<p>DS'12 took his SAT last week. It was his second time, and he felt quite good about it (and his first time results were very good anyhow). I can't imagine he'll take it again. Seems like it would make sense this time to take the free score reports offer for schools at which it would make a difference - ie, who "need love." Here's the (big) list that's currently on the table (additional exploration and visits planned this summer to quite a few to get it down in size). For the public schools, he'll be looking at the honors colleges where available, and chances for merit aid are important too. Warning: it's a weird list. He has a particular major of interest that isn't widely available. </p>
<p>URochester
Ohio State
UMaryland (College Park)
Tulane
UAlabama
UPitt
UMich
UChicago
UArizona
Baylor
Miami U
Lawrence
Grinnell
WashU
Pitzer
Swarthmore
Rice
Kalamazoo
Brandeis
Northeastern
Auburn
Cornell (I know, no merit aid)
William & Mary</p>
<p>Which ones really need us to "show love," and sending the scores would get DS on their radar? I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like a list of schools that "need love," so in addition to any feedback on these, feel free to tag on to this post so others can benefit.</p>
<p>Grinnell. A top LAC like that, in the Midwest, is sometimes not a first choice on a student’s list due to size, geography and weather. They are wise to the signs. If a Midwest top LAC in a snowy state is of genuine interest, then show them the love throughout the process.</p>
<p>I don’t know if sending them score reports is deeply romantic to show the love. It’s a start, but visits or in-depth research (contacting students and alum) to show understanding of a small school’s mission and culture, as evidenced somehow in the personal essay or short answers on Supplement to the Common App, might show love more authentically.</p>
<p>Public schools generally don’t care about love. You can find out which private schools want love by looking at their Common Data Sets, under the “admissions” data. They’ll mention there if they consider “demonstrated interest” in their admissions decisions. </p>
<p>U of Rochester really, really, really wants to be shown the love. Visiting is a very good idea, if at all possible. </p>
<p>If you can’t visit every school, your son can show love by attending local information sessions and/or emailing the school admissions department to ask questions. Asking to speak/email with professors or students in an area of interest is another possibility.</p>
<p>Of schools that I’m familiar with, I’d send early scores to Alabama and Auburn if you are looking at their honors colleges. Each have rolling admissions and send regional reps to do interviews in the summer months. If they have your scores in the system they will contact you to set up an appointment. It’s very laid back but a good time to do a meet and greet, ask questions, and put a name to a face with your rep. Both have numbers/stat based admissions and merit aid, however there are departmental scholarships that also come into play and your regional rep can be helpful here. You want to have met them if at all possible. This may be true for other schools on your list, however I don’t like to speak to schools we don’t have experience with. I hope others will.</p>
<p>William and Mary does optional interviews over the summer on a first come basis. I’m not sure when this opens as my son didn’t apply, however his friends that participated had great experiences. I would recommend it if your S is interested. Their rep is very active on the board and could give you information. I don’t know that they track interest in admissions (you can look online on their common data set to see) so it may not give you an advantage, however everyone we know who did interview learned a lot.</p>
<p>and I would say don’t bother sending the free scores to Alabama and Auburn since if the scores are over the threshold for honors college (at UA a 28 ACT & 1250 SAT along with a 3.3 gpa) it’s an automatic in. No offense BlueIguana!</p>
<p>I’d agree with checking the Common Data Set, but I think that WashU & Rice like to get major love. But others know way better than me!</p>
<p>Good question. I remember a young woman posting a few years back about not getting into a LAC that she thought was at least a match. The school was in her state and she’d been on campus many times. So she didn’t do an official visit, made no inquiries, etc…which turned out to be a mistake.</p>
<p>Many of the state schools don’t even bother to note if you’ve visited. The smaller schools mostly do. Rochester, absolutely, love it do, and show it for money.</p>
<p>Just visiting isn’t good enough. Gotta let them know you visited, what you thought of the visit and thank them. With so many kids applying to so many schools, demonstrated interest is becoming a big deal thing. My friend’s D was deferred from a school that she knows well (aunt teaches there), visits often, and a reason given was lack of interest and no visit. The GC called to ask because it should have been a safety for her. She was accepted RD (and is going there), but she did take it for granted in the app process and was shocked at the consequence.</p>
