<p>Emmybet-better to find out now that the school won’t work for her! all this is good info! hoping for good ACT results for her…although I know her current scores are just fine!</p>
<p>Yes, one thing I’ve learned in this process is that I really can’t stomach being an inappropriate “heavy” in a situation that really belongs to her. We talked about kids who make different kinds of choices, and I said I was grateful she hasn’t set herself up for massive disappointment. I’m also grateful that she wants to go to college, not a pure conservatory - but I said that was just a question of personal taste, and I would have supported her either way. I’m all about ownership here - for better or for worse.</p>
<p>And some of this might shoot her in the foot. Like how she was explaining why she has “no time” this weekend … except that for a couple of hours of actual rehearsals everything she “had” to do was social … hmmm … </p>
<p>I’m sleeping easy, though, because she’ll get the handful of easy Common Apps in soon, well before deadlines (12/1 or later) and that gives her plenty of college choices. Again, finding “time” to do more work is on her. Increasing her choices doesn’t make MY life better, just her own.</p>
<p>Thanks, hollie - we’re not expecting a hugely different score, anyway. She was better prepared, but admits she lost track of time management. We’ll see. But it will affect whether she goes score-optional or not on a couple of schools, so I think it’s worth waiting before we submit.</p>
<p>I’ll say in advance that I KNOW she will be a kid who will be very strongly affected by getting an acceptance. I know deep inside is a little voice asking if she really will get into college. But the way she’s timed things (and sadly because of the way the school we thought was “rolling” actually isn’t) it won’t affect how or when she finishes her other applications. I’d just love to see her hear something from somewhere before winter break, like everyone else here. We’ll see how quickly some of these places move; it’s not looking good for our particular list of schools, though.</p>
<p>Hope everyone who has an SAT test in their plans for tomorrow gets a good night sleep. Subject tests for our son. As I turn out the light, I will pray for no illness in the middle of the night!</p>
<p>Oh my gosh! We were talking about that at dinner owm! My son bit into a Glory Days burger (local version of TGIFridays) that we had picked up carry out, which was less than rare. He finally looked at me, holding it up, and asked ‘Do’ya think this is okay?’. I then proceeded to tell him about the 'kid who was sick the entire night before the last tests…oh, but he was fine by morning and did well. Great mom, so I’ll be sick and get no rest. I should be fine by my test. Thanks. You ‘know’ some people that have some really strange things happen to them. No, but when you put ‘us’ together collectively it does make for interesting conversation (at least my family thinks so). ;)</p>
<p>eek, what time are they supposed to be there 7:45? You think they would put that on the ticket. This is only the second time for S2 so I forget. I was late once with older S as I went to the wrong hs in town, it was at the other one.<br>
Good luck everyone.</p>
<p>The visiting component has been so important to my son. We visited four schools that sounded really good but didn’t make the cut for applying. The upside of visiting is it helped my son pin point a bit more what he didn’t like because before the visit he didn’t know that it even mattered to him. I think it’s probably more stressful to try to still visit and apply at this stage of the game and it’s probably better to just apply and then visit if accepted.</p>
<p>My older son did that, sort of unintentionally. We had visited probably 6 or 7 schools but kept getting mail from Allegheny and Roanoke. (Isn’t it weird how you can get lots of mail from a couple of schools??) so son applied to them. Once he got accepted and got very good financial aid offers he visited. It probably made for a better visit since it wasn’t so idealized as the others. He ended up at Roanoke.</p>
<p>Fifth (and last) standardized test date and bluejr. picks today to forget his ticket…seriously son? Two SATs, an ACT, two SAT subject tests and you pick today? What happened to the second ticket I told you to put in your car last night? Luckily I had printed out TWO tickets and put them in my office days ago. Amazing how fast you can get out of your house when you have to…clearly under two minutes, which includes swapping out cars in the driveway. Okay, so I was in my pj’s, shoes in the passenger seat, without my teeth brushed (eww!). We live 20min from school.</p>
<p>His academic team meets early on Saturdays, so from the road I was able to call into the class directly and speak to his ‘wife’… you know everyone has a work spouse that keeps them organized. He has a wife that keeps him on track there. They’ve been together for three years. It’s hysterical…I digress… The wife printed out a ticket and got it to him much faster than I could. I turned around and went through McD’s drive thru. </p>
<p>Thanks for the heart-attack and massive caloric intake son!! Hopefully this bad karma will offset any pre-test jitters… yea, I’m going with that…</p>
<p>Emmybet: You are great at keeping things in perspective. It’s probably for the best that your daughter realized the safety school wasn’t a good choice before she applied.</p>
<p>Good luck to all the kids taking SATs and SAT IIs today. My daughter chose to skip the SAT II’s and put all her eggs in the ACT basket. Let’s hope that strategy works out.</p>
<p>Blueiguana: I loved the image of you driving down the street in your PJ’s. I hope the day get’s better.</p>
<p>I should have added a best wishes thought to those that are taking the SAT II’s today. Son applied to one reach school that suggested SAT II’s. He took one a couple of years ago and we both decided the stress and prep involved for another was not worth it. It will be a good day when all the tests and apps are done!!!</p>
<p>flmathmom: we are in northampton, ma. My son is interested in math and physics (and clarinet). He is looking at williams, rice (too far!), university of rochester (he really likes this one), olin, lawrence u, grinnell, case western, allegheny, umass amherst (fin. safety). It is funny but the closer the application deadlines get, the closer I want these colleges to be! He is my first of three and he has a 6-year-old sister who adores him and will miss him terribly!</p>
