<p>Congratulations, NMSF’s and kids who’ve aced this semester! A couple more weeks to go before mid-year exams here and I’m holding my breath, as the big exams are not D’s strong suit and I will hate it if a great semester sags under those grades. (Interesting AP article in the Times this morning…not sure I understand if the new AP tests begin this year or in future?)</p>
<p>^^ chrissy, Chicago also has a couple jr visit days in the spring, but I couldn’t find the dates on their webpage, we attended two years ago with D1 and I found it very worthwhile.</p>
<p>I believe some AP changes occur this year, such as elimination of the guessing penalty. I have been waiting to buy prep books until I have time to further investigate</p>
<p>one more week and then D2 is 1/2 way done with Jr year here</p>
<p>Hi there everyone!</p>
<p>I am new to posting but thought I should jump in as my S#1 is a Jr this year. I have a couple of questions for the group.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>My son has taken the SAT’s twice already end of 10th grade (CR 800/M 610/W 670=2080) and this Dec (CR 720/M 660/W 660=2040). This was somewhat disappointing as we hired a tutor to help him with the math section since we all felt he could do better. However, he rocked this years PSAT (CR 80/M 72/W 79=231). He wants to take the SAT again because he think a better score is out there for him due to his PSAT score. So my question is how many times do you all feel is OK to take the SAT?</p></li>
<li><p>He is looking at what to do this summer that is college application worthy. He is taking
Lit Magazine (creative writing) and really enjoying this class. So he is interested in maybe
doing a creative writing program. I have ID’ed three that look good: Univ of Iowa’s Young Writers Studio, Kenyon’s Young Writers WorkShop and UVA’s Young Writers WorkShop. Does anyone know of any others that are well respected?</p></li>
<li><p>Lastly, I do not understand some of the weighted GPA’s I am seeing. I thought you only counted AP classes toward a weighted GPA but from what I am seeing people are calculating this for any honors/intensified courses - is this correct?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>That is it for now - thanks in advance for any input!</p>
<p>Cal1983 –</p>
<p>Each school weights GPAs differently. Colleges may unweight and re-weight to their specifications. I wouldn’t try to compare weighted GPAs across schools.</p>
<p>amtc and Jackief: We are going to Northwestern with my Mom and Dad. My Dad is an alum who regularly writes for the Alumni Magazine, and they have told him to bring my D over and they will “set her up”…whatever that means. So, we aren’t going on an organized tour. We are going on a “legacy tour” with my Dad and whatever the alumni have planned for her. But thanks for the advice We are also going to visit Notre Dame (his undergrad) not because she wants to go there, but because he wants one of his kids (that would be me) to see where he went to undergrad. </p>
<p>I’m wondering if any of you have ever had a kid go through the NMSQT. From what I have heard, the qualifying score has never been higher than 223 for any place. My D got a 225, so its looking very good. I was wondering (1) what it like? and (2) what she could get?</p>
<p>My other D was an actor. That experience was so different than the overachieving, athlete, editor, student type I have now.</p>
<p>Cal1983: If your son is into playwriting, check out the Urban Retreat, July 9 through July 17, 2011 in NYC this year. Its run by the Young Playwrights Inc. Workshop which was started by Stephen Sondheim. My D is going to try for a similar program in California, but its only for Californians. The Urban Retreat is for everyone.</p>
<p>Also, the YoungArts competition will be starting up in June. Check it out. Its a scholarship program and summer is the time to work on the writing to enter.</p>
<p>Cal1983 - I would definitely have your son continue to prep and take the SATone more time at the end of this spring (either March, May or June). Most kids go up from sophomore to junior year and your son has the potential to be a tip top percentile scorer. So my answer is that it is OK to take the SAT 3 times. </p>
<p>My DS has two weeks left of semester one (one week of class then 4 days of midterms). The day following the midterms he takes the SAT for the first “official” time (he has done a timed simulation using an older test). I think I am going to be holding my breath (and my tongue) for the next two weeks.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>seiclan, I think I know what you mean. In my case, I hold and hold and finally the internal pressure is too much to hold. I just pray I explode at a harmless moment.</p>
<p>Congrats to chrissyblu’s D on 225!</p>
<p>@mathinokc - Yes you are right and I know that colleges do that. My son has always taken
all intensified classes and I have always told him he will get credit for that. I am hoping this is true even though there are a whole lot of B’s in there!</p>
<p>@chrissyblu - Thanks for pointing out the two programs both looking interesting and my son
although he has not written a lot of plays - he is in theater as well and might enjoy UR.
