Parents of the High School Class of 2017/College 2021

[laughinplace199]

I've heard some kids do this but I wasn't sure if it was necessary. Is this for her information gathering purposes or is it to increase her odds of being accepted (if she's applying to a "reach" school)?

One of the schools "strongly suggests" doing an interview. A lot of the other schools she's applying to say that interviews are optional, but DD's college counselor said to try to do interviews for the schools she really likes.

She said that they both went well yesterday. They felt more like conversations than interviews, which was nice.

 

[J'aime Paris]

Is anyone else frustrated with their kid's English teachers when it comes to their child's essays? My DD's English teacher keeps on okaying her essays and they still need a lot of work! There are whole sentences that make no sense, typos and weird constructions like "delegation of time". For goodness sakes time is not 'deligated' and I'm a freaking computer sciences major! This is on her 'dream school' app that she insists on getting done first. She refuses to listen to me. Somehow her teacher okayed a 500 letter essay for a 4,000 letter slot. WTH? What happened to the other 3500 letters? She needs every single advantage at this school because her test scores are just average. Arg!

DD's AP English teacher was terrible! No credible feedback, only citing format issues, no help with content whatsoever. I'm a bit nervous about her essays as well

 

[v.t.]

I agree that the essay writing is killing us. While they wrote their essays over the summer, it did take a while to get them back from the English teacher. But she only accepted one from each student to try and cut down return time. I could not imagine having to read all those essays, I am tired of reading my own kids'. LOL
Now we are starting the scholarship writing portion of their senior year. They are going by the counselor's office at least twice a week to pull scholarship info. Of course, they haven't applied to any yet. We are still trying to get through band season, at least that is what excuse they are using this week.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Is anyone else frustrated with their kid's English teachers when it comes to their child's essays? My DD's English teacher keeps on okaying her essays and they still need a lot of work! There are whole sentences that make no sense, typos and weird constructions like "delegation of time". For goodness sakes time is not 'deligated' and I'm a freaking computer sciences major! This is on her 'dream school' app that she insists on getting done first. She refuses to listen to me. Somehow her teacher okayed a 500 letter essay for a 4,000 letter slot. WTH? What happened to the other 3500 letters? She needs every single advantage at this school because her test scores are just average. Arg!

If the stakes are that high, then I would hire a tutor, essay specialist, or college admissions specialist to help your DD with her essays. She will never get the intense one on one help you are looking for with her high school English teacher. That teacher has 150 students and has to keep up with daily lesson plans, grading, meetings, reports and all sorts of other stuff. She doesn't have much time to spend on the kids' essays. My DD's high school specialty program had a college app/essay seminar over the summer. They were allowed to bring one essay to go over with a college writing professor and given tips on writing essays. Luckily, I am a middle school English teacher, so I've been able to help both my kids with their college essays. There is no way their HS English teachers could give them thought, time, and attention that I give them.

 

[Poohforyou]

Wow, we live in a great school district and unless your child is in AP comp college essays aren't part of the English dept curiculum.

My dd wrote her essay over the summer. I had a friend who works at a private school and helps with college applications review it with dd. She made some suggestions that dd liked. I reviewed the final version and that was it.

I really think a student's academic record and test scores mean a lot more than an essay.

 

[lucky978]

Thank God for superscoring! That's all I can say. Neither of my daughters did well on their SAT or ACT. They have good GPA's, have lots of activities and volunteering and take honors/AP classes. Let's hope it's enough!

 

[J'aime Paris]

Thank God for superscoring! That's all I can say. Neither of my daughters did well on their SAT or ACT. They have good GPA's, have lots of activities and volunteering and take honors/AP classes. Let's hope it's enough![/QUOT

I'd never heard of superscoring, then I googled it.
How do you report the best category from several tests?

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Ok...here is a Financial Aid FAFSA doozy! DS is a sophomore in college. For his first year DH filled out the Jan 2015 FAFSA and CSS forms. DS was awarded a $5500 Unsubsidized loan, which he declined. DH got frustrated with the JAN 2016 FAFSA for this year, and said he started it but never submitted it. He didn't even attempt the CSS stuff. Now I'm not so sure WHAT he did!

DS called today to say that he got a $1360 refund check from SIS (student financial services). It is the exact amount of his meal plan, which we pay for monthly. I told him to just hold the check until I investigated. I logged on to the parent account and our monthly payments are going in as scheduled. The 529 Prepaid tuition payment went in as scheduled. But there is a $2908 Federal Pell Grant credit. The warning bells went off!!! We have no idea how this aid got there.

I called DS back to have him log onto his student account to see if there is a Financial Aid Award letter. Sure enough there is. It lists a subsidized loan, an unsubsidzed loan and the Pell Grant. Both loans were declined but the Pell Grant was checked accepted. DS has not logged on to his student account since he declined the unsubsidized loan for last school year. I tried to call the school, but the financial aid office is closed for the weekend. I sent an email explaining the whole thing. I will have to get it sorted out on Monday.

