High School Class 2013: Picking Colleges..Check in Here!

[Sanchez]

Does anyone know anything about the University of Chicago? They've been sending stuff to DD regularly, now all of a sudden she's interested. I have no idea if they even offer an ed. degree, and it would be awfully far from home. I get the impression it's one step down from Ivy, which would likely be a reach for her. Still, applying costs little...

I was going to ask everyone what colleges are hitting you with mailings. The University of Chicago and Catholic University send something every few weeks. They must be spending a fortune on these mailings. We have never shown interest in either school.

 

[punkin]

University of Chicago recently got a new director of admissions (I believe about a year ago) and his MO seems to be to get Chicago's selectivity (on US News charts) up through drumming up more applications. I cannot approve. Chicago is a wonderful school and for the right student, it is Nirvana. However, it is not for everyone.

As far as being "one step down" from an Ivy...not in my extremely biased opinion.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

We get a ton of them, too--we've been joking around a lot about them. Coastal Carolina U. shows up like clockwork every week (and gets recycled just as fast). DD's been pretty set on where she wanted to apply, for close to a year now. Being from New England, there's a ton of stuff in our region (esp. if you count, NY as well). So, this truly is out in left field. I wonder if she just likes their essay questions? Which is fine, as far as it goes, and it really doesn't take much effort to apply. I'm just trying to get a feel for if it's a real possibility. A visit to Chicago would be tricky. I've already committed to going back to Baltimore and Philadelphia if she gets accepted to those colleges (Loyola and LaSalle, respectively).

 

[Sanchez]

University of Chicago recently got a new director of admissions (I believe about a year ago) and his MO seems to be to get Chicago's selectivity (on US News charts) up through drumming up more applications. I cannot approve. Chicago is a wonderful school and for the right student, it is Nirvana. However, it is not for everyone.

As far as being "one step down" from an Ivy...not in my extremely biased opinion.

That makes sense and I assume that all schools want to maximize the number of applications. Seems that the University of Chicago would not need to resort to a mailing campaign.

 

[punkin]

Just wanted to add that I do not believe that UChicago has an undergraduate education major if that's what ed. means in your post.

 

[punkin]

That makes sense and I assume that all schools want to maximize the number of applications. Seems that the University of Chicago would not need to resort to a mailing campaign.

One would think...

I feel so old saying "back in my day..." but it is true that the school's applicant pool used to be very self-selecting. I am not so sure it is anymore.

 

[LisaR]

I've decided that these universities could easily cut tuition in half by simply reducing the amount of catalogs they send out to "prospective" students. My daughter receives so many catalogs a day it isn't funny. She receives some to colleges that she wouldn't even be able to get into. She has received some for colleges that have already accepted her and ones she has already applied to. Some have sent at least a half dozen information packets. My husband took the recyclables out yesterday and joked that he threw his back out due to all the college catalogs.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Well, if U. of Chicago has no education major (yes, that's what she's going for), then it's not even worth her time to apply.

I based my "Ivy" comment on a book DD has, "The Best 373 Colleges". It was passed dowen from a friend, so it's last year's edition. They list schools that students prefer over the one listed--for example, Princeton might say that a student would be likely to pick Harvard over it. U. of Chicago lists Harvard, Yale, U. Penn., and Northwestern as likely to get picked over it.

DD has gotten some stuff from Ivies, but honestly, I don't think she's Ivy material. And it wouldn't be worth it for a education degree, anyway. But, this is her decision, it's a big one, and I'm trying to let her choose the path...but I'm also trying to put the breadcrumbs fairly close together, if that makes sense.

 

[tmq2766]

This has been such a stressful time for both myself and DD. First for her filling out applications and playing the waiting game and now for ME trying to figure out how I am going to fund this . For 17 years I have been a single mom and done it completely on my own with no help from our government this will be the one time that I will use the "single parent card" to my fullest advantage!
My DD has worked extremely hard and her grades and ACT score reflects that. I just think it would be a complete shame if she wasn't able to go to school because of lack of funds.
So far she has been accepted at
ISU (Illinois State University)
Carthage Collge (Kenosha WI.)
and we are waiting to hear from Bradley University (Peoria IL)

I need someone to hold my hand and guide me through this crazy process!!!

 

[marcyinPA]

I was going to ask everyone what colleges are hitting you with mailings. The University of Chicago and Catholic University send something every few weeks. They must be spending a fortune on these mailings. We have never shown interest in either school.

