<p>AvonHSDad - I cannot believe that I have heretofore been unaware of such a monumental cultural event! Sounds like Avon is my spiritual home. Thank you! The date is on my calendar.</p>
<p>Hi everybody – gosh so much has happened since I last wrote in. Fortunately, my work has picked up a lot since the holidays (although I did spend a chunk of time yesterday - my one day off this week – talking to Pepper on the phone for the first time. That was a lot of fun!)</p>
<p>Congratulations to everybody receiving good news and merit scholarships!! Hurray!!!</p>
<p>For those of us still waiting to hear, as fogfog says, “tick tock,” our time is nearly here. Thank God.</p>
<p>OWM: I know exactly how you feel. I’m starting to get that anxious feeling I had a couple of weeks before my son heard back from his ED/EA schools. And I too have gained a lot of weight this year from the ups and downs of this process. I’d love to lose a bunch of it before graduation. Have begun running again but man, I’m so slow. </p>
<p>As far as visiting, my S knows he wants to visit at least one of the schools he’s already been admitted to but w/out knowing the other decisions it gets tough to organize this. Some of his schools have overlapping admitted students days, which will force a decision. Like so many of you, I want this process over. We have neighbors who have kids admitted ED or EA to their first choice – that was really a sprint; RD is a marathon and as such, it’s exhausting.</p>
<p>In terms of what happens after AP exams? My son’s school eliminated all APs in the last few years – easy to do in a small, rigorous private school, although they followed the lead of Scarsdale High School in Scarsdale, NY, one of the top US public schools. Although their courses aren’t taught to the APs, the kids still take them, particularly as juniors, and the teachers work w/ them for a couple of hours on a Sunday before the test. After that, classes continue w/ their regular homework load, papers and a final. So, he expects to work hard through the last day of school. My younger son, a freshman, opted to go to our local public high school because he just didn’t want his brother’s workload. I know from my neighbors’ kids that after the APs are over, school is essentially done. They still need to attend class but it’s a party. I’m glad I’ll live through the tougher high school experience only once!</p>
<p>Hi everyone - Amazing how time flies. In less than a month our kids will know where they made it, in another month where they are going and in one more month they will be done with high school.</p>
<p>Our school continues classes after the AP exams, but they are a lot more relaxed at that point. Seniors though have an option to do the senior project and most choose to do it. However, my DS is thinking against it. He is taking dual enrollment classes and the college semester will be over by then, so he would only be at school for 3 periods. Nice and relaxing month. I wish April was like that, it would be so much easier to schedule any re-visits.</p>
<p>Our kids have projects that count as finals in their AP classes. There’s a good three weeks of school after the finals. I just found out at a school board meeting earlier this week that this coming school year will start before Memorial day and end June 1st! Figures, after having kids in this High School for ten years, now they finally get the schedule right!</p>
<p>I think AP and IB exams are given concurrently from May 2-19. I don’t know if students only go in when they have exams. Assume that is what seniors do. Graduation is May 21. School is over for seniors. Everyone else stays til June 2 to take finals. </p>
<p>Wish the timing had worked out for son to go on March of the Living with his former day school classmates. Some years it does depending on how the holidays fall.</p>
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We did the same thing. After visiting the school, I always felt like he left a part of himself there, that’s how well the school fit him. No one at his high school has ever heard of the school. Two days ago a kid in his class gave him flack for not going to a high visibility (read that as expensive) school/college, my son turned around and said that at least he knew where he was going. This guy hasn’t made up his mind yet on school or major (not that there’s anything wrong with that).</p>
<p>We don’t have a financial aid package yet, but the scholarship he earned already puts it in the affordable column. More power to your daughter!!!</p>
<p>I think that as a family we have gotten over the prestige factor and are more concerned with fit right now. Most of the schools S applied to are outside our geographical area and an unknown to many in this area. A couple have nationally ranked sports teams but folks otherwise know nothing about them. I think for the most part we did well based on the merit money he has been offered from the ones he has heard from. My hope is S graduates with no loans and so far that looks doable. Of course he was deferred EA from his number one choice and if they accept him, it isn’t likely they will offer him merit. H is having S make a spreadsheet with the pros and cons of the various schools. All the schools have what he wants in his major and I am hoping the one that ends up costing us less out of pocket also ends up having something academic that also makes it the best choice (internships, professors, etc) in S’s mind.</p>
<p>Sr’s last day of school is April 15th at S’s school except for those taking AP classes. AP classes continue until the test. The sr’s do have to do some senior reflection paper but it doesn’t sound like it is very taxing. He will continue to work at the afterschool program at his old elementary school for 2 hours a day M-F til the first week of june. The third week of June he starts work at a summer camp, if they offer him 8 weeks of work, if they only offer him 4 (which they did last year) then we have told him he needs to find something else. I think we will push him to find a PT
job to work nights and weekends at least til camp starts.</p>
<p>We’ve talked about this before, but as we look ahead to the transition (read trauma) of next fall, anybody want to do a 2011/2015 weekend get-together somewhere?</p>
<p>Any travel agents out there with ideas? Maybe a fly-in to someplace very comfortable where we don’t have to DO anything but can just lounge around and talk…hear how each other’s kids are doing, play some version of “Guess Who I Am” as an ice-breaker, that kind of thing. Any interest?</p>
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<p>I am game if we can fit it into the schedule. At a minimum it will be fun to meet others during drop off who have kids going to same school. We are thinking of going to SanDiego in April, if there are any who live in that are I would love to meet up. No definite plans yet though. I have some of the Mothers on my Mother’s group, on of whom lives in HI. No I didn’t meet her on her home turf unfortunately, she met me on mine while traveling for work.</p>
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<p>That could be fun, don’t know where, though I should think a good hub (flights) would be helpful.</p>
<p>I think I a get-together is good- even though I am new here. I vote NYC 
or Albany (come on, you know you’ve always wanted to visit Albany. Such a picturesque place.)