If we are truly supposed to get this money then YAY! But I think either the school made a mistake, or DH royally screwed up last year's FAFSA. I'll keep you all posted.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Ok...here is a Financial Aid FAFSA doozy! DS is a sophomore in college. For his first year DH filled out the Jan 2015 FAFSA and CSS forms. DS was awarded a $5500 Unsubsidized loan, which he declined. DH got frustrated with the JAN 2016 FAFSA for this year, and said he started it but never submitted it. He didn't even attempt the CSS stuff. Now I'm not so sure WHAT he did!

DS called today to say that he got a $1360 refund check from SIS (student financial services). It is the exact amount of his meal plan, which we pay for monthly. I told him to just hold the check until I investigated. I logged on to the parent account and our monthly payments are going in as scheduled. The 529 Prepaid tuition payment went in as scheduled. But there is a $2908 Federal Pell Grant credit. The warning bells went off!!! We have no idea how this aid got there.

I called DS back to have him log onto his student account to see if there is a Financial Aid Award letter. Sure enough there is. It lists a subsidized loan, an unsubsidzed loan and the Pell Grant. Both loans were declined but the Pell Grant was checked accepted. DS has not logged on to his student account since he declined the unsubsidized loan for last school year. I tried to call the school, but the financial aid office is closed for the weekend. I sent an email explaining the whole thing. I will have to get it sorted out on Monday.

If we are truly supposed to get this money then YAY! But I think either the school made a mistake, or DH royally screwed up last year's FAFSA. I'll keep you all posted.

A quick update...

DH looked for FAFSA 2016/2017 emails this morning. He found one from February confirming that he did submit the FAFSA for last year even though he never filled it all out. If he had bothered to read that email, he would have immediately seen that he had made a mistake. The email says our EFC = 0 and because of that we are eligible for the full Pell Grant and $10,000 in loans. EFC = 0 when you income is below $24000 a year, which is not at all what we earn.

Back in May, DS called me about an email he got asking him to accept or decline loans. Since DH told me he didn't finish the FAFSA forms so didn't apply for aid for 2016/2017, I thought that email was about the loan DS was offered for freshman year. I told him to decline it.

I seriously feel like I am living an episode of The Middle right now! DS is the only one who gets and has access to the Financial Aid letter even though we are the ones paying the bills. The aid info is NOT on the section of the SIS the parent's can see. If I had seen the aid letter last May, I would have caught this mistake months ago!

I am very aggravated with DH right now! I can't believe he blew the whole FAFSA thing off and made such a big mess!

 

[sksjasams]

@J'aime Paris
I'm not sure about the SAT, but there are not many schools that superscore the ACT. If your student is applying to one that does, you would send all of their test scores, and then the schools pull the best subscores out to create a superscore.

 

[Poohforyou]

@J'aime Paris
I'm not sure about the SAT, but there are not many schools that superscore the ACT. If your student is applying to one that does, you would send all of their test scores, and then the schools pull the best subscores out to create a superscore.

SAT super scoring works the same way. Lots of schools, with the exception of many of the most selective, super score. I think of all the schools we looked at only Georgetown doesn't super score.

 

[laughinplace199]

A quick update...

DH looked for FAFSA 2016/2017 emails this morning. He found one from February confirming that he did submit the FAFSA for last year even though he never filled it all out. If he had bothered to read that email, he would have immediately seen that he had made a mistake. The email says our EFC = 0 and because of that we are eligible for the full Pell Grant and $10,000 in loans. EFC = 0 when you income is below $24000 a year, which is not at all what we earn.

Back in May, DS called me about an email he got asking him to accept or decline loans. Since DH told me he didn't finish the FAFSA forms so didn't apply for aid for 2016/2017, I thought that email was about the loan DS was offered for freshman year. I told him to decline it.

I seriously feel like I am living an episode of The Middle right now! DS is the only one who gets and has access to the Financial Aid letter even though we are the ones paying the bills. The aid info is NOT on the section of the SIS the parent's can see. If I had seen the aid letter last May, I would have caught this mistake months ago!

I am very aggravated with DH right now! I can't believe he blew the whole FAFSA thing off and made such a big mess!

Sorry to hear this. I hope you can get it straightened out without too much stress. Good luck!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

2 Early Action applications done and submitted. One was to her reach school (common app) and one was to her top choice good fit school (has its own app). She forgot to list her work as a summer camp counselor for 2 years on the good fit app. It didn't have as many spaces as the common app for activities. She should have left off her one year in the Adventure Club and mentioned being a counselor, but it's too late now.

