Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:21
Subject: All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:Get the RD done before hearing back from EA/ED - nothing worse than getting rejected or deferred and then having to slog through it. If it ends up being work wasted, then fantastic.
100% agree
Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:20
Subject: All done! - early round
There was no ED for my student because we can’t afford full price and know we won’t qualify for FA. Instead he decided to apply EA/rolling to schools he knew he was highly qualified for (with high admit rates and lots of merit). He finished his apps early and has already received an acceptance to his favorite school with merit aid that puts it well within our budget. The only stress in the entire process was determining if he wanted to play his sport in college (he decided against). I know the majority of posters here want a top ranked school but there is another path.
Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:13
Subject: Re:All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:Twins -- 11 in for one. 5 for the other. RD to start soon. What an tedious process -- the elements with my kids was fine. It was tracking who wants official scores, who want STARS, who wants scores after submitting in their own portal. Has high school sent transcript. Have references been sent (not all), have extra transcripts been paid for, and on and on. The "streamlined" College App feels anything but.
what do you mean have transcripts been paid for?
Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:12
Subject: Re:All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Twins -- 11 in for one. 5 for the other. RD to start soon. What an tedious process -- the elements with my kids was fine. It was tracking who wants official scores, who want STARS, who wants scores after submitting in their own portal. Has high school sent transcript. Have references been sent (not all), have extra transcripts been paid for, and on and on. The "streamlined" College App feels anything but.
This.
We're just sending official scores to all, much easier.
Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:11
Subject: All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:It's easy to do most EAs through the common app once you get the main essay complete. DS got his done in September and has two offers with merit scholarship. The earlier you get the applications in, the more of a chance at merit scholarship you have.
it's easy if they don't require supplementals, otherwise it's a lot of work
Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:10
Subject: All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:I will share the opposite perspective.
Getting ED done was REALLY hard for DC. Somehow it was just more work than anyone expected (the EC descriptions, supplementals, proofreading.)
DC did the ED app first and then three EAs. In retrospect, we should have encouraged them to do it in the opposite order. EA apps were less pressure/lower stakes than the ED app, and therefore a good way to get the ball rolling. We’ll probably try that approach for DC2 in a few years.
Meanwhile our school (not DC area) requires kids to get their RD apps in the first week of Dec (!) so the school’s guidance department has time to “process” their part before winter break. Makes no sense to me - how hard can it be? But that’s public school for you.
So DC has a month to do all the other supplementals. Hopefully there are a bunch they can reuse. Good times ….
It's better than being late.
Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:10
Subject: All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:Just wanted to vent. The process is so much easier than I've thought. No stress!
ED school supplemental is the most difficult. They are using a new prompt this year, took DC some time (eight drafts!) to hammer it down last night. I read it after submission, it's great.
Three EA schools. Done.
Party for two nights this weekend.
Hopefully DC doesn't need RD applications.
How is this a vent? I don't think you know what vent means.
Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:09
Subject: All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:Just wanted to vent. The process is so much easier than I've thought. No stress!
ED school supplemental is the most difficult. They are using a new prompt this year, took DC some time (eight drafts!) to hammer it down last night. I read it after submission, it's great.
Three EA schools. Done.
Party for two nights this weekend.
Hopefully DC doesn't need RD applications.
I mean great for you, but this isn't our experience. Hunting down a counselor who still hasn't submitted her rec. Dealing with a school that doesn't really know how to use the new platform. Writing a lot of supplementals for 6 early apps (did yours not have very many)? Plus managing the portals which requires various things like logging in to request an interview, or additional applications with more essays for honors college or scholarships. It's a lot. And there are more coming with RD.
Anonymous
10/31/2025 15:04
Subject: All done! - early round
Twins here too, and wow, it’s a slog of project management, even with a private counselor.
One has 9 apps in and 3 left including their ED and 2 on hold for RD. The other has 8 in and 5 on hold for RD. Both have a couple RD supplementals left to write. One still has to upload arts portfolios, wheeee
One has 9 apps in and 3 left including their ED and 2 on hold for RD. The other has 8 in and 5 on hold for RD. Both have a couple RD supplementals left to write. One still has to upload arts portfolios, wheeee
Anonymous
10/31/2025 14:52
Subject: Re:All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:Twins -- 11 in for one. 5 for the other. RD to start soon. What an tedious process -- the elements with my kids was fine. It was tracking who wants official scores, who want STARS, who wants scores after submitting in their own portal. Has high school sent transcript. Have references been sent (not all), have extra transcripts been paid for, and on and on. The "streamlined" College App feels anything but.
I have twins also. One did two apps and the other completed two but has two more EAs to do this weekend. The process has been stressful and exhausting for everyone, not to mention $$. With fall sports going into playoffs, midterms, their own "senior nights" and their friends" "senior nights" and everything else.
Congrats to all of the parents who have made it through these past couple of weeks!
Anonymous
10/31/2025 14:18
Subject: All done! - early round
Get the RD done before hearing back from EA/ED - nothing worse than getting rejected or deferred and then having to slog through it. If it ends up being work wasted, then fantastic.
Anonymous
10/31/2025 13:39
Subject: Re:All done! - early round
Troll.
Try better. Next time pretend you don’t know the exact number of drafts of a the excellent essay you claim you never previewed before it was submitted.
2/10 for effort. Please try again.
Try better. Next time pretend you don’t know the exact number of drafts of a the excellent essay you claim you never previewed before it was submitted.
2/10 for effort. Please try again.
Anonymous
10/31/2025 13:37
Subject: All done! - early round
1 ED done.
honestly, I dont know how you guys do it!
he does have about 8 RD apps and they're 70% done but ..
honestly, I dont know how you guys do it!
he does have about 8 RD apps and they're 70% done but ..
Anonymous
10/31/2025 13:34
Subject: Re:All done! - early round
Anonymous wrote:Twins -- 11 in for one. 5 for the other. RD to start soon. What an tedious process -- the elements with my kids was fine. It was tracking who wants official scores, who want STARS, who wants scores after submitting in their own portal. Has high school sent transcript. Have references been sent (not all), have extra transcripts been paid for, and on and on. The "streamlined" College App feels anything but.
This.
Anonymous
10/31/2025 13:23
Subject: All done! - early round
^it’s a brag.