<p>My DS will be applying to a number of colleges this fall. He has over 3.75 (UW) from a top prep school and a 32 on ACT on first attempt. Rigorous curriculum, strong EC's and letters. He does have an issue in his app that will be a no-go to some adcoms, and ok to others, so he will just have to apply to about 50% more schools than he otherwise would. </p>
<p>He will have to do a lot of supplemental apps, as most selective colleges require them, and he gets that. That said, if there are schools that do not require a supplemental app, those would be appealing, all else being equal. (Obviously, he will apply to his top 10 favs regardless of sup app length, but after that, I think that lack of a supplemental app will be a real draw. For example, Muhlenberg RD has no S.A. He is looking for small U, or a LAC, anywhere on east coast, planning to major in psych or neuroscience. Which other schools require no supplemental app, or only very minimal supplemental app? I am guessing this information may already be elsewhere on CC, but I am a new member on CC, and can not always find what I am looking for quickly. </p>
<p>It’s not on the east coast, but Case Western Reserve University doesn’t have a supplement or an application fee. Northeastern doesn’t have a supplement. </p>
<p>great thanks so much for these. @ucbalumnus the issue is a disciplinary action (mildest level at our school, but still he has to check the “felony” box on the common app) that would not have risen to anything significant at any public HS around here, but the rules are different, for better or worse, at a top high school.</p>
<p>So, IMO, there is no such thing as a safety bc of this issue. Any one Adcom could see this and be appalled and game over. But, he will have a FEW safeties. He does not like our flagship as it is completely wrong feel for him (way too big and in the middle of a cow pasture). The trick will be getting him excited about his safeties. We have plans to see (low reaches/reaches/high reaches) Colgate, Hamilton, Vassar, Wesleyan, Wm and Mary, Muhlenberg, Univ of Richmond, Lafayette, Brandeis, ?Bucknell. Already saw High reaches Davidson, Emory and Vandy. On Naviance, every kid who applied to Colgate over past 5 y with his stats got accepted, but nothing is ever guaranteed. We will look into Drew and NEU. </p>
<p>MOD’s Note: Edited out revealing information about the HS. </p>
<p>I would choose schools carefully and apply to fewer, not just throw in 50% more. My limited memory of probability is that increasing numbers doesn’t increase probability. Picking schools based on whether or not there is a supplementary essay or not doesn’t seem wise to me, somehow.</p>
<p>You most likely don’t want to reveal the “felony,” but I wonder if a guidance counselor at this top prep school can advise, and also whether it might be worthwhile for your son to discuss this issue directly with admissions, either anonymouson the phone or actually in person. I am assuming this issue affects federal financial aid.</p>
<p>Can your son demonstrate learning from this offense, a moral turnaround of some kind? Did he have to deal with court and punishment? I know you don’t want to reveal too much, but I think that the best approach is to deal with it upfront and keep choices that fit him as with anyone else, and not use the lack of a supplement as a criteria for application.</p>
<p>You didn’t ask, but my guess is that the “no supplement” schools are not the solution here. WashU, for example, gets a huge number of applications - and they’re not going to give the time of day to a student who already has one strike against him. My suggestion would be to focus instead on: </p>
<p>(1) those state schools that don’t use the Common App and don’t ask about disciplinary incidents (the UC’s, for example, if you can afford the OOS tuition cost) and </p>
<p>(2) those “more liberal" liberal arts colleges that are likely to be more forgiving of an isolated incident.</p>
<p>Forget about the “no supplement” schools. Start a new thread asking for non-Common App schools!</p>
<p>I can’t imagine an actual “felony” that would not be an issue at any public school, and would preclude a kid having to check a felony box. (Or are you comparing it only to inner city New Haven?) Obviously, if one is boarding, even at a “lesser” school than St. Grottlesex et al, just about everything falls within their purview. But it seems likely that your S is not a boarder…</p>
<p>In any case, I would assume that if it was really such a minor thing that the GC at his school would explain that in his or her recommendation. Have you spoken to them about this? After all, devoting considerable attention to placing students in college is a significant part of what they do. What is their advice? They must have dealt with this before.</p>
<p>Williams didn’t have a supplement last time I checked, and Dartmouth’s consisted, IIRC, of the peer recommendation, which he would not have to write. He would have to bring his ACT up to be a really competitive candidate at either of them, though.</p>
<p>I think that perhaps the OP is joking about “the felony box,” because it is apparently the same box a kid checks if they committed a felony or partial plagiarism, which is what her S did, according to earlier posts. (I don’t really recall, since it has been a long time since I looked at the Common Ap, and thankfully S did not have to check any such boxes.) OP, I think you are incorrect in thinking that copying from Sparknotes would go unremarked at public schools. (For example, a teacher at our public HS wrote to a top 10 U revoking his recommendation for a student who plagiarized in his class, and they rescinded her ED acceptance.) But in any case, your S has it on his record and has to deal with it, alas.</p>
<p>I still think that the GC at his school is his best resource. This is the person who can put it in perspective for colleges, help your S with writing his explanation of the incident, and so forth. And as I said earlier, I’m quite sure they have dealt with similar matters before.</p>
<p>@bisouu actually looking at it now, Amherst does give the option to submit a previously graded persuasive essay in place of answering the prompt. perhaps that was it? or maybe they’ve just changed their policy</p>