<p>coralbrook-</p>
<p>It’s getting mighty late, but it may not be too late, especially with strong stats. Share this list with your friends: [Space</a> Availability Survey Results 2013](<a href=“http://www.nacacnet.org/research/research-data/SpaceSurvey/Pages/SpaceSurveyResults.aspx]Space”>http://www.nacacnet.org/research/research-data/SpaceSurvey/Pages/SpaceSurveyResults.aspx) There are definitely some schools that give merit aid on this list.</p>
<p>Parent of a 2014 child. Going into senior year she has improved her GPA to 3.36 uw and first ACT was a 28. Was just wondering if any of your 2013 children applied to the major U’s up here in the Midwest (U of Minn, U of Wisconsin, U of Iowa ect…) and if so what the results were. Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Hi everyone, how’s it going??</p>
<p>Sorry, I don’t have any information on Midwest schools. Hope someone else can help. Although if you wade back through this thread you will find our list of acceptances for this GPA group.</p>
<p>Graduation was Tuesday for us. Wonderful day out on the football field. We somehow lucked out because a van was leaving the parking spot right on the street at the gate when we arrived!!! Since we had to stand in line for 1/2 hr before they opened the gates, it allowed Grandpa to just sit in the car while we were waiting. Also, Grandpa got grumpy and nasty halfway through the ceremony and we escorted him out to the car to wait. He literally was talking loud about “these kids are talking too long, someone needs to shut them up”. Geez, Lord help me.</p>
<p>I hosted a fancy sit-down dinner that evening at our home and our closest family friends, with their daughters (our hula group) came. I cooked everything myself - pheww!!! that was exhausting. For once I just left the huge dish mess in the kitchen and cleaned up the next day. </p>
<p>In the middle of the dinner my daughter disappeared and everyone said ‘She’s changing her clothes’. I was thinking - what the heck??? Turns out that she has been secretly going to a hula master’s home (not her regular teacher) for the last month to learn a special hula. She came out and danced a ‘thank you’ to her parents. It was an ancient song about the Snow Princess living on Mauna Kea who was going to leave her home. For those that like Hawaiian music, it was Poli’ahu. Mom was bawling before it was over. She managed to keep the whole thing a secret.</p>
<p>After dinner she left for all the graduation parties. I was very worried about the whole evening but she planned it well. I drove her to the first party. Some parents from that party took a group to the 2nd party. She and her group actually walked to the 3rd party and the 4th party. She said the 4th party was the most fun with dancing all night. Then a group walked her home at 2am. Whole night she is walking in high heels. The young can survive anything!!!</p>
<p>I heard her come in at 2am and just casually went into the kitchen, had a chat and did the sniff test. I’m happy to say that I did not smell alcohol reeking from her body so I was just happy that she was safe and sound. She popped out of bed pretty good the next day. She did tell me that the parents at one of the parties had a ‘bar’ set up with bartenders. They were taking keys and encouraging everyone to spend the night. I just cannot imagine the liability they are putting themselves into.</p>
<p>Just popping in to catch up on everyone. My DS had Sr awards night on May 29th. Was very pleased and surprised to have gotten an invitation to attend. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine that he would be getting an academic award so I hoped that meant that he’d be getting one of the local scholarships that he applied for. Yay! He did get a small scholarship from the local Rotary club! Can I tell you what a process it was to get him to apply to some of these local scholarships??!! The one he won: the day it was due, he got home from school at about 3:10p, wrote the essay on citizenship in our town in about 45-60 min. We put the application and the essay together in an envelop, addressed it, rushed to the post office before it closed at 5pm and to make sure it had enough postage and make sure it got that day’s post mark on it since it was the last day to submit. Whew!!!</p>
<p>Then on the 30th we went to a local credit union for a ceremony to award 15 scholarships to kids from various local high schools. I think that application got dropped off at the nearby branch of the credit union on the deadline day, too. Good payoff for a few hours work but I can’t take the stress of the last minute rush!</p>
<p>Fri night May 31st was graduation. It was hot! But a very nice ceremony. Only about 220 in his class. A family we know invited us and a few other families to their house after the graduation for a small get together and pool party. We were all home by about 11:30p. Low key but nice. We had our family party on Sun. June 2nd. A few other friends have been having grad parties over the weekends after the ceremony. </p>
<p>He is spending the summer working (trying to get more hours at his super market job but so far not much luck with that), family vacation to Grand Manan island in New Brunswick and Bar Harbor, Maine for whale watching and puffin watching, hanging out with friends and going to our beach house in RI. </p>
<p>This has been a great thread! And I appreciate all the help and support I have found on here. My D15 has a higher GPA so I will need to find another thread for her. Will miss you all!!</p>
