I can tell you after visiting Alabama with my D21 that it is a beautiful campus. I was very impressed. She ended up at Miami of Ohio (also a beautiful campus) as she got more merit there than at Bama and not as far away.
Another school I am a big fan of is Udel. Gives good merit, beautiful campus and gives good merit to high stats kids. Great location close to Philly, and not far from DC and NYC.
dumb question of the day, S24s guidance counselor sent through all of the documents through SCOIR (they wanted schools put in the applying column for Nov 1 deadlines by this weekend). S24 moved all of his schools, so RD ones were sent out yesterday too. I am guessing this is fine and will be in the schools system electronically until he applies. But he applied to alabama with their app so it was sent without his application ID, will it make it to his file? I would guess they can match with other data but never thought the school would be so efficient!
Yes I am sure they will match. We had test scores sent to a couple schools over the summer before the Common App was even started and everything made it and got matched no issues.
Our school is the same way. S24ās transcripts were sent a while back - even though he hasnāt started his apps for many of the schools. I assume everything will get where it needs to go!
optimism!
When you move schools into āApplyingā or āAppliedā, you have to indicate how you are applying (Common App, school web site, etc.) and enter an Common App ID or school web site application ID number.
We had similar situations with Minnesota, Pitt and UIUC, but those schools do not require official transcripts. Was the application ID number not entered in SCOIR?
they sent it before it was moved to applied, he added the application number after he got it and moved the application to applied, will hope they get it and if it isnāt marked as received in a few days will have them send again.
You know, Iāve long been skeptical of the applicant steering process I hear about in private schoolsā¦but seeing the number of applicants from our large public school to the university my kid plans to ED tick up by the day (approaching 20, with two weeks to Nov. 1) has forced me to grudgingly acknowledge the upside to that service. Lol.
Kid doesnāt look at Naviance charts and has no idea of these numbers, which is of course for the best. The school is firmly the kidās first choice, kid is a plausible candidate, and we can afford it, so thereās no reason not to apply ED. But seeing that number puts in perspective how crazy this process is and makes clear how many kids will inevitably be disappointed when decisions come out. My kid is fully prepared for a decline/deferral and ready with an ED2 application (not to mention a couple of EA likelies that will give decisions at the same time as ED1). So weāre as prepared as we can be! But seeing that number tick up on Naviance is daunting and makes this all very real.
Whatās the general thought on providing colleges with new information after an application has been submitted?
Reasons I ask: 1) Generally curious what people do when this occurs. 2) For us specifically ā D24 has submitted about half of her applications so far. She just found out that she was named to the āAll District First Teamā in her fall sport. Itās a significant recognition and athletics is a huge part of her life (3 varsity sports + club team + service activities + job, etc), but she chose to not pursue recruitment as an athlete. So Iām a bit torn on whether to suggest she reach out to the schools sheās already submitted applications to ā very proud of her for the accomplishment but not certain that it would directly influence an admission decision. Seems there would be a sensible balance between updating schools with every little thing and only updating when something major occurs, and not sure where on that spectrum this might lay.
So the Yale Admissions Podcast discussed this. My takeaway was basically this. If it is something new you would have featured in your application if it had been known at the time, then an update is fine. You should make sure to follow their update procedures (at Yale, apparently there is an update form in the portal). And also, you might want to make sure you wonāt be doing this repeatedly. So if there is possible stuff pending in the near future, maybe wait to do it once.
To me, it sounds like this clearly fits the substantive question, meaning she absolutely would have seen this as a significant thing in her application, and of course it is new. If you donāt think anything more like that is on the horizon, then I would just make a point of checking the procedures, but then go ahead.
for a gigantic school that must get a bazillion applications Alabama is pretty organized. They were able to match s24s transcript to his application even without the correct application number and it is marked as received. Impressed and surprised. He sent in two more EA tonight, excited this is so real!
I think it is good to update.
If you log into Common App today and check the dashboard, you will see the little red time bombs for schools with Nov 1 deadlines. (I find this hilarious.) Crunch time has arrived!
Ugh. Still no Common App essay for S24. He had a draft about a week ago and it was really bad. It was technically/grammatically fine, but it had no life and it didnāt convey any of his voice or engaging personality. It barely flowed at all as a piece of writing. Iāve always found his writing fine, varying between competent and entertaining depending on the topic. But this was really awful.
