<p>I just realized we don’t teach science! Let’s see, definitely geology and astronomy, they are fun. Chemistry, so DH has a job, and computer science, of course.</p>
<p>This is the best idea I’ve seen yet. If we have guaranteed admission for all our kids, no one would have to sweat through a horrible senior year winter/spring! Sort of analagous to a legacy or “child of professor” thing.</p>
<p>Include down bed-toppers. Over egg-crate foam.</p>
<p>Cangel-</p>
<p>No elephants??? But but that is DS’s “HOOK”, he has several of them in his room, has for YEARS (at least those living under him swear he does) and he cannot possible do without his fav EC at college. Elephants must be allowed, a special dorm just for packiderms and their buddies. There could even be a semester-abroad for those with traveling elephants. Yes this would certainly bring diversity to the campus.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>This all sounds great to me. We need some sports, though: I vote for ping-pong, swimming, and Quidditch.</p>
<p>Having been through law school with a teacher who thought he was using the Socratic method, I recommend that all teachers be first tested on that (check with Ariesathena on her recent experiences). Also, I would like to see some dead languages in the curriculum; perhaps Akkadian or the like.</p>
<p>My S is already in college; we need a good procedure for transfer students, with full credit given, of course.</p>
<ol>
<li>Starting a new college: The C S Lewis foundation is planning to start a new college. They haven’t selected a site yet, but they have a curriculum in the works. It would be a Christian version of the great books colleges like St. Johns. The students will have read all of the great books by graduation. Of course the Christian emphasis will lead to some lack of diversity. On the other hand it will be substance free.</li>
<li> Starting our own new college: I like the ideas so far. We could locate close to another college with good but underutilized lab facilities. I also have a tenth grader.</li>
<li>Selecting another LAC to benefit. As Curmudgeon originally proposed we could pick another school which we think is greatly underrated or undiscovered based on our travels and searches. This would be a selection based on something besides perceived prestige. I have two nominations for us to consider:
Davidson: a first rate college with a first rate maturation experience but not drawing large numbers of applicants outside of the Southeast.
Whitman: again a top rate school that IMHO should be drawing a large numbers of applicants. I’m thinking of a Northwest version of Pomona or Williams</li>
</ol>
<p>
[quote]
as we are a fairly diverse group.
[quote]
But, Curmudgeon, what if our kids aren’t that diverse, After all, they’re all at least BWRKs, some of whom stand out in some aspect or other, but they might be much alike otherwise. Then, where would our school be, diversity-wise. Sure, some of us are Indian, other Asian, etc. but except for skin color our kids might be fairly similar.</p>
<p>Stay away from Davidson! Its the best LAC we’ve got! ;). Just kidding there are some great undiscovered ones down here, much maligned because of the frat/conservative thing - take a look at B’ham-Southern sometime.</p>
<p>My son is an 8th grader, we ought to have all the kinks worked out by then and he’ll need all the help he can get - since his only academic specialty is history.</p>
<p>How about Sewanee or College of Wooster, Centre or College of Charleston. You know we need to pick one in a place that is fun to visit - that was our only original criterion for our daughter.</p>
<p>Dadofsam, on the face of it, we might be diverse. Some of us are athletes and some will skid on the road at the slightest provocation. You might be right about BWRKs, though…</p>
<p>How about Earlham? Mini loves Earlham, and there must be a good reason for him, knowing him a bit…</p>
<p>As per my name, can we include Elvish languages, like Sindarin and Quenya? For diversity? I am a URE.</p>
<p>oooh, no…I thought not :)</p>
<p>How about Sanskrit? I could teach it (need to brush up a bit).</p>
<p>“Just occurred to me that maybe we should just all join forces and start our own college.”</p>
<p>OMG, I thought about that months ago, and I’m not even a parent nor an American. I did not have the guts to bring it to the board, though, because I thought it was just a wee bit dreamish. Curmudgeon, cangel and voronwe should be part of the Board of Trustees. Are you gonna want international students?</p>
<p>Sounds interesting to me, but I’d like to see the entire incoming class defer for a year and do something world-changing, together, in that year. Actually, this would be a way to bankrupt a college, so you might only want to do it to a college you had it in for, but the part about changing the world is positive. I’d like to see a mass movement of kids saying ‘no thanks’ to the insanity of testing, ec’s for the sake of a resume, classes chosen for how they’d look on the application, etc. </p>
<p>I haven’t really decided what that world changing project would be, though. Then the kids would all enter college the year after they were supposed to, changed by the whole experience. Any ideas out there?</p>
<p>I loved Marite’s idea of a proctored essay for the entering class. A proctored essay, so no parents can write it and it is genuinely the student’s essay. Also, possibly the ACT instead of the SATs? No taking it twice.</p>
<p>Kids may cry “no fair” to only taking the SAT once and the college board would be quite miffed- perhaps a better tactic to to take the LOWEST SCORES from all sittings, so their is no advantage to repeating the test at great cost.</p>
<p>If every kid takes it repeatedly and they all raise their scores 100 points (theoretically) then they are still in the same realation to each other! I liked it better wehn we did it, a single sitting with no prep.</p>
<p>someom:</p>
<p>actually, we already have a one-time SAT – it’s called the PSAT, and many NMF’s spend most of the summer after their soph year studying for it. (Ever wonder why some schools have 30+ semi-finalists while others are luck to have 1?) Since many mid-tier schools offer 50%-100% tutiion discounts for NMF’s, it’s not a bad strategy. BUT note, even with a one-time option, kids can and do prep for it. Similarly, a plan was to average the lowest scores, or some variation, would only put kids into the position of spending a summer to prepare and taking the test in the fall. Again, not a bad strategy, but it would negatively impact those not inclined to prep.</p>
<p>There are some gems in here. I particularly like the idea that you have to defer for a year and either travel or do an internship. Great idea and that will disuade kids who aren’t serious about attending.</p>
<p>Speaking of elephants, I think every dorm should have some sort of pet mascot, either a dog or cat. The freshman dorm questionnaire will ask whether they are a dog or cat person and they will be assigned accordingly. For those who are undecided, or are pet-confused, we could offer a pet-neutral dorm. Don’t laugh - I am serious.</p>
<p>cangel:</p>
<p>el mercado is a great place to go</p>
<p>Except for the pink elephants, y’all are describing my current school. I still think that Carolyn is looking for a new home for that poor Harley. </p>
<p>As far as the suggestions of Achat, I cannot endorse her views of the ACT -see the surprising connection with her own name- and especially the recommended inclusion of Sanskrit. Having been immersed for a couple of days in a paper on the impact of Bhagavad Gita, I think I’ll pass on reading too many things that look like:</p>
<p>ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
mayasritanam nara-darakena
sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I’ll stick to "Boe ammen veriad l</p>
<p>I’m in if we can have a school with no core curriculum. </p>
<p>My son will be in, regardless of curriculum, if there’s a coed varisty skateboarding team and a “poker” theme dorm.</p>
<p>robyrm & jym can run health services, Mootmom can do food services, and curmudgeon can kill all rattlesnakes.</p>