Anonymous
Post 03/31/2026 09:37     Subject: Re:What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
Anonymous wrote:Also, it helps to have one good friend with a kid of opposite sex and different school in the same year going through the process with, you can share advice and tips and it's not competitive. I appreciate my friend from when my kids were little in a different city now, we helped each other through this and with good outcomes for our very different kids.


+100. It really does help to have someone with whom you can vent, commiserate and celebrate.
Anonymous
Post 03/31/2026 08:37     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
How many non well-rounded kids (including my kid’s friends) there are. It seems so sad that many kids HS experience is now about tailoring those 4 years to something specific in order to tell a compelling story in order to get into whatever top college. No wonder universities have see upwards of 60% of students changing their major. These kids have not had true opportunity to explore things, take risk, be surprised by an interest.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 20:30     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
Anonymous wrote:What has surprised you - that you were clueless about?


How invested parents are.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 20:27     Subject: Re:What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
Anonymous wrote:That I knew more about the process and how to brand my kid better than our private school college counselor and private paid counselors. I researched a lot and pulled advice from a myriad of places. I do appreciate the private school counselor's honesty and candidness (very surprising and helpful!) the letters of recommendation from him and the two teachers. I have to ask, can we give anyone gifts? Is that done? My kid is quirky and got into a T10, and the letters may have helped. Moms, research and help your kid, you know their story best and you'll be able to sleep at night knowing you did all you could! Now onto DC #2 (no break with a rising junior!)


My DC’s college counselor (DC private) was very candid. “You have great grades and high test scores, but your GPA is right on the cusp of getting into the very elite schools.” She was right. DC was waitlisted at all 4 of the top 20 schools to which he applied. He did have 3 great acceptances in the 20-30 range.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 20:15     Subject: Re:What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
Anonymous wrote:That I knew more about the process and how to brand my kid better than our private school college counselor and private paid counselors. I researched a lot and pulled advice from a myriad of places. I do appreciate the private school counselor's honesty and candidness (very surprising and helpful!) the letters of recommendation from him and the two teachers. I have to ask, can we give anyone gifts? Is that done? My kid is quirky and got into a T10, and the letters may have helped. Moms, research and help your kid, you know their story best and you'll be able to sleep at night knowing you did all you could! Now onto DC #2 (no break with a rising junior!)


This is very true.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 20:12     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I was surprised my kid got into VT, Penn St and UTK with two C-s!
Congratulations! And thank you for helping me level-set as I change gears from my “high stats” senior to my not-so-high-stats sophomore.


Yes! We were in a similar situation. First born got into UVA (dream school). We had to recalibrate with second kid. Still, very pleased with their acceptances. You never know! Make sure their essays are authentic, show some vulnerability, and how they overcame it. They need to show growth. Also, I am a big fan of kids holding jobs, at least during the summer. Even better, if they can get a leadership position on the job. Those are “controllable” aspects of the application.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 18:40     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
Anonymous wrote:I was surprised my kid got into VT, Penn St and UTK with two C-s!
Congratulations! And thank you for helping me level-set as I change gears from my “high stats” senior to my not-so-high-stats sophomore.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 18:27     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
I was surprised my kid got into VT, Penn St and UTK with two C-s!
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 18:16     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
Anonymous wrote:What has surprised me how many kids want to go to Tennessee or Clemson, and also how many parents think those schools are worth paying OOS tuition.


Agree, and Auburn. TCU and SMU very popular now, also for privates, Wake, Tulane dominate. Must be the it schools now.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 18:10     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
How straightforward it was for my kid to get into large schools with high grades and SAT scores, but ordinary ECs and essays.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 18:03     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
What has surprised me how many kids want to go to Tennessee or Clemson, and also how many parents think those schools are worth paying OOS tuition.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 17:58     Subject: Re:What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
Also, it helps to have one good friend with a kid of opposite sex and different school in the same year going through the process with, you can share advice and tips and it's not competitive. I appreciate my friend from when my kids were little in a different city now, we helped each other through this and with good outcomes for our very different kids.
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 17:57     Subject: Re:What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
That I knew more about the process and how to brand my kid better than our private school college counselor and private paid counselors. I researched a lot and pulled advice from a myriad of places. I do appreciate the private school counselor's honesty and candidness (very surprising and helpful!) the letters of recommendation from him and the two teachers. I have to ask, can we give anyone gifts? Is that done? My kid is quirky and got into a T10, and the letters may have helped. Moms, research and help your kid, you know their story best and you'll be able to sleep at night knowing you did all you could! Now onto DC #2 (no break with a rising junior!)
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 17:04     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
How well my kid’s school did
Anonymous
Post 03/30/2026 16:58     Subject: What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process
So what’s surprised you, class of 26 parents?

This thread is so informative btw