<p>Regarding payment, as the article I referenced mentions, some corporations and foundations underwrite payment to disadvantaged students who pass certain APs. I was surprised that our school had a similar program, but only for this one class. The program is not used as a recruiting tool because most students don’t know about it until they are in the class. I assume that some wealthy person endowed the program. Perhaps we’ll find out more when D gets her check.</p>
<p>Post #3205 -"I know that public school GCs are overworked as it is, but that sure would be a good topic of discussion with the more accomplished seniors - when to take the AP credit (e.g. in a course not in your major where you won’t have to build on it) vs. when not to (in Calc if your school takes a 3 and you made a 3 and you’ll need more math.) "</p>
<p>Aside from “overworked”, I think that having a HS GC guide a student through their COLLEGE course selections is very low on the priority list. I am more than satisfied when they’ve helped guide students properly through their HS course selection and college selection and application process. </p>
<p>If a student has a good relationship with a HS teacher in the subject area in question, I’m sure the teacher would be more knowlegeable than a GC. But…the most knowledgeable will be upperclass students/recent grads and professors in the subject area at the university your child will be attending.</p>
<p>Hi everyone. I’ve been reading these forums for some time and finally decided to sign up and join in. I have a daughter entering 12th grade. I probably won’t post too often but enjoy reading about everyone’s experiences. My daughter attends a large public where the counseling resources are slim (one counselor to 600 kids)…so not too much information coming from that front. We are in California and plan to apply to several UC’s and perhaps some OOS publics.</p>
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<p>I can relate to that! Welcome.</p>
<p>Jump right in jojoba!! I have found FAR more information here than I could ever have hoped for from our GC (and I really like ours…although she has a lot of students to ‘care for’ as well). I’d encourage you to move from lurking to posting! The feeling of community is great, support is wonderful, and specific information will be far more helpful!
Cheers :)</p>
<p>The lack of meaningful guidance support from our public HS is the reason I started with CC. I can’t really fault them–they have gangs, drugs, truancies, pregnancies, etc. to deal with. Trying to get their time to focus on admission to selective colleges seems more than a little self-indulgent.</p>
<p>But there is a world of knowledge and experience here (blended in with a bit of boasting and a pinch of snarky.)</p>
<p>Ok - looking for recomendations for match and safety schools here.</p>
<p>DS2 is NM commended, SAT 1 2150 (first time), SAT IIs 710 Math2, 680 Literature. Will take one more Sat II in the fall, and retake SAT1 - GPA 4.2W with all honors and ap classes. UW GPA is 3.87</p>
<p>Major will be IR or languages (he has pursued Russian, Mandarin and French). Looking for safety schools and match schools, enrollments under 5K. </p>
<p>Limited EC participation, but significant teaching experience as a volunteer to help non-english speakers learn english and some significant community service along those same lines.</p>
<p>We visited Macalaster and he liked it and could see himself there. Can that be considered a match? Based on his school’s data on Naviance, I would think it may be a safe choice, but I am so reluctant to opine given DS1’s unexpected and negative results two years ago. </p>
<p>He knows the reaches - Middlebury, Tufts, UChicago, Brown. He also liked Haverford, but based on the naviance data from his school, that is a super reach as well. He will look at Bard, which I am thinking will be a match based on the naviance data, but may be weak in the language instruction area. He does not want to look at schools on the west coast. He also looked at and liked Carelton but that is also a reach based on the naviance data, as is Wesleyan which he also liked. </p>
<p>Suggestions? Thanks for your support and sorry if this falls into the ‘boastful’ category as referenced in the previous post. I am just looking to make sure he has matches and safety schools that really are both. Assume finances are not an issue.</p>
<p>Kenyon, Oberlin, Grinnell. Don’t overlook Kalamazoo which would be a safety, but a heckuva sleeper school. Long standing study abroad program involves something like 80% of all students.</p>
<p>S1 got into Grinnell 2 years ago with almost identical GPA and SAT as your son, but waitlisted/denied at Macalester. So it is hard to call it a match.</p>
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<p>I would look at that as his EC. Can’t help with school suggestions, sorry, although I do know a friend at work whose D, IIRC, is majoring in IR also applied to Tufts, Brown and UConn.</p>
<p>Welcome jojoba.</p>
<p>For matches… how about Hobart & William Smith, Bucknell, Villanova, COlgate, Gettysburg, Union, Trinity?</p>
<p>Still no AP scores here…</p>
<p>Our student got a call from the hs this week–evidently there is a sceduling conflict and now our kiddo needs to make a change for the history electives…</p>
<p>Pulllease…</p>
<p>already there are other
faculty changes,
staff changes,
coach changes…</p>
<p>nothing like having everything changing the kid’s sr yr when apps and recs need to be monitored etc</p>
<p>I’m on the hunt for a good match school as well anothermom3, reaches and safeties were easy to identify.</p>
<p>^ Eh, I don’t think one is really necessary in your situation. The chance that you will get rejected from all your reach schools is negligible.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions - Looks like Colgate might work - and Kalamazoo he might like ---- looked like nice merit money possibilities at the later. </p>
<p>Union has limited language offerrings - and neither Villanova nor Hobart will be his type of vibe. Bucknell does offer a full 4 year Chinese language program - I will suggest he investigate that possibility as that does look like a match based on naviance. Oberlin was eliminated because it would be another super reach based on the naviance data from his hs and we have enough of those. Grinnell looks like a reach based on the naviance as well.</p>
<p>Anothermom- if you are looking for a safety where he’d get a lot of aid/ try Juniata. They have an Eagles abroad scholarship that involves a free month abroad after freshman year and then a stipend to spend junior year abroad . Also with his volunteerwork he might get a nomination scholarship.</p>
<p>A friend’s daughter is going to Colgate and was admitted to the Benton International Scholars program (or something like that) at Colgate. She didn’t apply, her admission letter just told her she was admitted as a Benton scholar. Seemed like a fantastic thing involving foreign internships, etc.</p>
<p>anothermom, Your son may be interested in the Flagship Chinese program at University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). My 2012 daughter thinks their Croft Institute of International Studies and honors college look very interesting. There is excellent merit aid available. Another school that is on our radar for IR, languages and merit is Beloit.</p>
<p>Thank you Apollo6 - Just looked at those and I think we have some possibilities. Talked to DS2 and after looking at the websites, Wooster and Kalamazoo also have appeal to him - and from amoung these there should be a safety that is not our state u, which he actively dislikes…</p>
<p>Interesting tibit found regarding mid year grades on James Madison Web Site
[Information</a> for Counselors](<a href=“http://www.jmu.edu/admissions/counselors/index.shtml]Information”>For School Counselors, Consultants and Home Educators - JMU)</p>
<p>James Madison University review mid-year grades for two reasons:
- Studies have shown that students, who experience a drop in their senior year grades, will often follow with poor grades in their freshman year of college.
- For three years the staff reviewed the files of students whose offers of admissions had been rescinded after final senior grades were received. In over ninety-percent of the cases, the initial offer would not have been made if the committee had seen the student’s grades for the first semester of their senior year. Having the mid-year senior grades should significantly reduce the offers rescinded by JMU.</p>
<p>anothermom3 - how about Denison (OH) for an IR safety? </p>
<p>[Academic</a> Programs - Denison University](<a href=“Academics | Denison University”>Denison University | A top liberal arts college located in Ohio)</p>
<p>I’ve read here on CC, where they have great merit-based aid, too.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.denison.edu/admissions/academic_scholarships.html[/url]”>http://www.denison.edu/admissions/academic_scholarships.html</a></p>