Parents of the HS class of 2010 - Original

[ag54]

<p>Yes, In fact, I am one the chair persons for it next year!</p>

<p>We call it Project Prom and it occurs right after prom. The kids go to this place called Jillians (like a Dave & Busters) where they can play games, bowl, dance, play casino games (staffed by parent volunteers) or just hang out. They are locked in around 11:30 and leave at 6:00 am the next morning.</p>

<p>We have food and beverages catered by Jillians.</p>

<p>We have prize drawings throughout the night and we try to have a prize for every senior student there.</p>

<p>The cost to attend is $5.00/10.00 including your date for a t-shirt that identifies that you are an invited guest.</p>

<p>We raise money for both prom and project prom by “Write A Check” Campaigns and fundraisers throughout the 4 years. Some of the fundraisers include selling stadium chairs, selling yard signs, selling just about anything ;), happy hours for moms, etc. But, I would say the biggest bulk of the money comes from the “Junior Garage Sale” which is held in the school cafeteria and gyms in April of the junior year, we annually pull in major bucks at that.</p>

<p>Prom is free for all senior students, but if you invite a non-senior or a date from another school, the cost is $60.00.</p>

<p>All in all, we raise somewhere in the neighborhood of $80,000 to cover the cost of the prom, including invitations, decorations, food security, etc. and also project prom, including the food and beverages, the security, and whatever prizes we cannot get donated.</p>

<p>If you have any more questions, please just ask, or you can pm me. :)</p>

[FindAPlace]

<p>Youdon’t say: For more than 20 years, our public HS has held a “lock in” type event at the Vet’s Auditorium. I believe last year (maybe most years?) it was casino night in theme. There is a reasonable entry fee for the students, and local groups around town (e.g. Rotary, etc.) also chip in. Our Ed Foundation typically provides about $1,000 towards it.</p>

<p>In addition, there are plenty of other events, with any cost picked up by the participant. As is custom for many of the HS in this area, there’s a night at Disneyland. During the last week of “classes” there’s an ice cream social one afternoon (typically sponsored by the teachers with again some community group support. I think the day before graduation, there’s also a BBQ breakfast in the parking lot.</p>

<p>I just remember reading about all the events and thinking, “Wow, lot’s more than when I graduated, back in the day (1975.)”</p>

[ag54]

<p>I just re-read your post and you asked about after graduation (woops). We don’t do anything after graduation. In fact, they hurry us out of the district auditorium so they can get on with the next highschool’s graduation ceremony.</p>

<p>There’s hardly even any time for pictures!!</p>

[FindAPlace]

<p>Pugmadkate:</p>

<p>I guess different campuses handle things differently regarding the campus tours. My S in a junior. I did note, while signing him up for campus tours in early April for UC Berkeley and Stanford that Berkeley puts on afternoon (as well as morning tours) in the months of March-April, likely to accomodate the need for admitted seniors to visit the campus while making their decision. </p>

<p>While the on line form requested the year of the touring student, we were not denied a tour because he’s just a junior. I don’t think that’s very accomodating at whatever campus you experienced this at, especially for an out of state student (or one who lives in a large state geographically and travels far, like we have to when visiting NoCal.)</p>

[pugmadkate]

<p>

For NMSF, is that March 1 of this year? Cutoffs aren’t even announced until September, right?

</p>

<p>Really? Now I’m even more confused. I’ve seen several scholarships based on selected the college as one’s first choice for the NMSF. Does that mean our kids will not find out if that got that scholarship until April or May of 2010?</p>

[DougBetsy]

<p>

DougBetsy:</p>

<p>I read your post regarding the Elon presentation with interest as I was there also. You did a great job of summarizing the event. I did think the presentation was as thorough as you could be in that amount of time and also well-rounded. I do, however, agree with your son regarding the “walking, talking brochure”. It all seemed just a little too pleasant. I was alone because my daughter is really not that interested in Elon. She has heard many people refer to it as being for the “country club kids” from Maryland and that has turned her off at this point. I am curious to hear whether you have heard similiar sentiments. You are in a different part of this state than I am and I would like to know how prevalent these sentiments are.

</p>

<p>Hi Peaches! What a shame we were at the same meeting and didn’t realize it. </p>

<p>Here in Carroll County we haven’t heard much about Elon having a country club culture. (To tell the truth, we haven’t heard much about Elon around here, period.) But, I have read a post or two on CC that mentioned something about that. (Check the Elon board on here.) </p>

<p>I’m surprised by the country club perception. I mean, one of the reasons Elon appeals to us is that it’s cheaper than many privates. When compared to some others of the same “type” it’s a relative bargain to “regular folk” like us.</p>

[Youdon_tsay]

<p>Don’t listen to me!! My son wasn’t anywhere close so what do I know! :D</p>

<p>But I remember reading that kids don’t find out cutoffs for sure until September, so I’m wondering how people know they’re supposed to so it as early as March.</p>

[pugmadkate]

