<p>Our D is thinking once again about wanting to be a doctor. She’s going to apply for a BA/MD program, just to see if she can get in. But she’s going to need to get her SAT score up a little, and she knows it. Nevertheless, I haven’t seen a whole lot of studying going on, and the test is Saturday.</p>
<p>Whatever will be, will be. Right?</p>
<p>Kajon, that grad ceremony with the parents walking in with their grad sounds beautiful. I would love the opportunity to escort my daughter in to receive her diploma.</p>
<p>We’ve always been such a team in her academic life (and childhood in general) that that would be very moving for both of us.</p>
<p>OTOH, they may be afraid that when we got to the turnoff point, I wouldn’t let go!</p>
<p>Well, LuckyBoy is ill. Mono is a distinct possibility (tests done Friday). I would be happy for it to be mono as some of the alternatives are not worth thinking about… He’s signed up to take the ACT on June 12 (decided to do that instead of SAT2 as only one local-ish school was offering SAT in June and was full months ago, sigh). Whatever happens, happens. I just want him feeling better. It’s been a cruddy academic year with two deaths in the family and another imminent. </p>
<p>In the grand scheme of things, scores and grades really don’t matter. There is a school and program for everyone. Have faith that your kids will find their place.</p>
<p>KLucky, so sorry to hear about your son. I hope he feels better soon. Let him take it easy, there is always next fall to take the tests.</p>
<p>Goodness KLucky, hope your son feels better soon! Keep your eye on that grand scheme of things mindset!</p>
<p>Hope Luckyboy feels better soon.</p>
<p>What a rotten time to get sick! Hope your son is better soon Klucky!</p>
<p>As for me attending graduation to watch S2 in the Honor Chain, I don’t think its happening. I have seen graduation already with older son (who never made Honor Chain so I paid no attention to it) so watching it to see what will happen next year is no great attraction. I may see if my friends with seniors need extra tickets. </p>
<p>S2 has SAT IIs on Saturday also. He actually was studying this morning! Hooray! I am at the point where I cannot remind him of anything without getting a bunch of attitude from him. He is so ready to be done with high school (he would start college in the fall if possible); next year will be, well, “interesting.”</p>
<p>Get well soon Lucky Boy.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear of the illness and deaths in the family this year.</p>
<p>It’s hard enough trying to stay focused if everything is going well-with all you and your family have had to deal with it must be very tough.</p>
<p>Did we have it this hard as teenagers? I just don’t recall everything being so competitive when I was in HS-of course maybe it’s because of the company I kept! My husband agrees though and he went to one of the best high schools in the state and was a very good kid-and yet in the end we both ended up in the same career making the same $ so to all you kids out there reading all the amazing accomplishments here remember something very important-your life is not defined by where you are at any one point in it-if you are doing great than good for you-but if you are struggling try and keep your heads up-and try and enjoy that Senior year of HS you have coming up!</p>
<p>My S was going to take the SAT subject tests coming up this weekend but a few weeks ago he told me he just couldn’t deal with them-he has had a brutal last quarter and there has been a lot going on in my family and in his “group”-so I canceled the tests. I think if I had pushed him he would have gone over the edge. I know this is the perfect time of year for him to take them and putting them off until next fall isn’t the “smart” move but I think it is the right move-by then he may have decided he won’t even be applying to any schools that want them-and if he does than he’ll have to deal with it then.</p>
<p>Thanks for the well-wishes for LuckyBoy 
He’s off to school to take his religion final, turn in some books for book buy-back (keeping physics for next year, calc for reference, and the APUSH books for LuckyGirl next year), turn in his NHS volunteer hours log (due last week grrrr), and clean out his locker. He has to be back at school Friday night to play trumpet at graduation, so he’ll clean out his band locker then. He is now running a fever and feels like he swallowed hot rocks. My money is on mono.</p>
<p>And today is his 17th birthday We had the ceremonial removal of the graduated license sleeve from his license. I took a picture because he wouldn’t let me take one last year after going to the DMV :D</p>
<p>What nice words Pepper! Thank you! You are inspiring both to kids who we fear are pushing themselves to exhaustion, AND to kids we fear are slacking off too much! Yes, it works out in the end, and everyone has their own path. You said it so well.</p>