Also, Norhtwestern is his currently his second choice after Univ of Chicago. His dad got his
MBA there. Would like to hear how you “Alumni” visit goes!</p>
<p>@seiclan - I tend to agree that three times is OK but maybe four is not. The key is will he study! I have told him he needs to show an improved score on a practice test before we sign him up for another real one - thanks for your thoughts.</p>
<p>Chrissyblu - My S1 got NMF last year. The process was pretty simple. After they announce the NMSF in October, the kids/school have to fill out an application and they send that along with a transcript to the foundation. They also have to take the SAT and get a qualifying score (not very high).</p>
<p>My S1 was awarded $4K/year from my company thru the NMF - they try to match you with an award from the parents company, then with an award thru the school and lastly with awards directly from them. I have a friend whose D got it the year before and only got $1K/year (they base it on need too I guess). This really helps alot since his school is need based only, and the $4k goes toward his part of the contribution (loans and/or work study), not the FA grants they awarded.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>crissyblue, if you havent yet seen this, a good updated list of NMF scholarships is here</p>
<p><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>Of course, these are subject to change by the time our kids graduate. My son was NMF and got a full ride at U of Florida, but UF has made significant changes to the program. Univ of Texas has slashed their NMF program and so have others. Hopefully the remaining programs will stay intact for future NMF.</p>
<p>Cal1983 –</p>
<p>I don’t know what kind of writing he likes, but if he likes SF, fantasy, or horror, he might want to check out Alpha.</p>
<p>[Alpha</a> SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers](<a href=“http://alpha.spellcaster.org/]Alpha”>http://alpha.spellcaster.org/)</p>
<p>Thanks for the info on the NMF. I work for the State of California, so I don’t suspect any company scholarships there. My husband’s company is too small as well. But I will have two kids in college when my younger D hits her freshman year, so we are hopeful that we will receive some kind of aid. UCLA is $28,000 a year right now just room and board. My younger D really wants to go private, but my hubby says he can’t justify most private schools if she gets into UCLA or Berkeley. But she says (this will make y’all smile) UCLA isn’t big enough for her and her sister. LOL. It will be interesting…</p>
<p>So for those of you with 16 and 17 year old newly licensed drivers, I was wondering what privileges you were allowing to the kids. In our state, the car has an 11pm curfew if driven by a provisional driver (this is license not a permit) and only one non relative can be in the car. I think the car can only be driven in the state as well. How far can they go? Highway or local? Day and night? Clear and inclement weather? </p>
<p>I know the driving skills of the individual are important but I would love to know what others are doing.</p>
<p>In our state, they issue a junior license until kids reach 18. There’s an 11pm curfew and heavier penalty for DUI. No limit for the number of passengers. I let my new driver drive locally about 5 miles radius. I also asked her to have only one passenger for a while and no talking while driving. If the passenger is a minor, they should get their parents permission to ride in my D’s car.</p>
<p>Welcome to the new posters who have arrived since the last time I posted!</p>
<p>chrissyblu - Great Score!</p>
<p>In NC you get a limited license for the first 6 months. New drivers cannot drive after 9pm. They are only allowed to have one other person in the car with them, although they can drive more than one sibling in the car at the same time. After 6 months they can go get their “after 9” license and there are no restrictions.</p>
<p>We live in a “farm state” and even though we’re city people, we get farm standards…Although this has changed in the past year my kids all got under the old system. A learner’s permit is ok at 14, a restricted at 15 with 50 hours of practice (which means you can drive to school and work only,by yourself, although I can introduce you to many people who didn’t have their kids follow that and a regular license at 16. My d drove just the two months before her 16th only to school and back as her Dad was traveling and her schedule was a nightmare. Although the older two call unfair, I think going to school and back alone was good practice.
For six months, no one else was allowed in the car except under emergency that she called first (another kid stranded some place). No radio on and no other distractions. Call when you get to place and call if you move. She showed awesome maturity driving in some horrible rainstorms this summer. Dad is actually out with her now (snow day) teaching her how to handle a car in the snow.
Driving license rules changed, I think for the better last new years. You can still get a permit at 15, restricted I think is 15.5 but at 16 is not a full license. It comes with curfew, only siblings in the car and strict consequences if laws are broken.
And the restrictions are also house set up- the youngest is 15 and no where near able to drive himself. He’s a white knuckled driver and it will be awhile. Luckily, he has fewer places to go. He’s got his restricted but its restriction is he is only riding with us for a longer time.</p>
<p>New drivers get a restricted liscense, no passengers, 11pm curfew for the first year. D is allowed to drive locally, must text on arrival and if she moves. No text = no car, so she’s pretty good about it. Cellphone must be in her purse on floor of passenger side if she wants to drive (I don’t want her to see she has a message, etc). The only passenger she’s allowed to drive is Dh or I.</p>
<p>Permit at 16, jr license 16 1/2, (midnight curfew, no passengers under 18), regular license after 6 mos. of jr license. State law is cellphone must be off. It’s icy in winter so D won’t take the test until spring, and won’t get to go further than school (it’s 20 miles away) for the first few months. She’s more nervous about it than I am so it shouldn’t be much of a problem!</p>