<p>Son’s graduation is Monday. He brought his cap and gown home on Friday. I can finally breathe 
He has yet to join Beloit’s Facebook page. Maybe once he is actually done with high school? He has an advisor questionnaire to fill out that rivals the most daunting college applications we came across this past year…lol. I hope it gets put to good use.</p>
<p>@ New Faith, Look at University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University and any Wisconsin or South Dakota public schools, as we have full reciprocity with these 3 states. </p>
<p>Have you checked out the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MHEC-Midwest Higher Education Compact)? We have partial reciprocity with a number of schools in Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Nebraska and Michigan:</p>
<p>[MHEC</a> : Student Access: Midwest Student Exchange Program (1)](<a href=“http://msep.mhec.org/index.asp]MHEC”>http://msep.mhec.org/index.asp)</p>
<p>Some of the schools have GPA, test scores, or specific major requirements.</p>
<p>Although larger than what Bunheadgirl desires, she put KU on her list as an academic and financial safety along with UND and NDSU. She also has MNSU-Moorhead as a safety as well as U of M- Morris. </p>
<p>Have you looked at any privates in the midwest where your D could receive merit scholarships? Or is she looking at larger schools/universities?</p>
<p>All of the flag ship U’s you mentioned are low-high reaches for a 3.0 -3.3 student.</p>
<p>Had a surprise moment of sublime relief at DS graduation ceremony Tuesday, when the principal turned to the assembled school board and began saying “I hereby certify and pronounce…” </p>
<p>DS leaves for a month-long NOLS backpacking trip in 10 days, during which time I will pack up and put the house on the market. it’s an odd and bittersweet time of getting rid of no-longer-needed stuff from the past, and buying all the new dorm gear for the future. DS returns for three weeks and then we leave on the 2000+ mile drive to college. Truly the summer of big changes in our world.</p>
<p>He’s arranged the medical forms, completed the online advising and taken the online math placement test…just waiting for roommate assignment. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, graduation parties!</p>
<p>Anyone have experience with car rentals? Who’s generally the cheapest? (NY->DC)</p>
<p>When traveling, I like and prefer Alamo.</p>
<p>Join Alamo Insider for deals.</p>
<p>No one company is cheapest. I usually check Travelocity or Orbitz first to get a sense of prices in the market for my dates. Then I check Hotwire to see what (if at all) their opaque (company not disclosed) rates are. Then I go to Priceline and bid 20-30% below the Hotwire rate.</p>
<p>If, however, this is a one way (return vehicle to different location) rental, you may not be able to do Priceline bidding or Hotwire. One key on one way rentals is that some companies/locations have a higher rate for one way, while others offer the same rate, but charge a drop off fee. If you are planning to stay for a few days and keep the vehicle longer, you will be better off with a company that offers a low daily rate but charges a drop off fee. Paying the one way premium for several days can be very expensive.</p>
<p>One good work around for a one way trip followed by a few days at the destination is to break the booking into two rentals. Say that your initial drive (NY - DC) is one day, but you plan to stay in DC for three additional days. Book a single day one way, followed by three days with pick up and return at the DC location. This allows you to get a lower rate for the last three days. It is mildly inconvenient because you have to go to the rental car location to change vehicles upon your arrival, but it can save you a great deal of money.</p>
<p>Thanks BunHead for the reply. DD goes to private school that is suppose to be tougher than local HS. She is going into senior year with a 3.3692 and an ACT score of 28 (taking for a 2nd time this fall and will study for it this time). She has increased her gpa every year; freshman 3.1571, soph 3.2368, junior 3.7353. She would really like to go to U of Minn (our state) the college of liberal arts, her second choice is Truman State which she liked a lot and the talk with head of admission was very good. Forgot to mention she is Hispanic but no FA will be applied for. I was just wondering if any students in this group had applied to any big 10 colleges. She probably could go to U of Indiana of Nebraska but I think a small LAC would be better. Anyway thanks for your time and good luck to the students of 2013.</p>
<p>@ NewFaith, then the U of M is a match --high safety as an URM. My D has a similar GPA and already met with an adcom that told her as long as her GPA does not go south next year or senior year, she will gain admission. She has a 31 ACT.</p>
<p>We’re in MN–in a NW suburb heading towards St. Cloud. </p>
<p>Have you looked at any privates? My D is bi-racial (AA mom and Jewish dad), and is looking at schools with fewer URMs. Does your D want a large school? We really LOVE University of Kansas. It has all the Rah-Rah of the U of M, but is almost 1/3 the size with good academics and a great college town. With the exchange, it’s a little less than the U of M when one factors in R&B. </p>
