Rolling admission. Some great ones are IU, Pitt, Wisconsin (?).

It is hard to take a year off from math in particular and then expect to do well in a college level math course during your freshman year of college.

I think it’s a good idea for them to take the highest level of math that they are ready for and likely to do well in. Not all kids need or should take calculus. They literally will not take or use calc in college.

Anonymous wrote:DP. Has anyone had their kid skip math and science senior year and just opt for the standard diploma? Take AP in English government and whatever else? I just feel like we are going to be tortured this year and the only reason for the torture is that college application. Anyone have experience with getting the standard diploma and having college applications go just fine?

Many people all over the country do this, apply to colleges and get in. They just are not the top colleges. There are so many four year schools just target lower tier.

That said, I personally think if your kid is capable this is a bad idea. They are not going to magically get motivated in college freshman year. i'd send them to community college for two years. Maybe one if they did fantastic and a four year college accepted the transfer, which by the way is also done all over the country at all community colleges.

Good Luck. Hope it works out. This is so hard.

Anonymous wrote:DP. Has anyone had their kid skip math and science senior year and just opt for the standard diploma? Take AP in English government and whatever else? I just feel like we are going to be tortured this year and the only reason for the torture is that college application. Anyone have experience with getting the standard diploma and having college applications go just fine?

Take an easy math and science if they are a problem. Do not skip them entirely. Not taking math senior year would be detrimental if selective colleges are on the list.

DP. Has anyone had their kid skip math and science senior year and just opt for the standard diploma? Take AP in English government and whatever else? I just feel like we are going to be tortured this year and the only reason for the torture is that college application. Anyone have experience with getting the standard diploma and having college applications go just fine?

Anonymous wrote:With Covid, everything is different than the conventional wisdom. Be prepared to explain a significant change, but chances are they won’t ask.

This. There are kids who are going to have a hard time submitting test scores. Lots of kids won’t be able to participate fully in the leadership activities and sports. Some kids are having a hard time getting some of the classes they wanted. This is going to be a super weird application year. I had one doing college applications in 2017 and it was a much different process then.

Your kid should contact the schools with specific questions. I know it’s made especially hard with schools doing virtual tours as opposed to on campus tours. We’re all kind of winging it. The kids seem to not be too concerned from what I’ve seen. They are a lot more resilient than I would have been at their ages. I think the hs class of 2021 will be a great group of kids.

I think an additional issue is that the senior slack often continues into college freshman issues. I think it's easy to fall out of study habits. So, IMO, push enough to avoid disasters. Focus on providing support but also keeping up expectations.

With Covid, everything is different than the conventional wisdom. Be prepared to explain a significant change, but chances are they won’t ask.

Anonymous wrote:I think it hurts in the top schools (thinking LACs), but not necessarily others, but I'm not sure about the Cs. My kid had fantastic grades freshman, sophomore and junior year, but they weren't great senior year (no C's but more Bs than usual) and I think that's what knocked her out of the top SLACs (top 10) but she got into top 30.

Thx. She’s not a top 10 anyway. Just don’t want a ton of additional stress in a stressful year.

I think it hurts in the top schools (thinking LACs), but not necessarily others, but I'm not sure about the Cs. My kid had fantastic grades freshman, sophomore and junior year, but they weren't great senior year (no C's but more Bs than usual) and I think that's what knocked her out of the top SLACs (top 10) but she got into top 30.

"Unrestricted" means being able to apply Early Action/Application to multiple colleges for an earlier acceptance. You can apply to as many colleges as you would like Early Action, depending on if they offer that level. It's unlike Early Decision, where you can only apply Early Decision to one college and it is binding (you can get out of it but risk rejection from most other colleges if they communicate with the ED college).

Read up on it

Anonymous wrote:Apply EA/ED with a decision that comes in mid-Dec. Multiple, unrestricted EA colleges.

Have the kid try to stay away from Cs - for example, a weekly tutor in the sketchy subject if needed.

Someone I know had all As prior to senior year and was accepted unrestricted EA in mid-December. Had a rough senior year for a multitude of reasons and ended up getting a C, and later a D, in calc, and a few Bs in other subjects. Did not get rescinded, did not even get a warning from the top-30 college. Everything was fine.

Yes she’s almost done with essays so will apply early. What does “unrestricted” mean?

Apply EA/ED with a decision that comes in mid-Dec. Multiple, unrestricted EA colleges.

Have the kid try to stay away from Cs - for example, a weekly tutor in the sketchy subject if needed.

Someone I know had all As prior to senior year and was accepted unrestricted EA in mid-December. Had a rough senior year for a multitude of reasons and ended up getting a C, and later a D, in calc, and a few Bs in other subjects. Did not get rescinded, did not even get a warning from the top-30 college. Everything was fine.

Doesn’t have a great year? Solid until now. Just not sure about DL and not sure about my own energy to push. What happens if a B/C year?