<p>Lafalum84, thanks for the advice. My S will be one of the kids starting essays over the summer. He will have a heavier workload next year than this and football. No way is he waiting. Plus I want him to get some apps in early for EA or rolling admission. </p>
<p>kumitedad, thanks for the update. Thomas Aquinas is interesting and offers the type of education i think my S would thrive at, if only it didn’t have all those rules. Of course, even without the rules he would not see himself there. </p>
<p>I am not sure how to fit anything on the common app at this point, perhaps a good thing we are all starting to look at it.</p>
<p>fogfog - If I remember from last year, I contacted some AdComs and asked them if and when they were coming to our school or to a local college fair. I believe some even publish info on the web sites.</p>
<p>nynyparent: Thank you for that link. I remember hearing of that tragic incident, but to read the whole story behind it, and of the young man’s impulsive decision, leaves me without words. What a tremendous loss.</p>
<p>Gave my S copy of preview Common App yesterday and STRONGLY suggested he start working on it. He was THRILLED (not!!). Also sent link to GC. Hopefully she will forward to all the rising seniors.</p>
<p>My D is taking AP English her senior year. In addition to her summer reading, her first written summer assignment is to turn in her college essay - it is due the second week in July.</p>
<p>^^^I wish S’s school did this. I would love to have someone else telling him to get his essay done. </p>
<p>I did ask him, several times in fact, to ask his 11th grade english teacher if he would review his essay over the summer. I doubt S did in fact ask.</p>
<p>My son’s AP English class requires the same… common app essay to be completed over summer, along with the required reading. I think it’s a great idea - especially for any kids who play a fall sport, as he does.</p>
<p>Okay, so my son just got his final report card for junior year, and all his grades are great,except a big fat D in Algebra II. I know math is not his forte, and not to make excuses for him, but he has had alot on his plate this year. We moved last June after his dad retired from the US Navy from Chesapeake, VA to a small town in Pennsylvania. A culture shock for him to say the least. Transferring the summer before junior year has been hard on him. Getting used to having his dad home full time has also been an adjustment. He is an honors student, and his senior schedule is as challenging as they come here (taking 2 of the 3 AP classes his school offers, honors government, also taking a math elective although 4 years of math are not required here). He has his heart sent on studying film at the University of Pittsburgh. As far as I know summer school is not offered, so I doubt he has any way of improving this grade. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>mdye718, How does his school report grades to colleges? My S’s school only reports semester grades and not individual quarters, so a bad grade one quarter does not show up. </p>
<p>And know that your S is not the only one this has happened to. My S also got a D one qtr in Algerbra II soph year. He ended up with a B for the semester thank goodness. Another friend had the same thing happen to her S jr year in another class.</p>
<p>mdye718, you say there’s no summer school “as far as you know”. Have you confirmed this with the high school and with your school district? Even if there is no summer school at the high school itself, it may be possible to find something at a community college, local public university, for-profit tutoring center, or some other option. Also find out if he can retake the class next year, either at the high school or elsewhere, to replace the grade.</p>
<p>Mdye718 - Ouch! If that’s the final grade that is bad news! In my son’s school there would be no recourse, even with summer school it wouldn’t replace a grade. My son got a C last year in Honors Geometry and it really hurt his GPA. The good news is that if his other grades are good, maybe his GPA is still within Pitt range. At least he wants to major in something creative instead of something where math is important.</p>
<p>Years ago (I think when my oldest was in kindergarten) the school district did away with Ds. 70 - 79 is a C. Below 70 is an F. We had some worried moments in HS with Son.</p>
<p>“My D is taking AP English her senior year. In addition to her summer reading, her first written summer assignment is to turn in her college essay - it is due the second week in July.”</p>
<p>Wow, this makes me fell happier. My AP Psychology class requires an essay and book review that are due in late August before school begins. I guess it’s not so bad after all (although I guess my school will be ending way after your D’s school)</p>
<p>mdye718,
