Parents of the HS Class of 2013 - Page 495

SteveMA · 06-09-2012, 08:51 AM

I guess we better start looking up essay topics for the schools that need them.

reeinaz--is Carthage on his list? We know a few kids there and they love the school. I love the views from their dorm rooms that they post on Facebook-almost like being on the ocean overlooking Lake Michigan.

ACT testers are out the door and hopefully in their seats at the testing site--different school than our high school. They were a lot less nervous this morning than they were in April and no panic calls saying "I forgot my admission ticket"

.

My kids know who Waldo is.

terinzak · 06-09-2012, 09:45 AM

DS just left for the ACT-his second time. He's hoping everything goes up especially Reading! Aiming for at least a 30

Good luck to all our test takers

My son has no clue who Waldo is....but can tell you everything about any video game you want to know about.

laurendog · 06-09-2012, 09:51 AM

Walker - You had better keep posting in this thread forever. You always make me laugh!

Ama - OMG about the plastic bags burning up! Thankgoodness you were home.

About the in-state proclivities, from a financial perspective, it probably does make sense, however, I am very relieved that Step-D is not applying to even one in-state school. Her dad and I firmly believe she needs to get out of Florida and she completely agrees with us.

We are in North Carolina right now, dropping Step-D off at camp. Yesterday was nuts as we had to drop her off, and then pick her back up for the night. This morning, we got up early and dropped her at the ACT test at a high school around these parts. Will pick her back up and take her ~back~ to summer camp when she's done. I hope all of the expense (renting a home here in NC for the weekend) and the running around, (not to mention the costly tutor,) will result in her feeling that this ACT effort has been worth it, but I guess we will not really know how to feel about all of this until we see the scores from today. If she improves (even a point) I guess we'll celebrate. If she goes backwards (as she did on the practice test last week) then I don't know....... I will say that the high school where I dropped her this morning is one of the nicest public schools I've ever laid eyes on. In the beautiful mountains of Western Carolina! Not bad at all to take a lunch break and see a mountain-view!! It's all fresh air and nature up here.

Congrats to all others taking the ACT test as well. MTOBEIYF!!!! Go Lucky 13'ers!!!!!

SteveMA · 06-09-2012, 09:55 AM

Our kids are not applying to any instate state schools because state schools elsewhere are less expensive (reciprocity and consortium agreements). The one in-state school DD would consider academically has "issues" with her sports team--she knows a couple of the players on the team there and has no desire to play with them so that ruled that school out-which is ok. There are no in-state state schools that would work for DS's intended major. The one school that has his program is WAY too big for him. They are looking at private schools instate though.

laurendog · 06-09-2012, 10:09 AM

Steve - that makes a lot of sense.

By the way, wanted to pop back in and give a hat-tip to whomever mentioned the Wellesley High School graduation speech. Loved it! Have 2 cousins that graduated from that high school so I even caught some of the local references he made. Overall, one of the best HS grad speeches I have heard!

Youdon'tsay · 06-09-2012, 10:13 AM

Good luck to all the test-takers!

Made pigs in a blanket this morning. I'm hoping that will make ds2 amenable to talking about college stuff today!

fredricksdottir · 06-09-2012, 10:17 AM

Concerning disappointment, I don't think that any child who has been through an audition process for roles or been involved in sports can avoid disappointment. Perhaps these are ways for a child who has had many advantages to experience the real world where you don't always get what you hope for.

dadotwoboys, isn't it interesting that some look at the U of C prompts and are put off, while others are excited. Obviously some self selection going on.

reeinaz, I don't think that it would be "tacky" to use a U of C prompt for another college, but probably the adcoms will know that it is.

Good luck to everyone taking the ACT today!

our2girls · 06-09-2012, 10:18 AM

Hoping (and yep, I'm praying, too) that all test takers achieve their goals on the ACT today, and that this will then be their LAST test! Onward and upward to applications!

Our D received the UC email, too. Wow!

Thanks for the categories for a spreadsheet. I plan to update my spreadsheet; mine had things like location, miles from home, audition or not (for music business, performance based or not), number of students, and more general stuff.