<p>I’m sure we’ll keep chatting through the summer, but I am glad that we won’t be as mired in the stresses of school and tests and all that. I think my D is going to learn a lot about herself this summer, and I’m honored to travel that path with her - as well as with my almost-college-senior D1, whom I just drove back to her university for a summer internship. </p>
<p>At our house the SAT2 and ACT have not been much in conversation, nor finals. My H and I make a small comment now and then to let her know we are still paying attention, but with this kid the only worthwhile approach is to let her figure things out for herself as much as possible. When she asks for help - and the communications lines are always open, greatly because of the above approach - she knows we’re there. Her life philosophy is “I am who I am.” Sometimes she is willing, and even enthusiastic, to push herself and change, but she knows also when she has to stop pounding her square self into a round hole. </p>
<p>Best wishes to everyone - good luck to LuckyBoy and his current issue (I’ve been there with mono) - happy birthday as everyone turns 17 (ours is July 16)!</p>
<p>fogfog - I love your words to your student - all so true! Valuable parental words, whether or not they are heard or absorbed At least you know you said your piece!</p>
<p>Regarding SATs, I think we are done - with ACTs too as the ACT score mirrored the SAT scores. SAT IIs are this Saturday, and I honestly don’t think it has crossed my daughter’s mind to study. She has exams this week, followed by the seniors graduating, and then the day after graduation, she and the other juniors all sit for the SAT IIs. I will mention that Sparks tip though … you never know…! As fogfog has said, all the other juniors who want the same super reach schools that she wants are probably totally focused on studying for these SAT/SAT IIs…oh well…It definitely is what it is!</p>
<p>ditto the good wishes to luckyboy. I hope that the illness is short-lived. </p>
<p>I can’t wait for testing season to be over!!! I spent the weekend “encouraging” S to study for the SAT2’s. I think his scores may not end up being quite as stellar as he hoped, but I am staying calm…what else is there? These are his choices. If it were me, I’d have twenty practice tests under my belt, but that’s me. Next week I’ll encourage him to look at the ACT.</p>
<p>I have officially gone from being in awe of the kids who earn 750+ on every test to feeling just plain old defeated by them. Sorry for the venting.</p>
<p>college4three, There’s a very nice thread for B students if your child happens to fall into that category. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/707436-new-3-0-3-3-gpa-parents-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/707436-new-3-0-3-3-gpa-parents-thread.html</a> We talk a lot about loving the kid on the couch!</p>
<p>^ actually, my S is 4.0, above 2000 SAT’s, top ten in his class. Just not one of those super-motivated “is- a- 2260- a-bad-score-?” types. More of a laid-back type. I’m the type-A one here.</p>
<p>Oh, don’t feel defeated college4three…I have the S whose SAT score puts him the top 10% for his HS but his GPA puts him the bottom 25%. I need a thread that will help us explain that! …sigh. I do subscribe to the 3.0 to 3.3 thread. Although, if S’s grades fall anymore this year I will have to start a 2.7 to 3.0 one.</p>
<p>^ I feel your frustration.</p>
<p>The best part is report card time when he claims “I had no idea!” gotta love it.</p>
<p>I need to back off and trust my D to use her best judgment on successfully managing finals, SAT’s, etc. She has always managed to do well, despite the outrageous (in my opinion) time she spends on stage crew. I’m really afraid that the last round of late nights and missed classes (excused - she gets called out by the technical director) has put her into a situation that she won’t be able to dig out of. I’ve never seen her so far behind - although she says it’s the class difficulty that’s the issue, not the time she’s spent on crew and that she’ll do fine. Finals start this Friday, and she’s taking the SAT on Saturday. My losing sleep is not going to help matters any. I keep seeing the merit scholarships we were hoping for flying out the window. Must take deep breaths…</p>
<p>I’m pleading with S to hang in there these last few weeks. I can see his grades online, so no surprises when the report card comes. Physics final was last week because the seniors in the class needed to take finals (I had no idea he took a physics final until the grade showed up online). Went from one point below an A to 2 points below an A. Trig is hanging there a couple of points below also, and German is one point above the A cut-off. His finals grades could swing them up or down. He has no excuses of other activities or tests to occupy his time, just end of the year malaise.</p>
<p>Cooker- do we have the same child?</p>