Rookie mistakes?

[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.

This - the portfolios are due at the earliest date if not before from what DC has seen (even if not ED’ing, there’s an asterisk regarding the portfolio due date students on the same deadline).

[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.

Agree. My kid applied to several rolling/EA targets and safeties and received several acceptances by early December. That motivated him to add some additional reaches including Ivies/T20. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:u Chicago Better than Penn?

I know most kids would choose Penn over Chicago if they had the chance.

They’re peers and pretty different in their focus. Penn is overtly pre-professional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sports don’t matter…… Unless you are playing in college or your kid really loves the sport, encourage them to find other interests. There are so many other things for kids to get involved in that highlight how they spend their time outside of the classroom. It doesn’t matter at all what it is….let the pressure to play a sport go.

This. Unless your kid is a genuine recruit, make sure they are playing for fun and fitness and leave off the stress. Make time for other things.

[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.

Agree. My kid applied to several rolling/EA targets and safeties and received several acceptances by early December. That motivated him to add some additional reaches including Ivies/T20. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take right?

And on the flip side, listen to your kid when they insist they really truly want to ED to the match they love. It's their life, and they don't have to take those shots to prove anything to you or salve your ego. We nearly messed up big time on this, and I'm so so so glad we listened to our kid in the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tips after 3 kids:

1. Your kids have to write their own essays. Editing and suggesting changes, especially topic changes, is fine, especially if coming from an advisor with really good common sense about college admissions. The student's voice must come through. If it doesn't, throw it all out.

2. Do these essays in the summer. Even your kid will thank you.

3. It's fine to apply all over the map for the cost of a Score Send and the Application fee. But in the end, those extra 10 schools he really didn't want to go to anyway cost you $700+. Use that on a nice pair of shoes. (jk) But my point is, please don't apply anywhere he really doesn't want to go in the name of safety. Just need one good one.

4. Carefully research which schools require interest. CWRU and Tulane - I'm talking to you. Don't bother if they didn't show any. Waste of the fees.

5. Do take as many APs as possible. They do look at Senior year schedule - load up. Dual credit and AP are not the same - AP looks more prestigious at 9/10 colleges.

6. Get a job. My unofficial research shows that kids who worked in fast food or really anything with a regular pay check do better in admissions.

7. The most rigorous schedule means the most rigorous schedule. If you are in STEM and BC Calc is offered, take it.

8. Review the various grade inputs that kids do. Every college does it different - weighted grades ,classification as honors or AP or Pre-AP, number of AP, semester or yearly classes. It is so easy to make a mistake if you aren't careful here. Admissions will double check these, but will they catch an error before you've been put in a lower bucket because the computer didn't give you credit for a bunch of weighted courses? So please double check.

9. Triple check that all materials have been received. We had a school (with a verified train wreck of a portal) call to say information was not received at the very last minute. Thankfully, had a fabulous counselor who got it in. But don't assume anything. Have your kid send emails to admissions to confirm they are good.

Ignore #1. No, your kid’s true voice need not come out- at all.

Make sure whoever edits the personal statement also edit the supplementals. So everything is cohesive with the same polish and voice.

Biggest rookie mistake is having an overly edited personal statement and very basic supplementals.

How do you know this had any impact?

DP: I have heard AOs on multiple college admissions podcasts discuss this. They also talked about how students write sloppy or last minute supplementals compared to their main essay and that they care about the supplementals more in making a decision.

Great tip! Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tips after 3 kids:

1. Your kids have to write their own essays. Editing and suggesting changes, especially topic changes, is fine, especially if coming from an advisor with really good common sense about college admissions. The student's voice must come through. If it doesn't, throw it all out.

2. Do these essays in the summer. Even your kid will thank you.

3. It's fine to apply all over the map for the cost of a Score Send and the Application fee. But in the end, those extra 10 schools he really didn't want to go to anyway cost you $700+. Use that on a nice pair of shoes. (jk) But my point is, please don't apply anywhere he really doesn't want to go in the name of safety. Just need one good one.

