11.26.07
College search update
It’s been a busy week with getting applications ready for a Dec. 1 deadline. Actually, the schools Boy was working on don’t all have a Dec. 1 application deadline, but he has a slew of schools due the first, second, and third of January, so I told him he needs to work under the impression that we need the December schools out the door before the first.
I’ve already mentioned his interview at University of Chicago, today he finished scheduling an interview with an alum from Rice University. That’s in about 2 weeks.
Today he finished up and submitted applications to Purdue, Rose-Hulman, and USC. Purdue and USC both have campus scholarships that need an early submittal to qualify and Rose had no application fee if you submitted by Dec. 1. All good reasons to get them out on time.
The only school left for December is Tulane and they use the Common Application. Boy has a draft of the essay that they want, but we decided not to push through polishing it tonight.
Boy is also going crazy with testing. He took the SAT Reasoning test in June and again in October, but many of the schools he’s applying to also want as many as 4 SAT Subject tests. He took 2 a few weeks ago and right now is getting ready to take 2 more next Saturday.
Most of the schools are just saying any tests, or just requiring one to be a Math test, but one of the schools is requiring homeschoolers to take 4 specific tests - English, Science, Math, and a foreign language - which Boy does not have. At this point we are thinking that we’ll submit the four that we do have and his AP scores and see if they complain. I just can’t see dealing with 2 more tests in January, especially the foreign language one - that’s his weakness.
Looking ahead, the biggest obstacle for December is the range of essays that some of these schools are wanting submitted. Two of them actually want an analytic essay submitted (you know that old 5 paragraph, complete with a thesis statement) and I’m not sure he’s come up with a topic yet. But that’s for another day.
And I still have to deal with all the counselor forms. I love the ‘How does this student compare to other students?’ question; and we’ve never developed a statement about why we homeschool. Fun. Hubby is the much better BSer, so whatever I come up with will get polished by him before we send it in.
