Rookie mistakes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While I fully appreciate that admissions at selective colleges are incredibly competitive and often unpredictable, I think I bought too much into the pessimism here and on CC. DC was admitted to several highly selective schools and maybe should have been more aggressive in applying to reach schools. DC is at a great school that's a great fit, so I can't complain too much. But it certainly raised the anxiety.

💯 - the perceived anxiety around admissions in NOVA is way higher than the reality of admissions. Try not to buy into it and make informed decisions based on data that is easy to find on each school rather than listening to the fear mongers.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had paid more careful attention to notification dates. Kid applied OOS to one state school EA as a target. Expected to hear in December (EA!) but for this university, OOS EA applicants are notified in January.

This information was clearly communicated on the school's webpage, so it's definitely my fault (and the kid's fault). But we'd have skipped several 'likely' applications if (as I had erroneously thought) kid would have heard from the target EA in January!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I fully appreciate that admissions at selective colleges are incredibly competitive and often unpredictable, I think I bought too much into the pessimism here and on CC. DC was admitted to several highly selective schools and maybe should have been more aggressive in applying to reach schools. DC is at a great school that's a great fit, so I can't complain too much. But it certainly raised the anxiety.

💯 - the perceived anxiety around admissions in NOVA is way higher than the reality of admissions. Try not to buy into it and make informed decisions based on data that is easy to find on each school rather than listening to the fear mongers.

I think this view is contingent upon the type of schools each of us refers to when we think of the selectivity. The PP said:
“While I fully appreciate that admissions at selective colleges are incredibly competitive and often unpredictable, I think I bought too much into the pessimism here and on CC. DC was admitted to several highly selective schools and maybe should have been more aggressive in applying to reach schools.”

The concerns are real for the high reach selective schools, but not as much for ones like Northeastern, Tulane, etc. a certain level of schools are very hard to break into from this area…plenty of rejections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SAT instead of TO if in the mid-range

Total rookie here starting the process with first kid. Thanks all for the helpful advice! I think I have deciphered most of the acronyms, but what is TO? And why SAT if mid range?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I’m talking about state schools. The amount of anxiety and stress just to get into top state schools is over the top and not necessary. Just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m talking about state schools. The amount of anxiety and stress just to get into top state schools is over the top and not necessary. Just my two cents.

Agree. Uva and W&mary are not impossible or reach for everyone, yet more parents seem to say it each year.
Some are clueless that over 15% of our graduating class got in last year, over 20% of the private school down the road. The biggest rookie mistake is not understanding the high school, and this starts by listening to the book club ladies group and not getting the data.
Look at Scoir in 9th grade, talk to the head college counselor and get the school profile in 9th. Pay attention to where your kid is tracking based on courses and accept the best course choices for them but make sure the teachers are advising the correct path and not holding them back for nonsensical reasons. If they are top kids and get into top courses they will have no trouble getting into the top flagships

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid would have EA-ed to Georgetown (where they are a legacy) rather than Yale (where they were deferred in SCEA this year.) Would have been awesome to go into RD with (maybe) a GU EA acceptance in the pocket.

hi Georgetown doesn’t want legacy in EA round.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SAT instead of TO if in the mid-range

Total rookie here starting the process with first kid. Thanks all for the helpful advice! I think I have deciphered most of the acronyms, but what is TO? And why SAT if mid range?

Thanks!

TO = Test Optional

Submit SAT score ( instead of going TO) if the score is within the college's average score ( 50th percentile) per the college's published Common Data Set ( CDS).

[Anonymous]

This is one of the more useful threads on this board.

Two kids in, here are my tips:

1. Get some sort of draft of the main essay done in the summer before senior year.

2. Only need one safety that you love. Not worth it applying to a bunch of your kid is meh on them.

3. Don’t underestimate how many supplemental essays the top schools require.

4. Don’t be surprised if your kid changes their mind about the sort of school they want mid-stream. Both of mine did, and wound up at places I’d never have expected them to, heading into senior year.

Good luck to us all.

Ps- And Chicago did what it did for purely financial reasons. And ruined their brand as a result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had paid more careful attention to notification dates. Kid applied OOS to one state school EA as a target. Expected to hear in December (EA!) but for this university, OOS EA applicants are notified in January.

