<p>Great job, Annie. That’s a tough one but a necessary one.</p>
<p>vandy, I’ve been wondering how the trip is going. Interestingly, Juniata was a school that caught ds1’s eye. Good marketing and exposure at a college fair, I guess. He liked the study option to live on a lake doing environmental sciences stuff? Do I remember that correctly? Anyway, he never applied. Have a fun rest of the trip!</p>
<p>Youdon’tsay, my S13 did a two week summer session at GW last year, he wasn’t super impressed with the instructor, but enjoyed meeting the variety of students from other countries. He’s also interested in IR, so were planning a trip to DC. He has many reach schools on his list for IR and we’re researching possible matches and safeties. Also struggling with a bright kid who does well on standardized tests, but prefers to read/write/drum on his own than do any group activity at school 
We’re going to have to be creative with his “extra-curriculars.” He’s taking three challenging AP classes now, making B’s in them, and I had to tell him yesterday that unless he can bring them up to A’s he’s gong to have trouble getting in to any of his reach schools (so he worked from 4 until 11 last night, I think he got the point). He doesn’t like to do anything just for “appearance” or because it will look good on a college application.</p>
<p>I have to say that after going through this process with S11 (much more social child), I dread the next year So stressful for the kids, though I know they grow in the process.</p>
<p>Vandy, thanks for the visit notes. I think most of the schools you’re on the road to see are ones in mind for my son. Even living in PA, Juniata is too far for us to visit. So bring on the western PA/OH visit reports 
I also like the POE at Juniata and the fact that the students have 2 advisors. Unfortunately, I don’t have any high hopes that it will be affordable. But S will more than likely apply anyway</p>
<p>jbnc11, my son has NO ecs. He did improv in 10th grade and started running track this year. That’s it lol. He writes (doesn’t get much more solitary than that) but doesn’t submit anything for contests or publication. He writes genre fiction and thinks contests and literary magazines are biased against that type of writing. I have to admit that I don’t see sci-fi/horror stories getting much love. One of the reason we both love Kutztown is they publish a journal on Dracula studies Those are the types of things we’re looking for at colleges.</p>
<p>The next school we went to was Gr0ve City college. This school is in Gr0ve City, PA. We stayed in a nice hotel about four miles from the college and would definitely stay there again. The downtown area is nice with restaurants, small shops, a movie theater etc and Pittsburgh is about an hour away. Gr0ve City is an academically rigorous Chrisitan college.</p>
<p>To start, we both met with a counselor. An interview is required for admission and I didn’t feel she was ready for that yet (you can’t go back and re-interview). We both went in together and it went well. Very forthcoming, easy to talk to, could answer most questions (the counselor, I mean.) we went over time and had to rush out to join our tour guide, who was already in progress. </p>
<p>A note about tour guides: one thing that we have done that is fun is “Name” all our guides. For example, the one we had at W0oster yesterday we called “Mike Alike” because he had the same twinkly smile and sparky brown eyes as a family member. Other ones have been called “semi-backwards Barbie” “Mrs. Mousie” and “Animated chipmunk on helium.” So that has been fun. </p>
<p>After that, we headed out for the tour. Unfortunately, the weather was less than agreeable. It was windy and alternately cloudy, drizzling or sleeting. This was a school that on paper seemed like a perfect match for D. Nice facilities, high academic expectations, beautiful grounds etc. Lo and behold, she was looking progressively grumpy over the course of the tour. Toward the end, she made a Comment that was sort of snotty and I admit it, I overreacted. Had a lovely mom meltdown moment (this was post-tour) that I’m not particularly proud of. Sigh. Anyway, I thought GCC was very nice, D has it on her list but didn’t love it and Mom learned a valuable lesson on not getting too emotionally invested in a school myself.</p>
<p>We headed toward Pittsburgh to go to University of Pittsburgh and D makes it known, unequivocally, that she doesn’t want to look at it, doesn’t want to consider it, doesn’t want to go there. At this point, I use my newfound knowledge to agree that there is no point in going there then, is there? Lol. I told her about Cathedral of Learning and we talked about going there. Then she was looking through the C0llege Pr0wler book at the medium sized school list and asked about Carnegie Mellon. We called and went to an info session there. Neither of us were blown away by it and that was that.</p>
<p>We were headed off to our next stop: Case Western and college of Wooster. Two radically different schools. My prediction? She would dislike Case and possibly dislike Wooster. </p>
<p>I should know by now that things are seldom as they seem…</p>
<p>Is your kid interested in IB and ‘high’ finance/consulting?