Can't wait to hear how well the kids do on their ACT today

. I know it will be harder for parents of those taking it to wait than me, though

Not sure who said it, but thanks for the reminder about teens being teens. I'm sure for all of us parents we realize we are fortunate to have our kids. They really are the best thing to ever happen to me.

Enjoy the weekend!

DrGoogle · 06-09-2012, 10:23 AM

Good luck to all test takers! And don't worry about kids not having enough time to prep. The week before D2 took her SAT, she went out to party in the cold and rain(Winter Formal), was ill and had finals as well. I originally did not want her to go to Winter Formal because I was nervous that she would caught something and she did, but being such a great student, I had no reason to stop her. How can you ground someone for being a great student? So I gave up and let her go. But I made sure she took some Vitamin Cs to ward off the cold. She later confessed(after seeing her scores) she was definitely under the weather.
As for essays, you can sign on as a fake person and get the prompts for essays. I like the UoC essays, my advice for my daughter is to have fun with it.
As for spreadsheet, I had someone from the Class of 2010 sent me a spreadsheet but I don't think I'm going to use it as much. I don't recall using a spreadsheet with D1. I just had a calendar and wrote down due date for each school.

reeinaz · 06-09-2012, 10:33 AM

So, I was poking around The Common App, looking at supplements. I found this essay topic from Bard College
The Roman philosopher Seneca, writing in the first century, wrote a set of letters of advice to a young friend. In the 23rd letter he wrote, "Make this your business: learn how to feel joy...true joy, believe me, is a serious thing.” Write a short response to these thoughts, indicating if you wish, the extent to which you may have come to realize that Seneca was right.
What?? Not that Bard was on my son's list, but I can really see using these essay prompts as a way to whittle down a list real fast.

SteveMA - Carthage isn't high on the list at the moment though it's still a possibility. I learned of the school from a book that discussed finding colleges for the truly average, not CC average student. Around a C with average scores. I really learned a lot from that book because it spoke about looking at things like grad rate, number of transfers into the school, professors with terminal degrees, students living on campus, etc. Almost like finding "colleges that change lives" on your own.

DrGoogle · 06-09-2012, 10:39 AM

For the essays, I think it's best to write an essays about what you are about and then rework to fit to the promp, and not writing a lot of essays, I think it's too time consuming. That's what D1 did.

STEMFamily · 06-09-2012, 11:17 AM

I give UC a lot of credit that they spend the effort to really target their applicant pool. And just by the reaction to the questions, they force potential applicants to consider their own fit. I'd love to read some of those essays!

Sending good wishes to all today's test takers...

D13 returns from Austria later today. Hope she isn't too jet-lagged to tell us about the trip since we have had no direct contact with her (only blogs from the group leaders) for 10 days.

Got the blood work results and doctor's report for D. All results were normal so we will schedule a sleep study, but that probably won't happen until around the start of school.

Walker1194 · 06-09-2012, 11:21 AM

I can't believe it. DD13a went running with the cross country team today and says that she is going again tomorrow! She is a gifted athlete and ran xc all through middle school and on the varsity team as an 8th grader. She gave it up when we moved for no reason that I could figure out. She ran a 10k in April with my husband with no training and ran it in 54 minutes I think. I'm going to take her to buy new shoes this afternoon! Yay!!!

tx5athome · 06-09-2012, 11:30 AM

Good morning!

Dropped S3 off at the SAT (he drives himself to the SAT at our school, but I drop him off at the ACT because it is at a different school, don't want to add any stress. Maybe there was something else going on at the school, but the parking lot was full!

Sleepovers: TOnight is the end of year drama event (they call it formal) it is a dinner and I don't know what else. And then there is a co-ed sleepover. I haven't decided if I am going to let him sleepover yet. I am not a fan of any sleepovers (mostly because of the lack of sleep), and especially co-ed. But he is my third kid and I have been warn down a lot, so we will see.

Cross-country: Yea Walker! S3 runs cross country. I don't know anything about it really, but I have fun watching.

Good Luck to the test-takers and the test-takers parents!!

Youdon'tsay · 06-09-2012, 11:33 AM

Another x-country mom here! Ds just started last year, and it was transformative for him. I used to be a marathon runner, so I know how addictive running can be. But it's a good addiction.