This information was clearly communicated on the school's webpage, so it's definitely my fault (and the kid's fault). But we'd have skipped several 'likely' applications if (as I had erroneously thought) kid would have heard from the target EA in January!

Tip: make a shared Google spreadsheet that you and your kid have access to. Include things like expected response date.

Likewise, we have found shared Google docs to be very useful for essays. Parent can make suggestions that kid can choose to take or not take. On this note, I agree with the PPs about being careful not to remove the student's voice. This may be easier to do with a kid who writes too much than one who writes too little for the suggested word limit.

[Anonymous]

Put stats in CollegeVine. If it’s over 90% chance of admission, believe it that’s a safety. My kid applied to way too many “safeties” and got in to all because of getting caught up in the belief it’s hard to get in, even at GMU.

Don’t listen to all hype, stick to a list, and even go for the reaches if the school is really where they want to go AND if it may may be possible based on their high school resume considering GPA, test scores, and EC. Keep it real though, so not setting up an unrealistic application. However, if you don’t apply, then your chance is zero.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Put stats in CollegeVine. If it’s over 90% chance of admission, believe it that’s a safety. My kid applied to way too many “safeties” and got in to all because of getting caught up in the belief it’s hard to get in, even at GMU.

Don’t listen to all hype, stick to a list, and even go for the reaches if the school is really where they want to go AND if it may may be possible based on their high school resume considering GPA, test scores, and EC. Keep it real though, so not setting up an unrealistic application. However, if you don’t apply, then your chance is zero.

True.
And I’d argue that CV targets over 50% for your kid fall in that category too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is one of the more useful threads on this board.

Two kids in, here are my tips:

1. Get some sort of draft of the main essay done in the summer before senior year.

2. Only need one safety that you love. Not worth it applying to a bunch of your kid is meh on them.

3. Don’t underestimate how many supplemental essays the top schools require.

4. Don’t be surprised if your kid changes their mind about the sort of school they want mid-stream. Both of mine did, and wound up at places I’d never have expected them to, heading into senior year.

Good luck to us all.

Ps- And Chicago did what it did for purely financial reasons. And ruined their brand as a result.

First, this is all good advice.

As to Chicago, I don't disagree with you BUT I am not sure their brand would have survived the hard swing towards preprofessionalism. Many SLACs are dying on the vine right now. Time will tell if it was the right choice for them or losing their brand will hurt in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Put stats in CollegeVine. If it’s over 90% chance of admission, believe it that’s a safety. My kid applied to way too many “safeties” and got in to all because of getting caught up in the belief it’s hard to get in, even at GMU.

Don’t listen to all hype, stick to a list, and even go for the reaches if the school is really where they want to go AND if it may may be possible based on their high school resume considering GPA, test scores, and EC. Keep it real though, so not setting up an unrealistic application. However, if you don’t apply, then your chance is zero.

I would be careful about this. This was a few years ago, and the algorithm has since changed, but CV had my kid at well over 90% for a school where my kid was deferred, then waitlisted, and did not get in. School is known for yield protection and caring about interest, which right there makes it not a safety for anyone, but those particular reasons for denial were not, or at least shouldn't have been, applicable to my kid's situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put stats in CollegeVine. If it’s over 90% chance of admission, believe it that’s a safety. My kid applied to way too many “safeties” and got in to all because of getting caught up in the belief it’s hard to get in, even at GMU.

Don’t listen to all hype, stick to a list, and even go for the reaches if the school is really where they want to go AND if it may may be possible based on their high school resume considering GPA, test scores, and EC. Keep it real though, so not setting up an unrealistic application. However, if you don’t apply, then your chance is zero.

I would be careful about this. This was a few years ago, and the algorithm has since changed, but CV had my kid at well over 90% for a school where my kid was deferred, then waitlisted, and did not get in. School is known for yield protection and caring about interest, which right there makes it not a safety for anyone, but those particular reasons for denial were not, or at least shouldn't have been, applicable to my kid's situation.

Right. Be wary of any school that offers ED (especially if two rounds). Those are schools that care about their yield and prefer a lower stats student that loves them back to a higher stats one that might not attend.