Parents of the HS Class of 2011 - Original

Parents of HS Class of 20xx
6181

<p>College shopping, Oh I know his score is just fine and he is thrilled. I have to keep reminding myself that the scores of the 35-36/1500-1600 kids on CC is a very teeny percentage of the overall student population. His reach is still reachy but I think now he can relax about his match schools and he likes all of them a lot so he’s not even going to add any. </p>

<p>Arisamp, I made boychild check before he went to school and before he did I reminded him that if they weren’t so good he just wouldn’t submit them. I was afraid he would be upset and then have to drive.</p>

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<p>Missypie: Agree! We did a VERY happy dance when S1 scored a 32. It doesn’t have to be a 35/36 to be great! Reality check. Sometimes CC just isn’t the real world.</p>

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<p>“I must admit that that is the reason I have been reluctant to warm to this thread…parents complaining about their kid’s “terrible” or “disappointing” score which is the score that my own D finally achieved after taking the test three times.”</p>

<p>Missypie, I hope I didn’t come across as being disappointed about his score. He is thrilled and I am thrilled! Shoot, we were thrilled with his 1260 on his SAT!</p>

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<p>My child’s score was south of 32 and believe me, folks on this board have dispaired over the score that she was happy to earn. Back in the day, my own ACT score was a mere 28; I managed to graudate at the top of my class at a decent law school. Life is not over if you don’t crack the 30s.</p>

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<p>Yes, just for full disclosure I’ll say D got a 31, which by my - and I’ll say any rational -scale is nailing it. We were happy with her 27 before, and it was going to get her into lots of wonderful schools. Now she can breathe much more freely. And we’re very aware that anything over 30 is fantastic - I don’t sweat anything above that because we’re not looking at Ivies and we’re just not going to buy into whether being in the 95th percentile vs. the 98th percentile is going to make a difference. I’ve read that anything over 30 is basically in the top single digits and that’s just fantastic for any kid.</p>

<p>D’s grades are fine, but not stellar, nor is her class rank. Nothing to do about that. So she’ll submit her apps and see what happens. </p>

<p>What we’ve had to think long and hard about is the fish/pond scenario, and honestly I’ve felt she’s been selling herself short a bit (academically, not artistically). I think she’s shown over the past 2 years that she’s more and more ready to take on some pretty amazing work, wherever she goes. And I know that a year from now that’s just what she’ll be doing. </p>

<p>Just to show what maturity can do, this is a kid who got a 21 in 10th grade on the PLAN test. Even with the stress of prepping and taking the test this fall, it’s clear that she was more mature and more ready to do well.</p>

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<p>Congrats to all re test results. It is always a big step.</p>

<p>Life is pretty stable in terms of college app stuff in our household. S2 got all of his testing wrapped up last spring, so that burden is off our shoulders. The EA deadline of 1 Nov got a lot of work done early (CA and PROFILE). He has a application for an international exchange due in a few days, another college app due 15 Nov, another due 1 Dec for scholarship consideration, so that is actually a very humane pacing. Given all the competing demands on his time, it is working as well as can be expected.</p>

<p>It is fortunate that college apps process is under control for us because I spent last week two states/7 hour drive away supporting my father and his wife as he underwent heart bypass surgery (outcome was successful.) It was my first big taste of the sandwich generation.</p>

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<p>Emmybet, Your D sounds very much like my son academically. Ivy league schools were never on our radar and still are not on our radar. His list isn’t changing from what it was. Also, except for taking physics at the Community College this fall, he has no AP classes just honors. He is very well rounded though, in two bands, XC and track, Masterminds and he has a part time job.</p>

<p>I don’t remember exactly but my son only had around 1000 on his PSAT soph yr. and not much better on it his jr. yr.</p>

