<p>reeinaz–U of MN-Morris is an excellent school. It’s in a small town that is somewhat remote but a nice town. It’s an excellent choice, safety or not.</p>
<p>Laurendog–DD keeps getting recruiting information from SDSU but she doesn’t want to be in a big city. She might go visit just because she wants to visit San Diego :D.</p>
<p>Good morning everyone!</p>
<p>I stayed up late last night reading “The Gatekeepers” - the admissions story from Wesleyan that was mentioned on here a few weeks ago. I had to finish it - I wanted to find out what happened to a few of the students!
I couldn’t help but think that, at 10 years old, this story is outdated in many ways already. In the book, the college was experiencing a huge jump in applications - hitting the “unheard of” number of 7K applications. That increasing number meant that the admissions process was changing somewhat for future years. This past year, it was closer to 11K. I also got the sense that there was less grade inflation, and more room for the student who didn’t have the perfect gpa.
I felt good about how much the admissions counselors cared about the students, but discouraged by the sheer numbers and the insanity of this process.</p>
<p>What it reminded me though, is that 17 year olds often have ideas about where they want to go that are based on minimal information and even, minimal thought. Many of the students in the story struggled with decisions, changed their minds, and in many cases it really was gut feeling based largely on aesthetics.
I was also stunned by the paltry financial aid that most families received. Many of the families planned to borrow the bulk of the tuition.<br>
The whole thing left me awake in the middle of the night, anxious about the process, but mostly anxious that I was over-estimating what I can pay towards college, and worrying about how I can pay tuition AND get a new roof (as I convinced myself that the existing one would soon need replacing.)</p>
<p>I think I need to change my night time reading - and lay off the coffee! lol</p>
<p>Morning all!</p>
<p>Our district proudly sent out an email announcing that 4 of our HS’s were on the Newsweek list. If I was reading the methodology correctly, only 10% of HS’s sent back their self reported stats. It’s nice to be recognized but I’m not sure how accurate it is. If any list like that is accurate. </p>
<p>Ree: D1 visited UAB during her college visits. They have absolutely wonderful science & health profession programs. My good friend works at the Children’s Hospital (new one is opening in July.) The honors program syllabus we looked at for one class was amazing. If D1 had decided to stay on a health related field path, it would have been close to the top of her list. As YDS said, Parent56 is a wonderful UAB resource. </p>
<p>anniezzz: I read the Gatekeepers a few years ago. Fascinating, isn’t it? Made me realize that there’s real people on the other end of the decisions and that they understand that there’s a real person getting those decisions. </p>
<p>Had a lovely time at a neighbor’s house last night; spent a bit of time advising my friend to have her child avoid D2’s math teacher from this year. Followed by two other parents going up to her & saying the same thing. And all of us had similar horror stories. I am so thankful that junior year is over if only because that math class is done. Blech.</p>
<p>Good morning! I’m stalling and catching up with your tales instead of folding soccer uniforms for today. S14 fled to a friend’s boat, and had better be using sunscreen, while the others are in tournaments and are using sunscreen. : ). D13 just switched teams and this is her first event with the new one. I wish we had done it ages ago. Great girls, great parents, fantastic coach. She had a hard time leaving the old team but this was good for her. S17 has 12 kids, two who are injured, healthy enough to play this weekend. Lost one but rallied to win the second yesterday. Semi- finals for both this afternoon. Wish it wasn’t suddenly 90* outside. Should they both win, back to the fields tomorrow for finals. Talked a wee bit about college with my D on the way to game 1, then thought better of it and steered clear of anything academic for the day. These kids need a mental break I think.</p>
<p>However in speaking with her team’s parents I heard another of those ‘are you kidding’ rejection stories. Girl with a 4.2 from a NOVA high school, three time state soccer champs, recruited for the soccer team, and African- American which should have been a ‘hook’, rejected by NYU. I was stunned. The kid must have been devastated. She’s going to a super college so academically will be set but still… You sure can’t count on things can you?
