<p>Thanks Faline2 that was helpful. Relayed the message.</p>
<p>It is tough to figure out how much to disclose about overcoming adversity. My children have struggled with this as well and son is unsure of how much to disclose about this in his aps. I have read of others who have written about it in their essay--he has done well in spite of the obstacles, but of course could do so much more if he didn't have them (never get to choose, of course).</p>
<p>Andi, I'm sure your son has a great personality, but it's so tough when there are so many unknown factors in the crazy "admissions lottery" of the college sweepstakes. Most of us know (whether we publicly admit it or not) when our beloved child has serious personality issues <grin>. Actually, many kids show their "worst face" to us, their loved ones (at least mine do). Isn't that what family is for?</grin></p>
<p>Good luck, Andi. I'm sure you & son will weather this all fine. Would appreciate reading thoughts about how much to disclose of overcoming medical (or any other) adversity, since that has largely defined my son's HS experience. The GC has suggested just mentioning it as a side note & not in the essay, but I have heard of it handled in various ways by others. Some have made it the topic of their essays & others have tried to minimize it.</p>
<p>Andi noted, "getting a great laugh out of this although I assume you didnt mean it as a joke??? Tufts the namesake of Tufts Syndrome. I would hope the adcoms there would appreciate the irony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But would they admit him if he didnt swear his allegiance by applying ED I ?????"</p>
<p>Response: when I said apply to Tufts using regular decision, you should make it clear that you are seriously considering them and NOT using them as a safety. I would even interview there too in order to emphasize that point. There is no reason why Andi can't get into Tufts with a merit scholarship if this is done correctly.</p>
<p>taxguy point taken. I'm sure you're right. It MAY be a little different in our area however- and this is where geography plays a part in the admissions game. Our hs is about 10 minutes drive from Tufts. At one of the GC/parent meetings the GC told us that out of a recent class of approx. 420 at andison's hs, 73 had applied to Tufts.<br>
Andison had had Tufts on his original "long list" but I specifically remember the GC telling him not to bother to apply unless he was going to go early. In retrospect, she probably should have advised him exactly what you have just recommended- apply RD but make sure you convince them of sincere interest.
Another factor that makes it more of a challenge from our hs, and obviously this is a smaller one, is that there are many kids who have connections there in the way of parents on the faculty and staff.
In any case, I will suggest resurrecting the school. It does have his academic and EC interests. Thanks for the input!</p>
<p>sorry, but what do you guys mean by building your list from the bottom up?</p>
<p>I interpret it to mean start with schools that you have should very solidly be admitted to & can afford even if you get NO aid--those that generally admit students with your statistics (grades, test scores, ECs; often these may be good public Us in your state). Those are your "match" schools. From there, add the schools that are more selective & might admit or deny you--you're generally the type of student they like but perhaps they admit fewer than 50% of applicants. Lastly, layer on the schools that admit very few students %wise, no matter how stellar the students' credentials. Those can never be really "counted on" by anyone.</p>
<p>Lots of folks start the other way, with where they'd most like to be & lastly look to where they're most likely to be admitted. If you LOVE your match schools, you are more likely to be happy when the letters come in in April, regardless of what happens with the ultra-selective schools.</p>
<p>Andi, first I'd like to echo the admiration and appreciation others have expressed for your generosity in ressurecting your experience for the benefit of the next group of college applicants. Secondly, I'd like to respond to your question about whether your son should make his college ap experience the topic of his essay: I would recommend that he not. In your question, you have hypothesized possible negative reactions, false impressions that could result--reactions can be so varied, there's just no way to know how this story will be interpreted. Your son clearly has so much to offer, and his current year plus all that has come before will certainly be rich enough to produce wonderful ways of revealing something about himself through his essay. So, I would avoid using this experience as any kind of "hook"...it's simply not worth the risk of it backfiring even with one school.</p>
<p>Donemom has a point there. We debated for a long while about one of my son's scholarship essays. It was a great essay, but a slightly risky topic. He took the chance. He did not win that scholarship and we will never know why, but I will always wonder if the person who read it responded negatively to the topic. Since andison has so much going for him, maybe a less risky topic would be a good idea.</p>
<p>
[quote]
andi, could you tell us what you and your son think might have caused him to be rejected by so many schools? could it be the essay? extra curricular activities?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I read Andison's essays. They were very well-written. His EC's were excellent: nationally-recognized summer programs in his field. It wasn't his high school; one of the best in the state.</p>
<p>What went wrong? A top-heavy college list. It wasn't even that there were unreasonable reaches on the list, but the schools that would have been perfect matches were so far down the list that they didn't get the "psychic" attention in the application process, if that makes any sense.</p>
<p>Lesson to be learned: People will tell you over and over that "it doesn't hurt to apply to your dream school" or "you'll never get in if you don't apply". This is true, but if a school is an extreme long-shot, don't let it cloud your thinking on the meat of the college list and application process. Don't let that school with a 9% acceptance rate trip you up because there's a 91% chance you won't get in.</p>
<p>Andi, thanks for the advice and good luck to your son this year and in the app process. Unless high school seniors and/or their parents hear similar stories, everyone assumes that high achieving kids will get into one of their reaches -- not necessarily so.</p>
<p>Thank you Donemom. That's basically been my feeling. Aside from dwelling on the negative, it isn't 'him' in that he's wanting to put that behind him and move on to more interesting life experiences. He's got better things to talk about. OK that's settled in my mind.</p>
<hr>
<p>Back to the original topic:
anyone who's reading this and not convinced, should go back and read the original thread. When I re-read it myself I'm reminded about how I argued with some of the poster's explanations. I do understand now how these results can happen. If you're a 50 +- yr-old-parent it's easy to think that things are the way they were when you went to school. Life is a whole lot more complicated these days.</p>
<p>This was so helpful to read, and at the same time my heart went out to you and your obviously exceptional son. It sounds like he is putting his interim year to great use- best of luck to him (and you).
