<p>gamomof3, I noticed on another thread your D got a brochure with a few waiver from Pitt. My son got one as well; was it part of that “World of Possibilities” package? It looked like a "diversity "program from the picture, but nothing else hinted at that,</p>
<p>My D wants to major in Athletic Training but also wants to become a Certified Athletic Trainer after a Bachelors Degree and there are not many schools in our area with a certified bachelors program. It 's mostly flagship state schools and a few smaller schools. Her other major criteria is a football team which is narrows our list down even further.</p>
<p>@shrinkrap - I don’t remember what the brochure was titled but that does sound familiar. My D can’t find the brochure now and I haven’t taken the time to look for it. I know it also included a free night hotel stay as well. Other parents on the class of 2011 thread stated that you get a fee waiver with a school visit. It’s not a school that we even thought about applying to but I am not ready to rule it out yet. What about you?</p>
<p>Sounds like the same brochure, and no, we hadn’t thought about it either, but that’s the point, right? I learned to not ignore them with my D in '08. A school we’d never heard of ended up being her number one choice, although it got “bumped” by a surprise admission at the last minute.</p>
<p>We have a rising senior who also received the info from Pitt. It hadnt been on our list either, but it may be added. It seems to meet many of his requirements urban, right size, and has the major and foreign language he wants to take. There have been a number of positive comments on CC recently as well. We will probably try to visit if we are in the general area this summer. </p>
<p>The World of Possibilities does look like a diversity program, but other than the photos and the reference to a diverse campus there is not anything specific. Thats interesting. He received a separate brochure for Your Day on Campus being held later this summer that was a little clearer in indicating that it was targeted at minority students.</p>
<p>We are just returning from Univ of FL. They had a program which targeted AA honor students. Not quite sure what the criteria was for being invited but I am glad we got the opportunity. Overall D was impressed with the school. We got to tour the sports facilities which she really enjoyed. Based on the scholarship discussion, they don’t offer much merit aid unless you are National Merit or National Achievement which we haven’t been notified that she is and not sure I am willing to foot the OOS bill for that one. But its always good to have options.</p>
<p>Any updates? Son is getting more invites ( Univ Miami, Whitman, Washington and Lee) but is just not interested. Arggh!</p>
<p>D has finally placed a period at the end of her list of colleges and intended major. Whew! Now we can get serious. Part I of the common app. was 95% finished a month ago and now she’s working on her supplements. All of her favorite teachers have agreed to write recommendations. We’re also still on pins and needles waiting to hear confirmations of National Merit and National Achievement semifinalist standing.</p>
<p><first bows=“” respectfully=“” to=“” shrinkrap=“” for=“” hauling=“” my=“” keister=“” back=“” in=“” here=“” where=“” it=“” belongs=“”></first></p>
<p>Hey y’all!! B’more up in da JOINT & reportin’ for Round 2! </p>
<p>Took a l’il bit of a re-orientation tour and caught up on posts a couple of pages back. For what it’s worth ('tain’t much!) – here’s my two cents:</p>
<p>Re: Minority Merit “Strings” – as the EFC high/disposable income-low, relieved mom of a 4yr free-rider. I say “gimme dem strings!” D1’s strings as an MLK scholar @ Brandeis have included “serving as a role model”, putting on the annual MLK program, and attending monthly meetings designed to foster camaraderie and mentorship opps w/other MLK Scholars. She hates it. <em>I</em> say – I don’t give-a-damn. You got a prestigious Smithsonian internship last year, and you’re going to France this year. On THEM! Gurrrrl . . don’t be LOOKIN’ no gift horse in d’mouth! 
