Rookie mistakes?

[Anonymous]

Taking the SAT

[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.

+1000 - bought into all the fear and pessimism which led to DC not taking their shot at a T15. They are in early to a T25 so I guess all is good but the what ifs (for DC) are definitely there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your DC is a visual or performing artist, colleges often impose numerous requirements in addition to submitting a portfolio--e.g., artist statements, art-specific resumes, etc. Some of the requirements appear on the school's website, some of them appear on the Common App, and some of them appear in SlideRoom (the app for uploading portfolios). So, for example, my DC discovered that one esteemed college effectively had an art-specific supplemental essay when he was uploading his portfolio on SlideRoom the evening before his application was due. He had researched that college's website previously and I think it mentioned an optional art resume but not the essay. Also, I recall that Stanford had numerous requirements for portfolio submissions, one of which was that they had to be submitted a few weeks before the normal deadline.

TLDR: If your DC is an artist and submitting a portfolio, figure out exactly what each college requires well ahead of time because the additional requirements can be demanding and surprising.

+1

Cornell required a "home test" in addition to an art portfolio.

[Anonymous]

Not realizing that Bucknell has a Strong Pipeline to The Street. Waste of time to apply anywhere else if you're interested in finance / IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:What is something you or your student did that you would clearly do differently if you had to do things over (and thank goodness, we don't have to do it over!)?

Me: encouraging my kid to write all those Chicago essays for EA when I now know Chicago's EA program is fishy.

Chicago EA isn't fishy

Maybe fishy isn't the right word. Chicago ED has a 30% - 40% acceptance rate. EA is something like 5%. (and RD possibly below 1%). It's really not worth wasting DC's time on EA UNLESS you/they are interested in converting to ED2 if deferred.

Where did you get the EA 5% acceptance rate? From what I now see, it's more like 2% or lower.

They don't release any info, so we're both guessing here. There are a couple of EA accepts in Naviance, from our school. I see one RD acceptance in the past 3 years and it was a very special case (we know the kid).

They don't release the data, which is in itself outside the norm and fishy.

Agree. This has been discussed ad nauseum on this forum. Who knows? Maybe the ED accept rate is 90% and EA is 0.1%. We'll never know.

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not realizing that Bucknell has a Strong Pipeline to The Street. Waste of time to apply anywhere else if you're interested in finance / IB.

What other schools have such pipeline - NYU?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Don't overreach with ED and know that kids really need your guidance despite all the independence BS!

How do you know if you are overreaching prior to applying? Easy to say after the fact, but in October it may not be so clear.

Exactly, and for everyone who realizes they overreached with ED, many realize they settled.

Your kid likely benefited from the generous EDacceptance rare, and didn’t settle at all.

[Anonymous]

Having a strong SAT score and applying to TOs colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having a strong SAT score and applying to TOs colleges.

Wonder if the kids got the advice from HS counselors, and it may be the wrong advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking the SAT

Is the ACT better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking the SAT

Is the ACT better?

Depends on the kid. For my kid it was. (NP)

[Anonymous]

Kid should have claimed an intent to major in philosophy or some other uncrowded major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid should have claimed an intent to major in philosophy or some other uncrowded major.

that only works if you have a resume dating back to 8th/9th showing an interest.

my regret: not starting back in 8th/9th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking the SAT

Is the ACT better?

The ACT is a little easier, but faster. The SAT is a little harder, but slower. Most students will do better on one or the either depending on their mastery of the material and how their brain works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid 2 WILL write their essays in the summer before senior year. And will not apply to grandparents' Ivy, based on Kid 1's experience. Waste of everyone's time - just to "see".

+1 on essays over the summer