For clarification- an A is a 4.0 here. So clearly a strong GPA with plenty of weighted classes.</p>
<p>89wahoo–stories like that make me cringe when you hear people tell kids “you will get in everywhere”. We have a girl in our kids’ grade that is a very talented soccer player, however, she is really not a very nice person and NOT a team player and one call to her high school coach and she isn’t getting recruited anywhere. She gave a 'verbal commitment" to one school and they didn’t accept the commitment straight out…that’s really bad. Sometimes the coaches just don’t want to deal with the drama llamas and pass them by…no idea if this is what the girl you know is like but it happens. I used to coach high school sports and the first question we were asked by coaches is “what is the kid like”. We had one player with talent oozing out her ears but she was lazy as the day was long and we really couldn’t recommend her to coaches that called. We talked to her about it until we were blue in the face but she figured she was just so good she didn’t need to work hard. She didn’t play in college as a result.</p>
<p>89wahoo, I’m glad that your D13 has found a team that she likes - it makes such a difference! Tournaments here too this weekend, but DD isn’t cleared to play yet, and today is an “off” day. She seems fine (yay!) but the trainer needs to do more test tomorrow and clear her to play. She’s missed her FH tournament this weekend, but as a result, got to go to softball and see her team win (and make it to the semi-finals for the first time in 25 years!) She’s hoping to play tomorrow. Today she is going to the beach with a friend - a big call for sunscreen here too!</p>
<p>A part of me would like her to stay home and do some prep work for upcoming SAT/ACT tests - DD is ignoring them. But I doubt she’d do any worthwhile studying anyway at this point, so a day out is probably a better use of the time. I did stick the “direct hits” vocab book in her bag “in case you get bored.” lol</p>
<p>That story makes me so nervous! SteveMA, it’s really helpful to have that perspective.</p>
<p>Thanks SteveMA, RobD, and YDS. I will definitely be in touch with who you suggested. My son’s list was VERY light on real safeties (both admissions and financial) and just having those 2 as additional possibilities has really taken the stress off.</p>
<p>S comes home tonight and I can’t wait 
He always comes back from these types of programs so energized. I’m also tired of taking the dog out for his walks. The sun is out or now. I hope the rain is done for the day. It’s just making everything so sticky. Are any of you bbqing today?</p>
<p>So much activity on this board. This is really a helpful, supportive group. Good luck for all the kids playing sports this weekend. 90 degrees here too. </p>
<p>The grocery store was packed at 8 am this morning, huh? Anyway, grilling corn on the cob. I bought 10 ears. :)</p>
<p>SteveMA, very interesting story. Sports are supposed to teach kids something, right? Over time, the kids in your story might reflect back and learn from these experiences. However, they don’t immediately show that they have learned the lesson. I also see it from the coach’s perspective, they need to make the most of the team with a limited amount of time. Drama Llama, love it.</p>
<p>Hi! checking in really quick. I went to S3’s show last night. The reviews (including those from my family) were not great, but I liked it. It was the final show, so drama is wrapping up. They have the banquet Tuesday and then something else in a couple of weeks. But that is about it. </p>
<p>Soccer: D1 played soccer through high school, so I remember weekend tournaments very well! I actually kind of miss them. </p>
<p>Today we are having a party for D1’s college graduation. I neglected to put RSVP on the invitations so have no idea how many will show up. But we have a keg of beer (she is 21), a “taco guy” (a guy who comes and brings a big grill and makes tacos outside) and a cake from her favorite bakery (and a few other desserts). S2 is home from college for the weekend (he is on the quarter system so goes until June 13th I think). So I had all 3 kids under my roof last night which was great. Wish me luck!!</p>
<p>Pentecost three-day weekend on our side of the pond, not memorial day, but all that matters is three days of sun, FINALLY! kids are studying for exams, we have another month of school over here, while i got to enjoy the garden clean-up. I had to ask my son three times on thursday to check his scores on the SATs - “mom, i don’t think i’m going to apply to the States anyways” - i haven’t had a chance to see just what his 1870 means but it does make me wonder what he could have gotten if he’d studied a bit! Like reeinaz, i remembered my 1190, which in those days was just fine for the Univ. of Calif. Incredible how much it’s changed since then and I can’t believe you can already start applying in July/August…i had my mind set on September! Enjoy your well-deserved summer breaks, i’m still amazed at all the things so many of you have going on!</p>
