<p>IFR = in final review??</p>
<p>ohiomom, Sorry to hear about the medical issues you are dealing with regarding your parents. My parents are 80 and 81 and live about an hour and a half away. My in-laws live on the other side of the country but are doing well physically. Both sets of parents married and moved away from their home states then retired and moved back. It’s hard dealing with things semi-long distance and not knowing their area very well. When my folks moved back to their hometown about 15 years ago, it seemed like a very good idea. Hugs to you for being a loving daughter.</p>
<p>We got a new tv and DVD player/receiver for Christmas and I was the one struggling with the three different remotes. Over the weekend my husband managed to program everything into one remote and I find myself frustrated again figuring that out!</p>
<p>Today is a big day in our household. My oldest son, age 23, and 2010 College grad, is leaving for Europe. He’s just taking a backpack and has a loose idea of what to do and where to go. His return ticket is in May. I found myself coping with his loose plans by sending him 10 e-mails a day with links to different places to go/things to pack/websites and buying him stuff that I feel he MUST have. I now have a small pile of things to take back… He is happy and excited. We have set up skype on our phones and are hoping for weekly phone calls.</p>
<p>madbean: Yes! The unsolicited snail mail and e-mail continue to come despite the fact that he’s never shown an inkling of interest in any of them. UChicago, RPI, Allegheny, the list goes on and on. And so many mention the extended deadline. When will they get the point? I guess when decisions are out and he still hasn’t applied.</p>
<p>kathiep: Thanks for your kind thoughts. Wow! How exciting for your son! I’d find that a bit unnerving though. The planner in me likes to have everything mapped out in advance…</p>
<p>kathiep - It’s unfathomable to me that my ds will ever be so grown up to take on an adventure like that. And that as a mom, I would be anything but hysterical at the thought. I always think about what I did as a 20-something and wonder how my mother ever coped!! I went to China in '84 when it was still very communist, dropped out of the study program I was on, found a english teaching job at a military instit., (met my dh), was tailed by secret police for months…I can not understand how my mom just rolled with it. I’d be lucky to have that kind of composure.</p>
<p>Here’s to your ds’ great european adventure!! May it be filled with good food, new friends, old friends and great experiences! I am sooooooo jealous (of him, not you! :))</p>
<p>Yes, apparently the unsolicited mail continues and seems to have the same marketing company behind it, suddenly deadlines don’t exist for “you, our special applicant” and fees are waived, scholarships are offered (from a phone bank? really?)… This used-car sales mentality/spam impacts how I view those colleges so I think once they do some market research, they will find this approach doesn’t enhance their brand. U Chicago should rethink.</p>
<p>^amandak: that is certainly an adventure (with a very happy ending). I traveled a lot as a teen and really don’t know how my parents coped. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we weren’t as accessible as the kids are today. Parents knew that we would check in once a week and they knew there was no point in worrying in between. Today we can text, skype, etc…and begin to worry if our kids don’t respond within minutes.
Conversely, there are days when I wish I could be in a remote location where internet access is not available…</p>
<p>About prom tickets: if the kids don’t have to buy them until two weeks before, then how does the school know if it will be able to cover the costs?</p>
<p>There does seem to be one college each year that bombards kids with so much mail and e-mail that it turns them off. This year it seems to be Chicago; three years ago with my older daughter it was Wash U. I hate the way these schools give kids the impression that they have a great chance for acceptance when they will deny a large number of them. </p>
<p>Kathiep: Your son’s adventure sounds wonderful for him, but scary for you. I do think that it’s great that so many kids are traveling and studying abroad these days. Once they start serious jobs and have families, they may never had these opportunities again. It took me over 50 years to get to Europe.</p>
<p>My son was lucky that he’s the #2 child. His older sister has visited South America, Europe and Africa and lived in China for a year. Son did a study abroad in England while in College and since he couldn’t find a job, decided to go for the gusto now. I am a super trip planner so, yes, this is a bit nerve wracking. My husband and I thought we were quite adventurous moving to upstate NY as young marrieds without real jobs. We got a house-fixing job through Mother Earth News!</p>
<p>The best thing about this trip is it takes my mind off of #3 and the college search drama…</p>
<p>kathiep - sounds like a fun adventure for your S. As a mom, it can be pretty nervewracking - but hopefully, he will text/call often enough that you can be assured he’s safe!</p>
<p>Sympathies to those dealing with medical issues with parents. Had to laugh with all the stories about the remotes and tv issues. When my parents were visiting us a couple of years ago, I would get constant calls - customer support for the tv/dvd remote! They never could figure out how to restart watching a dvd from where they left it the last time. They would either restart the movie again from the beginning or wait till the kids came home and ask them to help!</p>
