<p>Okay, so schools probably aren't opening for the next half year if we're lucky, maybe even a year. They're now saying it'll take 6 months just to get the water out of the city and three more to dry up completely. I'm a senior at Ben Franklin High School in New Orleans, the best public high school in the city (and the state,i think) with intentions of applying to Harvard, MIT, Ivies, etc. I have hardly any teachers' contact information and the server for their New Orleans public schools email addresses is down, so it's really hard getting in touch with teachers and counselors, to say the least. All my extracurrics (offices held, etc) and volunteer stuff that I've worked 4 years to build up are shot, b/c this "city" and school where I'm staying are totally different. And thats not all of it, there's also the parts about having to take different classes at the new school, not being able to take my university class anymore, not being able to continue research I was working on, trying to find a teacher to continue piano, essays are all shot now too, etc... And I know any senior at a high school in New Orleans is going through the same thing.</p>
<p>What do you guys on CC suggest I do w/ respect to any of these difficulties? Please help out the kids in New Orleans w/ advice and all about what we should be doing with college admissions!! (which I've noticed hardly anyone is talking about besides vague promises of "accomodations" from colleges.)</p>
<p>(Yeah yeah, I know a lot of people are going through worse, but honestly, applying to colleges matters a lot to me, and I'm not going to let this hurricane ruin any more of my life... so please reply with advice/suggestions!!!)</p>
<p>Firstly I would contact the admissions folks at the colleges you will be applying to. I would identify myself as a victim of Katrina and get to them what you can now.....SAT scores and such. As for the applications.....you can do all of that so no problem. The colleges themselves will tell you what they can do to accomodate you......delay a deadline, accept a letter of recommendation. You may have teachers who have died or cannot return to work. You can handle this yourself and I think you will be surprised at how accomodating the colleges will be. Make a record for each college and try to help yourself as much as you can.....this will help your high school get the needed info to the colleges at the time they are capable. Make the most of your time now. Good luck and I am sorry for your suffering and stress.</p>
<p>"Firstly I would contact the admissions folks at the colleges you will be applying to. I would identify myself as a victim of Katrina and get to them what you can now"</p>
<p>Do not play the victim card! Adcoms are acutely aware of the challenges that students from Hurricane Katrina territory face. Just proceed as you normally would in the college admissions process. </p>
<p>"All my extracurrics (offices held, etc) and volunteer stuff that I've worked 4 years to build up are shot, b/c this "city" and school where I'm staying are totally different."</p>
<p>You can still list all of this information on your application. Nothing about your past accomplishments is shot! But you do need to clean up your attitude! You should be grateful that you got out of NO alive and have the opportunity to complete your hs education.</p>
<p>New Orleans teachers and counselors, if they are still alive, will surface, hopefully in time to provide rec letters, etc. But right now, the world doesn't center around YOU and YOUR personal needs.</p>
<p>I do agree that you should communicate with those colleges you are interested in and express that interest to them. Just don't play the VICTIM! They will want to hear how you are overcoming the challenges and what contribution YOU are making to world!</p>
<p>First, it must be terribly difficult to have to change schools at this time and I feel for you. Don't get too caught up in the ruining your life thing. Even taking a gap year and applying next year, just to use one option available to you-- won't affect you negatively in your life in the medium or long term.</p>
<p>"All my extracurrics (offices held, etc) and volunteer stuff that I've worked 4 years to build up are shot, b/c this "city" and school where I'm staying are totally different."</p>
<p>Dont' jump to conclusions too fast. You have lots of time for RD to see what you old school is able to come up with. You can certainly list what you did. It is not 'gone'. Give them some time before you flood them with requests. </p>
<p>Are you applying ED or EA anywhere? If so, contact that school's admissions offic and tell them your situation with getting the school's materials in by the ED and EA deadlines. Find out if you will still be eligible. But at worst, submit your application with a notation that your HS of the past 3 years was xzy in N.O.</p>
<p>For ED schools, do same, submit application, but note the nola situation. Contact these schools after you apply.</p>
<p>You will be FINE. There are thousands of other students going through the exact same thing. Every college in the country (yes, Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. too) knows that this is going on. They WILL understand that there are kids who have lost valuable time in their educational career because of the disaster.</p>
<p>That being said, I would have to agree with the person who said that you shouldn't play the victim card. Colleges will be getting 239423974 essays next year about Katrina. Definitely address the fact that your opportunities have been limited, but don't play a sympathy card and don't expect every school to coddle you.</p>
<p>Everything you have done in the past 3 years will not be lost. The fact that you have been involved in the ECs before the disaster will not be overlooked. You will have the opportunity to write a resume/activities list just like every other candidate; the only difference is that you had a period of time where you physically could not participate in such activities. That will be taken into account.</p>
<p>Good luck with everything. I truly think that it won't be as bad as you are worried it may turn out to be.</p>
<p>Gosh, I don't see that identifying one's circumstance is playing the "victim" card. It seems very possible to me that some school records may never be available to the applicants. Applying with what you have and letting the college know that is not playing a victim card in my assessment. I think the kids/parents on CC who are already addressing their options will be fine. Their application process may be different than they had planned for but it will be productive and work out. I am sure that some students will have been traumatized and will take time off to do an alternative activity......I agree about being happy you are safe, alive and can still worry about where to apply for college.</p>
<p>i agree, what they don't want to hear is your whining about how Katrina destroyed your life, but you don't also have to sweep everything under the carpet and pretend it's not really a big deal. Friends I know who applied to Stanford and Upenn mentioned that they have some difficulties during the tsunami. But they got in in the end.</p>
<p>Here is how Harvard responds, and I'm sure that other schools will have a similar response...</p>
<p>Harvard College Admissions</p>
<p>A Special Message to All Students Affected by Hurricane Katrina: Harvard will do everything possible to accommodate students who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. Those who request flexibility with the November 1 Early Action application deadline will be granted extensions, as will the teachers and guidance counselors who write their recommendations and submit their transcripts. If further assistance is necessary, students and school officials should contact us and we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that students will be well served in this difficult time.</p>
<p>Yeah, I would basically just suggest to contact each school individually, as they will all probably handle the situation differently. Good luck.</p>