<p>OK. I let S do all his apps solo, and he chose to do the common app, where for Ithaca there is a scroll down menu for Park School Majors and he clicked Film and Visual Arts. At the time I think he didn't realize that was the only Park School major that does NOT qualify for the Park Scholarship. Last week he sent in his Park Scholars app thru the GC and filled that out saying he was going to do Cinema and Photography.</p>
<p>Well today he gets his acceptance for the Film/Visual Arts major (with $16k scholarship) but now he discovers that he screwed up and meant to click Cinema and Photography (he checked his common app record online). Has he just screwed himself over for the Park Scholars? Would he sound stupid if he called or emailed and told them what happened?</p>
<p>A good friend of his is at Ithaca as a Park Scholar with Cinema and Photography (screenwriting concentration) and talking to that guy is why S is applying. He wrote about all this on his Park app. Is he screwed? Should he call? Help!</p>
<p>ps - I think he actually thought he wanted Film/Visual Arts when he clicked that, but if he'd realized it didn't qualify for the big scholarship, he would have picked Cinema and Photography right then. He also changed his mind between the common app and last week, but forgot what he'd done on the common app. It's times like these I regret NOT being a helicopter parent.</p>
<p>My D was accepted to Park as Journalism and for some reason checked TV/Radio on the Park Scholar application and didn't realize it until she got an email yesterday. She got an email from the Park folks noting the descrepancy and asked her to send an email back noting her intended major. It is a slightly different scenario than yours but they did note it and asked for explanation. They may do the same with your S. We were wondering the same thing if it is going to be a big deal breaker on the scholarship or not. Any thoughts on that would be great.</p>
<p>I talked to the admissions office and also the Park School office. The admissions lady said S would have to email them and ask to change his major and then the committee would decide if they'd let him. Then he needs to email the Park Scholars committee and tell them he asked to change his major. Then he has to wait and see if he's allowed to change his major. The admissions lady didn't sound too hopeful on that point.</p>
<p>On top of all this, I'm also discovering that the hs GC mailed the app for Park Scholar on Friday instead of faxing it, so it may not even arrive on time to be considered anyway.</p>
<p>It is encouraging to me that your D was emailed to clarify the discrepancy she has. Maybe it's not as much a done deal as the admissions lady told me. otoh, for my S at least, it does worry me this will look like someone too clueless to get the nod for an interview, much less the award. But fate does have its way of opening and closing doors for us, doesn't it?</p>
<p>When you say your D "for some reason" checked a different major on her Park Scholar app, it resonated with me as S said he just changed his mind about what he wanted to do in between apps (your D may not have changed her mind). Sometimes I think these teens don't realize how cutthroat the competition is, and don't plan accordingly. otoh, it is probably the planning and forethought or lack thereof that helps the colleges weed out the applicants. If this closes a door for S, it will just narrow his choices and make his April decisions easier.</p>
<p>It's a real pain for our friend's S to travel back and forth to Ithaca, so we'll save a lot travel angst if S goes elsewhere. Got to find the silver lining somewhere.</p>
<p>I can so relate to these stories. My son's attitude is that I was too intense about the application process. Let's put it this way, I admit I am extremely methodical, whereas he is far more casual in his approach. I also took a hands-off approach, because simply put, this is his life and responsibility, and he really wanted me to back off and let him handle it. He did show me his submitted application to a large state u, and for the question, "how many honors/a.p./i.b. courses have you taken", he chose 1. He read too quickly, and thought it just asked about i.b. Therefore the application was submitted without noting his 9 other honors courses. I saw him swallow hard, but I did not call admissions, I told him he may call if he chooses to correct it, or hopefully the transcript will have enlightened them. In our case, it's not about money, which is a good reason to have called. But, I agree whole heartedly with you, mercymom, fate does play a role-- and you know what, they've learned a lesson that all the talking in the world would not have accomplished. Good Luck to you and your son, it sounds like he has a great opportunity in spite of the mishap.</p>