From reading some of the threads on CC and admission trackers on CollegeData, I noticed many 2018 seniors applied before school started, and some have already received admission decisions.
At S’s school, they are expected to meet with their GCs in late September to review their applications before submission. So, the earliest S can submit his applications be early October.
I am just curious if applying during summer is a common practice?
^I didn’t know that seniors have already been accepted. Is that even true??? November 1 seems to be the the start date for early submission but a few weeks before that is not uncommon.
Here’s a running tally of acceptances reported so far for class of 2018:
Some colleges with rolling admissions open apps in July and August. For some schools, there is a better chance at merit money if you apply early.
Our school doesn’t open its doors until after Labor Day - I don’t know if it would be possible to apply in July and August unless you could some how get it done by whoever is around for summer school.
My kids sent out their first applications the day before the EA applications were due more or less. My older son had a priority application that I think went out in September - it didn’t require the Common Application and he just used whatever he’d written up for the NMSF stuff for the personal statement. The deal was that you would get your notification within 3 weeks of first quarter grades - so that one got sent out a bit earlier than the EA applications.
@mathmom, does the school fill out their common apps or do the students?
I don’t know if things have changed, but back when my kids applied the students fill out the applications, but you still need the school to send the counselor recommendation and transcript, and you have to get teachers to send their recommendations. That’s not easy to do in the summer.
The student fills out the Common App. The school fills out the Secondary School Report.
As an FYI, the Common App for each cycle does not go live until 8/1, so it’s impossible to complete an application before then. Although now it is possible for a student to start filling out information on last year’s and have the info roll over once the new cycle goes live.
I’d say applying over the summer is uncommon, but starting to work on the application is certainly more common, particularly for colleges that don’t change essay prompts. Recruited athletes will often submit preliminary information over the summer for a pre-read before a complete package is submitted.
Students applying to colleges with rolling admissions that are not on the Common App often will submit as soon as that college’s application period opens.
The student fills out the common app. My sons did most of their applications in early October but started working on essays and having everything ready to go before that. Earliest EA or ED deadline they had was usually October 15th. Our first app last year was submitted on October 2nd and last one on November 28th. I did stress not waiting until the last minute. Did 9 applications in total between those dates.
@ShrimpBurrito That is what I am worrying about. S has several rolling admission schools and I worry he is being delayed.
“I don’t know if it would be possible to apply in July and August unless you could some how get it done by whoever is around for summer school.”
@mathmom - I think it depends on your child’s high school. My S18 asked for teacher recommendations and GC recommendation towards the end of his junior year. Then, as soon as his junior year grades came out, he requested transcripts to be sent to the colleges where he planned to apply. His SAT/ACT scores were sent this summer. He wasn’t NMSF, so he didn’t have to wait to see if he made the cut-off list. Overall it was an easy process for him and he was able to apply during the summer (July).
“but you still need the school to send the counselor recommendation and transcript, and you have to get teachers to send their recommendations. That’s not easy to do in the summer.”
Some state schools (Pitt is an example) admit applicants based on SRAR rather than official transcript. You only have to send the official transcript if you decide to enroll. There are no teacher recommendations required, and you have the test scores sent directly from the testing company. So in cases like this, there is no need to wait for school to open in order to apply.
I suspect if you are in a state where the state colleges have rolling admissions they have things better set up for it. I know none of our kids’ teachers wrote the letters until the fall, even though they got asked in the spring if they would do it. “Yes, remind me again in the fall” or “Here’s this long questionnaire to fill out and give me in the fall” were two standard answers.
That said, if our kids had rolling admissions schools on their list and known about them in the spring, I imagine our nice GC would have tried to accommodate them.
Last year my D applied the first week of August to all but one school and that was only because that schools application didn’t open up until mid August. By this time, she had heard from her first school but most of the others we heard in October. The reason we did everything early was most schools we applied had a Nov. 1 deadline to be considered for the maximum amount of scholarships. We were told by the schools repeatedly of the importance of not missing that date. Best to check with the schools you are interested in for that cut off date for scholarship consideration if that is a concern for you.
Back in my day, I had applied in July and was accepted at the end of August so by the time my senior season of HS started I already knew where I was going. I was the only one in my class who already knew where I was attending.
My kids went to a public high school. The GCs in their school worked over summer break. Not all of them 5 days a week, but there was coverage. As a student, you can still send your part of the application (common app, and SAT scores) and the school’s part (transcripts and recommendations) can be matched up by the college admission office.
@Aida, that’s how my D was able to apply early to ASU. They have their own app, and nothing was required from D’s high school; only self-reported grades and a test score.
I would agree that applying over the summer is not common BUT is becoming more common.
DD2018 completed and submitted all of her applications (17 total) by September 1. She has received acceptance results from 2 schools to date. Now has the GC submitted her end of stuff for the Common App…nope. But, DD is finished on her end. Nobody is behind. There are lost of circumstances that influence when apps get done, be it early or later. DD2018 is a fall sport kid, getting apps completed before school and sports commitments took over was a priority for her.
^Just seems to be getting earlier and earlier. As long as we don’t have to start in preschool.
Our public HS GCs don’t even start to send out transcripts until 9/1 even though school started on 8/3. We’re just getting started.
Last year we had our first acceptance letter Sept 13. He applied Sept. 1. School started a week and a half before that. He waited until school started so they could send a transcript but that school had mainly self reporting. His public HS wouldn’t let you ask for teacher or GC recommendations until Sept 1 so all the other schools he applied to were after that date. I think he had all his acceptances by the end of Oct. Of course after all that the very first one is the one he is attending and loves!
In Michigan kids thinking of UofM have apps done by end of September. If they are applying to MSU and UofM they send both as MSU is rolling decision and UofM is EA so many times it depends on the state and/or the kid if they need to jump on it right away in September. Our schools rounds up the kids first week and lays down the law. The parent meeting is in the Spring of Junior Year. I rather like it because one they get the apps out they can settle down into senior year which is busy, busy. If I recall my kids were completely done with all their apps for each of their lists by Thanksgiving which was fine with me as I’m not too keen on a year-long college search process.