<p>D and I went on our first campus visit today to Austin College in Sherman, Texas. This was just an unplanned casual visit but it seems like we’re behind and needed to start somewhere.</p>
<p>There wasn’t much going on today, just football boys moving in. D seemed to like it and wants to come to the Senior day they’re having Labor Day to see more. </p>
<p>It’s just what you’d expect for a LAC of this size.</p>
<p>Guess I don’t have much to say, but I was just so proud that we got started looking.</p>
<p>Flmathmom, thank you that was very helpful advice. I hadn’t found that knowledge base part of common app website and now that I have read it, feel much more prepared. Thx.</p>
<p>4tran4 - I am glad that your D enjoyed her first college visit. For us it seemed like once we got the first one out of the way then my son seemed more interested in the whole college process. It will be fun to hear how you D reacts to her other visits.</p>
<p>It’s really too bad that Austin College is in Sherman, isn’t it? It’s a fine school that gives fantastic merit aid…but the town is a real minus.</p>
<p>Flmathmom, thanks for that heads-up. We were just looking at the common app today and saw 1 or 2 things that were unclear. We’ll check that out tomorrow.</p>
<p>Had hoped D would be a bit farther along at this point (1 1/2 wks before school starts) with the app and her essay(s), but I can’t complain. She’s been very diligent about everything she had to get done this summer…the list was just too long.</p>
<p>Things I am happy about:</p>
<p>-She’s been working on 3-4 potential audition pieces with her voice teacher over the summer, and they are sounding really good.</p>
<p>-She had a wonderful time reconnecting with school friends at a leadership retreat last week, and is really excited to be starting senior year.</p>
<p>-She’s settled on her essay topic for the common app, outlined it, and plans to kick out a first draft tomorrow.</p>
<p>-We have an appt Tue to review her transcript with the GC to make sure it’s complete and correct (thanks, CC poster for recommending this).</p>
<p>-Her audition piece for the school musical is sounding terrific.</p>
<p>-We had a wonderful evening last night when storms knocked our
power out for 3 hours. Lit some candles by our big dining room windows, watched the storm, and talked about everything under the sun.</p>
<p>-I’ve been putting in 2 hrs every morning on yardwork, and things are looking good (which is saying something in the midwest in August)!</p>
<p>momofsongbird: I love your list of things you are happy for! Particularly the candlelit conversation during the storm - those moments give us some of the best memories ever. In regards to all that your daughter has going on, I think you and she appear to be in great shape as you head into the fall. Lots of accomplishments already!</p>
<p>On our end, the Common Ap has been completed, and the essay is basically written - although the essay will be much reviewed in class once school begins (first week of school, all seniors write and peer-critique application essays). Almost every school my daughter is interested in has supplements, so that is the next step…</p>
<p>Congratulations to everyone whose child already has a college acceptance in hand - what a great feeling that must be!</p>
<p>Our college list for S2 is still too long–upper teens for number of schools. So I had S2 make a master list of all of the essays he is supposed to write between the schools and a couple scholarship applications.</p>
<p>We came up with 70!! Not all of the supplements have been released, so that number will rise. This includes all the “list the books” and “to what other schools are you applying” short answer questions, but it is still a lot.</p>
<p>The good news is that D will only be applying to 6 schools (7 if we decide to add the state flagship as a financial safety). Two of the schools have an Early Admission option, and at least one of them will include the amount of merit aid awarded (if any) at the same time the admission decision is sent (need to check with the other one about that). If one of those schools gives D enough merit money, we won’t have to apply to the state flagship, which will make D happy. She is looking at the Common Application for the first time today, and I told her she needs to at least get some essay drafts started (school starts in 10 days, and her schedule is really intense). Our college visits went really well - she loved all the schools we’ve seen to date - so I think that’s inspired her at least a little on starting the application process.</p>
<p>We’ve managed to narrow it down to 12, including 3 state flagship “financial safeties”, 8 Common App unis and 1 non-Common App uni. But, it’s the supplements that’ll get you. Some of the schools ask insignificant questions, but others ask for a life story (“challenges you have faced”, “favorite ecs”, “what do you do in your free time?”, “tell us about your favorite book”, etc.).</p>
