I doubt S23 will get in to USC, but if he did he’d probably get a little money for national Hispanic scholar, not enough to make a tangible difference though. My kid is brilliant/lazy. He thrives on rigor. The harder the classes, the better he performs. I couldn’t see sending him someplace like University of New Mexico, but I can see other kids could thrive there. Now if he did get into USC, but also got into a higher UC, I think the decision could come down to money. We don’t need to chase merit, but we’re not independently wealthy either. We’ve been fortunate the first two kids had economical choices.
1 Like
I am happy to read that other families don’t take prestige into account. I told a close friend about my son’s recent letter awarding him a full ride…she asked why he applied to such a “random” school. Not random, it has much of what he wants in a school, but it’s just not a big name.
18 Likes
Our kids only looked at schools they knew would be affordable. They’re smart and practical and were long raised on a no debt mindset.
So some schools we looked at they liked, some they didn’t. But all were extremely affordable. I’m sure if we looked at other schools, they would have found some they liked as well, but what would have been the point. It was easier to keep it simple. They’ve have a pretty stress free senior year as a result due to minimal applications and quick decisions.
Their main goal is a college education. And making the most of their time there. They’re incredibly high stat kids, but have the mindset they worked hard during high school and are being rewarded with incredible scholarships. They’ll also now have money for study abroad and other opportunities that come up. It’s what works for our family.
8 Likes
I think counselors will only send mid year reports to the schools that require them right? they don’t send them automatically. (I think)
2 Likes
My daughter’s high school sends mid-semester reports automatically to every school for which a g9-11 transcript was requested.
My son is hyper focused on cost right now. One thing I have explained is that the earning potential post graduation from one school may make up that difference in tuition pretty quickly ie your example of Case Western v UNM. A Case Western grad has an alumni network in higher paying cities like Chicago and NYC. It’s hard to see the long term picture but worth thinking about.
2 Likes
our kid’s guidance counselor says he will only send mid-semester if requested by colleges. we aren’t sure what to do- her grades are good so wondering if she should send them even if not requested, but don’t want to be annoying.
1 Like
True, a college network is of some value, but I believe where you went to school matters maybe once: getting your first job. After that it’s what you do at work.
Kid wants law school - but not aiming for white shoe corporate law – and so I don’t think it’s as critically important where you go to undergrad or what you study.
2 Likes
If, at the time the student clicks to complete the application, a student has checked the box in Common App for the mid-year (or Quarter3) report to be sent to a college, it will automatically be sent when the counselor uploads it to the Common App. If the student/family completes the application(s) correctly, the counselor should only have to upload the report a single time for it to be sent to all Common App schools that requested it.
3 Likes
That depends a lot on the type of job. For example it’s unlikely to matter much in engineering or CS. And I don’t think CWRU is going to help you get hired by Goldman Sachs or McKinsey.
My twins graduated last summer and had very similar academic achievements in HS. S picked a T20 school, while D chose a lower ranking school with a full ride. Though they were interested in different things, the main difference in outcomes amongst their peers was based on the level of individual ambition not the college they attended.
One of D’s roommates got a Rhodes scholarship but most weren’t as successful because they didn’t set their sights on that and dedicate their time in college to achieving it (a full ride means you aren’t worried about paying off debt for example).
Amongst S’s friends, a much higher proportion were highly motivated and spent time in college seeking and securing great opportunities, but there were others who didn’t do much and haven’t ended up with anything that would have been worth paying more for.
And at the end of the day, D still has tens of thousands of dollars extra in the bank from her 529.
8 Likes
Yeah, every parent and every kid has a different idea of what’s worth the cost, what the value will be, and it’s all good. I don’t mean to argue; just saying that it’s not a black and white calculation.
5 Likes
Thanks to all who chipped in - it was valuable to me to read all your comments and I appreciate them.
Parts of this process are really no fun. 
Can it by May 1st already? 
9 Likes
Absolutely. Many factors to be considered.
1 Like
Yeah, would be nice to have everything settled but don’t want to take 6 months off my life as I am old enough 
.
5 Likes
Where do you see the ELC designation if at all a kid is indeed elc?
After submitting, go back into the application. Go into application status, then there’s a tab that says, “view how your application is reviewed.” Click on that and the ELC status shows on that page.
2 Likes
Thanks. Very solid tip.
Can anyone who has sent a kid to college already offer advice on how kids find roommates? I see pages on Instagram, but are there any other options? Seems particularly difficult for boys as most who post are girls. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Some colleges match based on common interests. There is usually a survey. My older D just happened to know someone else attending.
2 Likes
Ok thanks! So is the survey something they send out after you commit?