<p>Haven’t heard anything about the prom out here yet. I know there’s a winter formal in a couple of weeks, but D hasn’t said anything so far. Don’t know if she will go.</p>
<p>Thanks to the snow day yesterday, D caught up on some of the scholarship application stuff that’s due later this week. Also sent email to the alumni interviewers who had contacted her. Best part is that she caught up on sleep 
And we all got to sit down and watch the movie Despicable Me together.</p>
<p>Lots to catch up on this fast-moving board.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear of health issues with aging parents. My dad died suddenly a year ago and mom is alone, so even though she is healthy, our roles have had to evolve into advisors of sorts. It is a challenge for us and for my mom who is bright and competent, but hadn’t needed to pay attention to anything having to do with finances or management of the house, etc. for nearly 50 years!</p>
<p>Spam emails from colleges has lessened a bit for us. My first reaction when I see another email from these colleges is to hit the delete button, but the best way to get them to stop permanently is to open the email, scroll down to the bottom and click on the “unsubscribe” link. </p>
<p>I have to say that I am somewhat jealous of those with snow days this week. We haven’t had a snow day since D was in kindergarten! Our winter has been snowy, but not as brutal as some other areas of the country have experienced.</p>
<p>My D will undoubtedly be heading off ere long on one of these ‘adventures’. The career she wants includes a lot of travel to some ‘back-of-beyond’ type places…some of which weren’t even open to the West when I was in H.S.! Bulgaria? Slovenia? Yikes! I admire any mom who can send their kid off with even a semblance of sang-froid!</p>
<p>For scholarship searches, which websites do you recommend? I’ve gone through fastweb and collegeboard, are there any others worth bothering with?</p>
<p>If any of you are struggling with multiple remotes, I highly suggest the Logitech Harmony One remote. It is a little difficult to set up, but a dream to use. It basically is a computer so you need to be a little computer comfortable to deal with it.</p>
<p>Sympathies for all those with aging parents. I never knew how hard it was. My mom is 87 and has been given 23-48 hours three times in the last 4 months. She just keeps fighting back, she is a tough one but this time could be it.<br>
I’ve got to get in gear for FAFSA this week, and double check any schol deadlines, but I only think S has one. Then I need to find a job. I am trying to get motivated for that. The 3 feet of snow we now have isn’t helping. I just want to sit in front of the fire and read. I am so glad app season is over for us. I have a few friends who are on the ledge after their s & d’s were deferred for ED, and I feel really bad as there will be no relaxing for months, but there is not much you can do at this point either.
First semester ends tomorrow for S, then he will be a second semester Senior, eek. He will need to muster up some motivation to not incur the dreaded senior slump.</p>
<p>Hi everyone, it’s been so long since I last posted. I think the last time was right before Christmas. It’s been nuts here ever since. Just read a little above and it’s uncanny how I dropped back into this thread right at this moment. My mom was here over Christmas and after the holidays she sat me down to tell me about some incidents that possibly indicate some memory lost. She’s worried and frightened. My brother and I have been trying to deal with the issue the last couple of weeks while I also helped my son w/ his last few applications and a merit app that’s due on 1/15. I’ve proofread so much I think I’m going blind. I’m very happy that the app stuff is pretty much done, unless he applies for non-college specific merit scholarships. Now I need to turn my attention to my mom and to my freshman who has been raising himself for the last year. </p>
<p>Italy does seem so far away. Would love to be there just about now. My mom lives there half the year. If any of you are planning a trip to Rome, PM me and i’ll send you an email that i’ve written for someone who was about to go. it has my favorite pizza, gelato, coffee shops, restaurants and other recommendations. I spent my childhood thru early adults summers in italy, and many since, and studied & worked in florence for 4 summers. </p>
<p>And finally, for all of you who have heard good news in my absence, a hearty congratulations. And for those w/ some bad news, this too shall pass. this whole year has felt like a roller coaster to me, but it’s been true that the bad bits are manageable – at least those related to the college stuff --and probably good exercise for our resilience.</p>
<p>amandak- as a mom w/ a son who’s had a girlfriend for the last 2 yrs., i live w/ an underlying worry of that first breakup, and wonder what will happen when they’re in college next year. but they have to grow up; i remember getting hurt in high school and truly believe that I formed a tougher skin from it. i know i did. the next time it happened, i wasn’t so crushed and when I was the source of the break-up, i did it w/ a lot more respect and empathy for the guy than the way i was treated when it happened to me for the first time.</p>
<p>i’ve missed you guys & will try harder to check in.</p>
<p>Hi, Renmom! Thanks for letting us know how you’re doing. Great wisdom, as always.</p>