<p>Oh, I just rememberd a fundraiser they do. You can pay (I don’t know how much it is) to “flamingo” someone’s yard. Not only do you pay to have the kids put the flamingos out overnight, there is a “collection fee” to get them off of your yard. </p>

<p>I might do that to a friend this year!</p>

[jackief]

<p>momof3sons- I have that book also and agree it is good for an official test per subject. CB also publishes a book that covers math 1&2, and a book that covers USH and WH. I’m not sure how many practice tests per item those cover, but they do also contain prep sections.</p>

[ag54]

<p>A number of kids from our school go to Elon every year because they have a really strong theatre program and our school churns out musical theatre types every year. I haven’t ever heard anything negative about the school, everyone I know who goes there loves it!</p>

[Youdon_tsay]

<p>I love the garage sale idea! May PM you later.</p>

[CountingDown]

<p>My boss’s son attends Elon. Really nice kid, had some learning issues in school. Is now a junior, doing beautifully there and everyone is quite pleased.</p>

[jackief]

<p>just read the last page of posts… we don’t have any activities for Srs other than the prom. Our school is small, ~60 kids per grade. I have known people who have done the flamingo fundraiser and they have been successful. Traditionally, at our school the Jr class has but on the prom and some fundraisers have been a talent show and a spaghetti dinner before the musical. I’m also sure the school designation for NMF isn’t until the end of the Sr year (spring 2010 for our kids) there are earlier times it can be designated but the final time it can be changed is very late so you have the chance to make the #1 the school you have decided to attend.</p>

[jackief]

<p>girl from our school very talented in MT attended Elon a few years ago and transferred to BC the following year. I didn’t hear details but I assume it just wasn’t a fit for her, not sure if it was the southern vs northeast difference.</p>

[momof3sons]

<p>pugmadkate,
The NMSF “lock in” your top school is during your senior year. The official cut-offs won’t even come out until the beginning of senior year. Also, you are right to be looking at the freshmen profiles, which do show the 25-75% range. I have always read/heard that if you are looking for merit aid that you should be well above that 75% statistically. I don’t know that you have to be in the “top 1%,” though. I’ve never noticed that on any college website. If you would like to PM me about schools you are looking to visit with your junior, I’ve done a lot of investigating. Maybe I can help.</p>

[LIMOMOF2]

<p>D’s school has a few events for seniors, but they’re not all well-attended. It sounds like very few students will be going on the senior trip this year - not sure why. Lots of fundraisers to help with prom and the after-prom party. Senior parents host game nights, comedy nights at restaurants, some other special events. The kids raise money at a junior carnival and a junior tag sale. I believe the proceeds from a caberet night also helps pay for senior events, though I’m not positive about that.</p>

[FindAPlace]

<p>I had lunch today with a friend of mine, who’s Sr D got her ED acceptance to JHU.</p>

<p>The conversation turned to app essays and such. Her D was loathe to have either parent (one, a math professor and the other a PhD in Italian History) read her essays. The mother’s solution was to enlist the assistance of her sister (a good editor) which was acceptable to D, who also got help from her AP English Language teacher.</p>

<p>I’m thinking this approach may work well for my S next year. I am seeing if I can enlist the service of my sister in law, an attorney. S could also ask for help from the same AP English Language teacher (however, he may also be asking for her LOR, along with the AP Calc teacher.</p>

<p>Let me throw this to the group. What do you think of this approach, presuming the people requested to be “Chief Editor” are famililar (or quickly made familiar) with the various do’s and don’ts of essay topics, the need to reveal something of the applicant beyond all the other app materials, etc.</p>

[LIMOMOF2]

<p>FindAPlace - I’m impressed that you’ve given this matter some thought. I haven’t, and I’m sure D hasn’t. I’ve heard they start working on some type of potential college essay in English class this year, so potentially, she’ll have her teacher reviewing it first. I’m pretty sure she’d be willing to have me look over her essays, but if not, I’m not sure who she could ask for help. Guess I’ll be thinking about that…</p>

<p>I think your approach sounds great. Have you discussed it with your S yet? I don’t dare bring up the college essays yet!</p>

[FindAPlace]

<p>Limomof2:</p>

<p>I’ve discussed it VERY lightly with my S, such as mentioning some of the more interesting essay topics. What I have NOT done is talk about how many writings some schools call for. My friend said Stanford has SEVENTEEN (most short paragraphs, one hope?) I’ll have to check on that one solo, since California centric boy has this one on his early possibility list. For a math/science guy, he writes pretty well … but 17??</p>

<p>PS I (jokingly) promised my sister in law a pony if she enlists (got that piece of early childhood info from H.)</p>

[mathmom]

<p>I don’t think Stanford had 17 essays, but it did have annoyingly different essay prompts. The one that gave my son the most trouble was the request to write something about yourself for an imaginary roommate. It was like pulling teeth for my son - they also had a slightly earlier deadline than all the other schools. My son’s essays weren’t very good - and he wasn’t accepted.</p>