Having made that transition from VA to PA once myself the culture shock can be rough on anyone, let alone in the middle of hs. I’m sorry your son had a tough time. I would strongly encourage you, as others have, to check out all options for retaking this class. Our students have the option to take many classes online or ‘virtually’. It requires several hours a day in front of that computer, no slacking off, and it is no cake walk, but it has helped many kids. I would worry, in addition to the GPA, that the building blocks for higher math are not there if he didn’t do well, whatever the reason. You don’t want a domino effect of difficulty in the next level of math or the SATs/ACTs.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Haven’t been posting here in a while, but trying to keep up with reading. My S in on a short college trip with his dad–to Cal Poly SLO and UC Santa Barbara. He’s already done a big college tour trip back east, seen small and large, public and private, little town and big city. This is really enough “checking it out” for me (lol), and S1 (2008 grad) felt the same, decided not to visit additional campuses until he knew where he was accepted. However, S2 who was very late in even acknowledging he’d better start thinking about college, NOW wants to do more shopping. Kids are so different (and different from us, sometimes, too.)</p>
<p>On the good news front, S2 finished his last final on Wednesday and a very challenging year is over. TGISummer! He took AP English Language this year, and all juniors have a final essay for the class that is–in essence–an 8-page personal essay. Since it is graded and assigned by school, of course it gets done on time. And it is a huge relief! S1 used his as the basis of a secondary essay he needed for a film school supplement. And now I feel S2 may also be just a little ahead of the essay curve after writing this one. Of course, S1 ended up writing a completely different essay for common app. So it goes.</p>
<p>I found the article on the Dalton student incredibly moving. It reminds me that all students (all people) go through dark, difficult times–and we must encourage our kids to be resillient, although I understand how this particular young man may have had special stressors and more intense reactions. It’s never a bad idea to remind our often over-stressed kids that life takes us on many paths–and we’ll be there to help them through even the hardest ones.</p>
<p>In this context, mdye, I think you have gotten some great advice here, and think you are right to investigate ways to mitigate the damage of that one D. If it cannot be erased, your S has the makings of a very impressive extra essay to discuss the challenges of moving in the middle of high school, having a father home all the time (!), and what he has learned from this sudden difficulty. With his other high grades, I think most colleges will understand and admire the maturity he will show.</p>
<p>Someone mentioned on the previous page summer homework for classes. I very much like the college essay as summer homework but that’s not something that we have here. We do, however, have summer homework for honors and AP classes. AP English (only seniors can take it here) have to read 5 books including “Crime and Punishment”. There’s something to read and write for son’s AP US Gov too, but I can’t get to the site. Last year was the worst with 11 books between two classes for son plus programming homework for AP comp sci. I guess it helps them hit September with something under their belt and it really does weed out the slackers BUT, it’s not like the summers I remember as a child. I remember much more chilling and just reading books for pleasure.</p>
<p>last day of school here, but more than a week left of exams (2 on Monday, Regents on Weds, Thurs and the following Monday). Can’t believe junior year is at an end!</p>
<p>S has his first admissions interview in 2 weeks (Yikes!). He and my husband are heading to the east coast to see a couple of schools before the rest of the family heads out for a vacation. This has probably been discussed elsewhere, but any tips? I figure he should dress somewhat nicer than normal – khahi pants and a shirt with a collar OK? I know he needs to prepare a list of questions in advance (and should probably have a better reason for being interested in the school than “my mom and dad want me to look at it.”)</p>
<p>SDMomof3, has your son checked out the websites for these colleges yet? You might suggest he look for any special programs or majors he might be interested in. Then, in his interview, he can explain that he is interested in what they offer and ask for more information. (Kinda shows that he is focused on <em>them</em> rather than only asking generic questions.) Another good question to ask is: What cool experience does X college offer that you would think no freshman here should miss? In general, I think it’s important to remind our students to relax, smile, and be willing to talk about some aspect of their high school or EC (or summer) experience with enthusiasm.</p>
<p>Best of luck to him. I just got a call from DH who managed to talk his way into a closed Architecture Dept. building at CalPoly SLO (graduation is tomorrow–great timing, huh?) and “bump” into some Arch professors who were very nice to S and showed him around the studio. That’s the difference between my DH and me. I would fret, plan to visit campus on a much better date, pre-arrange a tour, and get lost in the crowd. He’s the more freeform explorer–and I’m glad he is.</p>