their block plan and small, personal environment, is ideal for a kid with ADD.
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Going to visit University of Laverne today!
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Apps are out! Iām very proud. And relieved. Suffolk, Johnson & Wales, Bryant, Drexel, College of Charleston and two late in the game adds - Endicott and University of Denver. We are going to College of Charleston next week. I think someone here is going to Endicott next week - I would love to hear your thoughts on that one.
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Hi Everyone, I am coming back for an update on S23 and I am hoping for some reassurances that we are doing OK, or advice on what more needs to happen. DS23 has ADHD, some difficulty with writing and math, scored a 22 composite ACT and has a 3.0, is clinging to a 3.0 unweighted GPA. He is taking AP Statistics this year, his only AP class and I have my fingers crossed.
I thought I had written an update over the summer, but apparently not. We went around and saw some Wisconsin state schools. First UW Parkside, then Whitewater, then Stevens Point, and finally, Green Bay. Parkside and WW were chosen for close to home. Stevens Point was in the mix because my son met a UWSP student at summer camp who he liked and connected with, and UWGB is in the region where I grew up and I have a good friend in the GB area and we were on the way home from Door County vacation so, why not?
DS1, graduating 23, likes UW Parkside the best. It is the smallest. He is open to Whitewater and Green Bay. He likes that it is small and close to home.
He did not like Stevens Point, 2.5 hours away. It probably felt too big and spread out.
I liked Whitewater and Green Bay. They are both decent schools.
DS1 just turned 18 and finished his Eagle Scout application in time. Now he can apply to colleges and look for a part time job.
Since he likes Parkside best, perhaps the simple answer is that he applies to one school, hopefully accepted and then we are done.
His major is undecided but he is considering something like Environmental Science or Water Science.
His essay on his Eagle application was weak, but it was him. How much do I have to worry about his essay and acceptance into a state school? It looks like his GPA of 3.0 and ACT of 22 will fit into all three state schools.
How should I ask the schools or investigate about things like support for ADHD?
Do I even need to do the FAFSA? I think our family income will not qualify us for any aid and we do not want to take loans.
I am thinking of pushing DS1 to look at St. Norbert, which is small, and would be a reach, but it is very expensive and I do not see him as a true fit there. We could visit though. St. Norbert has some special needs support that is unique that is interesting. We could also look at Platteville but itās again farther away, but it has plant and soil science, which is interesting to him as a major. He has seemed burned out on school visits, but that was a few months ago.
Right now I am thinking, hey kid, apply to Parkside, get accepted, get your housing, and get on with life. But should he go for all three schools to just have options? Should we go to St. Norbert and Platteville?
Also, I am heavily encouraging DS1 to join college choir. I would love for him to sing to audition into concert choir and possibly pick up a small scholarship. Right now he does not want to even audition, though he has 4 years of high school concert choir and would add value to a college choir. Ugh.
Thanks for any encouragement and advice!
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I think it would be best for your son to apply to a few schools rather than just one, so that he has a choice. He may change his mind about which school he likes best between now and May 1. I would check with disability services at the schools he likes best as to what help they could provide. Also check with admissions/financial aid offices as to whether the schools require FAFSA for the student to be eligible for merit aid. Have you run the Net Price Calculators on the websites?
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Congratulations to your son on making Eagle Scout!
I donāt believe that an extensive list of schools to apply to is required, but it can be good to have some options available in case anything happens to influence his thoughts over the next six months. I would also see if you have any connections (or ask on parent FB pages) to see what students think of the quality of support services. This is for any college under consideration.
Parkside sounds like a great option to lock down. As they accept 75% of applicants and his ACT is squarely in the middle of its 25/75 range, I would be surprised if he wasnāt accepted. I noticed that its 4-year graduation rate is 18% and its 6-year graduation rate is about 42% with no indication on the number of transfers. Graduation rates are often a reflection of a studentās financial resources and not the academics provided at the university. But I have two questions: 1) Are the supports that the university offers its students sufficient, and 2) How would your son feel if the majority of the students he gets to know end up leaving after X amount of time? Would that affect his motivation? Or his enjoyment of his college experience? Also, Parkside is classified as a commuter campus with 26% of first-year students living on-campus. By my calculations, there were approximately 463 first year students last year, so about 120 chose to live in the dorms. Is that percentage and student population large enough for your son to find his favorite social milieu? (Sources: Fedās site on Parkside and College Boardās site on percentage of first years living in campus housing.)
Have you run the Net Price Calculator at Saint Norbert? If itās not affordable, then Iād stop even considering it as an option, especially since heās not interested. I might be inclined to make Platteville a āparentās choiceā application if he doesnāt end up wanting to apply himself. Itās a residential campus with 91% of first year students living on-campus, making it easier to find a group of friends at college. It has additional majors that heās interested in (and not available at Parkside) and itās still fairly small for a state school with 6200 undergrads. Its 6-year graduation rate of 59% is also a definite jump over Parkside, so that might help in helping him stay on the college path.
Iād also give a strong nudge for Whitewater (89% of first years live on campus with a 63% 6-year graduation rate). FYI: Green Bay has 51% of first years live on campus and 55% 6-year graduation rate.
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I donāt recall which particular state you live in, but I think it might be Illinois or Wisconsin. If so, these are some state schools you may want to look at (if you havenāt already) that seem to have decently-sized music departments (based on the number of graduating seniors) that might hit his size preferences:
- Illinois State
- Northern Illinois
- U. of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
- Western Illinois
If heās interested in your state flagship, an app to that one could also be possibility, though I donāt think it would necessarily be a safety.