<p>missypie= thanks for the Eagle Scout reminder. S is working on his project now. (Another thing on his long list to do)</p>
<p>I am hoping to have a “preliminary” final list (insert smiley face) by the end of next week. We have 3 definites on S’s list so far, 2 matches and a reach. The big list still has about 30 schools in it. We will be visiting schools on the east cost/virgina/penn area this summer and that will help weed out some. There are several schools in the midwest and west coast that I believe are common app schools that will be good matches for S that we will not visit unless he is accepted. I expect his final list will have at least 10 schools but no more than 15. </p>
<p>UT84321 - Welcome and congratulations on your sons ACT!</p>
<p>Thanks for the warm welcome. I cannot take any credit for his 36; in fact, his sustained excellent academic performance is raising paternity questions.</p>
<p>UT- well maybe that explains our son. A type B with two type A parents. He was born prior to all the security they now have in the maternity ward.</p>
<p>Welcome UT84321, and that 36 ACT w/o writing may yet be of use, as some schools do superscore the ACT. I’ve not yet been able to find a master list (the one supposedly comprehensive list I’ve seen had at least one school missing that I know superscores), unfortunately. Also, while the College Board sends all scores on all test dates on one report, the ACT folks have you request each test date separately. And, of course, charge you for each report. </p>
<p>missypie, thanks for the hints about looking for college-specific scholarships. Ugh.</p>
<p>mamom, LuckyBoy just got the preliminary approval for his Eagle project He’s lucky, he has a whole year (bday June 1) to get everything done. The time pressure is off! His Scoutmaster thinks he should finish by December.</p>
<p>Anyone else with Eagle boys? Or Gold award Girl Scouts? LuckyGirl '13 is working on her Gold prereqs.</p>
<p>I stumbled across a few college-specific scholarship pages while noodling around websites. Ugh is right! S has already heard from his GC that after his apps are submitted, his job will be to apply for scholarships (we were in the room for that meeting). So glad I won’t have to be the meanie… ;)</p>
<p>The last paper of the year is being written across the table from me as I type! Only one exam next Tuesday (morality class). Latin final was given yesterday.</p>
<p>Just got S’s final schedule for June 7th, 8th and 9th. He has 4, one a day except Wed when he has Ethics paired up with honors calc. I wish the SAT 2’s were not the weekend before. S keeps telling me he is studying and doing practice questions, but I think that the amount of work he is putting in sounds more impressive than what is actually happening. Unfortunately, we have been too busy for me to oversee anything. </p>
<p>I am not pushing him to do anything right now with the ACT he will be taking on June 12th. He can study the 10th and 11th. If he bombs it, we still have his good SAT scores. </p>
<p>Hope everyone has a good weekend, looks like a lot of folks have already started their weekend around here.</p>
<p>missypie - thanks for the information on the scholarships. Looks like I am in for more internet research once the list is final. I do like researching - but this looks like it could be a full time job!!</p>
<p>Academic awards night last night - D got a couple of awards. All of her friends got awards too. Was great to see these kids being recognized. Night was very organized - 1 1/2 hours and done with all awards. Contrast that to the sports awards night - gosh, those go on for about 2 1/2 hours. Each and every coach thanks the athletic director, the principal etc etc. They could learn a thing or two from these other award nights!</p>
<p>My oldest son is an Eagle Scout and I think that was his hook. Like most of the Eagle Scouts I know, he got his paperwork in the day before he turned 18! </p>
<p>As far as scholarships go, my daughter applied for at least a dozen scholarships but ended up getting just one and that one she didn’t even apply for it! It was a small one from the local Fire company, I think and the GC chose her as the recipient. We found that the largest money awards were simply the grants offered by the colleges themselves.</p>
<p>If your child is applying to a school with an affiliation with your own religious denominiation, there will probably be a scholarship to apply for. It may only be $1000 or $2000 a year, but $4000 or $8000 I don’t have to pay works for me. Some of the smaller schools give scholarships for the kids to be in the band or orchestra or choir, even if it isn’t their major. If you are tight with an alum of the school, there may be an alumni scholarship to apply for.</p>
<p>As the list narrows, take the time to read the websites. Even the publics have small scholarships, some of them VERY specific - e.g. “to a student who graduated from X high school who is going to Y university majoring in Z.” Seriously. The more specific the criteria, the smaller the pool that qualifies, so the better the odds of getting it.</p>
<p>klucky, my D is working on her Gold Award. I’ve not given thought to these school-specific or activity-specific scholarships…wonder if there are any specific for Gold Award recipients.</p>
<p>I agree with kathiep about institutional vs. outside scholarships. My D1 also got one that she didn’t apply for; the source was a construction company that got caught up in the housing collapse and a year later declared bankruptcy! </p>
<p>For most mid to upper income kids who don’t walk on water, the most realistic outside scholarships are local ones, and these tend to be 1k at the most and usually substantially less, and they are rarely renewable. One exception I know of is the Byrd which is 1.5k/yr for up to 4 yrs. Each state runs it differently and a certain number are given in each Congressional district. </p>
<p>For more sustainable merit aid, colleges offer larger amounts that are often renewable if the student maintains a specified gpa. The catch here is that a student generally needs to be in the top of the applicant pool to be in the running, so these are usually safety or match level schools.</p>
<p>Just got home from picking up S1 from his all night party. The kids looked halfway energized, but the chaperones were showing wear! S1 has to be at a cemetery with his baseball team to put flags on the military graves and then has a 3 hour practice. I do not like the idea of him driving with no sleep.</p>
<p>The grad ceremony was interesting. Parents walked in on either side of the graduate and then sat with them. The entire faculty then marched in. I thought it was fun to see all the different colors on their robes The kids walked out alone and went through an 'honor guard" made up of the faculty. It slowed down the process, but it was really was heartwarming and gave the kids and teachers the opportunity to say goodbye.</p>
<p>The handout listed the names of the scholarships the kids were offered from each college they applied to. (no dollar amount) This was nice to see, but I would have much preferred to see the name of the college the kids chose to attend.</p>
<p>Kajon, Your son’s grad ceremony sounds very moving and cool! I agree about how good it would be to see WHERE the student end up instead of what scholarships they earned. Our school does the same thing and I don’t like that.</p>
<p>The final edition of our school newspaper publishes a list of all the seniors and the schools they will be attending. My kids never bring the school paper home but I discovered a copy of it online. We have about 600 graduating per year – there is hardly room in the graduation program to list all of the graduates, let alone where they are going to school.