We talked about ways to rework it, but I havenāt seen anything from him on it yet, although he has said several times he is working on it. He just isnāt making much progress because he doesnāt feel it at all. Iām not sure whatās going to happenā¦
I am concerned he might have to skip applying EA anywhere because I donāt think it is going to be done. And I donāt see how he could get any supplemental essays done by deadline too. Iām trying to figure out how to best advise him. More time, Iām afraid, doesnāt guarantee a better essay. And some schools are less likely admits or lower/no merit if not EA.
Must make sure D24 logs in then!!! Maybe it will have an effect that I cannot seem to have !
Try not to worry during this stressful time (perhaps thatās not possible, I get it). None of my older kids had a Common App essay completed two weeks before the deadline - if I recall, it was done on the deadline date in two cases and the day before the deadline for one. Iām pressuring my senior to finish up a draft that is a good length but needs more beef and maybe a bit more personality spice. Zero supplements have been started LOL. I can only laugh because Iāve lived through this before.
Personally, I think the idea is the hardest part and the writing secondary. As much as it stresses us out, some kids really need that deadline pressure to produce their best work. Suggest that they clear their time leading up to the deadline; a pile of homework and afterschool activities could easily get in the way.
Iām a little relieved that there are others with 2 weeks before EA deadline with no personal statement complete yet, because that is where we are. D24 abandoned her second essay attempt and went back to her first essay and continues to revise it. She read it to me, I think itās fine but needs a better conclusion. She says sheās happy with it, and at this point I just need to let her work this out with the teacher whoās helping her with the edits. I do think sheāll get it done by 11/1, she seems to think 2 weeks is more than enough time to finish and is wondering why I am concerned. 
ETA hopefully that ticking time bomb on the Common App will help! 
You can add me to the list of stressed parents for 11/1 EA deadlines!
D24 completed her last set of revisions to her Common App personal statement, but needs the counselor to review & provide feedback or give a thumbs up. Kid sees counselor every day in the seniorsā daily college counseling class, but the last 2 days, that counselor hasnāt been there in class and Other Counselor has been present instead.
Counselor even has preset meeting times that you can book w/her ahead of time during the lunch period or after class. Did D24 set anything like that up for this week like I nagged her about last week?
NO! 
Dudeā¦seriouslyā¦youāre giving me gray hair, my child.
We bickered about this yesterday evening. She emailed counselor a 2nd time to request feedback. I nagged her about being assertive in class, speak up and remind her that you need to meet with her, and for Godās sake, SCHEDULE A FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH HER FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK!
What did D24 want to do? Schedule it for next Tues.
NO! On MONDAY! What does D24 say? āWhatās the rush? Thereās still 2 weeks left.ā
I barked at her that she has other stuff going on between now and thenā¦work, choir, other school work (including a French essay due on 10/27), plus volunteering for NHS on Halloween at a trunk or treat event.
so we barked at each other some more. At the tail end of all of this fun, I told her, āListen, you know how when you did driverās training, they taught you about how you need to look a little ways down the road to see whatās coming up? You need to do that now. And you need to do it with everything else re: school, choir, other obligations you have. Youāre graduating this year and going to college after that. I will NOT be nagging you all the time to remind you to do this or that. So wake up, pull your head out of your butt, and pay attention to whatās coming at you a little bit down the road. PLAN AHEAD. Donāt just react to the emergency right in front of you. PREVENT THE EMERGENCY FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE! PLAN for things to go wrong and give yourself wiggle room so things arenāt totally derailed IF something goes wrong.ā
I got back in return a big, āFINE! Are we DONE now?!ā God help us all.
Iām glad to hear Iām also not the only one in the just-finished-it-up boat. S24ās personal statement and supplemental essays for his ED has been nearly finished for well over a month. His ED app isnāt due until 11/15 but my plan is it needs to be done and sent by 11/1. He will have papers and finals 11/6-16. Itās just maddening. This kid has outstanding executive skills. I donāt get the foot dragging.
S24 also dragging a bit. I asked him what the ETA looked like and he said, āIt looks fine.ā 
Not exactly what I was asking. I asked for a more specific timeline and he laughed and said, āOh! Sorryā¦Iām thinking it will be done by 10/27. Yeah your question makes more sense now.ā
Made me feel a bit better that he had a firm date in his own head. Literally everything else is done (including all his recommendations being already in!) just waiting for him to finish the common app essay and the supplementals. He says they just need finishing touches, Iām hoping his idea of finishing touches is somewhere in the same vicinity of mine.