<p>Do you have a high EFC? Your D may get great merit aid at a top 100 LAC or private U. We’re pretty much full pay, and our son received a great merit scholarship to one of state’s better private schools, which brought his tuition to less than COA of the U of M. </p>
<p>For D15, we are looking at LACs and small-midsize universities. D will apply to the U of M, but does not wish to attend a school that is larger than the suburb she resides.</p>
<p>If you want to stay in the midwest, then I would look at St. Olaf, Gustavus Adolphus, University of St. Thomas, Beloit, College of Wooster, Kalamazoo, Knox, Earlham, Illinois Wesleyan, Ohio Wesleyan, Lawrence U in WI, Coe College, and Cornell College. If you’re willing to venture into Pennsylvania, then you open the doors to a whole bunch more LACs and smaller universities. There’s a ton of LACs in Ohio that I’m not familiar with as they are Catholic or Christian, and we’re Jewish; however, I have heard nothing but positive comments about the institutions within the CC community. </p>
<p>I definitely would have your D apply to Grinnell as a reach!</p>
<p>I’m sure if you ask in this thread or the one for 2014, you’ll get a lot of answers. Actually, I’m going to cross post this in the other thread as well. </p>
<p>NB:
Oh, did you know that as an URM, NDSU & UND BOTH have diversity waivers that brings the tuition down to roughly $1000 or LESS per YEAR for URMs from MN? They also each have a higher graduation rate for URMs than the UofM. We told our D if she went to and graduated from UND or NDSU, we’d pay for grad or medical school. </p>
<p>Also, please check out U of M- Morris. It’s in a rural area, but is a public LAC.</p>
<p>Bunhead we are probably not far from you. We are also 45min NW but towards Mora. The school she attends is very conservative like her parents so of course she wants a liberal school. The U of St.Thomas has merit aide that would make it just about the same as the U of Minn. Most of the kids from her school go to Bethel or Northwestern and she is 100% adamant that she wants no school like these. We are full pay so the U of Minn price would be great. We visited Truman thanks to some of the 2013 parents recommendations and she really liked the school, hated the town. She would be happy there but would love to be closer to home. At the end of the month we’re going to visit Beloit and Knox both sound like schools that should fit her. She wants to double major in gender studies and psychology. She is a smart kid but it took her until the Junior year to really get it, as you can see huge gpa improvement (4q all A’s). I’m hoping she gets her dream but like some have said before “where ever she is planted she’ll bloom”. Its funny that my DD HS class of 2018 is a supper hard worker and has already determined she wants to go the U of Minn in Duluth. After I get DD 2014 off to college I want the next child to think of other schools because she wants to major in math or computer science and I think her job prospects would be better at a higher rated school. DD 2014 is our first and this has been a big learning experience for both DH and I. We both grew up in California and it wasn’t hard to get into the UCs (except for Berkley) or the state schools way back when. I was shocked to find out that B+/A- students had fewer choices than we did back in the good old days.</p>
<p>Well, I think we win Moron Parents of the Year award here (as many of our friends have put it). D had begged for a big graduation party and it was last Friday night. H and I are still recuperating from what we consider a disaster.</p>
<p>I had told her 50 kids, similar to her 16th birthday party which was a nice dance party. She created a Private Facebook invite page and we had about 75 RSVPs, so I thought it was manageable. Holy Moly, by 8:30 pm there must have been 150 kids smashed in our back yard, and growing. Probably reached 200 at one time. We posted parents at front entrance checking backpacks, etc. confiscating anything that looked like booze. We had put a padlock on our back gate where we have a back alley. </p>
<p>Pretty soon it became obvious that there were a LOT of kids in the upper part of our back yard (we have a very large yard), evidently jumping the back fence and passing booze over the back fence. We had to do continuous sweeps of back yard confiscating booze every 20-30 minutes. I have no idea how they kept replenishing that supply :)</p>
<p>By 10pm my D was so stressed out and upset that she got on the megaphone and announced that it was last song (we had a band and a DJ). By then I called in official bouncer reinforcements and there was a sweep of the yard to gently persuade the crashers that it was time to leave. After the sweep we were down to her friends and we started the music back up. Everything was so loud I could not believe that the police had not arrived. We live ocean front (another draw for all those party crashers) and maybe the sound was not carrying a lot. Police did show up about 12 midnight, but music and noise was done at that point. They said that they had 10 different parties they had to visit that night.</p>
