<p>Welcome Debbie - congrats on the PSAT! Sounds like a challenging schedule next year.</p>
<p>Gwen: We have our GC meeting tomorrow. It is really starting to feel as though it is “our kids’ turn.” (I don’t think we go on the clock until April 1st, though.)</p>
<p>Does anybody have some really smart questions to ask the GC? I don’t want to say, “I don’t have any questions, my 2012 thread pals on CC have already filled me in.”</p>
<p>PN - both D’s are gearing up for the AMC next week, though, now that you mention it, I haven’t heard back about a seat for my 8th grader. Well, that’s not going to happen today.</p>
<p>AMC is next up on our radar, too.
F=ma was last week for physics olympiad.
After the AMCs are done, then comes chem olympiad.
Then, AIME.
Then, potentially more contests depending on how well she’s done on these.</p>
<p>Got to love the spring olympiad season!</p>
<p>Wow-- congratulations on the NMSF, Debbie, and on the summer fellowship, Pghmom-- the project sounds totally fascinating!</p>
<p>Questions for GC: I am going to ask him to explain our byzantine weighting/ranking system, but D says she doesn’t think he understands it either. And, I’m going to ask him to think about how to show the whole being D is to best effect. She has (by dint of very hard work) managed B+ in regular level math and science while excelling at honors/AP history and literature. She only started music when she got to high school but has thrown herself into it and learned immensely and it will probably be part of her major. She has created some great independent study classes, (Dramaturgy this spring) and worked very hard on these. Her EC takes up 20 hours a week at least (much volunteer work too). So, she’s a great kid with only a good transcript, and she needs to show who she is beyond the numbers.</p>
<p>She’ll likely be auditioning for many of her schools-- so I will ask about his experience with that, and whether he has contacts among other GC’s who can advise. </p>
<p>He’s already talked to D about recommendations, but otherwise I’d ask which of her teachers are known to be the best writers!</p>
<p>Wish I’d had the heads up about the AMC. I am certain our local public does not participate. I had to offer to pay the registration fee to get them to register for Mathcounts - and then I had to be the team sponsor because no teacher would do it. Ugh! No wonder it’s so hard for kids to get out of my worthless midwestern city (Can you tell that I am in the middle of reading Richard Longworth’s Caught in the Middle: America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism?</p>
<p>All, I am a lurker here…have some questions about GPA for DS. </p>
<p>DS is very bright (but lazy) student…He is having 4 AP courses junior yr…recently he got his junior year 1st sem report card and he has 4 B+ in 3 of his AP classes. But they all are between 88.5 and 89.4…How do we convey that to colleges in the app? in one of the classes he has 89.9 and t eacher will not round up…oh well</p>
<p>also he is planning to take AP Bio exam this year as a self study…we are telling him to wait and take the course next year…but he tells me that the “class” is very hard in his school and he thinks he knows enough biology to take the AP test…can some one provide some guideline on what should be the right course of action here…next year he will take AP Physics, MV Calc, AP English, AP Phsyc, PE and one elective…</p>
<p>TIA</p>
<p>mathinokc, has your D taken the chem olympiad exam before? My S is doing it this year, and he wonders how difficult the lab portion is on the national exam. Apparently, he’s planning to qualify!</p>
<p>Gourmetmom –</p>
<p>Yes, my daughter’s taken the chem olympiad the past 2 years. The lab portion of the national exam is very puzzle-like. There are old exams on the ACS website (warning: very long URL) – </p>
<p>[Chemistry</a> Olympiad Exams](<a href=“American Chemical Society”>American Chemical Society)</p>
<p>Apollo6 –</p>
<p>It’s not too late to register for the second AMC test date. You’ll pay $10 more because it’s past the registration deadline, but that’s it.</p>
<p>My daughter’s former high school wouldn’t offer the test even if I paid for it, so we did it as a home schooler for 2 years, which involved getting someone (non-relative) who would receive the tests, proctor them, and mail them back. Just wanted to let you know that could be an option. :-)</p>
<p>[American</a> Mathematics Contest 12 - AMC 12](<a href=“American Mathematics Competitions | Mathematical Association of America”>American Mathematics Competitions | Mathematical Association of America)</p>
<p>She’s taken the AIME at her current high school for the past 2 years – that exam is much longer and I hated to ask the proctor (math department chair at the local CC) to devote that much time in one block.</p>
<p>I feel really weird this year about the AMC – I’ve had to order at least one AMC (8, 10, 12), coordinate proctors, etc., since 5th grade. It’s nice to have someone else doing it all this year.</p>
<p>Sorry I was using shorthand. DC is Dual-Credit with the local community college. My DD2010 graduated with about 25 hours credit and is considered a sophomore in college now in her first year. DD 2012 has more AP classes. They are actually a lot harder, according to her ayway, than the DC versions. Wow your kids have 3000-4000 in their graduating classes? We have 680 or so in her class, about 2500 in the entire HS. I don’t know why they have so few NMSF kids. I guess I have to accept that our curriculum is just not difficult enough…is anyone else in public schools? It’s kind of funny that our district is amazed to have 4 NMSF. </p>
<p>We do not have a summer program yet, but we have applied for two. Cross your fingers for us. We can’t do any that cost real money, so we don’t have a lot of choices.</p>