Likely to get rejected by an Ivy, Northwestern, Duke, G’Town, etc?</p>
<p>Fear no more, you have an option. I was talking with a student about this program today so thought I would mention it for those interested and looking at schools. If my S had any interest in this field, I would certainly consider this option.</p>
<p>The Hawkinson Institute at the University of Iowa selects a handful of students each year into the program (no freshman are admitted). The Institute then ‘grooms’ them and brings in employers to interview these students for internship and full-time employment. The placement record for students in the program is exceptional. The admissions are very competitive and most students had stellar HS records and have stellar Fresh/Soph college records.</p>
<p>[About</a> The Hawkinson Institute of Business Finance - Tippie College of Business - The University of Iowa](<a href=“Hawkinson Institute - Undergraduate”>Hawkinson Institute - Undergraduate)</p>
<p>[Employment</a> Report for The Hawkinson Institute of Business Finance Adds Value - Tippie College of Business - The University of Iowa](<a href=“Hawkinson Institute - Undergraduate”>Hawkinson Institute - Undergraduate)</p>
<p>Re: summer plans… My D13 is supposedly working as a counselor/ assistant at soccer camps (residential) and has also applied for a one- week leadership seminar at one of the schools she’s interested in attending. Hoping she will get a feel for some of the athletic training “routine” stuff through the camps, as she says that’s her intended major, enjoy her first real “job” since soccer is her passion. and on weeks she is home, be able to check out the few remaining schools we need to visit, get ahead on the applications, cram for whatever remaining tests she needs to take, and have some fun on vacation, with her boyfriend and with her buddies at the pool. The girls works so hard and has such a load ahead of her that I think this is a reasonable summer plan. She’ll have downtime and still be accomplishing something(s). As to S14, that’s the next question. He can’t drive although he wants to get a job… sadly we don’t have a chauffeur on the staff, so I’m trying to figure this one out. He too needs to do something besides hone his sleeping and ESPN- viewing skills…</p>
<p>Haystack - have you checked out Northeastern in Boston? Within 9 months, 99% of the graduates have a professional job or are in graduate school…due to their COOP program. And their CooP program has a wide variety of options all over the world. For example, the kids can work for an architecture firm in Barcelona, a winery in France, a bank in London, pharma company in Boston, or on Wall Street. My D11 is just finishing her first year there and it is amazing the opportunities she has as a freshman. She finishes up next week and is heading off to Spain to take he Intro to International Business and knock off her Cultural Immersion requirement.</p>
<p>My D13 will be a camp counselor this summer at a day camp and also a sub guard at our local pool. She just bought her own car, a $300 clunker, but she’s proud of it and is happy to have her own wheels and we’re happy she’s not always taking DH’s car! S15 will also be working at the pool but fortunately the pool is just a few blocks away so no car is needed on that end for him (he’ll bike) or for D10 who will be a returning full time guard there (and who will be extremely jealous when she learns D13 bought her own car, clunker or not!).</p>
<p>Signed D13 up to take the ACT for the first official time and the SAT for the 2nd time, both in June. She was going to go for the May version but then nixed the idea when coupled with AP exams and May being next month lol. She’s focused on actually prepping for them both this time so I’m hopeful she’ll be happy enough with her scores that we can put testing behind us and just focus on finding schools she likes.</p>
<p>She was selected by her physics teacher to opt out of homework for the last quarter and instead tutor a new classmate who is struggling. And she is not one who has ever been smitten with science but has found a strength in physics. I told her to also ask this teacher for a recommendation now for college as I think he’ll be a great one for her.</p>