4. Carefully research which schools require interest. CWRU and Tulane - I'm talking to you. Don't bother if they didn't show any. Waste of the fees.

5. Do take as many APs as possible. They do look at Senior year schedule - load up. Dual credit and AP are not the same - AP looks more prestigious at 9/10 colleges.

6. Get a job. My unofficial research shows that kids who worked in fast food or really anything with a regular pay check do better in admissions.

7. The most rigorous schedule means the most rigorous schedule. If you are in STEM and BC Calc is offered, take it.

8. Review the various grade inputs that kids do. Every college does it different - weighted grades ,classification as honors or AP or Pre-AP, number of AP, semester or yearly classes. It is so easy to make a mistake if you aren't careful here. Admissions will double check these, but will they catch an error before you've been put in a lower bucket because the computer didn't give you credit for a bunch of weighted courses? So please double check.

9. Triple check that all materials have been received. We had a school (with a verified train wreck of a portal) call to say information was not received at the very last minute. Thankfully, had a fabulous counselor who got it in. But don't assume anything. Have your kid send emails to admissions to confirm they are good.

Ignore #1. No, your kid’s true voice need not come out- at all.

Make sure whoever edits the personal statement also edit the supplementals. So everything is cohesive with the same polish and voice.

Biggest rookie mistake is having an overly edited personal statement and very basic supplementals.

Not that I disagree (my kids did all their own essays), but how do you know this is a mistake? Are you in admissions and you specifically rejected a bunch of kids for this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Agree. My kid applied to several rolling/EA targets and safeties and received several acceptances by early December. That motivated him to add some additional reaches including Ivies/T20. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take right?

And on the flip side, listen to your kid when they insist they really truly want to ED to the match they love. It's their life, and they don't have to take those shots to prove anything to you or salve your ego. We nearly messed up big time on this, and I'm so so so glad we listened to our kid in the end.

+10000, reminds me of one thread where an impressive student got into Pomona and the family was so excited. Immediately, someone commented trying to get them to regret EDing and proclaiming they need to go to an Ivy. It’s insane how much people Will try to set people back from their dreams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:?

And on the flip side, listen to your kid when they insist they really truly want to ED to the match they love. It's their life, and they don't have to take those shots to prove anything to you or salve your ego. We nearly messed up big time on this, and I'm so so so glad we listened to our kid in the end.

Thank you for sharing this perspective. Our kid passionately argued for their ED choice and we listened and relented and supported that choice. They are in ED but school was a straight target and DH and I have been wondering if we should have nudged kid harder to take a reach shot before everything is wrapped up and decided. But you are right, our kid had many valid and varied reasons why they loved this match. So think it’s time to stop fretting over regrets and celebrate that they could identify what they needed in a school and stick to their guns and go after what they wanted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tips after 3 kids:

1. Your kids have to write their own essays. Editing and suggesting changes, especially topic changes, is fine, especially if coming from an advisor with really good common sense about college admissions. The student's voice must come through. If it doesn't, throw it all out.

2. Do these essays in the summer. Even your kid will thank you.

3. It's fine to apply all over the map for the cost of a Score Send and the Application fee. But in the end, those extra 10 schools he really didn't want to go to anyway cost you $700+. Use that on a nice pair of shoes. (jk) But my point is, please don't apply anywhere he really doesn't want to go in the name of safety. Just need one good one.

4. Carefully research which schools require interest. CWRU and Tulane - I'm talking to you. Don't bother if they didn't show any. Waste of the fees.

5. Do take as many APs as possible. They do look at Senior year schedule - load up. Dual credit and AP are not the same - AP looks more prestigious at 9/10 colleges.

6. Get a job. My unofficial research shows that kids who worked in fast food or really anything with a regular pay check do better in admissions.