<p>ldinct’s remark about our kids’ impending second semester status really hit me. I’ve been realizing lately that we’re about to enter a really important phase: the LAST semester. College D is also in her LAST semester. Mostly I’m thrilled - D2 will reduce her academic classes by one (Econ goes to Art), will have some lovely landmarks to enjoy (concerts, plays, a few awards most likely), and then there’s the REAL college process of the auditions and the final answers. I feel like second semester will be more exciting, maybe more intense, but more enjoyable than first semester. </p>
<p>H is also starting a huge transition in his career (luckily still employed and stable, but a new position), and I’m taking some important steps of my own. So we’re all in major flux in our family. But it pretty much all can be seen as positive, even with the worries.</p>
<p>I don’t know if D will get a senior slump - I doubt it, because she really enjoys what she’s doing, and she has some really exciting landmarks - most of them week by week - to keep her moving along. She has the next couple of Mondays off, too, and only a few full weeks of school from now until February, what with various days off and audition trips. She’s in a play in March, and has spring break at the end of it. So I think next semester’s going to move awfully fast!</p>
<p>On the other subject, I sent my D1 to South Africa a year ago for 4 months. She was in a very strictly supervised program, so the only time I really worried was the 4 days at the end when she and some pals rented a car and took off on their own. I just closed my eyes and waited for that part to be over. But it’s payback - I bicycled in Soviet-bloc Eastern Europe for a summer in the 70s, and I’m sure my mother was bananas the whole time I was gone. For me, though, it was terrific fun.</p>
<p>My D1 junior college girl is not adventurous, goes to a college not far from home and doesn’t have the desire to see the world. But she just went on an Alternative Break program through her college-- and her group got held up at knifepoint. All was well, it was just kids looking for quick money, although of course it was scary. But it sounds like she handled herself very well (did some quick thinking while it was happening), and she grew up about a year in a day. We’ll see if this makes her any more or less adventurous going forward!</p>
<p>It’s finals week for D2, and she’s really sick (H & I had it first). She’s had to reschedule everything for the semester break. Thank goodness we did our college trips early-- most of her friends are hitting the road to look at schools the minute finals are over. Our D has already seen them all, so we were staying home, which means she can do make-up tests then-- the school is fine with that.</p>
<p>She was so looking forward to finishing up and being a last-semester senior… well, just a couple of days late, but it will still happen!</p>
<p>Hey, is there any point it asking her GC to send in her grades to her schools? They don’t ask for them, but she is likely to have her best grades ever.</p>
<p>kathyp, your s’s trip sounds incredibly cool. I traveled around Europe quite a bit when I was that age and had a blast. I worked in London and had all sorts of adventures. Best part was I did it completely without parental involvement. Never called home once in 9 weeks. Those were the days when long distance was terribly expensive and no cell phones, of course. I went with friends, but we made no reservations, just took our Europe on $20 a day book. (or was it $35?)</p>
<p>I want S1 to feel the same untethered sort of out-in-the-world life. Make all the decisions and discoveries himself. Not have another great experience that has been moderated somewhat by choices and advice of others. But technology is so pervasive! He’s posting his photos online (Thundr) and available now by email and phone. I’m grateful for it!! But… he loses a bit of independence, I think.</p>
<p>He’s just moved into his new home and it sounds perfect. Close to campus, his own room, and the family includes 2 sons, ages 22 and 30 who live at home. The younger one is in college and speaks English. Everyone seems to be a master chef in the house. All good. I’m relieved!</p>
<p>S1 was inundated by U Chicago and Wash U mailings 3 years ago. S2 seems to be under constant barrage by Wake Forest, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Emory among others. Needless to say, he never visited or even considered these schools as fits. </p>
<p>S2 has first final tomorrow. AP English Lit. Oh joy!</p>
<p>I think you should send grades, especially if they’re very good, or even if they’re merely consistent. I’m surprised the schools aren’t asking for them - most of D’s schools require a mid-year report.</p>
<p>In my scholarship searching, I found a truly marvelous $500 one with a deadline of 1/31 that I want to share with you all - they don’t want proof of financial need, no GPA, no grades, no SATs, no stupid essay on why Bulgarians shouldn’t be in the EU or why you deserve this money or How your college education will assist you pursue your ideas in the area of mobility engineering (all real titles) - they just want the most creative answers to very teenage-y silly questions - take a look at the questions: [OP</a> Loftbed $500 Scholarship Award](<a href=“http://www.oploftbed.com/scholarship/scholarshipapp3.php]OP”>http://www.oploftbed.com/scholarship/scholarshipapp3.php)
Just in case your kiddo does enter, make sure they read the rules, #4 must be answered “OP Loftbed” or the entry is disqualified. This (among a pile of 10 or so) was the only app that my son actually showed interest in completing!</p>
<p>I agree with sending in first semester grades to all schools. Our private school does this automatically–so for kids who are slumping–not so great, eh? But I think voluntarily sending those grades shows 1) strong performance in (usually) most rigorous classes, and 2) continued love for this school. </p>
<p>Will you GC send them if you ask?</p>