by CheckWriter » Thu Feb 03, 2011 9:45 pm
One DD a sophomore in college on a partial. Younger a HS senior committed.
Both started with about a million on the list. We have an excel spreadsheet for each that track schools and every email or call made with date and recipient - big files.
Older DD established her dream school early on and made herself a fixture at the softball camps and although we "made her" keep emailing plan B though R, she got in to her dream school and loves it.
Younger DD had first choice and it looked very promising up until the coaching staff "ran out" of, how shall I say, "expedited applications". Holy crap. Again, before that "mile stone" we made her keep emailing quite a few schools that were solid academically. At the independence Day Tourney in Boulder last summer, multiple schools that had previously only replied with the generic: "fill out the questionnaire" (in spite of 20 - 30 -40 emails over 2 years) came out of the woodwork thanking her for her "excellent communication", "we've watched you play here, there and everywhere" and "we're really impressed" and "you'd be a great fit" and , well you get the idea. One of those is where she will be attending in the fall.
In retrospect, she is so glad her first choice didn't work out. She is already planning her Halloween costume to coordinate with the other girls that will be Freshman with her this fall. I think there needs to be some serious thought given to the "list" but don't stop sending emails to a significant number of schools until it's a "done deal" - NLI or likely letter, as the case may be. You never know. I think you can be relatively honest, in that you can tell the others that you are leaning toward xyz, but it's not certain.
She still proclaims pretty much daily: "I can't believe I'm going to ..."
Just one experience, your results may vary.
I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words.
--- Hesiod, Eighth Century B.C.