Don’t assume that “optional” essays are always necessary, especially for a kid that isn’t looking at tippy-top schools. S23 never wrote a single essay, just the UC PIQs. Everywhere else had either no essays (CSUs) or they were purely optional (with admit and merit based on stats) unless you were interested in honors colleges (he wasn’t). So there was no common app essay needed for his three common app schools (Arizona, ASU and Utah) and he got admitted with the same merit as everyone else with his GPA/SAT score.
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The schools he is applying early for that have optional essays are UVM and Fordham. Question in our mind is does writing the essays (esp since they are very specific to the schools) show interest and make him more likely to get merit and honors college consideration.
My daughter’s HS used to get lots of visits from Ivies and other elite schools.
So I’ll just add one more thing that I hope will ease the stress on your daughter. None of the Ivies track demonstrated interest!
These school visits are merely information sessions. It’s a good opportunity to ask any questions she may genuinely have, but it’ll have no impact on her admission chances. Her asking/not asking a question or interacting/not interacting with the school representative will never be noted on her application file. So no need to be stressed!
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I’m not sure, but because my kid was hoping for the full tuition scholarship (National Merit) at Fordham, he did do all the optional things. He did end up receiving it. Not sure if it made a difference or not, but he erred on the side of caution. I doubt he wrote anything profound.
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That is my thought. He missed nmsf by 1 point (agh NJ!!) so writing all the essays and putting effort in seems like the right way to go. The why us essays for those two schools are not profound, just not reusable!
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The essay can make a difference in merit consideration at Fordham, so worth doing if you are chasing merit.
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Yes! Would not go without significant merit so that is the info we are looking for
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+1 and I’d add to the list of potential Q’s the following: is housing guaranteed for all 4 years?
It’s a nugget of information that can be weirdly difficult to find for some schools. Many literally don’t mention it on their websites, and at some schools this changes over time based on over/under enrollment, yield, construction projects, etc. and so sometimes the answer from google is out of date.
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For the schools that do not have rolling admissions, is there any advantage/disadvantage to applying very early (for example right now for a Nov 1 deadline)? Other than getting the application out of the way?
Lots of EA schools especially public’s require November 1 application to be considered for merit money.
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No, there’s no advantage to applying super early. Non rolling-admissions schools don’t start reviewing applications until after the Nov 1 deadline.
Correct, but @Mom2024a is asking a different question.
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I have only seen/heard that it does not matter if the application goes in on Oct 1 or Oct 31, they will all be looked at the same.
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If it is an Ivy there will likely be a fair number of kids who show up, and then it will be an informal presentation with Q&A. At our school we found that top LACs, particularly those that visit the high school early in the Fall, had very low student turn out, and thus it was much more of a conversation with the AO. At my D22’s ED1 school, she was the only person that showed up. She told the AO she was planning to ED, and then asked every question she could think of–housing (and roommate pairing), food, clubs, class registration, study abroad, etc. Basically all the practical things you would want to know once you were accepted. That night she told me she couldn’t even remember all the topics they covered. She said there were awkward moments, like where she lost her trian of thought mid-question. But overall, she felt good about the conversation and was glad she went. When I look at Naviance now, I can see that 9 kids from her high school applied that year, but she was the only admit. I am sure that was not the reason she was admitted (she was ED1 and an athlete), but I suspect it made it that much easier for the AOs to know she was an actual person, not just an application.
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The average is a few points lower than D24. Counselor said not a ton of kids get into Ivies from the school unless they’re first-gen or underserved demographic. S21 was the first one in the school so she doesn’t have a tone to benchmark of. 
. But I love my counselor. She’s so helpful and kind.
D24 has decided that for her senior project, she’s going to do a project with a local nonprofit agency that trains service dogs. One of the teachers at school has a service dog and recommended a local organization. D24 said, “I have all of college to do projects and work that’s focused on my career, but this is an opportunity where I can pick anything I want just because it sounds like fun. And since I taught (cat’s_name) how to do tricks and how to talk with the buttons, I thought it would be a lot of fun to train dogs all day with how to be a service dog for somebody who’s disabled. And I’ll get to learn something new out of it, too.”
Senior projects start 2/12 and end on 5/11 w/a big formal presentation.
Am very proud of her. I have a friend who uses a seeing eye dog and her service dog has been amazing.
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That’s so awesome! D24 wants to be a doctor (at this rate, don’t they all? LOL. referencing her brother who is no longer premed) but she chose to forego a more health-related activity last summer and chose the legislative intern option. She loved it. Going to be applying for majors like global affairs vs. biology, which was what she had originally thought she’d do with the premed stuff.
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Glad to see your counsellor responded promptly. Is your D24 applying STEM field and if her ACT section scores are good for Math and Science I would submit.
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Just got back from a fascinating campus visit at our Reputable State University (I don’t want to give the name, given that it is still an option for my D24, despite the rather dramatic revelation). Many students would be excited to go there–it is a top 100 school. However, it is also an SEC football school. My daughter, who attended a progressive grade school and a majority-minority public school (she’s white), has never fully understood until now that we have raised her not to be mainstream. Since she has no problem with wearing a North Face jacket, and doesn’t look “alternative,” she didn’t understand what a conformist culture looks like until she went to this campus and saw most women wearing the same type (if not even the same brand) of shorts. All the women had long hair except for a couple of outliers who also dressed differently. Now, having heard enough conversations/talk from people who both dress like this and subscribe to the mainstream viewpoint, my daughter understands that these are, in her words, “not her people.” She would have to actively seek out people who aren’t conformist, if she wants to have good friends. I’m really, really glad that she has finally understood what this culture means. It is fine, and perfectly okay if young people primarily want to be social and business “successes,” by external means, but that’s not what we raised her to think about. Interesting times in the college search!
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D24 went to one offered by a group of Northeast colleges located within about 2 hours of each other that are popular with kids from the Southeast. She signed in, and there were pamphlets to take. Each AO gave a 10 minute presentation about their school, then they did individual Q&As in the lobby (you lined up for the college you wanted to talk to and then had a few minutes to speak individually with the AO). We talked to 2 of the 4. One AO might know her name, the other just jumped straight into questions.
Good to have a few questions lined up in advance, it can be a bit intimidating.
S24 and I got an email today from Northeastern saying S24 is invited to an “exclusive,” “invite only” Preview Day in October for “select students.” Is this marketing or does the email mean something? Guessing the former but curious.
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