My eldest son is in 12th grade and is applying to colleges in the U.S. In this thread I will mention things I did not know before. Other parents are invited to share their experiences.
* Some schools have regular decision deadlines that are earlier than Jan 1. For example, Dec 1 for University of California (all schools) and Nov 15 for University of Washington.
* Most schools we are applying to use the Common App, but not all. University of California has their own "common" application for all schools.
* Some schools admit directly into a major, and if your child is applying for computer science or engineering, it is much harder to get in, and the admissions rate is much lower than the overall admissions rate.
* Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers interviews but only to students who have already visited campus, since they have found that interviews with students who have not visited are unproductive. We would have visited over the summer had we known that.
* Harvard asks what online courses you have completed (for example at EdX or Coursera)
* Harvard asks where the applicant has lived since birth.
* Harvard allows you to submit AMC and AIME scores at a web site once they have received your application. Those are the only contest scores for which have they have such a site.
* Most but not all schools allow you to self-report SAT and ACT scores. No school I know of requires more than 2 SAT subject tests. Some engineering schools want to see the SAT math subject test. You can take enough subject tests to be able to report 2 very good scores.
* Our high school uses Naviance, which stores transcripts and recommendation letters. The high school does not charge a fee to use Naviance to send data to a school. How many applications you submit depends on how many essays you are willing to write and application fees you are willing to pay.
* Even if your child will not qualify for need-based aid, you will likely need to fill a FAFSA so that they are considered for merit aid. On the FAFSA, income information can be taken electronically from your tax return, but asset information must be provided manually.
