Parents of the High School Class of 2017/College 2021

[mamacatnv]

Absolutely! And that's the hitch...you need to have the advanced level classes if your school offers them because it shows rigor and strength of schedule. Most colleges look at unweighted GPA.

True but class rankings etc. are done with weighting. When I lived in Nevada class ranking was not that big of a deal however, here in Texas its a huge deal since the "state" schools auto-admit is ALL about class ranking. I was just reading UT's website about auto-admits and it does not differentiate between weighted/unweighted rank - its purely just rank.

 

[sksjasams]

True but class rankings etc. are done with weighting. When I lived in Nevada class ranking was not that big of a deal however, here in Texas its a huge deal since the "state" schools auto-admit is ALL about class ranking. I was just reading UT's website about auto-admits and it does not differentiate between weighted/unweighted rank - its purely just rank.

That's true. I would guess most Texas high schools weight those classes for that very reason.

It's my understanding that admissions counselors around here know the high schools well and know which ones weight and which ones don't. I think in that case, rank is not as important. It would be a different story, applying to a TX college from a Wisconsin high school that doesn't weight...

 

[robinb]

That's true. I would guess most Texas high schools weight those classes for that very reason.

It's my understanding that admissions counselors around here know the high schools well and know which ones weight and which ones don't. I think in that case, rank is not as important. It would be a different story, applying to a TX college from a Wisconsin high school that doesn't weight...

My DD got a scholarship at Iowa State because of rank. Luckily, her unweighted rank was high enough.

 

[J'aime Paris]

My DD's school does does not have a weighted GPA so her AP classes count the same as a regular class. Her GPA and class ranking would have been a lot higher if she didn't challenge herself with honors and AP classes . On top of it, the English department does not teach to the AP tests ... an amusing little fact I learned after my DD got straight A's in AP Lang Comp and failed the AP exam . I made sure her AP Calc and AP Environmental Science teachers are teaching to the test this year (as is her AP French 5 teacher, but my DD is skipping that one).

No weighted GPA's here either....super frustrating for DD.

A couple of the co-valedictorians (at least 10 this year) have 4.0s with no honor or AP classes taken. DD took a very rigorous HS curriculum and got one A- in four years---missed out. An A- counts against you, but an A+ will not raise it. Don't get it at all.

 

[Poohforyou]

Our school doesn't release rankings. I know dd is in the top 15% because of state programs she's qualified for but I don't know anything beyond that. I'm really glad though. There's so much crazy pressure amongst her group that I think knowing where each other stands would be bad.

Also heard Case Western won't be releasing decisions until Friday after telling everyone it would be tonight.

 

[Poohforyou]

No weighted GPA's here either....super frustrating for DD.

A couple of the co-valedictorians (at least 10 this year) have 4.0s with no honor or AP classes taken. DD took a very rigorous HS curriculum and got one A- in four years---missed out. An A- counts against you, but an A+ will not raise it. Don't get it at all.

You're daughter will be much better off for challenging herself than playing it safe. Good for her.

 

[aprilgail]

Tears were flowing tonight!! HAPPY TEARS!!! My daughter got into Northeastern with a 53,000 a year financial aid package- its unbelieveable!! She cried for 30 minutes. Up until now she has been accepted at placed she was ok with going to if she had to- this was in the places she WANTED to go to. What a relief!!

 

[bethbuchall]

Tears were flowing tonight!! HAPPY TEARS!!! My daughter got into Northeastern with a 53,000 a year financial aid package- its unbelieveable!! She cried for 30 minutes. Up until now she has been accepted at placed she was ok with going to if she had to- this was in the places she WANTED to go to. What a relief!!

That is fantastic news! Congratulations!

 

[sksjasams]

Tears were flowing tonight!! HAPPY TEARS!!! My daughter got into Northeastern with a 53,000 a year financial aid package- its unbelieveable!! She cried for 30 minutes. Up until now she has been accepted at placed she was ok with going to if she had to- this was in the places she WANTED to go to. What a relief!!

Congratulations!! Yay for happy tears!!

 

[robinb]

Tears were flowing tonight!! HAPPY TEARS!!! My daughter got into Northeastern with a 53,000 a year financial aid package- its unbelieveable!! She cried for 30 minutes. Up until now she has been accepted at placed she was ok with going to if she had to- this was in the places she WANTED to go to. What a relief!!

Congratulations! I'm so happy for her!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Tears were flowing tonight!! HAPPY TEARS!!! My daughter got into Northeastern with a 53,000 a year financial aid package- its unbelieveable!! She cried for 30 minutes. Up until now she has been accepted at placed she was ok with going to if she had to- this was in the places she WANTED to go to. What a relief!!

I always love reading posts like these!!!! Yayayayayayayayayay!

 

[J'aime Paris]

Tears were flowing tonight!! HAPPY TEARS!!! My daughter got into Northeastern with a 53,000 a year financial aid package- its unbelieveable!! She cried for 30 minutes. Up until now she has been accepted at placed she was ok with going to if she had to- this was in the places she WANTED to go to. What a relief!!

That's incredible!! Awesome news for your DD!!

