<p>DD used to be o.k. toward her safety - the state U. Several times when I asked her to look for other safeties, she always gave me the same answer. It is o.k., the worst case, I will go to state U. The whole thing changed after her scholarship competition at state U this past Saturday. For the first time she told me, "I really don't want to go to state U". </p>
<p>A HS teammate showed her around the campus instead of taking the official tour. I think the visit during the winter has something to do with the bad impression. DD's previous visits to state U and other schools were all in Spring (April to May).</p>
<p>Before I could say any thing, DD added that "I work really hard and I know I am a good student. You told me that I could get in all these other schools and now what happened to that?" A lot more applicants this year and one could never know... ... I did not know what to say.</p>
<p>I did a quick check on the stat part. DD's stat are at or above 75% of every single school she applied. She has excellent E/C and interviewed well. Why shouldn't we expect to get into one or two of them?</p>
<p>With 5 AP and other activities, she does not want to do any more applications. What are her options at this time? Could a transfer student apply for the same scholarship as freshman applicants? Do 2nd or 3rd year students have more options in terms of funding by research grants etc? </p>
<p>I also brought up the topic of her selection of major. Within one university, it seems some departments will have more money than others. I said if you wants to do a more traditional major that most of graduate students attends for free. Then we should be able to fully fund the UG at any school you get in. </p>
<p>What is my point?? I don't know. I guess I am asking if there is any thing we could do now rather than just wait two more months.</p>
<p>When I first get on CC, I read many times that a student has an above average chance if student’s stat is at or above the 75% of the school. Reviewing the recent cases, how many of the parents still believe that?</p>
<p>PS, I am not worried about any thing because DD is in the honor of state U. The lunch keynote speaker made me believe that State U has enough of a base in their strong areas to offer any motivated student to achieve.</p>
<p>If you really want to, there’s a USN&WR list of schools with later application deadlines and rolling admissions. Give it to her and let her decide if SHE wants to apply to any of them as an additional safety.</p>
<p>Dad II: My S has applied to a lot of places where he is in the top 25% yet the admissions percentage is low. I’m also extremely nervous about it. I was nervous about it from day one. At least you have a good state university alternative–we don’t. </p>
<p>My advice it this: try to vent your anxiety here and not to her. If she doesn’t get in to her preferred schools and <em>really</em> doesn’t want to go to your state u, be prepared to help her plan a worthwhile gap year and reapply next year.</p>
<p>But there’s nothing to do but wait. And try to enjoy this time with your kid.</p>
<p>DadII, why would you try to do anything more when all actions cause such an uproar in your home? Except for not forgetting the deadlines for the various scholarships and financial aid filings, you really, really should sit down and relax. Based on your prior posts, it does appear that your daughter will do really well with her applications, and that between the recent changes in financial aid policies and the possible scholarships you should be reasonably happy. Simply stated, it would take a set of very unfortunate circumstances for you to have to spend your capital at your state university. You will have the right and honor to send your hard earned cash to one prestigious university!</p>
<p>For what it is worth, I think that the month of April will bring more sleepless night for you as you will wrangle with the various financial aid packages that should come with your daughter’s multiple admissions. </p>
<p>In the meantime, you should tell her that everything will work out just fine. And that is because it almost always does!</p>
<p>Dad II, most our high school students never believe this but our competitive high school val(4.0 uw), 2400(one sitting), cancer research, etc.. got deferred to her top choice early admission. From the rumour mill, almost everybody who applied early to this top school got deferred or rejected. Our high school normally sends about 6-8 per year to this prestigious college. It’s a crazy year.</p>
<p>If you’re not going to do any more applications at this time, then the best thing to do is to keep busy doing all of your activities to pass the time and keep your fingers crossed.</p>
<p>If you’ve applied to a number of schools at which you are above the 75th percentile, you SHOULD get into one of them. I say SHOULD, because there are instances where a kid strikes out completely. </p>
<p>If that happens, then we’ll have a whole 'nuther thread…</p>
<p>Take a chill pill dad II. Stop reading CC. Take up a hobby that is totally will maake good use of your attention to detail and second guessing. be like harold McGee the food scientist and test some hypotheses like how long can food stayu on the floor without getting germs on it. Make the world a better place. Channel energy into volunteer work. Learn some Shakespreare by heart.</p>
<p>Just say, Hmm, that is interesting, we will see, won’t we? when your daughter says things. She does it partly to get a rise out of you. </p>
<p>Of course none of this advice will help will it? ;)</p>
<p>I agree with others. Nothing more to do now. I remember vividly–no, viscerally–how long these few weeks felt for me last year. It seems silly now and I even knew it was silly then, but I was really stressing.</p>
<p>Try to stay positive and think about other things. Sounds like she has a good shot at the highly selective ones but no one has guarantees to those. You are right that the honors program at state U would also be a fine option.</p>
<p>“Could a transfer student apply for the same scholarship as freshman applicants?”