<p>S has been reviewing the old tests, but you’re exactly right - the lab portion does look “puzzle like.” He’s not much for “hands on” work, so the labs are a bit of an anathema.</p>
<p>Debbie - we’re in public school, but it’s 4,400 for the whole school, not just his class!</p>
<p>Debbie –</p>
<p>We’re in a public school, also. My daughter did 9th-10th grade in our local public school. She now goes to the state math & science boarding school (also a state-funded school, although not under the department of ed). Her former school was about 2200 students total in 9th-12th. Her current school is about 140 kids total in grades 11 & 12.</p>
<p>Well, due to the blizzard, NACLO is canceled. Not only have our PS called for a snow day, but the universities are all closed.</p>
<p>Speaking of universities, Apollo6, see if there’s a local college or U. giving the AMC-10/12B on Feb. 23. You may not have to register yourself.</p>
<p>[Additional</a> Locations for the AMC 10B/12B at Higher Education Sites](<a href=“American Mathematics Competitions | Mathematical Association of America”>American Mathematics Competitions | Mathematical Association of America)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>O2IM:</p>
<p>What grades for these courses will end up on your son’s transcript (not report card)? For example, colleges don’t see 1st and 2nd semester grades of full-year courses at my daughter’s school. Just the final grade ends up on the transcript.</p>
<p>Either way, he’s in a good position to get some of these grades up to A- or higher second semester, no? And colleges would at least see that growth.</p>
<p>Our public school has ~2200 kids. Last year they had 6 NMS. They’ll likely have more this year, since there’s an unusually large cohort of GATE kids.</p>
<p>A neighboring public school with ~2500kids had 60 NMS last year. No, that is not a typo!</p>
<p>I’m amazed at all classes some of you describe your schools offering. Multivariable calculus! Shakespeare! Wow! </p>
<p>It must be difficult, as an admissions officer, to account for differences in the high schools when assessing applicants.</p>
<p>Ok - so I am in the final stages of planning our Feb. break college tours - any feedback would be appreciated… S12 is leaning toward small/mid size highly competitive schools. Thinking about majoring in a science (maybe biochem?) but unsure. Other schools on his list that we will visit later are Dartmouth (reach) and St. Lawrence (safety). Liked Hamilton over Colgate. Liked Cornell, but not sure about its size - a little overwhelmed. May look at the LACs in Maine in summer.</p>
<p>Starting in NY - traveling to Pittsburg Friday night</p>
<p>Sat am - tour U Pitt (too big, but S12 would get into Honors and should get good scholarship - heard great things about it from kids that go there)
Sat pm - tour Carnegie Mellon (not too keen on this school, but thought we should look at it while we are there - sounds too intense for S12)</p>
<p>Sunday - Drive to Charlotte, NC</p>
<p>Monday am - tour Davidson (possible scholarships - maybe too small?)
Monday pm - tour Wake Forest (possible scholarships - big frat scene?)
Drive to Williamsburg VA</p>
<p>Tues - tour College of William and Mary (finances for OOS may not be good - do give some scholarships)
Drive to Washington DC</p>
<p>Wed - tour Georgetown (S12 not going to major in international anything or language, so is this a good school for sciences?)</p>
<p>Any thoughts of comments?</p>
<p>Thursday - drive home</p>
<p>I remember that two schools in one day is a lot. It’s doable, but I wouldn’t do the same for, say, two or three days in a row. I think you’ve split that up well - two on Saturday, nothing but driving on Sunday, two on Monday, nothing but driving on Tuesday. It’s still a lot of schools in a quick trip, so if there are any you or your son don’t really want to visit, I’d recommend skipping it! </p>
<p>None of those schools are ones my older son looked into, so I don’t have any opinions about your choices. It sounds like your S is an impressive student - is he interested in Duke? It is only 1.5 hours from Wake Forest. </p>
<p>Enjoy the trip! I’m looking forward to our trip in April.</p>
<p>For Kttmom, that is some big trip. Re Cornell, very large, and can be very impersonal, especially in sciences, and a few other very popular majors (govt, history), and fraternity life is important but not the only thing going on. It feels big there.</p>
<p>One school I don’t see on your list is Emory. It would not be convenient on your current trip, but it is a medium sized undergrad, and IMO offers a good undergrad experience. Even though I went there for grad school, I met many students who had gone to undergrad there while I was there. I also know some current students. One nice thing about Emory is that it does not have a cut throat atmosphere, which can be a very good thing.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback.</p>
<p>We thought about Duke, but S12 just wasn’t feeling it. Thinks it would be too preppy/fratty for him.</p>
<p>I would have planned only one college a day with a day of touring in Washington, but H and S12 wanted to rush thru it, so this plan was our compromise.</p>
<p>Re Cornel - S1 is currently a freshman there and loves it - but he wanted a big school. S2 (12) is a more social kid and I think he would enjoy a smaller more intimate school. Cornell may stay on the list though because if he visits S1 a few more times he may feel comfortable there by the time applications are submitted.</p>
<p>He rocked his ACT in October (34) and will have 10+ APs by graduation with a UW 95+ GPA so I think these schools are all ‘reasonable’ - whether he gets scholarships will be the wild card. We are trying to look mostly at 100% need schools cause with 2 in college FA will be important. I can pay my EFC - scholarships would be the icing on the cake.</p>