<p>4tran4- don’t fret. Lots of my S’s friends have no intention of visiting any colleges til after the acceptances come. </p>
<p>His list is still in the high teens but will get pared down this week. I will be happy when the list is final so I can start compiling dates applications are due, list supplimental questions, etc. He hasn’t done much with the essay or common app so I gave him a week to make more progress. I want him to email the essay to his jr year english teacher for review before school starts and the teacher gets busy.</p>
<p>S & H flew down to VA to interview at W&L and visit W&M last week. S thought interview went well. (but he always thinks that). Two interviews scheduled Wed at local schools and then visits and interviews are done til after football, unless a school on his list he hasn’t interviewed with visits his school this fall. </p>
<p>I thank goodness we are done with testing and right now am just taking it one day at a time hoping there is forward progress towards getting the apps done.</p>
<p>Regarding back to school shopping. I gave my 10yo D a $200 budget (doesn’t include shoes). She is a shopaholilc and really needs a lesson in budgeting. Plus I hate shopping so once we hit $200 we are done. She is required to have a macbook for school next year which we already bought and a few other supplies. </p>
<p>S wears khakis and polos to school. Most of his stuff from last year still fits so I will get away with just buying a few more pairs of pants, shirts, a pair of sneakers and a new backpack. oh and football cleats. The cleats and sneakers will be the biggest expense. He goes to private and we have to buy his books, but I have done fairly well buying like new books cheaply and selling his books from last year for a good amount of money so books are a wash. Anyone have ideas where to buy backpacks online? He doesn’t want anything to do with LL Bean or Land’s End.</p>
<p>Took each D back to school shopping over the weekend (two separate trips.) Spent a fortune. I’m a pushover when it comes to buying them clothes.</p>
<p>I’ve got it easy. We bought a pair of sneakers on sale at Penney’s for $39. I still have binders and school supplies from past shopping trips. I buy woot.com t-shirts all the time. Will make appointment for contacts instead of glasses. We’re good to go as far as I’m concerned.</p>
<p>School starts tomorrow for us. I’ve held fast to my new approach of having my S be in charge of the college process. I checked in today to get status update. As of now he plans to apply to 7 schools, 5 of which use the Common App. For the most part, the CA is done as are the supplements that are available. The essays will probably be revised a few more times until they are finally submitted. One of the non-CA schools is mostly done and one is not available until 9/1. I’d say he is in a great place for mid-August.</p>
<p>I’m glad many of you have had the opportunity to check out the Knowledge Base section of the CA. It is so helpful.</p>
<p>I have a FaceBook question. Many of the colleges have FB pages. My S wants me to “like” the colleges so he can keep up to date on what they post. He doesn’t want to “like” them himself b/c he does not know what they will be able to see on his page. He does not have anything on his page that would be a problem, but you never know what another person might post. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Another way to keep up to date on a school your child is interested in or any other topic is to use Google Alerts.</p>
<p>I love Google alerts! I have them set for D’s top schools, our HS, my employer, our last name, my major clients, etc. I learn all kinds of things that way!</p>
<p>FlMathMom: Most also offer Twitter with feeds that provide the same information as the FB posts. Twitter would allow him to watch for pertinent information without granting access to his personal photos and communication with FB friends.</p>
<p>Okay, so I “googled” Google Alerts to find out how to do it and have set up some for colleges we’re interested in. What are the tricks to make sure you don’t get bombarded? For example, one of ours is Southwestern University (in Georgetown, TX). I set that one up and immediately got an alert and some of it was regarding UT Southwestern University Medical Center . . . which is not Southwestern University in Georgetown. Do I need to use quotation marks around “Southwestern University” to get it to focus in?</p>
and have set up some for colleges we’re interested in. What are the tricks to make sure you don’t get bombarded? For example, one of ours is Southwestern University (in Georgetown, TX). I set that one up and immediately got an alert and some of it was regarding UT Southwestern University Medical Center . . . which is not Southwestern University in Georgetown. Do I need to use quotation marks around “Southwestern University” to get it to focus in?</p>