I am brand new to this forum, so I got a real jolt reading about your experience, as my dd (dancing daughter in the Irish Dance world lingo!) and oldest child is a new senior, and we're muddling through this college search and application process. I admit I'm a bit overwhelmed, yet trying to maintain a collected, somewhat distanced approach so we don't drive each other crazy! It's easier said than done, I see.
Thanks again for your insight and willingness to share your experience.</p>
<p>Welcome, galwaymom! Most of us have found that its a very short drive to crazy, but are still hanging in there.</p>
<p>Andi, having just slogged through 30 boring, repetititive essays. I would enocurage your son to use his gap year experiences ins some way just to differentiate himself from the rest. There is only so much variety that 17-19 yo's can bring to a prompt; their experiences are so similar, but the reader is numb after awhile and they all blend together. Andison doesn't need to harp on, or even mention why he is doing the gap year but having unique experiences and something truly original to say about them would be a relief for the reader.</p>
<p>Hey if he was really a national merit finalist, why didnt he just accept one of those free rides from the dozen or so schools that offered them?</p>
<p>edit: also, I personally think one only needs one safety (that they're happy with) if the safety offers rolling admissions and/or guaranteed admissions for students above certain stats. That way, a student can get a decision early on, and not have to worry about this situation (if in fact it is real). There is no need to have several safeties, and nothing at all wrong with a top heavy list.</p>
<p>Amused:</p>
<p>I think the lessons to be learned from Andison is not just getting in any college (such as you suggest with the NMF universities), but in making sure that you identify well-targeted match schools and then doing the things necessary to ensure an admissions success.</p>
<p>There were schools on Andison's list where he would LOVE to attend and who would love to have him, but a thick cloud of "Ivy-fog" made visibility limited for everyone involved in both sides of that equation.</p>
<p>Here's the problem. The schools that you may view as your "safeties" after your five Ivy apps may be precisely the schools that are just about impossible to get into unless you separate yourself from the pack by demonstrating serious, specific interest. Stats alone won't do it.</p>
<p>How does one best demonstrate "serious specific interest" outside of a visit to the school (expensive from HI)?</p>
<p>Andi, re your sons essay topic, I think there are two situations at hand. For those schools that are fresh applies, I wouldnt mention the disappointment of last year in any shape or form AT ALL. Id present the decision to go for a gap year as a totally positive event motivated by desire for experience not by default. </p>
<p>For those schools that are re-applies the decision whether or not to allude to last year is a little trickier. If they are smallish LACs with smallish admissions committees, they are likely to remember your son from the last round, especially if an active pursuit of the waitlist was involved. In that case, I would think that the previous rejection would be like the elephant in the room. </p>
<p>Maybe the main essay isnt the place to bring it up. Maybe it could be in a recommendation, a cover letter, an interview there are several points of communication at which the issue could be broached, and for sure the focus should stay positive. To me to leave out any reference to last year would appear evasive.</p>
<p>For contingencies there is a late decision program available at many fine colleges through the National Association for College Admissions Counseling
<a href="http://www.nacac.com%5B/url%5D">www.nacac.com</a></p>
<p>Andi, I agree with your decision yesterday to not dwell on the "reason" for the gap year. There are many risks involved in the topic and not much to be gained. At any schools that "remember" him his actions this year speak for his resilience. The "I survived" topic is not new and fresh anyway. Too much like the "What I learned from my cross-country team experience."</p>
<p>For everyone, although my son has his list, I would feel more comfortable if he replaced one of the 9% schools with another school that has more reasonable admissions numbers. Finding these schools has been difficult because he wants some very specific attributes -- not in a small town, not conservative, not preppy or heavily weighted to athletic types, a social life that does not revolve around drinking or drugs, strong history and non-biological sciences programs, friendly, down-to-earth kids and so forth. One problem we've encountered is that some of the schools that might be great for him are in the middle of nowhere. He is adamant about being in an urban or semi-urban environment. He's a city kid, through and through. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.</p>