<p>IT is good to hear from all of the East Coast folks that they are ok and little damage… So heartwrenching to see some of the destruction. </p>
<p>Was speaking to a friend of a HS senior that is so totally behind on applications and test taking… Hope after my conversation with her they will get him on track. He is registered for an upcoming ACT at least and should make deadlines…</p>
<p>I got word from S about midterm grades, he says he’s on track to have something like a “B+” which, if it pans out, would be an improvement on his GPA in high school 
He loves studying music and I think his grades probably reflect that.</p>
<p>I’m picking him up next Tuesday to vote (first time!) and see the dentist. Really looking forward to it.</p>
<p>Glad everyone seems to have come through the storm OK. Our NY family - mostly my in-laws - were mixed. The Manhattan people are fine, the long Beach people have significant flood damage, lost cars, etc…and they aren’t able to being assessing or cleaning up as Long Beach is without power, water and sewer. So they’re staying elsewhere and already back to work, they’re mostly in theater and Broadway didn’t stay dark for long :)</p>
<p>Power came back on about an hour ago… So nice to know I won’t wake up in 40-something degree weather inside tomorrow! We had no damage… just a few branches down… and a nice supply of kindling for the fireplace right on the deck. D seems to have weathered the storm fine. She was home for October break till Sunday, but I figured she’d be better Off and safer at school. I think she now has a lifetime supply of food in her dorm.</p>
<p>I had mailed a Halloween care package with homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, homemade roasted pumpkin seeds and a bag of caramel apple suckers on Saturday. At that time, they were predicting Sandy would be hitting on Tuesday. But, the school (and the mail room) closed Monday when the package should have gotten there. Everything opened back up yesterday but she didn’t get the package yesterday. Thankfully, she got it today!</p>
<p>My D was debating a few weeks ago whether to go on the Columbia University Democrats campaign trip this weekend. They have a four day weekend (five really… no Friday class) so the CUD was going to Ohio to help campaign for Obama. She wanted to go, but she also wanted some down time. She ended up getting some downtime due to Sandy though so she is very excited to go campaigning now! </p>
<p>She’ll be in the Cleveland area, just 2.5 hours from home. I would love to try to see her, but she said the schedule is just packed with activity. And, they are staying at a Salvation Army. So, I will have to wait until Thanksgiving to see her. However, that is less than 3 weeks away now!</p>
<p>Thanksgiving is less than3 weeks away - wow, how time flies!</p>
<p>Glad to hear more reporting in after the storm.</p>
<p>We had no damage or power outage during the storm (quite a few lost power around us), and then lost one of our ponies last night for some unexplained reason (couldn’t stand - vet thought neurological, but if so, it sure came on suddenly and the pony was only a year old, so hardly old age issues). Go figure.</p>
<p>The day after the storm one of our house fuses blew… again, not storm related (and an easy fix for that one). The timing just seems very odd.</p>
<p>So, Thanksgiving in less than three weeks (and seeing college boy again) - sounds great!</p>
<p>D taking the bus home for the 4-day Barnard weekend. Will be glad to see her and glad for her to be out of NYC, which is giving me anxiety. I think going ahead with the Marathon is a terrible idea. Hope it’s easy to get to the bus station. She assumes subway is fine, but I wonder if it’s not a bit chaotic, even in parts that weren’t flooded, as auto transportation has become more difficult due to gas shortage.</p>
<p>Haven’t posted in this thread (or maybe it was the class of 2012 thread?) in awhile but…</p>
<p>i was just notified I got selected as an undergraduate researcher for a research project that’s also paid!! I was told it also has promise for publication and that I would be named as an author if so!! I’m really happy, besides what I’ll learn and gain from this experience, but also because I will hopefully (especially if it gets published) have something solid on my resume when applying for summer research programs next year and even medical schools in the future and even open doors to other research projects here. I start this semester and continue into next semester. In fact, I also was taken on in the lab of a physics professor, to start next january, and will work on his projects too, along with the other one (this position is voluntary but I have the option of staying in his lab over the summer, next year, etc). I may even consider the possibility of M.D/Ph.D programs since I may have the research experience to actually be competitive for them.(academics still come first though!). </p>