Funny story about this subject. My DS has received phone calls and mailings from Temple University since he took his first round of SAT's. He has never indicated any interest in Temple. He got a mailing almost weekly, and a few phone calls. During his last phone call, the student on the other end asked him if he would like to visit the campus. He said he was not planning on it. She asked him if he had interest in attending the university. He said "No". Then she asked him if he wanted to continue receiving mailings. He said "No, thanks- I think I've made my decision on where I am applying".

A few weeks went by, and the mailings from Temple started again. The most recent one is a big, glossy thing and came in a plastic bag. Those must cost a fortune!

He also gets mailings a lot from the University of Hartford, York College, and IUP (Indiana University of PA)- neither of the three he is interested in at all.

 

[trip]

That is what we keep hearing and that is why we are looking at and applying to schools are out of our range. DD already knows if she gets accepted to some of these schools they have to come back with a good financial package. Doesn't hurt to apply and see what comes back.

You have to be careful, sometimes the best package offered is only for the freshman year. Later years will mean more loans. Be sure to ask about later years.

 

[Christine]

I know many of your kids have already applied or did so without asking you any questions!!!

So, my DS is working on a few of his applications this weekend. Some of them ask him to self-report his GPA. The question is worded: What is your high school GPA?" They may go on to ask if it is weighted or unweighted.

He is wondering if he should report his cumulative GPA or his current GPA?

I know from 4 years ago when my daughter applied, that the applications committee uses the cumulative GPA to evaluate. Of course, they get that information directly from the transcript sent by the high school. But when a college asks you to self-report, what do you think should be done?

He's gotten mixed answers from his friends--they did it both ways. Of course, he semester GPA looks quite a bit better from his cumulative (he didn't have the best freshman year). My kneejerk reaction to him was "use your cumulative."

What do you think?

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I know many of your kids have already applied or did so without asking you any questions!!!

So, my DS is working on a few of his applications this weekend. Some of them ask him to self-report his GPA. The question is worded: What is your high school GPA?" They may go on to ask if it is weighted or unweighted.

He is wondering if he should report his cumulative GPA or his current GPA?

I know from 4 years ago when my daughter applied, that the applications committed uses the cumulative GPA to evaluate. Of course, they get that information directly from the transcript sent by the high school. But when a college asks you to self-report, what do you think should be done?

He's gotten mixed answers from his friends--they did it both ways. Of course, he semester GPA looks quite a bit better from his cumulative (he didn't have the best freshman year). My kneejerk reaction to him was "use your cumulative."

What do you think?

Jumping in at last, after reading this thread a time or two.

My daughter has used her cumulative, never even thought to use semester. But she has a excellent GPA. We always wonder if they want weighted or unweighted when it doesn't ask. She puts weighted in that case or what the school uses for admissions purposes.

 

[MerMom60_94]

You have to be careful, sometimes the best package offered is only for the freshman year. Later years will mean more loans. Be sure to ask about later years.

I had heard that before. Thank you for the reminder. My hunch is that she will end up at a state school if she is accepted. The private schools were great (Quinnipiac had the best program and setting out of everywhere we looked) but they would have to offer really good money for her to afford them. Doesn't hurt to try, but we aren't holding our breath.

I know many of your kids have already applied or did so without asking you any questions!!!

So, my DS is working on a few of his applications this weekend. Some of them ask him to self-report his GPA. The question is worded: What is your high school GPA?" They may go on to ask if it is weighted or unweighted.

He is wondering if he should report his cumulative GPA or his current GPA?

I know from 4 years ago when my daughter applied, that the applications committee uses the cumulative GPA to evaluate. Of course, they get that information directly from the transcript sent by the high school. But when a college asks you to self-report, what do you think should be done?

He's gotten mixed answers from his friends--they did it both ways. Of course, he semester GPA looks quite a bit better from his cumulative (he didn't have the best freshman year). My kneejerk reaction to him was "use your cumulative."

What do you think?

My DD has been meeting weekly with her guidance counselor filling out her applications and writing her essay so I have no idea what he had her put. Does your son have a guidance counselor he could ask? Or perhaps he could contact the college and ask? I would think that would show the school he shows the initiative to ask questions when he is unclear on instructions.


So, parent teacher conferences were the other night. We made the guidance counselor one of our first stops so we could check in on DD's progress. He told us her essay is great and should really grab the attention of the schools. She submitted her first app. (which we knew) and is almost done with her second app. and her common app. She will not tell us what her essay is about but when the subject came up she got very emotional and teared up so it is obviously something close to her heart. I was diagnosed with breast cancer the week before last Christmas and have had a couple of surgerys this year. I am guessing it may have something to do with her feelings around that. I know her sophomore history teacher kept offering to write a recommendation for her and she didn't take him up on it. When he asked her why she hadn't heard from him she told him she asked two teachers from last year who had her in class when she was going through her mother being sick. I suspect there is a tie in. Her final list of schools she is applying for is (drumroll please....) Quinnipiac, Salve Regina, Emmanuel, UMass Boston, Bridgewater State, and Framingham State.

