<p>OK, I've been here long enough to have been reminded again and again of the importance of calling to make sure application materials have arrived where they should.</p>
<p>But did I listen? No. I sent my daughter's application and recommendations off for the Earlham summer program last week. Sent it priority mail. Figured that priority mail meant it would get there in two days like they said. Plenty of time.</p>
<p>Not.</p>
<p>Only by chance did I call Earlham today - wanted to know if she will need a physical before she goes. It's a small office there so when they didn't recognize my daughter's name, they immediately started a search to see if her application had arrived. It hadn't. And, spots in the specific classes she wants are filling up. Luckily, they understood the situation and said we could fax the application and have the teacher and GC do the same with their recommendations. That probably wouldn't work with a real application, though.</p>
<p>So: it can't hurt to say it one more time for this year's incoming seniors: VERIFY that all application materials have arrived. Do not assume that "no news is good news." Call or send materials by certified mail. </p>
<p>Even if you send materials via fed-ex, beware. Call and check to see that all materials have arrived. And be on time or much before. The early bird gets the worm!!!! For rolling admission applications where money is needed, be the first!---like apply in September!</p>
<p>Carolyn, I am glad you are posting this so that this reminder can come up from time to time. While we did not use certified mail for applications, we did do followup (allowing sufficient time) with calls to make sure applications arrived and all requisite materials were complete in child's file. Sometimes schools let you know in postcards or online to that affect but otherwise, we made calls when we had no other notification. When it is this important, can't presume anything.</p>
<p>Also, did not realize your D was doing a summer program at Earlham. Sounds great. What is it about or is it varied? How long? I recall this being a college she is quite interested in and it will be beneficial to have spent time on that campus even if it is not when regular college is in session. The setting/location and so forth ...she'll have at least tried out! </p>
<p>It's also important to know that the US Postal Service's Express Mail can be anything but. A GAO study a few years ago, found that the delivered express mail was often times later than regular mail, regardless of whether it was sent local or cross country. Thus, I highly recommend the two big national services for package delivery. (note, I have no financial interest or personal interest in either company)</p>
<p>You can have your envelope/package tracked with all of the services, including the USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc. The cost is small, (for priority mail I think it's an extra $.45) and you can check where the darn thing is online every day until it's delivered.</p>
<p>We included a stamped, self-addressed postcard with all materials sent (including letters of recommendation -- gave to teachers to include).
It said on the back: Transcript, or letter from Mrs. X, or whatever received by (college).
All they had to do was pop it in the outgoing mail. It was a great relief to have those little cards coming in. For the few that didn't arrive in a timely manner, we called. You can never be too careful.</p>
<p>gS SAT scores got to one of the two schools he listed, no problem. did not get to the other, even tho ordered at same time/same way. Even tho College Board records showed they had gone. So, check that YOUR app materials arrived, that SCHOOL package (GC report, teacher recs, transcript) arrived, and that SCORE REPORTS (SAT1, SAT2, ACT) arrived.</p>
<p>Some schools have automated systems to check, others you need to speak with a real person. I found all v helpful at schools gS applied to, but it won't always be that way, so check fairly soon after expected arrival.</p>
<p>What on earth happened to the packet, Carolyn? Scares me when I read of these things. There were some issues when our kids applied too. SAT scores that they said did not arrive, a missing transcript when we knew it was sent. My older son had a "twin", similar name, similar SSN and their files got crossed which was a mess. Never knew for sure we really got his acceptance!</p>
<p>I have no idea. It was supposed to arrive on Monday. I suspect that it may be laying around Earlham somewhere, but don't want to take a chance that it will turn up. D's guidance counselor faxed everything over quickly this afternoon, but the teacher who wrote the rec was not too happy about having to reprint it out and fax it to them. Oh well.</p>
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<p>Also, did not realize your D was doing a summer program at Earlham. Sounds great. What is it about or is it varied? How long?<<</p>
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<p>The Earlham Explore-A-College program does sound great. It's two weeks long. The program is really designed to show kids what Earlham is like. The RA's are all current student. All classes are with Earlham faculty and are designed to give kids a taste of some of Earlham's unusual course offerings. Daughter is hoping to get into the metal smithing class, but her second choice is a wilderness education program and her third a class on non violent movements. The kids get two credits for the classes. And, the nice thing is if your child ends up going to Earlham, they put half of the cost of the program towards the first year's tuition.</p>
<p>jmmom, I was in charge of ordering the SAT scores to be sent. She sent one batch of four at exam time and I sent the rest. Apparently I must have overlapped with one of hers. In January the one school left out listed on the "check here to see if your application is complete" website that her SATs were not in. Frantic call to me, followed by frantic call to collegeboard for a speed delivery. You'll never guess where she is going to school next year.<br>
Yep...the one I didn't send the scores to on time.</p>
<p>Carolyn, that sounds like a very interesting program and good idea. In fact, it sounds pretty perfect for your D and I am glad you have looked into it for her. The tuition thing is quite something! </p>
<p>And talk about college VISITS....SOME overnight that will be ! </p>