<p>She’s in a bit of limbo as to her GC as tragically the GC’s family was involved in a tragic loss and the return of the GC is uncertain. D13 is more frustrated that nothing yet on what alternatives are in place for the students of this GC has been communicated but we’re hoping it’s just because they are just coming back from break and the plan may still be being worked out.</p>
<p>Both D13 and S15 are not happy that teachers are piling on the work now that they are back from break lol, I think they were both hoping for a bit more ease back in time lol!</p>
<p>re: Summer plans - D13 has had a part time job in a law firm this past year and will continue it throughout the summer. She is also going to Africa on a service learning trip that ties in nicely with what she wants to study in college. She was able to secure a scholarship for the program and she earned her own airfare with her part time job. D11 is going to Spain (mentioned in previous post) and will work as a nanny for the rest of the summer. This is her last “regular” summer for she starts a year-round school/coop schedule in the fall.</p>
<p>momfoboston: We too are looking at northeastern- we will be visiting this spring break. I have heard good things about their coop programs. Extensive opportunities for the undergraduate students. In past few years, northeastern has changed so much is what i hear from around- Nice that your daughter is getting this opportunity.</p>
<p>Donivrian - IF you have any questions just PM me. IMO - NEU has the most extensive set of global opportunities I have ever seen (we have toured over 35 schools) with the infrastructure to support it. As a freshman business major, she has the opportunity to go to Spain, France, Rome or Beijing for the Intro to International Biz…for roughly the same price as if she stayed in Boston to take 2 courses…they want you to go and make it easy for you to go. She is travelling with 19 other students from the school. They also have this cool Dialogue program mostly for upperclassman…make sure you check it out while you are there. It is unbelievable what these kids can do these days. When NEU cancelled their $80M a year football program, they reinvested the money into their global program.</p>
<p>D10 loved and seriously considered NEU. We took D13 up to Boston last week and she too fell in love with NEU so I know she’ll likely apply. I don’t know that we’d be able to make it work financially but I’d love any of mine to end up there. I know S15 will be just as enamored, especially given it’s proximity to Fenway :)</p>
<p>Mom24 – Loved the 1st college essay!</p>
<p>Tx5 - I’m with your Mom – I want to go to any school in Claremont! Pitzer’s “desert” landscaping didn’t do it for me, but I figure I could just go study on Scripps manicured lawns.</p>
<p>YDS – My niece is a frosh at American. She was rejected at GTown (or was it GW - can’t remember). She said if she had to do application over again, she would never have applied to anything outside of D.C. She is very much NOT an urban kid, but the proximity to internships, museums and Trick or Treating on Embassy Row is pure heaven for her. </p>
<p>Reeinaz – I’d be thrilled if my son could shred papers at my job - at least he would then have some job. I don’t even care if he gets paid. I just want him to have to be on a schedule.</p>
<p>Summer Plans
June - 1 week at NJ Boys State. This fell into his lap. He almost didn’t even go to the interview. I feel bad for the kids who really wanted it.</p>
<p>July - 10 days as instructor at Civil Air Patrol Search & Rescue “camp.” </p>
<p>August - visit to Bama and maybe College of Charleston.</p>
<p>I would LOVE if he would get a job in between some of this stuff, but it isn’t looking promising. Too many breaks in the schedule for most places to take a chance on him. Hoping a summer job will fall in his lap. He has been asking relatives/neighbors to let him know if they hear anything, so this is a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>Realistically, NEU is most likely where S '13 will go too. Next, most likely is TX A&M. He is interested in studying engineering. Both of these schools also offer attractive merit scholarships to National Merit Finalists (which he has a good shot at getting). </p>
