<p>Vandygrad, how about the song “I hope you dance” by Leeann Womack? It is one of my favorites for videos and montages. </p>
<p>Champs, I agree with others, ECs are extremely helpful to the kids. I guess it seems like we aren’t focused on them here because we are trying to find schools that fit the kids, not (like I find on other threads) trying to prove that our kid has what it takes (ie, talking about how many ECs the kid has, how special the kid is, etc). For me, it is what makes this thread so special. It is about how to make everyone’s journey the best it can be, and other threads seem to be about each parent’s checking off as many boxes as they can to show that their kid can do it. This is just how I feel and what I have experienced on many other threads (but not all of course!), others might feel differently.</p>
<p>I hadn’t heard of the Maccabeats before. They are great! </p>
<p>My D is very involved in ECs, has leadership, mission trips etc. I guess I don’t talk about it much because there is so much of a competitive, one-upmanship spirit across some of CC that it feels like a refuge not to here. :-)</p>
<p>agree with momjr…EC’s are important for many of the smaller schools for our “B” students; not so much for the large publics…</p>
<p>I would not, however, discount essays…I have had way too much experience with below stats kids applying to large schools/impacted majors etc and being accepted; is it due to their essays? who knows…but I don’t take the chance with my students that it isn’t important…</p>
<p>I saw the original show a few weeks ago and let this thread know then. A few pages back. It would be cool for someone visiting Elon to report back on how they enjoyed they’re meal if they go there!</p>
<p>Yes, according to the CTCL rep there is still some type of “governing” function but she says that is handled by some other organization. Sorry, I don’t know (remember) which one.</p>
<p>To everyone who shared their views on the lack of “ECs discussion” on this thread - thank you for your thoughts. The reason I raised this subject is because we (writers on this thread) seem to suggest schools to one another simply based on GPA and test scores (hence the “B” in the title). I do realize that everything on the app makes it a “complete” package. Thanks.</p>
<p>I always feel a bit queasy about writing too much about my children’s ECs. We’re anonymous here on CC, but not as anonymous as we think :). Mentioning specifics about what your kid is up to this weekend makes it that much easier to identify them. I’ve found that I’m even less likely to mention anything about D1’s ECs here on CC now that she’s in college, because it would be just too easy to figure out who she is. It’s not a safety issue, just a feeling I have that my children’s privacy is not mine to violate.</p>
<p>Slithey, the article is a symptom of what is happening to Judaism – and other religions. Religious participation by the less than strict or less than fundamentalist has been declining every year. In Protestant Christianity, I think the non-fundamentalists are in rapid decline while the fundamentalists are growing rapidly. The biggest segment of growth I think are evangelicals in Latin America and Africa. This is really taking away from mainstream Catholicism as well. In Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism, I think there is a marked and continuing decline. My sense is that it is getting harder to find find men to participate in synagogue life (an overstatement but true in spirit). A significant percentage of newly ordained non-orthodox rabbis are female. Although interestingly, there is a perception that Conservative synagogues discriminate – they want male rabbis ([JTS</a> Women Grads Struggling For Pulpits | The Jewish Week](<a href=“http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/jts_women_grads_struggling_pulpits]JTS”>http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/jts_women_grads_struggling_pulpits)).</p>
<p>From the CTCL website, [Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives. One Student at a Time.](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org:%5DColleges”>http://www.ctcl.org:)</p>
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<p>CTCL is
The board appears to consist of 12 members at least 9 of whom are employed by one of the 40 CTCL colleges in the Admissions Department. The majority of CTCL sponsors appear to be school counselors.</p>
<p>The original 40 colleges were selected by Loren Pope, journalist, NYTimes Education editor, and college counselor, in 1996 after 30 years of research. These colleges were
The colleges “never paid any fees to Mr. Pope or his publisher to be included in his books.” Mr. Pope updated the original book in 2000 & in 2006, replacing some colleges with others, and the 2012 edition was also “updated”. The 40 colleges began collaborating in 1998 with Mr. Pope’s “enthusiastic endorsement”. Before his death in 2008, Mr. Pope “passed the torch” to the present Ex. Director.</p>
<p>I personally question the conflict of sitting CTCL Board Members who are also employed by CTCL schools and I wonder what role the Board actually plays. I’m unclear as to what “updated” in the above context entails, meaning, are the 40 schools continually evaluated? </p>
<p>However, I wholeheartedly approve of, applaud & appreciate the CTCL mission!
Fit, Fit, Fit!!!</p>
<p>That’s very interesting, Luvnmom. I agree that it is odd to have a board made up of (largely) the schools themselves. I don’t see how that <em>cannot</em> be a conflict of interest. That being said, the book was definitely helpful in guiding our thinking of what to look for in a school.</p>
<p>Has anyone seen the 2012 edition? Were any schools taken out? Any schools added that weren’t in previous editions?</p>
<p>The 2012 edition, written by Hilary Oswald, will be released in August. I don’t think changes in the schools listed have been leaked as yet (if there are any).</p>
<p>BTW, Hilary Oswald is a Davidson College and Northwestern University-educated writer who served at one time as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Cornell College in Iowa.</p>
<p>On a more practical (splurging) note. Who is waiting for the new mac book pro? Not a good buy? it will be a good buy? or forgo Mac and purchase a HP/Dell?</p>
<p>Thanks for that info. I’m going to go to the library website and see if I can reserve or request it. I am curious! My D’13 is refusing to consider any other schools to her list but I have two other kids who will be college bound at some point in the future!</p>
<p>Macs- Don’t know anything about the new Mac Book Pro but as an all Mac family, I will definitely root for Mac vs PC. We’ve been all-Mac for five years now and have not replaced a single one. No failed hard drives, no viruses, no worms, no trojans in five years. All Macs still running as fast as the day we bought them. I defy anyone to say the same about their PCs! :-)</p>
<p>I am with vandy grad. We are an all mac family. Love the stuff… on Monday they are announcing new macbook pros. Waiting to hear all the specifics. Will get D2 a new one for college.</p>
<p>I won’t argue with you guys. I’ve replaced two hard drives on my Dell laptop in the 4 years or so that my eldest daughter has had her Mac. Her younger sister also loves her Mac. Whenever I feel I’ve got my money’s worth out of the Dell – or when it crashes again, whichever comes first – I’m saying farewell to Mr. Dell and Mr. Gates.</p>
<p>cama: When and where will the Maccabeats be on LI in December? I must put that on my calendar! I’m sure my family would love to go!</p>
<p>champs: I think ECs, volunteering, etc., are important for B students. Shows they are all-around. Part of what should be “marketed” to colleges. As a B student, my DD didn’t have stellar test scores or grades, she didn’t cure cancer, was not the president of any clubs. But she showed four year commitment to music (band, jazz band, marching band), sports (just varsity tennis), religious (various NFTY/URJ/temple things) and volunteer work (with a few nonprofits). Oh and one club at school for 3 years (environmental club, which her friends were in). None of it was what people on other CC threads would call “outstanding,” but she was involved and all-around. This is who she was. I quite positive she would not have had the admissions results that she had if she had only her test scores and GPA to offer.</p>
<p>Re: Book of Mormon - I just checked to see when the box office might have tickets… I think it’s not till the end of next April or May… crazy, right?</p>
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