She has 2 more common app schools that she is almost ready to submit her applications to. Then there are 2 more colleges that have their own apps. She has to write all new essays for one of them. For the other, she can reuse the essays she's already written.

 

[robinb]

I really think a student's academic record and test scores mean a lot more than an essay.

That's fine if your child has great grades and great test scores. My has good grades and average test scores. The essays give her a boost if she's on the cusp of being accepted.

 

[robinb]

My DD submitted her first 2 apps today! There is a huge sense of relief on my end.

Now we have to pick the next schools .

 

[BDFmom]

Wow, we live in a great school district and unless your child is in AP comp college essays aren't part of the English dept curiculum.

My dd wrote her essay over the summer. I had a friend who works at a private school and helps with college applications review it with dd. She made some suggestions that dd liked. I reviewed the final version and that was it.

I really think a student's academic record and test scores mean a lot more than an essay.

I disagree.... academic record and test scores help weed out unqualified applicants. Essays allow applicants to shine among the masses. There are so many applicants that have very similar grades and tests scores.

 

[punkin]

All applications have been submitted. now we wait.

 

[robinb]

All applications have been submitted. now we wait.

I'm jealous!

My DD's last HS swim season is drawing to a close. The big Sectionals meet is this weekend and that's for all the marbles to qualify for the Wisconsin State High School Meet. There are six of such meets around the state. Only the fastest 24 girls in the entire state at those meets qualify and my DD is currently ranked 20th in her best event going into her meet. Unfortunately her coach messed up her seed time and she's not in the last heat with the super fast girls like she should be. She likes to race against other girls, but she'll swim her own race without someone else pushing her if that's what it takes.

 

[bjscheel]

I'm jealous!

My DD's last HS swim season is drawing to a close. The big Sectionals meet is this weekend and that's for all the marbles to qualify for the Wisconsin State High School Meet. There are six of such meets around the state. Only the fastest 24 girls in the entire state at those meets qualify and my DD is currently ranked 20th in her best event going into her meet. Unfortunately her coach messed up her seed time and she's not in the last heat with the super fast girls like she should be. She likes to race against other girls, but she'll swim her own race without someone else pushing her if that's what it takes.

Good luck to her! At State Track this year DD's relay was seeded 15th of 24, so they were in the bottom of the 2nd heat (out of 3 heats) but ended up with a time that got 2nd place so hopefully your DD can pull out a good time too!

We are in the home stretch on the musical, 9 stressful days till opening night. They currently do not have an accompanist, the guy their teacher had lined up jammed a finger so we've been throwing out ideas of people for the teacher to call. I know the first one he tried had to decline last night so hopefully as he goes down the list someone will take pity and accept the last minute challenge. The guy used to do it for our school moved but only about 30 minutes away so maybe he will come?!? I could probably do it but I want to watch my girls instead! DDs told me not to even offer for practice or I will get stuck doing it at performance. The sad thing is they have not yet practiced with the score being played, as their teacher just plays some chords at practice. I'm hoping the actual score will help them find their starting notes as that is currently an issue. I know their teacher isn't the best piano player but he did play from the score at the concert last week and seemed to do fine so I don't know why he doesn't attempt to play more for them at practice. Just hoping they have someone by the weekend so tech week has everything in place.

Today is apparently the first of 4 senior skip days (unauthorized). DD heard they want to do one every quarter which she thinks is ridiculous. She didn't care to go so she is at school and used her job as an excuse. They are going bowling 45 miles away. It was going to be Sky Zone, but they decided last minute it was too expensive and too much work to jump on trampolines. Maybe she'll go to the last one, to me senior skip day would be near the end of the year.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

2 Early Action applications done and submitted. One was to her reach school (common app) and one was to her top choice good fit school (has its own app). She forgot to list her work as a summer camp counselor for 2 years on the good fit app. It didn't have as many spaces as the common app for activities. She should have left off her one year in the Adventure Club and mentioned being a counselor, but it's too late now.

She has 2 more common app schools that she is almost ready to submit her applications to. Then there are 2 more colleges that have their own apps. She has to write all new essays for one of them. For the other, she can reuse the essays she's already written.

Good LUCK to your DD!!!

My DD submitted her first 2 apps today! There is a huge sense of relief on my end.

Now we have to pick the next schools .

Good LUCK to your DD as well!!!

DS got 2 EA applications in yesterday. One is his absolute 1st choice, and the other is another state school. We will be doing 4-5 more over the next 2 weeks and then we will wait. The rolling decisions will come in before the ones that went in yesterday, which have decision dates of 2/1. It's going to be a long 90 days for DS and some of his friends. They are all smart kids that have good grades and scores, and play sports and are involved in extra-curriculars, but our state flagship has just gotten so hard to get into, and it seems like everyone's first choice.

This Friday is Senior Night for Varsity Football. DS has been playing since 6th grade and will not be playing in college, so this is really it.