7. The most rigorous schedule means the most rigorous schedule. If you are in STEM and BC Calc is offered, take it.

8. Review the various grade inputs that kids do. Every college does it different - weighted grades ,classification as honors or AP or Pre-AP, number of AP, semester or yearly classes. It is so easy to make a mistake if you aren't careful here. Admissions will double check these, but will they catch an error before you've been put in a lower bucket because the computer didn't give you credit for a bunch of weighted courses? So please double check.

9. Triple check that all materials have been received. We had a school (with a verified train wreck of a portal) call to say information was not received at the very last minute. Thankfully, had a fabulous counselor who got it in. But don't assume anything. Have your kid send emails to admissions to confirm they are good.

Ignore #1. No, your kid’s true voice need not come out- at all.

Make sure whoever edits the personal statement also edit the supplementals. So everything is cohesive with the same polish and voice.

Biggest rookie mistake is having an overly edited personal statement and very basic supplementals.

Not that I disagree (my kids did all their own essays), but how do you know this is a mistake? Are you in admissions and you specifically rejected a bunch of kids for this?

Np. Its all over the AO podcasts...do a little research on this.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is sports recruitment material, sit down with them and really, really talk about what they want out of their college experience, on and off the field/court/pool deck.

The transfer portal and related rule changes (juco years now don’t count toward eligibility) have made college sports the Wild West. Kids are no longer competing with other high school seniors for a roster spot/future playing time — now coaches can get fresh talent from the new incoming class AND the transfer portal AND kids who have done two years at a juco. Need a strong, experienced junior or senior? Why take three years to grow one when you can instantly pick one up from the portal?

[Anonymous]

Chicago is absolutely a better university than Penn. There is no question. (I am an academic fwiw.) But of course most kids who are gunning for highly selective schools would rather go to Penn. This comes back to the branding: Chicago once had a very distinct brand (unapologetically intellectual with conservative leanings, etc.) and now it is trying to compete directly with Ivies that are not peers in academic terms but have more perceived prestige. It's a weird strategy but I guess they think it works. I know lots of people who went there a 25 years ago who think joining the Common App was the turning point.

[Anonymous]

Since most people live in the real world and not academia, all you have to do is look at career outcomes of Penn versus Chicago grads. Penn blows Chicago away.

It’s clear that Chicago know that this is a weakness and is trying to become more of a pre professional school. If you go to any of their college admissions talks one of the main things they discuss is their career services.

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is absolutely a better university than Penn. There is no question. (I am an academic fwiw.) But of course most kids who are gunning for highly selective schools would rather go to Penn. This comes back to the branding: Chicago once had a very distinct brand (unapologetically intellectual with conservative leanings, etc.) and now it is trying to compete directly with Ivies that are not peers in academic terms but have more perceived prestige. It's a weird strategy but I guess they think it works. I know lots of people who went there a 25 years ago who think joining the Common App was the turning point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since most people live in the real world and not academia, all you have to do is look at career outcomes of Penn versus Chicago grads. Penn blows Chicago away.

It’s clear that Chicago know that this is a weakness and is trying to become more of a pre professional school. If you go to any of their college admissions talks one of the main things they discuss is their career services.

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is absolutely a better university than Penn. There is no question. (I am an academic fwiw.) But of course most kids who are gunning for highly selective schools would rather go to Penn. This comes back to the branding: Chicago once had a very distinct brand (unapologetically intellectual with conservative leanings, etc.) and now it is trying to compete directly with Ivies that are not peers in academic terms but have more perceived prestige. It's a weird strategy but I guess they think it works. I know lots of people who went there a 25 years ago who think joining the Common App was the turning point.

NP, academia is the “real world” and the suggestion of such things makes me question why put your child into a university and avoid reality when they can go into it. Anyway, I don’t see why this matters. Great Penn has Wharton and enough vapid students with 0 morals who are into investment banking, why in the world does that make it a “better” school?

[Anonymous]

Hey Penn & Chicago—Newsflash: You’re both great schools. Now go get a room and leave the rest of us to talk about tips to help our kids and things to avoid.