We are staying within a mile or two of the campus. We will definitely check out that area and Rice Village, thanks! Enjoy your March visit!
1 Like
If he is aiming for tippy-top schools, and you actually think he might be a serious contender based on who has gotten in from you school in the past, take the most rigorous options, across the board. They donât count up APs or just look at GPA, they look at what the school offers and what your kid took. The top schools want the most challenging course load.
4 Likes
Thanks, this is great input. He is good at Math though he does have to put in the work and same with Physics 1. Neither has been extremely hard but as I said he does put in the work for both. Right now leaning towards AP Physics C instead of AP ES and AP Calc BC, AP Econ, Spanish Honors and regular English, American Democracy/Art elective
2 Likes
Do colleges require verification for AIME qualifiers (or the AMC10/12 scores)? Or is self-reporting sufficient? S24 qualified but has not received official notification from AMA, only through the local organization that administers the competition.
1 Like
I heard from another parent that taking a summer college course from a University A that is similar to another University B in terms of acceptance rates (Also same city, students generally apply to both) would put the student at a disadvantage when applying to University B.
Any truth to this?
This is highly unlikely. Even if university B cares a lot about demonstrated interest, there are many other ways to show it, and it would not make sense for university B to hold it against the applicant.
1 Like
It depends. Depends on which schools youâre talking about.
However, rather than just take in the rumored word of 1 parent, Iâd also maybe ask your school counselor to see what he/she thinks. And go look at the Common Data Set for University BâŠsee if Univ B considers âdemonstrated interestâ in the studentâs application. If the answer is yes, then make sure your kid demonstrates interest in multiple other ways: click the links in the emails that he/she gets from Univ B, then go clickety clickety looking stuff up on Univ Bâs website (theyâll be able to track that way)âŠif Univ B offers online/virtual info sessions, have kiddo attend and have your kid ask a question or 2. Send email to Univ Bâs admissions dept asking any questions, getting clarification on something, etc. If youâre close enough to go visit, visit in person. And be prepared in 1 of the application essay questions to say specific reasons why he/she is really interested in attending Univ B.
Thanks. This is great advice. Our school counselor is new in a large school, and doesnt seem to have many answers.
Why would you even mention it in an application? But I agree that it is highly unlikely that they would care.
If a student took a summer college course and got credit, why would someone not mention it in an application?
1 Like
If they are concerned it would detract from the application. If it will be used for credit it would be listed as a transfer credit. Is am not sure how a class taken during the summer adds to an application unless it replaces a requirement that the student couldnât get at their school. Are they doing this for fun or to get ahead in a specific area/fulfill a requirement they canât fill in their high school?
1 Like
Taking a summer course could be for several reasons:
- Student is interested in challenging themselves with a subject that they love
- Get the experience of attending a college course
- The AP level class was not available or student was not sure of taking it at the time in school
- Demonstrate to colleges that they are serious about academics
- Credit
3 Likes
I donât think it matters whether he takes AB or BC Calc for med school prep, but it does matter for what type of school he is aiming at. Top schools like BC, but Iâd suggest looking at solid âaverageâ schools where he can make Aâs. Med schools donât care about prestige at all.
1 Like
Went to NMSU yesterday. Itâs definitely on the list to apply to. Got a reply this morning from the dean of the honors college in response to an email I sent him yesterday eveningâŠthat guy is awesome, offered to set D24 up with a customized visit this fall if sheâs interested and to email him directly later on if interested in that. 1 of DHâs coworkers graduated from there about 3 yr ago, said that his lower division general ed classes were often about 50 students, upper division major classes were often in the 15 student range. Pretty nice!
We are going to Univ of New Mexico next month to check things out there, too.
3 Likes
we visited Johns Hopkins and although they are very focused on undergraduate research and known for public health programs, I was concerned about the safety aspect. The campus has private security posted on every intersection in 3 block radius 24X7. anybody have any experience or comments
2 Likes
@Helimom24, were you at the Junior Day on Presidentâs Day? We were in the morning session and they talked alot about safety: how great all their protocols were, the busses, the uber-like app for free rides, the blue lights, the security posted at each block. it was said in a âisnât this great, weâve got this handled so wellâ kinda way. But silence on why all that was necessary was deafening. The administration sent out several campus-wide updates about violent crime on/near (in the bubble) campus in the end of 2022. It seems the violence is creeping toward/onto campus. it reminds me a bunch of UPenn - very elite university, taking security very seriously, in a neighborhood that abuts hard crime areas.
1 Like
We had a home in Baltimore for a number of years and wouldnât have hesitated to send our D to JHU. Kids just need to be street smart, which is true of urban campuses everywhere.
9 Likes
Yes i was in the morning session as well
This may explain why it was necessary?
Took S24 on his first round of college tours over the weekend and it was a great experience! He says he finally got a feel for what he wants in a college and even gained some insight on majors that might interest him and activities/programs he may want to pursue. What a relief for me as his parent!
Of the schools we saw, Wake Forest was his favorite and he was practically giddy throughout the information session and tour! Afterward he joked that we could scrap the rest of the tours because he already knew where he wanted to go. University of Richmond was absolutely fantastic and we both thought it also could be a great fit for him. We also toured Davidson and Washington & Lee and, while they both are fantastic schools with a lot to offer, he learned he really does not want a small LAC and W&L is awfully hard to get to for us.
15 Likes