I think people here have been super helpful and could be even more helpful if you gave us more intel on what kind of money you're looking at, FA vs Merit, what she likes but is too expensive (or a similar kind of school).

we can give you more specifics if you give us more specifics

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for your kind help. As many of you assumed, she applied TO. Would you suggest she retake the SAT so to increase her score and have a better chance at applications (new ones, appealing rejected ones) and scholarships?

No!

Your only task is to cut and paste essays into the common app and get 4-8 more apps in.

OP--can you name the expensive university she does not want to go to? What was her top choice that she didn't get into? If you don't want to say, can you tell us what type of school she is looking for? Small/large? City/suburban/rural? Greek life? Preferred distance?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for your kind help. As many of you assumed, she applied TO. Would you suggest she retake the SAT so to increase her score and have a better chance at applications (new ones, appealing rejected ones) and scholarships?

I did not see -what was SAT score?
I do not think retaking SAT is a good strategy right now.
At this point I would try and help her by being really supportive. Do a quick (objective) read of her personal statement to see if there is anything the jumps out as a negative flag. Submit to no more than 5 schools that you think might be worth exploring.
And then go out and get dinner somewhere tonight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for your kind help. As many of you assumed, she applied TO. Would you suggest she retake the SAT so to increase her score and have a better chance at applications (new ones, appealing rejected ones) and scholarships?

If she takes a year off, then yes, she should retake the SAT.

Or, she should apply now at colleges where her score is at or above range, if their deadlines are still open. Plenty of schools with deadlines that are still open would not have super high score ranges.

If you are looking for merit money, you need to look at less selective schools where her academic stats - yes, including scores - would be on the high end.

This. Though some schools will award merit TO. Also, a rushed retake probably won't gain much, and I don’t know of any successful appeals after rejections. TO is ok for many schools if her score is below 25% avg for admitted students. Also, WPI is test blind, so get that one in if it isn't already.

Anonymous wrote:Rule out option #3. She will not have a better outcome after a year of working than she will right now.

I think OP should encourage her daughter to apply to more schools today, but the above isn't true.

This situation seems to be a combination of a kid who might have aimed too high and not really looked for safeties, and a family whose financial situation changed. She applied to a poor mix of schools, or a mix of schools that no longer fit after the financial situation changed.

If she does something meaningful during the gap year, which might be getting a job and spending some time figuring out what she wants, and her grades don't tank at the end of senior year, she could apply again with a better list and get into some of the schools that probably should have been on her list this time. If there's a target or safety that she discovers and loves that's definitely a better outcome than accepting a school she doesn't like, or going to CC with a poor attitude and not getting the grades to transfer.

I think my first choice would be to keep looking, but if I had to choose a second choice, it would be #3.

How did it go last night, OP? Hope you and DD can keep it up today. We're all rooting for both of you. Please post back what you were able to submit.

Hoping she got off apps for UMBC, WPI (great female/male ratio for stem and known to be very collaborative), Clarkson (extended deadline to today), Rose Hulman and a few others (Muhlenberg if non engineering)

Keep Manhattan College (3/1 deadline) in mind. They offered my DD (engineering) great merit. Pitt is rolling and easy app. SMCM deadline has passed, but they will still admit rolling if space available, so maybe add that if time (and not engineering

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for your kind help. As many of you assumed, she applied TO. Would you suggest she retake the SAT so to increase her score and have a better chance at applications (new ones, appealing rejected ones) and scholarships?

If she takes a year off, then yes, she should retake the SAT.

Or, she should apply now at colleges where her score is at or above range, if their deadlines are still open. Plenty of schools with deadlines that are still open would not have super high score ranges.

If you are looking for merit money, you need to look at less selective schools where her academic stats - yes, including scores - would be on the high end.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for your kind help. As many of you assumed, she applied TO. Would you suggest she retake the SAT so to increase her score and have a better chance at applications (new ones, appealing rejected ones) and scholarships?

No! Don’t subject the kid to that now. Plus, I don’t think the next SAT test date is until March, which will be too late to make a difference at most schools. Better to just focus on getting more applications done with the stats she has.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what, she needs to get that UMBC application in tonight! That will be her ticket out of the “bad choices” you listed.

Tomorrow, go for CNU, ODU, SMCM, WPI, Muhlenberg, and/or Rose-Hulman.

Add in Wooster later and then WVU if there is any steam left.

Just not sure that desperately flailing out apps to mediocre schools is a better approach than year off or community college. Among other things, if the OPs daughter is concerned with what her friends would think about community college, the girl might balk at CNU or ODU for the same reason.

These are solid schools. Anyway, it’s still college application season. Why decide in Jan/Feb 2024 not to go to school until Fall 2025? There are options and there is time.

This student done applications already so it’s just a matter of clicking some buttons and copying-pasting to broaden the possibilities. A few months from now she can more carefully consider what’s on the table.

Anyway, taking a year off from school because you don’t think you’re going to impress your friends with your school choice is not a good reason to postpone college.

OP here. Thank you everyone for your kind help. As many of you assumed, she applied TO. Would you suggest she retake the SAT so to increase her score and have a better chance at applications (new ones, appealing rejected ones) and scholarships?

I have not read through this thread, but how about she go to the expensive college for a year and then transfer ASAP?

Anonymous wrote:Can you apply to be a first year after doing a year at CC?

No and will be ineligible for most merit scholarship awards.

Anonymous wrote:Rule out option #3. She will not have a better outcome after a year of working than she will right now.

This is incorrect.

Anonymous wrote:Here's a list of colleges with later application deadlines. Time to think about where else she'd like to apply. And, if none of these appeal, I'd go with CC --> transfer path.
https://blog.prepscholar.com/colleges-with-late-application-deadlines-complete-list

This. Send out some applications for the mid Feb and March deadlines. Still quite a few good options on there.

Set new expectations - I would take the expensive school off the table and only do the CC option if another is not available (unless, you need that for financial reasons). But that list is a good one - lots of schools on there that will offer a good experience and who knows, may end up being a good fit for four years.