D1 LOVES Brandeis. It was truly the school for her. Anyone looking for a nicely-ranked liberal arts school w/ample merit $$, no freshman 15 (ie. no bacon, pork chops, etc.), & location, location, location - I, too, love this school. </p>
<p>This post got long. So I’m cutting it in two and posting the rest in a separate post.</p>
<p>SMIA’s 2011 QUEST</p>
<p>D2 is a senior this year, and thinks to flummox me w/the unwinnable college-search challenge. O-ho-HO! But I SHALL rise to the occasion, folks. My assignment? Place my 2.8 GPA/3.5 QPA kid w/970 M/V SAT, in a top-tier public u, on a 4yr full-tuition merit scholarship (Or at least get her accepted somewhere decent we can pay out of pocket!). </p>
<p>I am pleased to report that we, today (my b’day no less!), – received her FIRST COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE! It came from a US News & World Report National U ranked #94 this year. It sports the (dubious) distinction of enrolling more males than females 57/43 - much to D2’s delight, gives admission results in two business days, and will award 100 full tuition scholarships to AA students graduating in the top 25% of their class OR presenting a 3.5 or higher QPA and minimum 1100 M/V SAT. So, yes, we are now plunking down the $$ for an SAT prep course that “guarantees” a 330+ point increase. The way I see it, that’s one heckuva good investment.</p>
<p>Last, but not least – is it my imagination? Or did grad rates go down across the board this year? "Cause I KNOW when I 1st looked at some of these schools 3yrs ago, they had grad rates at 75% and above. That’s why I’d had 'em in mind for D2!).</p>
<p>If anyone has a line on a decent cheapo, cheapo school (read $20K total annual price tag or less) for out-of-staters, – lemme know!</p>
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<p>I hear you SMIA!!! Tell her take all of those strings and tie them in to a nice pretty bow and stick them on all of those presents (internship, france, especially that 160K in Free tuition). We can’t be up her blocking no blessings and she has truly been blessed by the experience. I am glad to hear that she is loving it. Tell her keep on keeping on :D</p>
<p>“an SAT prep course that “guarantees” a 330+ point increase.”</p>
<p>Nice! How is the “guarantee” worded? </p>
<p>FWIW, son increased by about 130 with about 12 hours over two months on the college board online course.(1760 to 1890 IIRC). His motivation was to go to school where his teamates where going.</p>
<p>Too bad we can’t do that with his gpa.</p>
<p>Hey ladies,
It’s been a minute. How’s everyone doing? DS had a great freshman year and was chafing at the bit to get back for year 2. If you would have told me 4 years ago (when he was a HS sophomore) that he’d be in this position I would have asked for a hit of what you were smokin’!</p>
<p>SIWA have you considered Temple U? It has really come a long way in terms of academic rigor. Still not thrilled with the neighborhood but even that is coming around.</p>
<p>Hey everybody! Happy belated b-day SMIA, and congrats! In fact, sounds like congrats is due all around. I love this thread! </p>
<p>Well, on my end we are offcially empty nesters! Yay! All are now out and about and doing their thing. However, lest I start thinking I can relax a bit, D3’s beau comes to town to ask permission to propose. Yeah, we had THE talk. Well it was bound to happen eventually, right? Btw, I love this guy – a true “Morehouse man,” and a really good one. So it’s all good, but of course DW is now in full blown planning mode, so here we go with all that now, Lol. </p>
<p>Now, about those scholarships: </p>
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<p>Relieved? Really? You say that like it’s some kind of plague or insult to be offered or to accept one. And maybe you do feel that way. But as I recall, you mentioned your D’s stats were somewhat less than stellar for the school she’s attending, were they not? So how do you know her minority status wasn’t factored in when they awarded her the “standard” scholarship? It happens all the time. And how do you know they didn’t consider her minority status when she was even admitted in the first place? I’ll answer that for you: you don’t. And if they did, guess what? She does, in fact, have a minority scholarship (a rose by any other name is still a rose). So as my mother used to say, “don’t walk around here all siddity, like you’re swimmin and not gettin wet.” </p>
<p>I say, if a person doesn’t need it that’s great, congrats on doing so well. Hopefully there will come a day when nobody needs one. But in the meantime, those scholarships are out there for a reason, and I’m “relieved” that some are able to have those opportunites. I would be even more “relieved” if they were all fully taken advantage of. And in a way, I guess I’m also “relieved” to know that some of us have arrived at a place in life where we can afford to be “relieved” when we are not offered one. </p>