I’m trying to decide whether I need to attend graduation this year. S has been selected to be part of the Honor Chain, the high GPA juniors who lead the seniors in to the ceremony. I really wasn’t planning to attend (parking is a nightmare and its usually blazing hot), but ijust found out each of the 22 members of the Honor Chain receive 2 tickets to graduation, so I guess the school expects us to go?</p>
<p>We only have 250 kids in the graduating classes and they have room for all the scholarships, so I think it would be easy to replace with just a note on where they are going…</p>
<p>SDMom - I would suggest giving the tickets back if you really don’t want to go. There’s probably someone else that could use some extra tickets. OTOH, if you haven’t been to a graduation at your child’s school it’s kind of nice to see how it all pulls together.</p>
<p>re: where kids end up attending. How hard would it be to put an asterik next to the college they decide to attend?</p>
<p>SDMom- I agree with Kathie. If you attend you will get a chance to check out how it all works. Maybe figure out where the good seats are, etc. If you don’t go, I am sure there are others who could use the tickets.</p>
<p>^^ Kajon
That ceremony is really moving
Symbolically being ushered in with parents and leaving alone…
WOW!</p>
<p>Nice they can say something to faculty–soooo important for them to recognize what the faculty contributed.</p>
<p>As for our house–nothing useful going on–and SAT2s are Saturday!!!</p>
<p>I alread gave the
“YOU must be more invested in this than me/us” speech 2 days ago…
and about how
“YOU must decide what YOU want, and let us know, so that I/WE don’t worry YOU will miss your dream/goal by not doing enough/prepping/etc during this window of June-Oct…”
“Some kids who want “it” more are doing x,y,z…so you need to think about what it is YOU want and how do YOU plan to get there…”
"YOU and Not the measure of your scores, stats, PRs etc…they don’t indicate your value
and that “YOU and Your Life should direct Your college search–not the other way around…Don’t let the college search direct your life…”</p>
<p>Want our student to know that those reachy schools require some major investment in time and prep/scores etc to even have a shot–and that there are great places to go that are not in that group–so make a plan and work the plan…</p>
<p>Frankly I am “done” paying for tests etc…if the effort to prep won’t be there…
except for a second sitting on the ACT in the fall, I think our student will be done…come hell or high water…the scores will have to stand.</p>
<p>Our student is feeling pretty “cool” and on top of things right now “Being a Sr” !</p>
<p>fogfog - S2’s study area (and the rest of the house) it littered with prep books, flash cards and textbooks for this weeks finals and Saturday’s SATII I can tell he is getting burned out but, HE is the one who wants to apply to schools requiring SAT II’s. Yesterday I discovered the online Sparknotes SAT II prep. Check it out - S2 loves it.</p>
<p>fogfog-I can’t get D to study for the SAT’s. I just had to give up. It really is her life and she will have to live with the decisions and choices she makes. I have made it abundantly clear that if she does not get enough merit aid she will be attending one of the SUNY colleges. She apparently is okay with that (liked 3 of them well enough to go there), so I guess has decided to just see where the cards fall by retaking the test with minimal, very minimal prep.</p>
<p>Yeah, I was thinking of telling S not to take the SAT again in June. He got a respectable score, but was trying to get his math up closer to V & WR. He hasn’t started studying, too many regular things due this week - 2 papers and projects, best he can hope is to start Weds nite I think. He is now worried that his verbal & writing will drop a lot since he’s not even going to look at it. I know most schools super score, but if his v&wr drop a lot and he gets math up 30 or 40 points is that really going to look better? I know he was hoping for the magic 1500 V & M- but that would take 60 more points and with 2 nights studying I don’t think its possible. Fogfog, having the same discussions, falling on deaf ears. This semester is so important and he needs every point he can get.</p>
He’s lucky, he has a whole year (bday June 1) to get everything done. The time pressure is off! His Scoutmaster thinks he should finish by December.</p>