Our college decision is getting easier here. D and I talked yesterday about the 3 online classes she is signed up for this semester. One class, Chem, she only took because she really wanted to go to RPI (it is close, it is filled with geeky/nerdy folks that she likes). But she has had a real time focusing on the class because the individual work time at school (aka study hall) is so noisy or otherwise distracting that it is hard to get any online class work done. The more she has analyzed it- she does not actually want to study at RPI;the science- interdisciplinary major will not be the best for her MS in Library and Information Science. So last night we wrote to her g.c. asking for her to be able to withdraw from Chem online as she does not need the credits. If by some magic she is accepted to RPI, she will turn it down. So now we are down to three colleges and counting (two she has been accepted and one we are still waiting). I just hope the g.c. who is a horse’s a*&, does not give her a hard time about this.</p>
<p>Ds has been abducted by aliens. Some halfhazard clone in his place but he doesn’t have the same manners. If you have seen my ds, most likely at a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts buying a round for his boys, please let him know the scholarship apps he has left are nicely labelled in a file on his desk and he needs to request the recommendations before it’s too late.</p>
<p>^^ Amanda, you are funny!!</p>
<p>Our teen is definitely a second semester Sr…
and I have gently reminded said student the 3rd qtr isnt over,
and these are the last grades for final decile etc…
I will admit 6 APs (3 in the math disciplines, plus Eng, Physics and Comp Gov) are keeping things hopping! Though kiddo’s head is already in New Haven…</p>
<p>D got great news yesterday - an acceptance to an auditioned theatre program! This was such an important affirmation for her. She is really happy. What she’s waiting for now are answers from high match/reaches, some dream schools, but this gives her just what she needs, and she really likes the school. They have a lovely honors college that is being incredibly wonderful to her and has terrific merit scholarships.</p>
<p>So, a good day at our house. And I heard the sandhill cranes fly over for the first time, too. Spring will come!</p>
<p>I’ve started lurking on the Parents’ thread a year ahead of us, trying to pretend we’re done and moved on in this process. It’s kind of fun imagining how things will be in a few months. </p>
<p>And basketball is finally over for Japanese D! She has loved it, but I am just not cut out to be a sports mother. I’m glad to be done with the crazy schedule!</p>
<p>Best wishes to everyone here! I’d love to meet you guys sometime. Maybe we can set up some kind of geographical quandrants based both on where the kids are in school and where people live? I bet we could pull something off.</p>
<p>Happy spring! March just keeps moving along, doesn’t it?</p>
<p>^^^Still thinking of fog fogs Fluffer Nutter sandwich - practically “food of the Gods” in my mind…bliss when on fresh white bread…!</p>
<p>Regarding APs, my D’s school still continues to hold class in those subjects, after the AP exams are finished. They are assigned various projects related to the subject. Still, must feel great for our seniors when those are over - a big step towards “the end” 
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<p>My D is at away at school, and she and all the other seniors are getting very attached, sentimental, emotional, teary, etc. at the prospect of not living together anymore after being in dormitories together for the past 4 years. At the same time, they are counting down the days until they graduate and are released into the great wide world! </p>
<p>Regarding meeting somewhere, I do like the idea of having to guess one’s “name”! Three of us met for lunch a while ago, and that was fun - I had never done anything like that before, and it was hard to explain to my “friends in real life” - I don’t think anyone really gets this unless you’re actually doing it, in my experience…!</p>
<p>Hurray for EmmyBet’s D. Having a great acceptance in the bag takes some of the pressure off. I have been nervous about the next year thread because I don’t want know that while I think this will all be over and smooth sailing, actually next year not so much.</p>
<p>I wondered that, too - I haven’t gotten past August yet, so people are still excited and dorm shopping. I know there will be ups and downs next year - kids who need to make changes, all kinds of surprises. I guess for me, it just feels nice to see the “real” side of actually having the kid in college, instead of all of this hypothetical stuff! But we’ll see how long this method lasts for me.</p>
<p>Emmy - congrats to your D! I have to tell you from what I have read here, I am glad I am a sports Mom and not a theater Mom. </p>
<p>Regarding a get together - My H definitely does not get it, at all. But he goes along with me when I tell him I meeting “X” today. “who?” “you know, X from my Mothers group.” And other people think I will be abducted and tortured and sold into slavery meeting someone I met online, even when the meet and greet is at Starbucks.</p>
<p>Hi all. No news here - we’re still in a waiting mode for the most part. Two more schools left to hear from, and then it will be decision time. I have one that’s at the top of my list at the moment, which may or may not match D’s. We shall see.
EmmyBet - What great news for your D! Getting into a school is great, but getting into an auditioned program is extra special. Congrats!
Count me in the group that would like a decision to be made, but is in no hurry to have my kid move out and up. Excited for her, but dreading the empty space.
A get together you say? I think I’m up for that - depending on location of course. It would be fun to put faces to names and compare notes (and see some pictures)!</p>
<p>Friday’s countdown is:</p>
<p>MIT (March 14th) - 10 days to go. Almost single digits!</p>
<p>**March 31st schools - 27 days to go. Less than 4 weeks! **</p>
<p>T.G.I.F. Another week is behind us. Will this waiting ever end?</p>