<p>Hot as hades today…thinking about next summer and looking forward to a more family centered one. S has a full time summer paying job at CMU–we are all thrilled for this and the $$, but he only has 2 weeks vacation. D is pretty much fully booked between working at camp, volunteer hours, IB extended essay and sports in August we have barely a week to get together. Luckily, luckily I found frequent fliers to S. America so we can all attend a family wedding at the very end of July…a miracle. Not cheap in miles-terms, but the $$ cost of a relatively short trip was stunning. $1500 per person round trip for a trip to miami combined with a 4.5 hour flight across the Gulf of Mexico?! Ouch! I am quite sure the bride and groom would prefer $6000 cash than to see our pretty faces. I think we can swing the miles but I need H to do the arrangements wiht his miles too and he is in Paraguay all week (his crazy travel is how we accumulate muchas millas). Also, American is almost bankrupt so I figure use the miles while they are still valid. Makes it easier to be generous with a wedding gift($) and still be there to celebrate with family.</p>
<p>My D wants to take a friend …the parents may go for it since rumor has it that they bought apple stock in the very early days (LOL)…I think it would be great for D to show off her home country to her friend (also fluent speaker so no issues there). I just wish it could be more than for 8 days!? Darn field hockey!!</p>
<p>Except for smoke in the air from wildfire in SW part of state, today is pretty nice. Going to BIL and wife’s house for BBQ. Had to cancel our family celebration dinner last night because S15 and I were both ill but both doing much better today! In fact just finished baking a cake for S who turns 15 tomorrow. </p>
<p>Hope everyone is having a wonderful, safe holiday weekend!</p>
<p>Folks: New to this forum so if this is the wrong place to ask this question, please forgive and redirect.
D who is 17, will be senior in HS and graduating 2013. Latest SAT has 2030/2400, got into NIH SIP this summer to do research that she loves, has had 2 years of internships in freshman and 10th grade summer in similar research. She has a GPA of 4.0, course load of all honors classes in 9th and 10th grade (no AP offered). 11th grade has AP’s in Eng Comp, Cal BC and Biology with A’s in all. She just took her AP exams so no scores yet. Will take SATII in Math II and Biology next week. Tons of EC’s. State Awards in Science Fair x 4 years, National Essay Award in Middle School, Classical Dance x 12 years with many merit and national awards, service projects, NHS, National Spanish Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, leadership in local youth ethnic organization as President, Harvard SSP summer course selection in 10th grade although she only got a C. Overall and nice kid and has not been in any trouble. Question is she wants to go to Ivy league. I tell her that she is no where close as she has poor SAT scores. Is this correct?</p>
<p>tsubram–only on CC is that a “low” SAT score. I see no reason she should not apply to the Ivy’s. She is still mid range for SAT scores. Her scores/GPA/EC’s aren’t the issue, it’s the 6% acceptance rate that may keep her out of Ivy’s but that shouldn’t stop her from applying. Just be realistic and have good back ups.</p>
<p>tsubram-- I agree with SteveMA. My daughter hasn’t even the grades your kid does, SAT’s of 2080 so far…but she still wants to try for it. We are just trying to make sure she has other schools that she will feel good about attending should she not get in to an IVY. In fact, she is coming around to the idea that she may actually like one or two of the LAC’s better…but she can’t bring herself to take the IVY’s off the list. So, that’s okay.<br>
Anniez-- I was told to read that book by several of my friends. I just can’t bring myself to do it, for the reason you are describing…do I really want to “know” the chaos and the difficulties from a book, while I am living it…??<br>
Question: I have been told by her GC that D can take Math I and Math II as her subject tests, if those are the ones she is likely to get 700’s in…but then I hear from others that they should be different subject areas…and on the college websites that she is interested in, there is no recomendation of the subjects…it just says “of your choosing”…or even less descriptive…she reallly bombed her American History SATII (mostly because she chose to cram the night before…) any one have some experience with this? Has anyone’s older kids taken just the Math and gotten into college!!! (a little facetious…)</p>
<p>drmom, D1’s friend signed up for math II and physics but ended up taking Math I and Math II. I believe she got into a number of colleges: BU, USC, UCI, etc…</p>
<p>tsu, welcome. I think kids who do have research experience do really well in college admissions. So I wouldn’t worry too much about SAT scores.</p>
<p>drmom - S’13 is my oldest, so no personal experience, but know plenty of kids who have gone to schools needing SATIIs and they all have tried to demonstrate range by taking tests in different areas. Not sure that helps, but that’s why S’13 did Math II and WH.</p>
<p>BTW - saw MIB III this morning and enjoyed it. Seeing it with middle school age kids makes it more fun =]</p>