<p>I figure even though I’m a freshman, I’m really truly transitioned to college life and my courseload will only get more difficult so why not start with research this year and get used to it and how it works at RPI than as a sophomore. Of course I emailed 15 professors and was successful with only 2 of them (rest dont take on freshman usually). I originally planned to take 21 credits next semester (physics 2 bio 2 chem 2, intro to enginering and possibly Literature) but I may cut literature if the workload/research is too much. </p>
<p>So far, college is going great. I started a little slow in bio and chem 1 because i was unused to really studying for tests but now I hit my stride and doing much better. I really think I hit the ground running so far as a pre med/biomed engr major and college student. Would celebrate tonight but have to get up at 5 a.m tomorrow for a quiz bowl tournament.</p>
<p>For those who remember, I was extremely disappointed with being forced to turn Cornell down and attend RPI but I’m extremely happy here now and with the opportunities I’m being offered. It may have even been harder to get where I am now at cornell!</p>
<p>cortana - congratulations. Glad to hear that you are doing so well. It was Cornell’s lost that they couldn’t make it financially possible for a student like you.</p>
<p>cortana431 – I remember you, 'cause I remember what I told you. Considering the circumstances, I’m sure you won’t mind my saying, “I told you so.” :)</p>
<p>Everything sounds good, but make sure you don’t take on quantity at the expense of quality. Not too worried because it sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>NYC Marathon is cancelled!</p>
<p>So happy for you cortana!!!</p>
<p>cortana,
so happy for you!</p>
<p>Please, please, please come back to CC in the spring to let this year’s seniors know that life can be very, very good even if they cannot attend their first choice college. Your experience --ending up at RPI instead of Cornell, and thriving-- will be very helpful for them.</p>
<p>Cortana, that research position is an excellent opportunity. Good for you.</p>
<p>cortana - any chance you’d be willing to post your experience on this thread:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1407985-where-get-merit-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1407985-where-get-merit-aid.html</a></p>
<p>The OP’s D is in a similar boat, but has a chance now to apply to schools that could be affordable for them in case their first choice schools don’t come in financially affordable.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your current success and kudos for making such a wise choice financially instead of getting bogged down by debt. You’ll do well in life!</p>
<p>Received an actual PHONE CALL from my S last night. He dropped his phone in September, so only managed to get in one phone call before that, and then one on his sister’s phone on fall break (dropped phone still handled texts). He received his new phone last Monday.</p>
<p>He said he’s going to get a haircut today. His last haircut was at home before he left for college in mid-August!</p>
<p>Remember the angst? anxiety? the stress? the pushing and prodding to get apps done? ED? EA? RD? best school lists? financial aid worries and woes? close to home, or cross country? ACT’s, SAT’s? teacher Rec’s, ESSAY’s? where are you going to go!? where are your friends going? acceptances, rejections, decisions, decisions, deadlines!</p>
<p>Fast forward, 1 year later. I miss the energy, but LOVE the present satisfaction and contentment.</p>
<p>Hope you and yours are doing well. That they are “blooming where planted” and are most importantly; happy and healthy, and effectively transitioning into adulthood.</p>
<p>What a year.</p>
<p>Whew giterdone you’re not kidding. I am SO glad not to be in that place right now.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Uh, yeah, with a junior in high school still here at home, I remember it all well. ;)</p>
<p>I don’t need to press him for apps, etc, this year - merely pressing him for grades and test prep which, with this kiddo, leads to just as much stress, if not more.</p>
<p>In two years we’ll be able to relax - at least - that’s our plan. Who knows what reality holds!</p>
<p>Good point, giterdone! And good luck to Creekland’s son on a great junior year!</p>
<p>Giving you a glimpse of fast-forward-a-few-years (one graduating college this spring, one graduating grad school this spring)</p>
<p>–did you do your degree audit? Are you cleared for graduation? Job fairs, career fairs, resumes, linked in? Get that LOR? What do you WANT to do? What city?..</p>
<p>As I told my friend with the toddler who will wear only purple, little kids, little problems; bigger kids, bigger problems. And it doesn’t ever end or go away. Stressing as my oldest and his wife are in the process of buying a house and having a baby…</p>
<p>And yet I enjoy it all.</p>