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College admissions, unfiltered.
the optional box on the common app. my school switched to block scheduling junior year and i couldn't take AP bio because of it. worth mentioning? i don't want it to look like i'm making excuses
My friends say colleges never actually rescind anyone unless you get arrested or something. Is that true or should I be worried? Semester ends in 5 weeks.
i blanked on why this school and talked about minecraft for like 10 minutes. please tell me it's not over
Starting at a CCC next fall instead of a four-year to save money. The goal is to transfer to a UC. I keep hearing about TAG but don't really get how it works. Is it actually guaranteed? Does it work for UCLA or Berkeley? I want to do CS or maybe data science. And what should I be doing my first semester so I don't mess it up? My high school GPA was 3.4 so I didn't really have a shot at UCs as a freshman. This feels like my second chance and I don't want to waste it. Nobody in my family has done the transfer thing so I'm figuring it out alone.
everyone online says you need a spike for top schools. I do a bit of everything: debate, volunteering, choir, tennis. am i screwed
Not trying to have AI write it, I promise. But can I use it to brainstorm topics, fix grammar, or tell me if my essay is boring? My English teacher says any AI use is cheating. My friend says everyone uses it for everything and nobody can tell. I just want to know what's actually allowed so I don't accidentally get in trouble. Right now I've only used it once, to ask for essay topic ideas, and honestly the ideas were pretty bad. But Grammarly is AI too right? Is that also not allowed? And what about Google Docs suggestions? At this point I don't know what counts.
is that true
Got into two schools with similar cost of attendance (both around $85k). School A gave $35k/year in grants, School B gave $50k/year. I like A more, it has my major and I loved the campus. Is it actually possible to ask A for more money? Is that rude? Will they rescind or something? My parents don't want to rock the boat but $15k a year is $60k total. Nothing has changed with our finances since we filed, so I don't have a special circumstance. Just the other offer. School B is also ranked a little higher, if that matters for leverage.
vandy said no an hour ago. title
Thinking about ED but my parents are worried about getting stuck with a price we can't pay. Is there a real way out or is that a myth?
I have an A+ in AP Bio but the teacher barely knows me. I sat in the back, did well on tests, never talked much. I have a B+ in AP Lang but that teacher loves me. I went to her office hours like every week, my essays went from C's to A's, and she told me I was one of the most improved students she's had. I want to major in biology so I feel like I'm supposed to ask the Bio teacher. But the Lang letter would probably be way better? Who should I ask? Can I ask both? Deadlines are in about 5 weeks so I need to ask this week.
March: 1400 (720 math, 680 reading). June: 1420 (690 math, 730 reading). Would a school see 1450? And do I have to send both or can I just send the June one
Sophomore planning ahead. I'm better at math than reading and I hate time pressure. I heard the ACT changed. Which one?
not sure if this is the right flair but I need help. I have 12 schools on my list, 4 AP classes, and I work Saturday and Sunday. Every night I sit down to write supplements and just stare at the screen for an hour, then I give up, scroll my phone, and go to bed feeling worse. I've written maybe 3 supplements total and the deadlines are coming. It's not that I don't know what to write. I have ideas. I just can't start. My grades are slipping a little too, I got my first B on a test this year and freaked out, which I know is a ridiculous thing to freak out about. My parents think I'm just procrastinating. Maybe I am? But it doesn't feel like regular procrastinating. It feels like my brain is full. Some context on how bad it is: Sunday I opened the Northeastern supplement at 7pm and at 11pm I had written one sentence and deleted it. I cleaned my entire room instead. I don't even clean my room. The worst part is I know what I'd tell a friend in this situation. I'd tell them to just write a bad draft. I can't take my own advice. Every sentence I write I immediately think "an admissions officer would roll their eyes at this" and then I delete it. Does anyone have a system that actually works? Like an actual step by step thing, not "just believe in yourself." Also is 12 schools too many, should I cut some? Edit: a few people asked, the 12 are 3 UCs (one app), 2 Cal States, and 7 privates. So maybe it's more like 9 different sets of essays? Edit 2: thank you all, I wrote two supplements tonight using the timer thing. Small win
this is going to be long and kind of a rant, sorry got rejected from my ED school yesterday. I've wanted to go there since 8th grade. I visited 3 times, I did the summer program there, my whole bedroom wall is their stuff. my counselor said I had a real shot. I really thought I had a real shot. and the worst part is literally all 5 of my close friends got in early to their schools. like everyone. they were all posting in the group chat and on instagram last night and I had to act happy for them and then go cry in the bathroom. today at lunch they were all talking about roommates and dorms and I just sat there. I keep replaying every part of my app in my head. was it my essay? was it the B in chem junior year? did my rec letter say something bad? I'll never know and it's driving me crazy. the thing is I don't even know what to do with all the stuff on my wall. I can't look at it but taking it down feels like admitting it's over. my little sister asked if she could have the sweatshirt and I almost lost it and now I have like 9 RD applications due in 2 weeks and I can't even open the common app without feeling sick. what's the point if my top choice didn't want me. my parents keep saying "everything happens for a reason" which honestly makes it worse. i know it's not the end of the world. people tell me that constantly. but it kind of feels like it is right now TL;DR: rejected from my dream school ED, all my friends got in early, I can't focus on my RD apps and I feel like a failure
Junior, interested in neuroscience. It feels like everyone in my grade has "research" on their app and I have no connections. No parents in academia, nobody at my school does this. Do professors actually reply to random high schoolers? What do I even say? I don't want to be annoying. Also is it even worth it if I can't get a paper out of it? I've read some neuroscience papers for fun (the ones I can understand lol) and I know some Python from a class. Not sure if that's enough to be useful to anyone.