 

[Poohforyou]

Tears were flowing tonight!! HAPPY TEARS!!! My daughter got into Northeastern with a 53,000 a year financial aid package- its unbelieveable!! She cried for 30 minutes. Up until now she has been accepted at placed she was ok with going to if she had to- this was in the places she WANTED to go to. What a relief!!

Congratulations. Northeastern is a great school. Are you going to an accepted student day? We're going up next weekend.

If I were you I'd be crying for joy over that financial aid package, assuming most doesn't have to be paid back. That's more than the cost of tuition.

 

[aprilgail]

Congratulations. Northeastern is a great school. Are you going to an accepted student day? We're going up next weekend.

If I were you I'd be crying for joy over that financial aid package, assuming most doesn't have to be paid back. That's more than the cost of tuition.

It cost 67,601 to go there so it leaves me about 15,000 to pay- 5,500 will be loans my daughter can take.

 

[aprilgail]

Congratulations. Northeastern is a great school. Are you going to an accepted student day? We're going up next weekend.

.

We are not planning any accepted students days until we hear from the rest of the colleges she applied to- she still is waiting on her #1 choice.

 

[robinb]

We are not planning any accepted students days until we hear from the rest of the colleges she applied to- she still is waiting on her #1 choice.

Hmmm ... I would still go even though she hasn't heard back from her #1. She will learn other things about the school that will help her make her final decision.

 

[aprilgail]

Hmmm ... I would still go even though she hasn't heard back from her #1. She will learn other things about the school that will help her make her final decision.

I just looked at the dates and its 2 weekends I am totally booked-have to see what I can move around- April 8th I have an event that ends around 11pm- then would have to make the 5 hour drive to boston after that to be there for 8am.

 

[punkin]

So still no financial aid from number 1 choice school...they said probably end of the week, but Niece is already driving me crazy trying to figure out how to make it work. Well, the short answer is unless they give her a lot of money, there is no way to make it work. $64K or so is just not OK and I will not allow her to put herself into such astronomical debt at the beginning of her life (I'm pro-educational debt usually, but she has other, much cheaper, choices). We can swing 30K, maybe a few thousand more for the "right" school, but... I'm sorry I'm venting. DD is starting to look at possible semesters/summers abroad and I am not happy with the costs of those either.

 

[robinb]

I just looked at the dates and its 2 weekends I am totally booked-have to see what I can move around- April 8th I have an event that ends around 11pm- then would have to make the 5 hour drive to boston after that to be there for 8am.

I feel your pain. My DD's accepted students day at Iowa State is the day after a big Conference track meet (yes, she joined track ) and we have to drive 4.5 hours to Ames, IA after the meet for her to be bright eyed a bushy tailed in the morning. I know *I* won't be "bright eyed and bushy tailed" .

So still no financial aid from number 1 choice school...they said probably end of the week, but Niece is already driving me crazy trying to figure out how to make it work. Well, the short answer is unless they give her a lot of money, there is no way to make it work. $64K or so is just not OK and I will not allow her to put herself into such astronomical debt at the beginning of her life (I'm pro-educational debt usually, but she has other, much cheaper, choices). We can swing 30K, maybe a few thousand more for the "right" school, but... I'm sorry I'm venting. DD is starting to look at possible semesters/summers abroad and I am not happy with the costs of those either.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her. It's hard when you can't afford your kid's #1 school. So far, I'm lucky and my DD doesn't have any real interest in going to University of Iowa, her most expensive school. It's about $46K all-in with no scholarship money. The Speedos meet was there last weekend and my DH and I walked around a bit and *we* really liked it. DD was with her team the whole meet and didn't really get a chance to see it. We are keeping the day after returning from Iowa State open for her to tour if she has an interest.

Speaking of financial aid ... does anyone know if schools will pony up more money if you let the counselors know that your kid can't attend if they don't give you more money? My DD is an average student and this doesn't apply to us but I wonder about some of the other kids on the thread.

 

[Poohforyou]

I feel your pain. My DD's accepted students day at Iowa State is the day after a big Conference track meet (yes, she joined track ) and we have to drive 4.5 hours to Ames, IA after the meet for her to be bright eyed a bushy tailed in the morning. I know *I* won't be "bright eyed and bushy tailed" .

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her. It's hard when you can't afford your kid's #1 school. So far, I'm lucky and my DD doesn't have any real interest in going to University of Iowa, her most expensive school. It's about $46K all-in with no scholarship money. The Speedos meet was there last weekend and my DH and I walked around a bit and *we* really liked it. DD was with her team the whole meet and didn't really get a chance to see it. We are keeping the day after returning from Iowa State open for her to tour if she has an interest.

Speaking of financial aid ... does anyone know if schools will pony up more money if you let the counselors know that your kid can't attend if they don't give you more money? My DD is an average student and this doesn't apply to us but I wonder about some of the other kids on the thread.

Yes, if a school really wants a student they can and do increase merit awards. However, the student should be prepared to commit if the school ups its offer. I don't think it's right to ask a school to go through that exercise just to see what you can get.

We'll probably be going back to whatever school dd deems #1 when all acceptances are in hand. We don't qualify for need based aid so it's all about merit.