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[quote=Anonymous]Surprised by:
1) how much time is required to brainstorm, write, edit, rewrite essays to make them strong. Kid started over the summer but felt like essay writing never ends. Some schools have 1 and some have 5! Needed time to research majors, mission, culture etc. to show fit. 
2) Activity list. How you need to utilize every character to fully explain involvement and impact of each EC.  Very little space to communicate multi year commitments. It was like a game but was strong in the end.
3) How stressful senior year fall semester was. Everyone talks about junior year, but managing advanced courses to get top q1 grades while churning out strong essays and playing sports/doing EC is really hard and stressful. Cut back on whatever you can to maintain sanity.
4) learning that admissions are unpredictable. We know kids deferred from Clemson but admitted to a t20. 
5) i think essays really matter. My kid spent equal time on essays for high reaches, targets, and likely schools. They got in early to an ivy and into several reach, targets and oos flagships with merit. Kid goes to a competitive private with many amazing kids, has great but not highest gpa/test scores-  and I think essays made the difference -Specifically ability to reflect on one's experience.  I think teacher recs also help. 
6) seeing how many free resources are available. Blogs, podcasts, high school counselor and data, etc. Great free online tips on writing supplemental essays.  I read, listened, and learned.
7) there is a lot of fear driven by unpredictability and lack of understanding and control over institutional priorities. Control what you can and dont have a dream school. Raising a good kid, working hard for good grades, finding meaningful activities. Help them discover genuine interests where they can thrive. There are no guarantees, but in the end, i believe well adjusted and hard working kids will do well in life! We discouraged 'dream or petfect' schools and set pragmatic expectations. 
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