<p>amandakayak: I think his topic is about his passion with carnivorous plants, involvement with the international carn. plant society through volunteer work and advocacy, and his editorial work with their newsletter. But, he keeps changing his mind and might write about something else.</p>
<p>aniger: I am going to look around to see if in western mass there is anybody to hire…might take some of the heat off around here.</p>
<p>He enjoyed the Harry Bauld book (and I actually saw it in his hands last night!). I will look for the shorter one he can add to his kindle and after that I think I will relax a bit!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>@shell: it sounds like you need to enlist the help of someone who will light a fire under your S. Whether that is a counselor or teacher, I don’t know. I compiled a collection of sample essays for my S to read (easy to get from the internet…Connecticut College gives some samples, as well as others). He rejected them all as dorky, so that gambit didn’t work. Ultimately we brainstormed until he found a topic that he felt good about. His essay isn’t quirky, or slice of life. It’s just a reaction to a fictional character (one of CA’s prompts). Is it the best thing ever? Um, no. But it shows that he is able to do college-level writing and gives some insight into what makes him tick.</p>
<p>If you have the ability to use an essay counselor, I would do it. Your child needs to get over the hump, that’s all. It will be money well spent if it gets the essay in motion. </p>
<p>As for me, I have to re-motivate S to start supplemental essays for schools that have January 1 deadlines so that if ED school falls through, we are at least in process. I am in the camp of those who think these “Why X college” essays are the worst.</p>
<p>Yes, good luck to all those who are taking their last tests today.</p>
<p>@shell: maybe you can find someone at one of the local colleges? You are near mt. Holyoke, right? Perhaps even an English major might be of assistance.</p>
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<p>At least this time I remembered my shoes and drivers license… ;)</p>
<p>I make bluejr sound irresponsible… he’s not, that’s the point. This was out of the ordinary for him. I’ve driven one other assignment/paper to school for him in 13 years… also in my pj’s at 7am. A poster/project of a frog for AP Bio he named Oscar Beaux LaChomp. How can you NOT drive to school when your kid calls from the bus screaming ‘Mom, I forgot Oscar Beaux LaChomp on my bed… I need him’…‘What the heck is an Oscar Beaux LaChomp?’ ‘Just look on my bed, you can’t miss him!’ I mean, c’mon… if that doesn’t earn the sympathy vote I don’t know what does. Well, the ticket for his last standardized test I guess. ;)</p>
<p>Anyway, it was so out of character. He’s a good kid and has promised to come bearing gifts. lol!</p>
<p>ShelldeMeo, with kid number one, we had an overall counselor but also a very good person who helped my son through the years (he is brilliant and driven but severely dyslexic). She is good at helping kids where they are and has helped several kids figure out what they wanted to say (and get in two colleges that were probably a surprise to all). With kid number two, there’s much less essay angst because she’s only applying to a couple of schools in Canada (more if she doesn’t get in to the first two). We are in Massachusetts and if you want to email me or PM me, I can give you more information.</p>
<p>There is another thought. Maybe your son doesn’t feel ready for college. How about a gap year. ShawSon, my eldest, took a gap year and was very happy to have a break from the relentless push of HS. The extra year of maturity was probably a good thing when he started at a highly competitive school. He didn’t apply until the fall of his gap year. ShawD is likely going to take a gap year prior to starting college as well, although she was adamant that she wanted to apply this year. Maybe if you suggested a gap year, that would get him off resistance and into choosing, “Do I want to go to college next year or this year, and if I want to go next year, do I want to apply this year or next?”</p>
<p>shelldeMeo, I just had another thought, but my prior suggestion and my current thought are in western suburbs of Boston. The second might be motivating for different reasons. A friend’s daughter, a bright and rather pretty Harvard student, was helping kids with college essays over the summer. I was thinking that high school boys might be motivated to meet with her and would not want to show up without progress. Don’t know what her status is now.</p>
<p>But, given the distance, college4three’s suggestion may be perfect. You’ve got Smith, Mount Holyoke, Amherst right there. Your son is applying to Williams but not Amherst?</p>
<p>Shell - Rice has a great music dept that might appeal to that side of his interests. Same with Carnegie Mellon except the weather at Rice is so much better.</p>
<p>[ “I think his topic is about his passion with carnivorous plants, involvement with the international carn. plant society through volunteer work and advocacy, and his editorial work with their newsletter. But, he keeps changing his mind and might write about something else.”]</p>
<p>If this is serious…what a great essay topic! Whenever possible, an applicant should write an essay that only they could write…something unique about them. I doubt there are many (any other?) HS seniors who will be writing about their involvement with the international carnivorous plant society!</p>
<p>And…if it’s not serious…still a great essay topic!</p>
<p>Find a way to get him to go for it…although I am rarely a supporter of paid consultants for the application process. Unless he’s an absolutely horrible writer … it is an essay that will be read and noted by the admin committee at just about any school.</p>
<p>Sitting in the parking lot, waiting for the SAT subject tests to be over so we can celebrate! We are 30 miles from home but the tradition is to go to Culver’s for a butterburger after all standardized tests. Our son was one of only two boys at this testing site and the ONLY test taker who does not attend this boarding school. Shows you how few people in the Midwest take the SAT.</p>