<p>On another note, SMIA, some schools that come up on the radar for low out of state tuition include Univ of Minnesota and the SUNY schools. I know very little about them but it might be worth looking into.</p>
<p>“D3’s beau comes to town to ask permission to propose. Yeah, we had THE talk.”</p>
<p>Awwww…congrats!</p>
<p>FV-D - Congrats on the empty nest, exciting planning and a MOREHOUSE MAN! U KNOW I was sitting here grinning like a banshee @ that “don’t walk around here all siddity” comment, right? <em>chuckling</em> Oh man. Where ELSE can we TALK this way?! And whether D1 wants to admit it or not, I know she feels the same way. </p>
<p>Her circle of close friends at Brandeis is 100% non-minority. We had all 8 or 9 of 'em here for a weekend this past summer. Good kids (alas, her beau came to town along w/em – and we HATED him!) – but whenever she comes home, I can’t help but notice the one place she heads to, religiously[pun!], is our local AA Mega-church, where she can kick back, blend in anonymously, and let our “culture” flow all thru & round her. It matters. And those “strings” may just be the only thing keeping her grounded!</p>
<p>S-R: D2’s SAT prep course’s “guarantee” was worded cleverly indeed. And in fact, isn’t much of one! If she doesn’t increase the amount promised, she gets to retake the course for free. If she doesn’t increase much the second time, they give $$ back on an inverse scale to the amount of increase. But I think just getting D into an environment where she will HAVE to put in hours relearning basic skills & practicing the questions will engender sufficient improvement to meet our modest goal. She’s involved in so much this year, she doesn’t really have enough time, otherwise, to discipline herself to go it alone online.</p>
<p>TriG, I’ll def check out Temple right now, along with FV-D’s Minnesota & SUNY school tips. Peace, love & happiness, all! I’ll be back . . .</p>
<p>" is our local AA Mega-church, where she can kick back, blend in anonymously, and let our “culture” flow all thru & round her."</p>
<p>Nice! My D had only rarely been in a church like that, and early on at Duke, socialized primarily with Asian kids in her a cappella group. But late freshman year she joins the gospel choir and related organizations and she’s “hey! I like black people!”. Knowing about the choir and their ministry were the things that really clinched this school for me and H. We were hoping she’d find her people among them, although she’d never been among them before.</p>
<p>“She’s involved in so much this year, she doesn’t really have enough time, otherwise, to discipline herself to go it alone online.”</p>
<p>BTW, she coerced me into going to such a church this summer, and I went once, but I wasn’t really "fillin’ "it.</p>
<p>“Place my 2.8 GPA/3.5 QPA kid w/970 M/V SAT, in a top-tier public u, on a 4yr full-tuition merit scholarship (Or at least get her accepted somewhere decent we can pay out of pocket!).”</p>
<p>SMIA, I too am hoping for a soft landing. D#3 has 2.8gpa (her sch offers no honors/AP classes) and 950M/V. Please give me a heads-up re: any east coast possibilities (merit $$ is unlikely; we’re hoping need-based finaid at a school that doesn’t “gap” more than $2-3K).</p>
<p>SMIA and NYC, have you considered test optional schools? That would take away the pressure of a low SAT score and allow your Ds to shine in a more holistic review of their records. I know many of the women’s colleges are SAT optional as are a slew of good LACs where the low GPA can be explained/counter balanced with the students other stellar (I’m sure!) qualities. Good luck. Keep us posted.</p>
<p>Test-opt is a good admissins bet for the 3.5 gpa student - - but beware: some schools are test-opt with a high gpa and some are test-opt only to the extent of accepting AP scores instead of the SAT (check the annotated Fairtest list). Also, the top schools (Smith, BMC, Bowdoin) offer only limited merit aid and will probably want more than a weighted 3.5 for merit awards; the second-tier schools (Goucher, Bennington, HWS) offer lots of smaller merit awards, but the larger awards are reserved for candidates with really strong grades – and althought submission fo SAT scores is optional for admission, some schools require test scores from applicants wishing to be considered for merit money.</p>
<p>FP is correct. If you look at the Fair Test website you will note a number of footnotes and qualifiers:</p>
<p>[Optional</a> List | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional]Optional”>ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest)</p>
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<p>Correction: D1 is getting married, not D3. If it were D3, who’s just starting her first year of college, I’m sure my reaction would have been quite different, Lol.</p>