<p>I've tried to set up schedule for applications for D, with 3 applications per week. I'm hoping she will be done by Dec5, so there will be time to catch glitches and send any missing docs. Almost half of the applications are common app. Is this unrealistic? Should I extend to Dec 12? I don't want to be trying to track down counselors or transcript officers once school is out, or looking for internet access while out of the country for xmas....</p>
<p>Can’t you do all the transcripts and scores ahead? The counselor and teachers just upload the records and letters into the common app or naviance if your school uses that. You can hit send whenever you want. For the non-common app just order them now. If it really bothers you, order transcripts and scores for the schools on the bubble that she may or may not apply to then it’s done. All that stuff just sits in an electronic limbo at the school until the application is complete and they can match it up.</p>
<p>Most of the common app transcripts went out already, I’m just concerned if they weren’t received by the intended targets or lost in cyberspace; plus there are the schools which don’t use common app</p>
<p>The common app transcript is just attached to the app itself electronically and all goes together. If your school uses naviance or parchment they will send them electronically that way. Some still do a hard copy snail mail and those I would think you can order now and have sent now. They will be matched up with the app on the other end.</p>
<p>Have everything sent to every college now. The pieces will magically find each other when your daughter submits her applications.</p>
<p>A few days after she submits each application she can check to see if everything is complete. Sometimes it takes a week for all the pieces to unite. She can always call admissions to be sure her application is complete.</p>
<p>Transcript and letters can be sent out in Jan if necessary.</p>
<p>At our high school…the registrar preferred to send all the “stuff” for each student at one time. It was easier for her to do so. We actually has transcripts and LOR sent to schools that our kids never applied to. We just made the requests all at the same time. In our case, this was done in September of their senior years.</p>
<p>I would get all the stuff not in your child’s control, transcripts, LOR, collected by December 7th, if you can Essays I would give her a little more time, but perhaps set a deadline for drafts of December 7th.</p>
<p>It depends on how many schools she is applying to, and how many different essays she must write. You could get that main CommApp essay in shape by your early December deadline, and let your child fiddle with the supplements longer if necessary. </p>
<p>How busy is she with other things? Sports? Music concerts? Do balance the college app drive with the other stuff in her life. </p>
<p>Make sure you request the scores, transcripts and school reports ahead of time. Some HS may set their own deadline. My D’s school requires a 3 weeks advance notification for any school reports.</p>
<p>My D also did most applications in parallel. Note than many essays are similar and can be adapted for different schools easily.</p>
<p>We helped our kids set up an old fashioned paoer calendar where we could put all of the activities, and the required submissions for colleges as well. In every case, the drop dead date was two weeks prior to the actual deadline. This gave time to review the data and allow sufficient time to submit.</p>
<p>But really…after the calendar was set, we parents backed off a lot. We did check out so if progress was being made. But honestly, if the kids hadn’t done what they needed to do, that would have been their issue in terms of application deadlines. We were much more involved in terms of making sure any financial aid documents were submitted on time, meeting any priority deadlines if they existed.</p>
<p>I would check and make sure there aren’t any schools that she is applying to that have earlier deadlines for merit scholarships and/or honors. Some schools have deadlines of December 1st or earlier for that. They still allow you the apply after that date however you won’t get the scholarship or honors college.</p>