<p>This is just a "just wondering". We have been involved with our D since the summer after sophomore year researching colleges, visiting, checking out websites, etc. Starting early there was no pressure, was a lot of fun and gave her something to focus on/aim for for the future. I am surprised and annoyed at how many of her friends (good, not necessarily GREAT students) who haven't taken the time to apply anywhere yet (but plan on going to college) and I'm even more annoyed at their parents who don't seem the least bit worried or for that matter interested in helping their child explore post secondary education. </p>
<p>I suppose many of us on this board are the opposite - we search and crave for all the info we can find to become even more informed (and at times MORE confused...) on college matters.</p>
<p>She even has one friend who is a very good student and has applied to Ohio State but has NEVER even visited the campus! It's only a couple of hours away - why can people not take time out from their "busy" schedules to make a good, realistic decision???!!!</p>
<p>I know of several students who never visited a college, nor even spent much time looking at websites, never looked at USNWR, Princeton Review, College guides, etc. They took the SAT once and lived with whatever it was, no prep courses, and all applied to about 6 schools that someone or another had told them about, and did so at the very last minute. Some are still waiting to apply to colleges that have March deadlines (such as Western Washington University). All of them are good students, and one attends an expensive private school.</p>
<p>I sat down to help one kid who has an uw 4.0/4.0 who said he had no EC's and interviewed him to help; he had great EC's. No counselor had ever spoken with him, he never approached one (didn't know he could), and parents have no idea of the process. I got him to apply to a couple of reaches he had never even considered, and to a couple matches, all his schools would be considered safeties for him. He wasn't even applying to the state flagship university. I doubt this is all that unusual.</p>
<p>I know one kid who has not even taken the ACT or SAT yet. She plans to go to the State U which has rolling admissions but still! And in October when we took our D to a tour of the only private U she was interested in she was the only one of 4-5 that had already taken them. I was astonished.</p>
<p>Pat yourself on the back idad for taking the time to help that student - thumbs up!</p>
<p>Yeah, many of my daughter's friends were totally taken back by their first ACT scores and never wanted to try again. It was really a bad experience for them.</p>