Anonymous wrote:Did your kid enjoy the process? What aspects? Where did they end up? (Try to keep it positive)

Kind of? Enjoyed visiting schools for the most part. Did not enjoy the ACT tutor. Essays were manageable because kid is good at prioritizing and planning and has always been that way. Did a lot of EA apps so they received good news beginning in December, which was a boost and motivated them to finish up RD apps. Also, did not have a "dream school" which worked to their advantage as there was no major disappointment, only a choice among several great schools. Decided on UVA and is very happy there.

I enjoyed all the college visits and I love the research part. My oldest was high stats, got rejected ED, and applied to 20 schools. He did really well in the end but the rejections hurt no matter what. And it was sooo much work for him. But he didn't fight it and seemed to get better at writing the essays. I think he would say he enjoyed parts but found it very stressful overall.

My second was less ambitious and the whole process was a breeze comparatively. He got in to all but one school. But I don't think he enjoyed any part of the process except visiting the one school he fell in love with (and now attends). He hated the essay part.

Visiting the campuses was fun, but the best part was the anticipation of getting the decisions.

My daughter didn't ED but did EA to multiple schools, so same deadline. Almost all schools were no-supplemental essay, but she did do the "optional" essay for her top choice (and got in). Despite probably having an easier time of it than others, because she didn't have to do multiple essays, she still didn't enjoy it at all. The only tour she liked was her top choice school.

Luckily, of the 8 she's heard back from, 7 were acceptances and one was a deferral. All of the decisions were in by mid-December, so she's not stressed out at all at this point.

The tours are such an awful necessity. They're generic, boring and pretty indistinguishable ("if it doesn't exist, you can start your own club!!")

I enjoyed the first couple but absolutely dread doing this for our 3rd kid, who was too young to get anything out of her older siblings' tours.

But I can't imagine skipping them. Necessary evil at this point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s definitely rougher for high stat students who don’t get into their early decision school or don’t apply early decision. Writing/adapting dozens of essays to different prompts and word counts - not fun.

Exactly, this is where it turned the corner from merely annoying to hellish. If dc had gotten in early it would have been a different experience.

+1

+1

Are you joking?!? Hell no! No no no. So bad. Stressful, all the writing. Ugh. (I hated it, too, if you can’t tell! 🤪)

Anonymous wrote:Did your kid enjoy the process? What aspects? Where did they end up? (Try to keep it positive)

Both of my kids got into their ED choices, so yes, the process was great! Senior year was much more enjoyable than many agonizing through April.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s like childbirth, you forget how bad it was.

I’m going through it with my 2nd kid again and all of the old “what a complete PIA, and insufferable process with schools really stringing kids along this is ….”

I had forgotten .

I had to laugh at this. I have 2 kids just 2 years apart and was surprised how much I forgot (blocked out?) between the 1st and 2nd.

And now that kid 2 is done (thanks to ED!) I am glad I can forget everything.

What if they decide to attend grad plus schools?

DP and they are adults and on their own for that… we are not helping with grad school!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s definitely rougher for high stat students who don’t get into their early decision school or don’t apply early decision. Writing/adapting dozens of essays to different prompts and word counts - not fun.

Exactly, this is where it turned the corner from merely annoying to hellish. If dc had gotten in early it would have been a different experience.

+1

Anonymous wrote:Are college visits necessary before applying? Or wait to visit until accepted?

They were critical for my DC and really helped determine where to apply and figure out ED.

Mine hated the visits. The research wasn’t too bad but then the visits were awful when we got there for almost all of them. He turned into a different person and was quite miserable and negative.

Then we found the school he really ended up loving, which was a total safety and a perfect fit. We went a total of 3 times back to just that one to be sure.

The application to that school was easy and had no essay so he applied there first and early, rolling admission, and committed.

Anonymous wrote:It’s definitely rougher for high stat students who don’t get into their early decision school or don’t apply early decision. Writing/adapting dozens of essays to different prompts and word counts - not fun.

Exactly, this is where it turned the corner from merely annoying to hellish. If dc had gotten in early it would have been a different experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, it's been awful and draining.

Yes. Once she was in at two safeties, and submitted the UC App, all in November, she was So. Done. With. It. At this point I doubt I could even get a LOCI out of her.

I’m in this boat now. She needs a LOCI for her top choice and it’s been AWFUL.

Anonymous wrote:No, it's been awful and draining.

Yes. Once she was in at two safeties, and submitted the UC App, all in November, she was So. Done. With. It. At this point I doubt I could even get a LOCI out of her.