 

[ugadog99]

We had senior pictures yesterday. I know I spent too much, but our photographer is a longtime friend that my Ds grew up with. She is a professional photographer, so I know the pictures are going to be amazing. I'm not sure how I'll decide which ones to print! My favorites are going to be the ones with her WDW fedora, done in a very, very Fosse style! We picked three locations: her "new" theatre, the high school, and the park where the four girls used to spend a LOT of time. The only thing that would have made the day more perfect would have been if the photographer's sister was with us instead of bracing for the storm in New Hampshire.

 

[ugadog99]

Yesterday was a pretty good day here! Her senior pictures are being edited and posted. From the little I've seen, they are going to be amazing! I'm waiting for the one with the fedora-very, very Fosse like. That one is going to be a favorite, I know.

We received the email that ACT has approved her testing accommodations for December's test! I am very hopeful that she will be able to increase that dismal composite now.

Last night was the final rehearsal with "evil man!" Tomorrow we have state one act competition and then she is done with shows at school! She will make the move to the other theatre group for a December show. We still have a few hurdles to get over with the high school director, but we'll handle that soon.

And...she got the information email for CMU sleeping bag weekend. I'm getting pretty nervous about that, but she's still really excited for it.

Hope all is well with everyone else! I know yesterday was THE day for some of the apps, so here's a little for us all.

 

[luvavacation]

Ugadog99, it must be such a relief to know that your daughter is finally done with "evil man"! Hopefully the rest of her Senior year will be filled with great experiences in the new theatre group.

Did everyone here do Senior pics? If you did, what do you do with the pictures?

My eldest never did Senior pics, other than what the school required for the yearbook, and youngest wasn't going to do them, but I guess 4 years between children makes a big difference in Facebook picture posting popularity! All the younger DD's friends seem to be putting up their Senior picture albums, and now DD wants to do one, too. Unfortunately, the weather here is getting yucky, so it isn't a good time for those lovely outdoor shots, therefore we may have to wait until spring.

The only problem is, I don't know what to do with the pictures? Sure, for the time of the pictures, DD gets to feel like a princess, all dressed up and photographed, but after all the money is spent, then what? We don't have family around that cares about these kind of things, if I sent them pics they will just end up in the garbage (just like the pics I get of their kids, eventually tossed). The only people that will care about how DD looks are me and DH! Is the whole Senior pic process worth letting DD feel like a princess for a few hours? So perplexed!

Ugadog99, I would bet your DD's ACT score goes up with the accommodations. DD of a friend had an initial 19, then with accommodations, went up to a 27! Certainly opened up a different set of criteria for the college search at that point.

We are all done with the apps, finished a while ago. We have heard from Eastern IL (in, scholarship, and Honors College acceptance), and Indiana University (in, no word on scholarship, probably not going to get one there, as they get lots of high achievers there already and don't need to entice more). Still waiting to hear from Purdue, but I think they don't say anything until December. November will be a long month.

 

[tmq2766]

DD got her acceptance letter from Bradley University along with a scholarship of 6000.00 X 4years....
To date she is 3 for 3 on her applications

ISU (Illinois State)
Carthage
Bradley

As of today she is leaning toward Carthage..

I am so PROUD of her!!!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

My DD got her one early acceptance one in that was due. She has other things due 11/15 and 12/1, and hasn't quite finished them yet. But, cross country is over, so that should free up some of her time. Also, BU is one of her top choices, and doesn't do early acceptance, just early decision. She didn't want to apply too early, and have them think she was EA. And since that will be regular decision, I don't expect that she'll make her choice any time soon.

She's taking the SATs for the third and final time tomorrow. I'm hoping she can bump up just 20-30 points or so, but this is it, either way. And hers arent' terrible to begin with.

 

[LisaR]

One thing I am finding interesting in this college process is the time frame in which some schools notify you of acceptance. My daughter has gotten into numerous schools at this point. All want deposits to hold her place and start the housing process. Some of those deposits are refundable and some aren't. One school she is interested in doesn't let anyone know until December 19th and two other schools don't let you know until late March.

I can't see my dd waiting that late to decide on a school. She is very happy with her current choices. I think she is ready to choose and wants to end this whole process. I wish all colleges reported acceptances in the same month.