<p>We sent everything certified, return receipt requested, AND most things also included a little postcard that said "App rec'd by XXX school" with a line under which I wrote Date and another line under which I wrote Signature. I got all the USPS green cards and all my personal postcards back. The green ones were always signed although the signature was not aways legible. Some of the personal postcards were signed; other schools just dated stamped them.</p>
<p>So I figured all was set. However, I saw threads here exhorting us to Check, check, check! So I decided to call to verify that the recs and other things sent by the high school had arrived.</p>
<p>Imagine my surprise when S's top choice EA school reported by phone that everything was there BUT the app! I pulled out the green USPS card as well as my own postcard, which by some stroke of luck had a date and legible signature. When I told that to the person helping me, she knew that it wasn't just a case of unopened mail. She connected me to the department head, who immediately did a search. ("Jane signed your card?! Then it is here and we will find it!") By the next morning, they found the app and had it hand carried it to the adcomm. Had I not called, we would not have known that anything was amiss until we wondered why he hadn't received any word of the EA decision - which would have bounced him into RD.</p>
<p>Similar story at another school. I was surprised that the acceptance included no merit money, and so I called to inquire whether it was due to a late rolling app, only to find they had no record of SAT scores. Again we were lucky. The guy who answered the phone searched, and found them, and then sent S's file back for reevaluation, and then called him a few days later to offer $$$.</p>
<p>Perhaps this is one case where my worry-wort/worst case scenario genes actually have been helpful. Because that (and CC, of course) prompted me to check although I had evidence that I didn't have to be concerned.</p>
<p>No matter how much "proof" you have or how reliable you believe your delivery method to be, schools misplace things all the time. So check, check, check!</p>
<p>We had similar experiences and didn't call since thought postcards received etc. would be enough. (Son put postcards in everything that was sent.) An early admittance to one school became a regular decision even though everything was sent fed-ex at great expense very early. Son should have called and checked. This school had the worse financial aid for son and music merit award was held up. At the last minute they came through with money but he had already accepted elsewhere, his fav anyway. SAT scores were missing at another school which held up an early acceptance. When that happens, money is involved and music school admissions were held up. In the end, it didn't matter. But what if it had been his choice, his favorite school.</p>
<p>We also went the enclosed postcard route. All but one school cooperated and sent back the postcards, usually with some sort of stamp or hand notation. There was one school that returned nothing, and sent no notification including for the receipt of merit essays and additional recommendations. They did not respond to email, so finally a call was placed. Eventually they sent a post card in February that the materials due in December were received. </p>
<p>The disorganization and lack of information was pretty much a constant during the entire process, and I would have not wanted my child to attend there if this meant four years of this lack of communication.</p>
<p>Carolyn, it sounds like Earlham scored points in the helpful office catagory--a good sign!</p>
<p>I very much advise calling but be aware that near deadlines and shortly thereafter, many admissions staffs will be too busy to pull individual records up.</p>
<p>We found some schools very good at having everything online and at the command of the person who answered the call . Others asked us to call back later. </p>
<p>It's important to check as your son or daughter generally won't be able to specify how every item submitted is mailed. </p>
<p>It wouldn't hurt to ask your school counselor and teachers who are sending materials if you might give them a prepared mailer that would have some form of tracking/receipt acknowledgement rather than a school envelope and 1st class stamp only being used.</p>
<p>Enclosed postcards are good but I got the impression at one school that stuff kind of sat in a big box until near the deadline, then was opened, collated, and entered into the admissions database. You might wait a while to get a postcard put back in the mail. Just be aware of that.</p>
<p>OK, found out from USPS on line tracking (thanks to whoever mentioned this as my post office said there was nothing they could do but didn't mention looking online) that the package actually arrived at Earlham last friday. Talked with the admissions person responsible for the summer program, whose name it was clearly addressed to. She has NO IDEA where it could be. UGH! Good news is, the teacher and guidance counselor faxed their rec's over, I next day aired the check and application, so they will work with those. Maybe it IS sitting in a big box somewhere!</p>
<p>The bad news is the teacher was much chagrinned at having to re-send her recommendation and not-so-subtly accused daughter and I of never having sent it in the first place last night, resulting in tears on daughter's part as this is one of her favorite teachers. The teacher made me feel about ten years old so I can only imagine how my daughter felt. More ughs. </p>
<p>Enclosing a reply card would not have worked in this case - no one in the admissions office has seen the package, even though it has arrived. I think the only thing that works in a case like this is actually calling to verify that everything has come in and been put in a student's file. I think that is just what I will do with each college in the fall.</p>
<p>It wouldn't hurt to ask your school counselor and teachers who are sending materials if you might give them a prepared mailer that would have some form of tracking/receipt acknowledgement rather than a school envelope and 1st class stamp only being used.</p>
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<p>KyDad, do you know if you can prepay for things like USPS express mail? That would be a very good way to make sure everything was trackable. At least if it has arrived on campus they have to look for it. But, I still think a follow up phone call even after you get proof it's been delivered is a good idea.</p>
<p>We used Fed X. They have a tracking number and it tells you exactly wher en route the mailing is , when it arrived and who signed for it. I believe UPS has the same system.</p>