<p>Warning to all parents - my D was insisting that she could control it and she would personally kick out anyone who was not invited. Needless to say that did not work and she learned a very valuable lesson. I think we could safely go away at this point and she will NEVER invite anyone to our home for a party. For weeks she was begging that we stay inside the house and she would take care of everything. If we had not had 4 extra parents on hand that night, our house would probably be destroyed :)</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about the crashers. She is lucky you were there, how bad would it have been if the cops showed up while kids still had booze you hadn’t found yet.</p>
<p>The police never even came into the house or back yard. They stayed at the front door even though I asked them if they needed to go into the back yard. They were more concerned about kids under 18 driving home - they said that parents had to come get the kids under 18. I think there is a driving law in Calif that new license holders under 18 cannot be driving after 11pm.</p>
<p>I was extremely worried about any drunk kids driving home. With that many kids we just could not monitor who was leaving (being kicked out) drunk and might be getting behind the wheel. Also, we could not control kids that might be drinking down the street or in their cars. A recipe for disaster.</p>
<p>S picked up his diploma today. I wasn’t worried at all ;)</p>
<p>My DS graduated today! NYC=late end of school dates. It was great, but very emotional for me.</p>
<p>The DS is working a summer job-yay! The next hurdle is getting him to SAVE his earnings for next year. Sigh. </p>
<p>I haven’t been on this thread for a while. For many weeks, little was happening. I’m happy to see many other folks are back, too.</p>
<p>We will soon begin/continue the next chapters together: roommates, shopping for the dorm, class selection or the my-child-can’t-get-the-classes-s/he-wants blues and more. I’m confident that we will be there for each other.</p>
<p>Have a great summer!</p>
<p>I posted this on the regular 2013 thread, but thought you guys might enjoy this…</p>
<hr>
<p>Did I mention that I don’t think my D has even logged into her college website? I finally went in there last week to see if there was any kind of bill that needed to be paid. </p>
<p>I cannot get a straight answer out of her on whether she needs to register for Fall classes yet. She keeps saying that the school assigns classes for the first semester. So I go into her ‘schedule’ just to see if there was anything assigned and this is what I find:</p>
<p>Major = Undeclared (not true, what’s up with this???)</p>
<p>Intro to Painting
PE (are you kidding me???, college credit???)
Intro to Dance
Freshman Seminar
English 101 (not right, why’d I waste all that money on AP English tests???)</p>
<p>@#%#@^#$^ - what kind of schedule is this!!! This has got to be a mistake Are you kidding me??? I am not spending hard earned tuition on these classes - she can go to CC to dabble in painting and dance. OK, end of rant. I am sure it is some kind of mistake or joke - if there is such a thing as a Registrar Joke.</p>
<p>Needless to say, she had better get to the bottom of this THIS WEEK or steam is going to start coming out of Mom’s ears. </p>
<p>Update: Woke her up this morning and forced her to log in and see this absurdity. </p>
<p>First thing I discovered is she didn’t even know her login/password and had to come ask me. Absolute confirmation that she has never even looked in there - well at least I know that she was not the person that signed up for this over-reaching schedule. </p>
<p>Second, I had to teach her how to navigate through the student website to even find the schedule. She actually didn’t seem too concerned about it. </p>
<p>Third, I had to show her how to find the Phone Nbr to call to try to get someone to explain what happened.</p>
<p>So, she does make the call and they tell her “oh don’t worry, all those classes are required to graduate”. I believe that she called the Admissions Office and they obviously did not even see the schedule.</p>
<p>I forced her to write a cover letter to fix her assigned major and ask that certain major requirements be added to her schedule. Then I had to find the Registrar Fax Nbr for her.</p>
<p>And finally… I told her to fax the docs to the Registrar. I discover that she does not know how to use the Fax machine in our home office - or stack docs face up in the feeder.</p>
<p>Yikes!!! We’ve got a lot more preparation to Launch needed around here :)</p>
<p>We made it through graduation a few weeks ago and survived! DS working part time now and I hope saving a lot of money-- I gave him a goal based on what older brother and sister needed for money freshman year-- we will see how he does. He just heard he got into his first choice First Year Journey option (a pre-orientation 6 day trip). Perfect choice for an Idaho kid-- it is a week in San Diego learning wake boarding, surfing, about 5 other beach/water sports I can’t even remember. The other trips sounded great too, but were more like things he had done-- backpacking, kayaking, etc. Now he is waiting to hear about roommate, dorm choice, and freshman seminar</p>
<p>coral-- your post made me laugh-- sorry , it is probably not funny to you at all. Good luck getting her to fix the schedule. I will be interested to see what DS schedule looks like-- they only sign up for the freshman seminar in the summer and then meet with an advisor during orientation to pick the rest of the classes. I hope he looks at some options before he leaves for school, but I will save that battle until early August</p>
<p>congrats to everyone else who graduated recently! Hope everyone is enjoying summer</p>