<p>^^ American and GW have gotten to be very much like this with applicants who are within a few hours drive. If you are close enough that you could have made the drive, but never bothered, you may find yourself turned down.</p>
<p>No offense taken RobD. My point was Auburn & Alabama are indeed stat based but they do send reps in the summer and that can help with departmental scholarships if that’s important to you. If you are seriously interested and want to meet, or be sent invitations to scholar days you want to send scores. Just another point of view.</p>
<p>One quick way to see which criteria a college considers important during the admissions process is to use the collegedata site. See Level of Applicant’s Interest under Selection of Students.</p>
<p>To go directly to the source, you can check C7 on the college’s common data set (if it is posted on their website). The information there may be more current, but sometimes it takes longer to find the CDS for each school.</p>
<p>Hopefully the institutional research office, frequently where they put out the CDS, is in alignment with the actual practice of what is happening in admissions.</p>
<p>Really though, I think I might be more interested in the input you are getting from individuals who are more intimately familiar with particular school practices. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input so far - I have looked at several common data sets, but almost <em>all</em> of them say that interest is an important factor - except the really big state schools, which is not all that helpful in rationing limited time/visit $ (and even there, I’m guessing it’s somewhat helpful with scholarships, honors admit, etc).</p>
<p>(and I agree that there are more personal ways to demonstrate interest…but using the free score reports is - ahem - “free love.”)</p>
<p>UPenn is a huge “show me the love” school. Big acceptances (50% of the incoming class) come from ED acceptance. UPenn was the butt-end of the Ivy League for so long that UPenn is scared psychologically and gives huge props to anyone does the Sally Field routine on them (“you love me, you really love me!”).</p>
<p>Cornell couldn’t care less. It might be more helpful to contact a professor in the field your child will pursue. Cornell is one of the few places where faculty are on the admissions committee, FWIW.</p>
<p>?? Grinnell is an extremely popular and top choice for many, many strong students. I suspect you’re putting a Northeast filter on this. The weather in Iowa is no different from upstate New York or New England. They suffer from no lack of students who love them – they aren’t desperate for signs of love.</p>
<p>mihcal, you email the admissions office to ask them to put you in touch with a professor or a student in the department of interest. Two birds with one stone. :)</p>
<p>Another two birds/one stone method: call/email your regional adcom (you can generally figure this out from the website), introduce yourself, say that you are interested in the school, and ask if they were planning to visit your high school on their tour schedule, and if so, when.</p>
<p>We visited two Ivies very high on my son’s list but we didn’t do any official tours with admissions; instead, we spent the night with friends on campus and had them show us around. What would my son do in this case to let the schools know that he visited, loved his visits, sat in on classes, and appreciated all he saw? We’ve already gone to two informational sessions locally for these colleges. We definitely still have questions about certain admissions policies (SCEA dates, when/where to send supplemental arts info, a few more questions pertaining to homeschooling, etc.). Should my son call or email admissions? Really, this is all so mysterious to me.</p>
<p>I think you leverage all you learn very highly on the “Why This School” essay. I think that’s where you demonstrate both how the school fits you and how you fit the school and what you will bring to the community. Too many “Why This School” essays tell the schools what’s so great about them – your campus is lovely, your city is cool, your professors are top-notch, your students are friendly. I would avoid that like the plague.</p>
<p>Rochester told us it was very, very, very, very, very (5 of em’!) important to interview, but they didn’t say they wanted scores early.</p>
<p>Our GC told us one young woman was waitlisted by GW because she hadn’t bothered to interview. </p>
<p>I don’t think sending scores early makes much difference, but obviously it can’t hurt. Interviewing and visiting the campus and writing well targeted non-generic essays I think are most important.</p>