No. Those scholarships are used as an incentive to get top freshman candidates to matriculate at that college.
You need to just chill. Waiting is hard but it is something EVERY college applicant [and their parents] have to go through.</p>
<p>Despite all the horror stories, most students get in <em>somewhere</em> that they can live with. When I was applying for colleges in 2002, my mom was afraid that I would not get in anywhere, because the level of competition for the schools is, after all, very high. I got into seven out of ten schools, six of which are in the US News Top 20. I was a good applicant, but by no means a perfect one.</p>
<p>It sounds like the worst-case scenario is that she ends up working for a year. There is no shame in that. I have known people who did so voluntarily, in order to gain more maturity before going to college.</p>
<p>(Note: Even if the OP is a ■■■■■ or looking for a reaction, I have encountered real parents with similar attitudes, and their kids. A lot of people read this board. Even if the OP is not going to listen to what we say, perhaps some other parent or kid will read it and be enlightened or reassured.)</p>
<p>DadII, why would this trigger a heated debate? </p>
<p>Scholarships come in very different shapes and flavors. In addition, there are many, many scholarships that never get published or talked about. </p>
<p>Inasmuch as you might find some “vindication” and some support to your position that test scores are the ultimate yardstick, most people do know better. Scholarships are no more a simple glorification of tests scores than admissions are. </p>
<p>And that is something that the people who cling to the notions of score meritocracy have a hard time to understand or … accept!</p>
<p>Of course there are colleges that award scholarships based on test scores. There are colleges that award scholarships to kids based on PSAT scores alone. But NOT the colleges your daughter is targeting – not Wash U, not Duke, not Vanderbilt, not Emory. At those schools, grades, scores, and all the intangibles – all of them – are part of the equation. </p>
<p>I’ll bite - every scholarship from every school is based on something different - there is no way to pre-determine exactly what the scholarship is based on - unless they are willing to share that information.</p>
<p>Time for DADII to just chill out til all the results are in - then take the time to evaluate any/all offers. His DD already has 1 acceptance - so she is going somewhere - so just take a vacation from worrying for now - till all is said and done.</p>
<p>You might look at the list of schools with later admissions dates and find a couple of private schools that give merit aid. Many of the tippy top schools do not give that much merit aid- a great student may or may not get any, but at some schools, you can plan on it if you have certain scores etc.</p>
<p>For instance a school like Baylor in TX would give a 5 digit merit award based on SAT scores alone, guaranteed to your DD…I think their app date is passed, but their may be other schools nearby. This would give you an option come April of a small private with lots of personal attention, with a merit award that makes the price similar to the state school and since she would be at the top of the heap, she has a good chance to really make an impression.</p>
<p>You could then be faced with a case like Curmudgeon’s D, lots of money at a less prestigious school, not enough money at Yale- then your pocketbook can decide.</p>
<p>It might have been a much tougher choice for Curm’s D if it has been Yale with no aid and Texas A&M with merit aid- it is the small school thing that is nice for many kids.</p>
<p>You have no way to know if she will get into the really risky schools and if they use CSS, you may not want to pay what they expect.</p>
<p>And if DadII’s D is anything like the 17 or 18 year olds I know, her “I don’t want to go there” today will likely change at least 4 or 5 times between now and decision day. (It’s already changed at least twice.)</p>