<p>I am very new to this site and forum so I’m hoping that some parents will be able to help me. Our 14 year old son will be going to Siena College next week throught the JH CTY program to take Cryptology. He has mixed feelings- doesn’t want to leave his friends at home, doesn’t know anyone else that is going. He thinks he’ll like the course. But I see they discourage parents from visiting. He’s been away to overnight camp a couple summers for a week at a time but always with a friend. Our school district did not encourage/ advertise this program but were told about it by a private psychologist who did testing for ADHD as well as an enrichment teacher. He soared through grade school with enrichment but found middle school “boring” even though he was in math enrichment. We’ve told him to have fun taking the course, grades don’t matter, and after reading some of the postings, we won’t apply for any credit. We’re hoping that he has fun with the course, meet others, and have learning! Does anyone have experience with sending their son/ daughter to Siena? Are there good activities? Safety? How’s cryptology? I’d love to hear the good but of course the bad and ugly as well! Thanks</p>
<p>Hi lsullivan – I sent you a PM about our CTY experiences, feel free to get in touch for further conversation.</p>
<p>My kids have gone to 4 other CTY summer sites over the past 8 years, so I cannot address Siena specifically, but in our experience, the activities will be great, the classes will be fun, the staff will be excellent, and your son will have a good, and maybe great, time. It’s not like what you seem to imagine: “grades” don’t matter in the least, it’s the experience and the people that matter. And let us know how he likes it!</p>
<p>(PS: Taking younger son (15) to Loyola Marymount CTY next weekend for what will be his final CTY summer course… a bittersweet moment for me. It’s been a very positive thing for our family.)</p>
<p>My son attended CTY for two years when he was 14 and 15, and I concur with everything mootmom said above. He also didn’t know anyone else who was going, but had a great time both in his class and socially with the other students. I’m sure your son will have a great experience!</p>
<p>My son had similar hesitations when he went to CTY for the first time last year (at St. Mary’s College of Maryland) just after he turned 14 — he absolutely loved it and made many new friends (and a girlfriend!) and found the class lots of fun. He couldn’t wait to go back this year - he’s at CTY Franklin & Marshall right now and having a blast. I think your son will quickly forget his hesitations once he gets to Sienna. Mine did!</p>
<p>lsullivan— *this is the same response I posted to your note on the Parents forum. I just saw your thread here so copied it here for you as well. *</p>
<p>While I cannot speak to your school or your program, I think your son will be fine and have fun. If he’s had experience away at camp, he’ll likely settle in and make friends easily. We just got back from dropping our younger s. and his friend off at the Duke TIP program. Granted, this is his second year (he’s 15), but he instantly ran into a bunch of friends he’d made last year, and was more than happy to <em>politely</em> ask his parents, who were embarassing him with our presence, to hit the road. Last year, his first year, he quickly met kids on his hall whe were settling in, and they began to hang out together pretty automatically. Plus, the RA’s do a lot of “getting to know the kids in your group” the first day. We also met kids in the hotel we were staying at each year we’ve done this. This year, the kid we met at breakfast ended up 2 doors down the hall from my s in the dorm. Another instant famliarity. </p>
<p>Our older s was a little less immediately comfortable whe we dropped him off his first year (whe he was only 13) because his roommate hadn’t yet arrived when we had to leave, and our s felt a little lost. But within a day it had all worked out. </p>
<p>Not to worry. He’ll do fine. At the Duke program, they put the kids names, home town/state and the class they are taking on their door, so you can go down the halls and see if you know anyone. My s ran into an old friend he hadn’t seen in years by going down the halls</p>