Parents of the HS Class of 2012 - Original

PhilaMom · 02-24-2009, 09:53 AM

I'm looking at the stock market today and am terrified. All those years of planning and saving only to see the 529 melt away.

D has done her part. Distinguished honors, academic magnet school, APs, 4.0, etc. She wants vet school, preferably one of the Scottish options (because it's less expensive) or Penn.

So if you, like me, are on here already looking for hope, friends and ideas, introduce yourself. The next three years will be interesting.

IloveLA · 02-24-2009, 10:28 AM

I am a parent of 2010 and 2012. But still have a lot to learn. Welcome!

MemphisGuy · 02-24-2009, 01:28 PM

Philamom,

I understand your pain, the good news is that there is at least a chance that some of the losses may be recouped before our 2012'ers graduate. I feel really bad for those who have kids about to graduate this year with no time to recover.

My problem is that I have a freshman is college this year as well as a freshman in highschool. So my college D is getting a higher percentage of the college savings than had been planned for. My highschool S has also kept up his part of the bargain so far (Honor's and AP classes, 4.0, and scored a 33 on the ACT as a freshman). I am just hoping that he can keep it up for the next few years.

They may not be able to attend one of the select schools that we could hope for, but with the credentials that you had covered in your post there should be solid merit aid available from some second or third tier schools.

DougBetsy · 02-24-2009, 03:42 PM

I've got a 2010 and a 2012 and am very nervous. I think/hope/pray we've got enough cash on hand to postpone tapping the 529's until '10's second year. But that will depend on where he ends up and what it costs. (And remaining employed.)

I'm a little more optimistic for my '12. If we're not well on our way to recovery by then then...well, I can't bear to think about it.

jackief · 02-24-2009, 05:08 PM

Hi DougBetsy!! I have a '12er also, in addition to my '10 D

I had said a few things on the current 9th grade/8th grade thread, but will move over here now as this will be the future.

One thing we have in the works is schedule choices for next year. They are making changes to the science curriculum so I am waiting to see what those are, and also see her second trimester grades. She is thinking of math as a potential focus right now (I won't say major, too early) and I am exploring having her double in science..

Yes the whole money thing is a bummer right now. Our girls are in private right now which is definitely the best current choice, but we'll see when the economy/market rebounds. D2 (this one) is not as focused academically, and although I wouldn't deny a private school choice, I would not pay top dollar if she isn't going to be as committed.

mathinokc · 03-05-2009, 11:07 AM

Hello!

I have a daughter in the '12 group. We just turned in schedule choices for next year this week.

We're lucky that the public high school is working for her at the moment, although she's in the top math class, so we'll have to pay for math next year....

rrah · 03-05-2009, 12:45 PM

Oh please tell me I don't need to worry about the 2012er until the 09er is off at college

DH and I recently discussed what we should do with additional money we want to save for our 2012er. We are quite hesitant to put anything else into the 529. Ideally the long range plan is to not touch the 529's until both are in school or better yet graduate school. It will mean some "sacrifices" (ie: state school with a great full tuition scholarship for older sibling instead of a private or OOS public. Probably the same of S.) I think we've decided that it will go into a longer term CD. The return might be lower, but it seems safer in a local, very solvent, bank. Any suggestions?

Our 2012er son seems off to a good start with his GPA and extracurriculars. He is convinced he'll do better than big sister on PSAT and SATs. I hope that competitive sibling rivalry produces good results for him in a couple of years. He's definitely benefitted from watching older sister go throught this process. I just hope his ego doesn't get in the way. For many years of grade school he was the very top student at his school and everyone recognized it. He ended up with a bit of an attitude.

MemphisGuy · 03-05-2009, 01:43 PM

RRAH, do we have the same son??? Your description matches my son almost exactly. Learned A LOT from watching his big sister, and has always been singled out as the "star" student due to standardized test scores. Of course my son could never end up with an attitude, nothing more than asking his math teacher why he has to do 25 to 30 homework questions a night when he "has it all figured out after 4 or 5". :-) The teacher wasn't too happy after that one.

My wife isn't going to be very happy when she finds out that DS isn't hers but actually belongs to another poster on CC. :-)

seiclan · 03-05-2009, 03:35 PM

RRAH and MemphisGuy: We have triplets.....my son is the same as yours...strong first semester freshman year and an ego to match! He is currently very very angry with me (not talking to me actually) because of our first meeting with the college guidance counselor this am. (see this thread: Advice for any parents of HS freshmen (or even 8th graders) out there ).

He is mad that when she mentioned that the best way to increase your SAT score in CR and W is to READ, READ, READ, I let it slip that he hates reading and that he does likes to play video games.... I did amend that to say that he only plays the video games when he is done with schoolwork but the damage was done. He thinks I ratted him out. I feel terrible, but really, he NEVER opens a book if it is not assigned for school (he just didn't want the GC to know that).

rrah · 03-05-2009, 07:36 PM

memphisdad and seiclan: I didn't realize they cloned humans in 1993/94. I could swear I was pregnant with a single child

Yes seiclan, I too have the son that happily can fix my computer and iphone, play video games nonstop, but rarely reads a book unless it's assigned. All through grade school he read books nightly but no longer. I think it was because he could stay up later if he was reading in bed then. He does still read magazines though. I guess that's better than nothing.

anothermom2 · 03-05-2009, 07:47 PM

Just saying Hi to you all. Crying over the 529 too. I am depressed over the whole economy thing, and am praying for the best. Keep the kids motivated.

MemphisGuy · 03-05-2009, 08:47 PM

RRah and seiclan.

I hate to break up the family but apparently we do not have a case of seperated triplets. Either that, or my son dropped a DNA somewhere. He reads constantly, probably somewhere in the area of 2 - 2.5 novels a week. In fact that has been one of our biggest problems with him since early in grade school. He would start reading in class and miss some things that were going on (like turning in homework, changing subjects, etc.). We actually had one teacher call us and ask for help. She just couldn't bring herself to tell a student to stop reading, it just didn't seem right to her!!!! Of course there is still hope, he can certainly hang with the video games and iphone. :-)

seiclan · 03-28-2009, 12:06 PM

DS, with freshly laminated lerner's permit in wallet, just drove off on his first driving lesson.
Breathe in....breathe out....breathe in .... breathe out....
You would think by now, after going thru this with two daughters, that I would be Zen about this!

seiclan · 03-28-2009, 12:08 PM

What high school courses are all your current freshman planning to take next year as sophomores?

jackief · 03-28-2009, 12:21 PM

howdy seiclan! I can't imagine my freshman D driving, my junior D just got her license in January..

We have the course catalog for next year, but have to pick the last course. She is interested in math, and we were looking to double in science next year with Chem/Phys. But the school will not allow sophomores to take Physics. The last course could chorus again, but she isn't that keen on it. Possible to double in math in alg II and pre-calc, but I know that hasn't gone well for some in her school. Looking at the other electives and might talk to her math teacher. Other option is for her to take precalc over the following summer to be on track for calc BC as a senior (calc AB is required first before BC)

In the next week or so we'll have the schedule settled.

Who is taking Bio SAT II? I have suggested D take it but there is a lot of material not covered in her regular course. She is going through some prep books. We'll make the call when we are closer to the signup deadline. I'd like her not to be rushed and have all the testing still undone at the end of jr year or worse yet in sr year.

ciao