<p>Good morning everyone!
1012mom - I believe commended is based on nationwide scores.</p>
<p>And thanks for the no-snow vibes everyone - so far, we just have a 2 hour delay. (keeping fingers crossed…)</p>
<p>Hello everyone - just found this thread and thought I would join in. The realization has hit here that my 2012’er has less than 18 months til graduation! YIKES. We are stashing away money furiously as that date looms closer - it seems like an enormous hill to climb though. Anyone else here worrying about the financial side?? Dd is doing her part in regard to merit money though - just got her PSAT’s back yesterday with a very exciting 232. We were thrilled! Looking forward to chatting with y’all.</p>
<p>Welcome, Highbury! Is this your oldest? </p>
<p>Financial side? We try not to think about it! Just kidding. Whit your daughter being a NMSF and probably a NMF, you will be able to find a financial safety or two. Check out this thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html</a></p>
<p>Congrats to your daughter on her great score!</p>
<p>Thanks for the link Pinot, what a great thread! Yes, my daughter is my oldest and we were somewhat in the dark as to how college cost have risen. So while we were saving, it was not close to enough. Happily for us we do have a great flagship university in Chapel Hill which is an outstanding bargin. So at the very least we should be able to afford attendance there(or other state schools). Its just difficult when you see your child working so hard, it’s natural to want to send them wherever they might get in. With 3 kids I am all for avoiding major loans for either them or us…</p>
<p>Congrats on the PSAT score, PRJD!</p>
<p>Sometimes I think kids think teachers hate them, or have it in for them personally. I think it’s just a part of teens basic self-centeredness. A high school teacher is unlikely to want to do any particular kid in. DD’s roommate is convinced that her chem. teacher hates her. That doesn’t really explain test scores, since tests are written for all sections regardless of teacher.</p>
<p>Of course, it doesn’t mean that the teacher is bending over backwards to help every kid!</p>
<p>Congrats on the speech grade. It’s such a good thing when hard work pays off.</p>
<p>Joining the chorus of cheers for PRJ’s D! Congratulations! :)</p>
<p>welcome Highbury :)</p>
<p>and thanks again for all the congrats. and now for something completely different:</p>
<p>D is applying to a summer work-study program at camp - it sort of a precursor to being a junior counselor. I knew the app was due sometime in December, but I’ve taken pretty much of a hands-off attitude with this D because she typically doesn’t need a lot of prodding. so apparently the app was due yesterday. and yesterday she filled out the form, wrote her essay, and asked two teachers, her youth group advisor and our Rabbi for LAST MINUTE recommendations!! and then asked me to scan and fax the darn thing, including the recs, before midnight last night! way out of MY comfort zone - the instructions clearly said applications not received by the 15th won’t be considered, and recommendations were supposed to be mailed directly to the camp, not submitted by the applicant. I didn’t comment or judge, but inside I was thinking “who are you and what have you done with my uber-responsible D?” oy vey.</p>
<p>Prj - I commend your handling of last night’s situation. You didn’t comment or judge, which would have been counterproductive at that point. Your uber-responsible D is still there and if all does not go as she hoped, she will know that she has only herself to blame…an important life lesson. This type of thing is ongoing at my house. I am constantly working at not saying the “woulda/coulda/shouda” remarks and instead, if and when things go sour, I try the “oh well, I am so sorry” (empathetic, but detached as opposed to what I really want to say. Welcome to my life these days. </p>
<p>I am reading with interest the ED/EA admissions threads here on CC for all different types of schools knowing that we will all be in this game next year and it is very scary.</p>
<p>^ I’m intentionally NOT reading ED/EA admissions threads! It’s too early to get that freaked out! I just don’t have the intestinal fortitude.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So true. I learned to do this lately and our life improved immeasurably. When do we get to say what’s on our mind? Probably never.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think we can say what’s really on our minds when we become senior citizens! Then people can say “oh, don’t worry about what she says, she’s old!” ;)</p>
<p>^ …:)</p>
<p>I really need to learn this lesson. I am trying and I usually succeed for whatever the first topic of conversation is about. Further down the line, I blow it. Practicing, “that’s great honey, how can I help you?” Repeat, repeat, repeat.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Absolute truth. We know all along, in the ballpark, what they are capable of achieving, grades, test scores, EC’s and friends, etc., yet we worry, somewhat unnecessarily.</p>
<p>Welcome Highbury. What a good score your D got. With that, she can go to many schools for free. But, will she consider going to any of those? Please keep us posted.</p>
<p>Highbury - Welcome to the parents of class of 2012! I guess I missed your entrance yesterday but a belated and heartfelt HELLO! You must be so proud of your DD on her stellar PSAT score. I admit, I am envious, but still very very happy for you guys and looking forward to hearing of all her wonderful achievements in the coming 1 1/2 years. My son is a high GPA in uber-rigorous classes but eh test scoring kid (he is all about math and science but forget English).</p>
<p>Welcome, Highbury! And congrats on that PSAT score. Your D will have many choices a year from now. :)</p>
<p>This is a quote from D2, when she came home crying after her ballet class:</p>
<p>“Just because I am complaining doesn´t mean I want to quit. I just want you to listen and not try to fix things all the time.”</p>
<p>I’ve heard that same quote. My older daughter used it a lot last year as a Freshman in college. She vented to me a lot because she just didn’t feel she knew her college friends well enough yet. Don’t hear it at all this year.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I have been lurking the forums for a while, but finally broke down and joined. I have found lots of useful and helpful information on these boards! I have 4 kids…DD 18 is already a freshman at Texas A&M and DD 16 is a junior in HS so we are going through the college stuff for the second time. My two boys are much younger. Even though I have done this before, second DD is quite a bit more high achieving in testing and school than the first so we are wishing and hoping for a good merit award wherever she goes since financially we can’t afford two in school at once (of course, we are super rich according to the FAFSA).</p>
<p>Our school doesn’t give out PSAT scores until Jan., but I convinced the counselor to reveal my DD’s. I was scared because she didn’t feel that good about the test, but she got a 223! NM cutoff in Texas last year was 216. I can’t tell anyone around here because I’m not supposed to know yet. She has been getting college mail since she was a freshman, but nothing really “personal” or serious looking…mostly just informational stuff. Do schools still recruit high achievers and offer expense paid visits? This happened to me when I was a National Merit, but maybe it’s a thing of the past? </p>
<p>She already took the SAT and got 2290. She wants to major in some kind of Chemistry and is open to almost any school with a really good scholarship. Hope this isn’t too much info for a first post!</p>
<p>WTG DebbieD! </p>
<p>It does seem like the $$ is starting to dry up for NMSF, but there’s still some out there. Take a look at your state flagship, and see what they’ll do (probably a lot). Also, look for department specific merit money. There’s a lot of department scholarships which can go unclaimed because people don’t look. It may be worthwhile thinking about whether there’s more money available for Chem or ChemEng depending on her goals.</p>
<p>My D seems to have her sights set higher and more expensively, but we will make her keep her options open.</p>