Apparently my strategy of leaving D24 alone has worked, surprisingly. Earlier this week I promised I wouldn’t say anything else about her apps unless asked. And lo and behold, on Friday one of her classmates told me that he had read her essay and was blown away. So, I guess I just needed to lay off. She slipped to her father than she has most of her supplementals to her first choice done as well. Who knew?
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My twins are definitely surprising me in the whole application process.
D24 has always been my laser focused kid and she started working on her applications in June BUT she hates everything she has done and still doesn’t even have a personal statement she likes (but has at least three completed ones that her counselor thinks are good). She also cannot seem to decide where she wants to go, but also really wants to choose an ED school (this makes very little sense, I know). I am encouraging her or just apply RD because she does love so many schools, but we know that in the admissions environment, an all RD strategy will require applying to a lot more schools, especially since she really doesn’t have a true safety that she loves. I just got back from a FOURTH round of college tours with her. She now has toured FOURTEEN schools and in the past 8 months she has had four different “First Choices.” I think she is overthinking and making herself crazy. Making me crazy too! 
S24 hated discussing college with me and seemed to be procrastinating but he has already finished 11 college applications plus a couple of honors college applications! I think it helps that he is not a perfectionist so he doesn’t second guess his essays. I have not read his essays, but his counselor says they all are good and a couple supplements she has really loved. S24 also has a more target/match focused list, so much less stress.
It has been an interesting journey for sure.
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Congrats. I do think a lot of kids are just like in school - procastinators. They do better with the last minute pressure - or at least it kicks them into gear.
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D24 had hit a roadblock on ideas for supplemental essays, but this morning she has been inspired and is writing up a storm. She claims it was the Starbucks apple spice latte I got her as an enticement to get to work. If that’s the case I see a lot more trips to Starbucks in my future!
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Happy to report that D21 and S24 worked for many hours last night and the final essay is an upgrade according to his counselor who had blessed his earlier essay. I guess sometimes you need to trust kids. But boy was that nerve wracking.
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About to try this now! Great idea!
This is the type of kindness - which may feel cruel in the moment - that I believe all schools should do. No courtesy deferrals for legacies, nothing. Like, if they can’t say with certainty that you’d at least make the RD waitlist (and even then) then they should reject you outright.
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DS is finalizing an app he will turn in next week. Two essay questions for you all:
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ok to use contractions like “I’d” instead of “I had” (word count v tight)
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when writing about what your child would do do on campus, would you recommend they say, “I will” or “I would”?
I agree 100%. If a kid isn’t going to have a chance in RD (even just to the waitlist) do them a favor and reject them right away. It is kinder and doesn’t waste everyone’s time. Deferrals should be limited to applicants they really like but want to compare to the RD pool.
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Hooray! S24 submitted his ED application today, and it was a doozy. 2 supplemental essays, 4 short answer questions, and a 9-page case study for his intended major. Even if he doesn’t get in, he got a real taste of college workload!
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Wow!
Congrats to him!
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Update from 9 days out from Nov 1 EA deadline. D24 has decided to apply ED instead of EA to one of the 3 schools originally planned for EA. She has decided to go all in on the big ED boost (39% for ED vs 20% EA and 8% RD). She had an interview with a student about two weeks ago and it’s the most excited I’ve seen her in a while. She loved this school when we visited in June, but I think didn’t let herself consider EDing there for some reason. After discussion this weekend, it’s moved into clear #1 spot.
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Update from our house, supposedly (hmm) the Common App essay is about 90% done (last I saw it, it was maybe 70% done). No supplements started yet. Activity section not finished. Busy with calc 3 midterm and main activity is requiring lots of hours this week/weekend, gearing up for a competition. So, apparently, Nov 1 apps will be going down to the wire. Never a dull moment.
Fortunately, there are only two due Nov 1 and the rest are spaced out across the rest of fall. Once done, the supplements due Nov 1 will be reused for most other schools, with tweaks.
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Update from our house: all Nov 1 deadlines met. Giant dance performance coming this weekend, with relatives coming from out of state. 2 apps due by Nov 15—one is her last EA, and one is a scholarship deadline. Still waiting on a pesky rolling admissions school to respond, although we are very grateful for the one that already has! 
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Update from the fun house. D24 hit it hard this weekend (again, evidence that shutting my mouth was the trick). She finished her essay, read it to me of her own accord, and it is excellent in my opinion. It is written as a creative narrative, and her wrap up was so well-worded it brought tears to my eyes. I no longer have any stress about this journey. She also has finished a good chunk of her supplementals for the November deadlines, and was working on them some more during her free period this morning.
I am breathing such a sigh of relief … I wish the same for all of you SOON!
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We had some momentum for the sole 11/1 application late last week. This weekend there was a lot of available time, S24 was going to get really ahead on the supplementals–and of course mostly just stalled out.
I am convinced he needs serious psychological/time pressure to really put time into these, which is not great for me because him being stressed and rushed makes me stressed. But it ain’t about me, so on we roll.
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A tradition in our house: final review of entire app PDF, printed out, with red pen in (my) hand, while manning the door for trick-or-treaters. Though, probably none of my kids will go out this year, so maybe they’ll handle the door.
Anyone else here not feeling a love connection with one (or more) of your kid’s schools? S24 has a list of 10. * of those we really like and can see him thriving at any of those. We have seen five of them in person. There were a couple he threw on there late in the game and we didn’t think much of it because he has consistently said there were three in his top three and we love all three of those. We sort of just kept thinking it doesn’t matter he isn’t truly considering those other two anyway.
He has been admitted to those top two and we assumed he would most likely pick one of those. Now all of a sudden this outlier has shot up and he is super interested and it is not a school we really want him to consider. It is $$$$ and not any better than any other school on his list. It also happens to be the very last school he will hear from (not until late January). DH made the mistake of telling him early in the game that he shouldn’t “worry” about the cost, meaning not to let cost be the end all be all deciding factor of a school. I 100% would love to use cost as a reason he shouldn’t consider this school (it is easily $20K above every other school on his list). I am honestly praying he does not get in so it is not even an issue but he will likely be admitted. I was just floored last night when he said it is right behind the two tied for #1 right now. The more I read about it the more I worry. FWIW it is a VERY popular school with his high school (8 current freshman are there), a couple close friends are applying and his BFF sister attends so he is getting a lot of positive reinforcement I think. My gut is telling me to just say nothing and maybe the attraction will fizzle out…
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The way I see it, there’s a big difference between “don’t worry about cost” and “don’t consider cost at all.” I wouldn’t see anything wrong with your having a discussion with your son about whether the school is $80k better than the other schools on his list. We’ve been having that discussion with C24 – we’re not saying they can’t go to an expensive school, but they do have to be able to articulate what makes a given school worth so much extra money.
There are a few school on C24’s list that I don’t quite see why they’re applying, and at least one school that they love that I think isn’t the great fit that they think it is (and I have one particular school that I’m secretly hoping they’ll get into and pick). But I’m trying to keep an open mind and to remember that so much can change between now and April.
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Update in our house, one more EA application done, artistic supplement videos recorded but not yet ready for review, and list a little more formalized. On the other side, seems a hand injury from this summer is becoming an issue and I am hoping it will not require a major intervention that interferes with auditions and practicing. Jammed fingers in musicians are BAD!
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