<p>He will probably also apply to four reach schools, such as Penn, Princeton, Harvard and Yale. His chances of getting into these reaches are low to very low. However, we figure applying to them will give him something intellectually stimulating to do (writing essays and preparing for the SAT & SAT Subject Tests, take Spanish III, AP Physics and AP Calc.) over the summer and senior year.</p>
<p>perazziman: I was about to write about the scholarship program in NEU for national merit finalists and you brought it up. They had around 100 national merit schalrs in 2010 who is on full tution scholarship. And they also offer other merit scholarships. </p>
<p>Mom24- I too enjoyed the essay from the younger one…</p>
<p>Momofboston- thank you for the information.</p>
<p>Hello Everyone, its been awhile since I posed, but I do keep up with the thread.</p>
<p>We are finalizing (or trying to) our college trip this summer. I really liked what someone posted (can’t remember if it was in this thread or another one) about the child being the CEO and the parent the administrative assistant. DD has chosen the school, and I am working out the details of the trip. When I have the dates, dd can choose the timing for tours, etc.</p>
<p>We have removed some schools from our list: Mississippi State, Tennessee, Auburn, Dayton and Clemson. Three were removed due to lack of dd’s chosen major and two were removed because dd didn’t think she’d be a good fit for the band. DD has had the same outside interest for 11 years and shows no signs of stopping. And in terms of her major, while the exact major has changed, the actual overall interest has been there for at least 5 years. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, I booked our airfare months ago, when I got a good deal, and it would be expensive to change. So, we are going to more leisurely look at schools and still have the time to drive (since I’m the only driver)</p>
<p>Our current plans are touring UK, spending a day in Nashville sightseeing, touring Ole Miss, driving to Birmingham to spend the night and then heading into Atlanta and going to the 'Say yes to the Dress" store to gawk, touring UGA, getting to Columbia and touring USC, driving to Greenville and visiting with family friends, then spending a day driving through the Smoky Mountains and a day at Dollywood, touring Marshall and then heading back to UK (possibly for another look) and flying out of Louisville. It’s a little over 1900 miles, and we have a total of 12 days (10 full days and 2 part days)</p>
<p>She’s looking at applying at these schools, plus Mizzou, Purdue, Fresno, ASU and U of A. Ten schools seems like alot, but I guess it isn’t in this day and age.</p>
<p>Shillyshally: my dd has never been a “science” kd, but has an awesome physics teacher and really likes it now.</p>
<p>Add me to the list of parents interested in NEU. I dont think we’ll get the aid to make it work, but I think DD would really like it.
Summer plans are up in the air. DD will be at a camp program in MT for a week, and prob a sport camp for one school she is interested in. I think sports and a college tour will take up time and she is trying to get part time work.
I’m stressed about DS, who will be finishing his first year in college. He wont get home til mid june and that was too late for the reu programs. He blew it on deadlines for few other things and has nothing brewing. So my math/comp sci genius may be at mcDs this summer!</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using CC</p>
<p>momofboston, Do you know of any good programs in Barcelona where S '13 could prep to study Spanish III? He will be there for two months visiting with his grandmother in the summer.</p>
<p>VBCMom–has your DD looked at Belmont? You mentioned music so I thought that might be one you may what to consider since you will be in Nashville. Sounds like a fun trip.</p>
<p>I don’t know when we are going to fit in our last vist. DD has 10 days, yes 10 days all summer that she isn’t committed to something else. She is going on a mission trip and then marching band starts. It’s going to be a crazy summer. I was hoping to make that trip more of a “vacation” where we happen to see the school but I think it is going to have to be a 2 or 3 day trip instead. Oh well. It’s MY #1 choice for her right now so we can do the vacation when we move her in next year :D. :D.</p>
<p>DD just told me that her boyfriend is getting up at 6:30 AM on Saturday to make her breakfast before she takes the ACT. What a nice boy!</p>