6188

<p>Heck, a score in the high 20’s is something to be very proud of!!! And for which a lot of kids would be grateful!
congrats everyone on the amazing scores!!
D refused to take the SAT a third time or to try the ACT. I thought she should, but I have come to think she had the right idea. Her second time with the SAT her score went up to 1340/1600 1990/2400. She knew those scores would make her competitive for the schools she was interested in attending and did not want anymore testing. I am much more type A, so I would have tried again to try to crack the 2000 level! Ha ha! If she was a different sort of kid, who wanted to attend a more competitive school, it would be a different story. She only wanted to apply to schools where she would be at the top of the barrel! Didn’t want an environment filled with type A people (like her mom!). So, for her, taking the test again to try to raise her score didn’t make any sense! One of the examples of me having to learn to trust her and to remember that she has to do this process in the way that makes sense to her!</p>

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<p>Chiming in here on ACT scores. D had a 29 originally, and we were actually quite happy with it. I think I got a 27 or 28 myself (eons ago) so I was happy that she had beat me. When she took it a second time and got a 32, we were thrilled- and it ended all of her testing. </p>

<p>Per ACT (link below), Composites of 29 and above are top 5% nationwide so HaPpY dAnCe is most definitely in order for some of the scores in this thread! </p>

<p>[ACT</a> Score Information: National Ranks for Test Scores and Composite Score](<a href=“ACT Test Scores | ACT Scoring | ACT”>ACT Test Scores | ACT Scoring | ACT)</p>

6190

<p>Ah the sandwich generation. I’ve learned more about that in the last 2 months than I ever wanted to know. My sister and I are now discussing how we can make it easier for our d’s.<br>
NMF awards, that is really nice. A get it off my chest anecdote- older S was nmf with 2 other kids in his small private school. One got the $2500 scholarship from the college board. In the school newsletter they announce the kid who was awarded the $2500 and then they say “and two other students were also national merit finalists”. Would it have killed them to print their names???, and at that point school was over. So that was the only accolade S received for that.<br>
Younger S told me he wished he knew how being nmf could help with scholarships for the schools he was applying to. eye roll</p>

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<p>Seems like if the secretary who typed the article was a mom, she would have added the names anyway!</p>

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<p>We’ve been very fortunate with Ds high school. In October, they listed the names of every NMSF (about 10 this year) and NASF (just 1) in the school newsletter. And, then in November, they listed all of the Commended students (over 30). The Commended students also had their certificates delivered to their classrooms personally by the principal, which I thought was a very nice touch.</p>

6193

<p>Thanks for your nice thoughts about songbird’s successful weekend and especially about my mom. She came through the operation very well…the surgeon said the situation looks very favorable to be benign, though we’ll know for sure after the pathology reports. Until then, I’m going with definitely benign.</p>

<p>Pepper, Mom WAS able to enjoy all 3 performances over the weekend, and the whole family could tell how uplifting and joyful it was for her. I had been afraid it might wear her out, but now I see that it really kept her in a very positive place, mentally and emotionally, before her surgery.</p>

<p>Amandak: TOO FUNNY!!! We’ve gotten the thin “acknowledgement” envelope, too, and it nearly gave me a stroke! I don’t think they realize what this does to us moms. And you were behind the wheel at the time!</p>

<p>EmmyBet, YAY!!! That is HUGE, and I’m so happy for you both. </p>

<p>Emilybee, congrats on that 32! Wheeeeeee!!!</p>

<p>LeftofPisa, it’s not crazy that you had tears well up. The same thing happens to me sometimes with what you guys post to me, or when I read about your joys and problems. But then, I’m a crier from way back. I get “verklempt” a lot, and especially this year!</p>

<p>Regarding scores, and what’s “really good,” after lucking out with a 34 on her first (and only!) ACT, can you believe songbird actually had two people ask her if she was going to take it again? Her reply was uncharacteristically frank (sounding much more like her mother): “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” </p>

<p>Sometimes, you have to wonder what people are thinking. I agree with all of you that upper 20s are perfectly respectable and anything in the 30s is a really impressive score. Sheesh!</p>