is NSLC or a pre-college thing at a big name school worth it for admissions or is it just expensive. they think it'll help me get into harvard specifically
She has real questions about the engineering program and won't reach out. I wrote a draft email myself. Is it okay for me to send it?
Our public high school has one counselor for about 450 students. She's kind but we've had one 15-minute meeting in two years. Friends are paying thousands for private consultants, some much more than that. My daughter is a junior, good student, no specific "hook." Is a private counselor necessary or is it mostly anxiety marketing? What should we actually look for if we do it, and what are red flags? We are not wealthy, so if we spend money on this I want it to be on something that actually matters, not peace of mind.
I'm a parent posting because I don't know where else to ask without it getting back to people we know. My son is a senior. He's a good kid with a strong record: 3.9, good scores, captain of his robotics team, works on weekends. Applications are due in a few weeks for early action and he has not written a single word of his essays. Not a draft, not a list of ideas, nothing. Every time I bring it up he shuts down. He says he'll do it, then goes to his room and plays video games. Last week I made a schedule and taped it to the fridge and he just walked past it. When I tried to sit down with him on Sunday it turned into a shouting match and he said I care more about where he goes than about him. That hurt, and honestly I'm not sure he's wrong. His father thinks I should back off completely and let him face the consequences. I think if I back off he'll miss every deadline and end up somewhere he doesn't want to be, or nowhere. We've talked about hiring someone but he says he doesn't want a "college coach." I should also say he is not a bad writer. His English teacher told us at conferences that he writes well when he cares about the topic. So I don't think it's ability. I think he's scared, or he just doesn't want to think about leaving home, which I understand because I don't want to think about that either. What do I do? Push harder? Back off? Pay someone? I've lost sleep over this for weeks. TL;DR: senior son with a strong record hasn't started essays, shuts down when I bring it up, deadlines in weeks, I don't know how much to push.
3.9 UW, 1450 SAT. Parents make too much for need-based aid but they can't do $90k a year. Where do people actually get big merit scholarships?
Parent here, posting because my son asked me to figure this out and I'm in over my head. Our situation: - Household income about $180k (two working parents), W-2, nothing complicated - Two kids: our son is a senior, our daughter will start college in three years - One house, mortgage, modest retirement savings, about $40k in a 529 for our son - We live in a moderately expensive area He's applying mostly to private colleges, sticker prices around $90k a year. We cannot pay $360k for one child, let alone two. Some friends say families at our income get nothing, so don't bother. Others say you always apply. My questions: 1. Is it worth filling out the FAFSA and the CSS Profile at our income? 2. Does applying for aid hurt his chances of being admitted? 3. Is there a way to know what we'd pay before he applies? 4. What happens when our daughter starts college? Does that change anything? We also have no idea how "assets" are counted. Does the house count? Does my retirement account count? Some articles say yes, some say no, and I'm afraid of entering something wrong and getting penalized. For what it's worth, he has a 3.8 and a 1460 and wants to study engineering. We are not expecting merit money at the schools he likes most, but we would be open to other schools if the numbers are much better. I'd appreciate a straight answer. I've read so many conflicting articles that I'm more confused than when I started. Edit: Thank you, this is the clearest explanation I've gotten. Running the calculators this weekend.
counselor said some of my schools need it on top of the FAFSA. which ones? worth it if we're middle class?
I live with my mom about 4 days a week and with my dad the rest. My dad makes a lot more and pays for most of my stuff (phone, car insurance, school things). My mom remarried last year. I thought it was just whoever you live with, but my friend said that changed? Also does my stepdad's income count? I'm trying to get this done before my parents start fighting about it. My dad already said "just put your mom, her income is lower" and my mom said that's not how it works. I'd rather do it right than redo it later.
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