<p>Does anyone know how the new application is reviewed. Is the old one still on file and do the adcoms look at that. Is it viewed negatively that you had applied last year? Any input would be appreciated.</p>
<p>My take would be if you showed improvement in the weaker areas of the previous year’s application that would be a big plus. I think the schools value steady progress in grades, scores, EC accomplishments. Focus more on the weaker areas of the previous year’s application.</p>
<p>You can absolutely call the school or schools and ask them what they do for a student that they recently did not accept. I could have NOTHING to do with you, just they had too many “kids like you”. We are amazed how many kids did get accepted, that are weaker students, atheletes and such. However, their geography helped them…so you never know. LOTS of kids “qualify” easily, but they can accept all the kids that qualify.</p>
<p>Most AO’s who I’ve seen weigh in on this issue say that a new application is treated as an entirely new application: different year, different applicant pool, different potential results. I think many/most schools, do have the old applications on file; I doubt they spend lots of time comparing them, but I have seen kids ask if they could submit the same essay and AO’s tell them that that’s not a great idea (no big surprise there). Kids do get in the second time around, so no, I don’t think there are negative consequences; if anything, I imagine it shows a certain amount of determination and commitment. </p>
<p>That said, a call to the admissions office to determine whether there were any specific reasons why the student was waitlisted or denied might be a good idea.</p>
<p>I don’t think I can do this another year. I was so looking forward to a little break from application angst before the college thing starts. No rest for the weary. :)</p>
<p>Neato, we survived the first year and lived to find an amazing place the second. It’s a marathon. Perseverence, lessons learned, and not giving up are key.</p>
<p>And yes - exhausting. But the smiles we get now are so worth the stress of trying again. It’s been amazing. Hoping for as much for your dear daughter.</p>
<p>I think essays are the most time consuming part of the application. Now that they are done this year, they can be reworked easily next year. So shouldn’t be as much work. Anyways, I hope your D comes off the WL this year.</p>
<p>@neato: Your experience has given me a concern whether schools that my older D declines will be hesitant to accept my younger son and daughter for fear of being a “back up.” You think this was an issue?</p>
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<p>Not if you make it absolutely clear that the son or daughter want their own “space” and that you’re looking for the right “fit” not to have them at the same school.</p>
<p>We did that when we were interviewing because of the concern that my daughter would go to my alma mater. She made it absolutely clear that Exeter was my school and she was looking for her own place. I could see Adcoms visibly relax after that.</p>
<p>But if you say it - make sure you mean it.</p>
<p>The risk of putting siblings in the same school seems higher this year if the family needs FA. Based on the limited data on the boards this year it feels like FA is being maximized to bring new families into the fold.</p>
<p>As disappointing as my d’s results were this year, I think we should be careful not to but some specific reason on it. There may not be one. It is really really competitive out there. </p>
<p>I almost feel like I should post an apology on this board! 
After all, I’ve been telling people to cast a wide net, apply to schools that you would be honored to attend and that would also place you near the top of the applicant pool if you need FA. I’ve told people to be sincere and present themselves honestly and that there should be a positive outcome. But sometimes it just doesn’t work out. What is the line? “Past performance is not indicative of future results.” :)</p>
<p>As much as I would love to be able to say with any certainty that A B or C happened to my d’s application, as much as it would help my family (because this does effect the whole family), I just can’t. There are some things about her application that she simply does not have control over. High scores, advanced classes, committed ECs, great recs, self-motivation - schools have these things from their applicants in spades. Maybe there was simply no need for a girl who does X, plays Y instrument, and loves Z. I can speculate, but I may never know what, if anything, went “wrong.” She wasn’t the only one who ended without a place this year - not by a long shot.</p>
<p>BTW: She didn’t apply to any of the schools that her brother turned down last year so I don’t know about that howard (can’t do the backward spelling ). I just figured she didn’t stand a chance at those.</p>
<p>@Neato: That’s my worry as the next one comes down the pike. If you pick a wide range of schools and end up turning down a few, will the institutional memory come back to bite you? I feel like my son will need to either send a first choice letter to the school his older sister attends or simply not apply and be prepared to tell other schools that he’s not applying. Three-layer chess! ;)</p>
<p>Neato, do you think your daughter would be interested in small,all girl boarding schools, like Westover Ethel Walker, Emma Willard, or the bigger one, Miss Porters next year? Then she doesn’t have to deal with the same schools again (but of course, still sending CC Karma that she will get off of a WL), or stand in her brother’s Exeter shadow? By the way, never apologize! I truly believe if you put your best self out there, something good will come down the pike. Maybe you did cast a wide net, but maybe it was around the wrong places for your daughter. I am sure your family is still in the “fog”, but keep the faith! It is nice to see you back on the threads again. :)</p>
<p>Well stated, Neato. </p>
<p>I don’t want to admit it, but DS did apply again this year to transfer to his favorite BS, not the one he currently attends and is excelling at, which we all in my family have come to hold affection for. We kept it on the down-low. I wanted a “do-over” because I felt he hadn’t gotten in because of the parent essay etc (my fault).</p>
<p>Well DS did everything right. Got all A’s first term at his HADES school. He got in the high 90’s on SSATs, had outstanding sports and ECs and essays and recs including special recs done by his middle school principal and volunteer position. He had some outstanding awards and accolades additionally…and still could not get into his choice. He finally concluded, Mom “it’s them…not us.” I had to agree. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way, despite doing all you can.</p>
<p>Now daughter is coming up on the next round. She will present her best self and we will hope for the best. The good news is she has a very good public school as backup. You can have all the right stats and the best credentials and be a “nice” kid and still not get in to where you want, or anywhere. Yes, we are happy he at least got into one of his top four choices.</p>
<p>My son did laugh at the recommendation to live in any state that begins with a vowel. Thanks for that, CC.</p>
<p>RBGG- So your son had a few months at a top BS and then was in the awkward position of asking his teachers there to write recs for another school? How did that go over? Or did he only use former teachers for the new recommendations? </p>
<p>I’m thinking that ds might be in the same place next year- attending a prep school that seemed ok but didn’t win his heart, and perhaps applying again to his top choice.</p>
<p>On a related note, I wonder if ds’s instructors are starting to cringe when they see him approaching with a piece of paper. He’s asked for so many recs in the last 6 months- for summer programs as well as four BS and one college. He got into the selective private college, but not the prep school that we felt was his best fit- go figure.</p>
<p>Rellielou–it wasn’t a problem asking for recs. We waited until as late as possible, I think after the first trimester term grades were already in. The teachers at his HADES school said no problem, there are a lot of kids who transfer for different personal reasons and they are use to that. His English teacher had graduated from Andover and was happy to write the letter.</p>
<p>Again, despite all good favorables, they said they couldn’t offer him a spot. They also said they had to offer to kids who they thought not only could offer something to the school, but who could gain the most. Maybe they thought he was already somewhere that was offering him a great education (and they’d be right.)</p>
<p>I didn’t find out til this week though that DS said that at the interview in November, all the AO grilled him on was whether or not he would attend if he got accepted. He said all questions were pointed in this direction (hope this helps). It seemed they were most concerned about their yield, not getting to know him or the changes he made to his app. And yes, they had his old app open on their lap at the time of the new interview. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>My S applied to the HADES school my D is at now. Good SSATs and good ECs. Unfortunatlely, w/l. Great disappointment. My family was completely ignorant of the BS experience until my D applied. That ignorance was, in retrospect, blissful. Now that we all know what a tremendous opportunity these schools are, it is very hard to go back to what we had.</p>
<p>Tiger dad, did your s apply to only the one school?</p>