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<p>Pepper, I forgot to say that, yes, if she ever becomes famous we’re all going to Carnegie Hall, and we’re sitting front-and-center! I can’t wait to receive my AUTOGRAPHED copy of your son’s first book! :)</p>

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<p>Woohoo. D just texted me and she finally did get around to checking her scores (someone else in school told her that they were out today). She had mentioned that science had been tough - so I was resigned to her score not changing/improving much. She did have a good score initially, so it wasn’t a problem. She took it a second time to see if she could bump up her chances of a merit scholarship at a couple of schools. </p>

<p>She aced the science section, dropped a couple in the math (go figure!!) - and her overall composite went up a couple of points. Fabulous!! She’s now trying to convince me that this deserves pizza and ice cream for dinner tonight :)</p>

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<p>Momofsongbird, if I can presume to give you/your daughter a bit of advice. It is very flattering to receive such wonderful compliments. But it would probably be better for your daughter if she landed at a school where she was not instantly the best … the adored star. If everyone at a school is utterly wowed by her, she may not get critiqued, may not grow and improve. You will probably do this already, but lean toward the tougher programs. I’ve seen it with dancers, singers and actors…the one who is head and shoulders the “best” gets only praise, and does not progress and improve as much as others who do not have as much natural talent but are told what to do to get better.</p>

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<p>Missypie, thank you, and I definitely understand what you mean. To be clear, my D is not sure she even wants a performance career. She studies privately with teachers who have been very candid with her about the field of classical voice…what the lifestyle is like…what the competition is, etc.</p>

<p>Frankly, when they see her academic stats and abilities, several of them urge her to consider a career in that direction not because of a lack of vocal promise, but because of the immensely more stable and monetarily predictable life she could have. She is by no means star-struck, and will probably end up pursuing another of her interests/talents rather than performance as a career (though I think she’ll always perform as an avocation).</p>

<p>But in the world of community and regional theatre musicals and school stuff, she has the voice that has always made people’s jaws drop. We’re used to that. She’s gotten it since second grade, and we don’t let it go to our heads.</p>

<p>But I won’t lie to you…for a girl who has devoted 80 hours a week to voice, piano, and academics for the last 4 years, am I happy when people take the time to tell her how much they’ve enjoyed her singing? Yes! It’s not a matter of being flattered, it’s just nice to see talent coupled with very hard work recognized.</p>

<p>A decent music program is only one of several very important criteria to her in college selection, and I’m not sure it’s the most important to her. I’ve predicted here before that I’m guessing she’ll face a difficult decision next spring: best music dept at one of her 6 schools, or best personal/social/academic fit (unfortunately, those aren’t the same schools). I’m looking forward to seeing which choice she makes!</p>

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<p>I really appreciate how songbird is looking for balance. My D is probably leaning more toward theatre than songbird is toward music, but I know there will be the same kind of careful decision-making at our house, too. </p>

<p>I have seen many kids who truly believe that because they are applauded at home that they will always be “the best,” and that scares me. I’m relieved my D’s passion for the arts comes from within, and she seems to have some talent to add to the other tools in her box. I’m grateful for the opportunities these kids have to get solid information and understanding of the “big wide world” so they can decide what path to take, and know that there probably will be many paths available to them along the way.</p>

<p>I admire kids with “do or die” drive, too, even if it seems scary or ill-advised. I’m just relieved my D isn’t like that - I’d be a wreck!</p>

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<p>Lot’s of good news around here-so good to read it!</p>

<p>Yes MOSB-it will be autographed I promise! As long as those seats at Carnegie Hall are first row. :)</p>

<p>EB great news on those scores-what a great increase! </p>

<p>Love the envelope story-I can so see me doing the same thing-</p>

<p>What a great place we have going here, huh?</p>

6200

<p>Just a note about ACT scores and the insanity of the process. After D snagged her 33 which we were 100% thrilled about, many people asked her and me, (for those who knew…we really keep it pretty quiet) is she going for the 36 in October…hmmmm…NO!</p>