<p>Why is it that every time I get an email back from our HS counselor it p i s ses me off? I received this after asking “Do the teachers submit their LORs via common app or are they mailed?”</p>
<p>“Each application is different. Some of that will even be your preference or the teacher’s preference. The girls will just have to read each app and see what it asks for and then have them check with the teacher. On the Common Application it is possible for the teacher to do their rec online. A link can be sent to them.”</p>
<p>Huh? I know what is available on the CA, but I need to know what the SCHOOL does or does not do with the information it needs to send! I think we ARE reading what each college wants, but that doesn’t matter if the school won’t send paperwork digitally, right? Is it just me?</p>
<p>Some teachers are clueless even on paper, so I think they are even more clueless with online app. I think it sounds like the school leaves it up to the teacher.</p>
<p>Walker–some COLLEGES require different things too. I see a couple schools our kids are applying to don’t accept electronic forms at all other than their online app (not Common App) so transcripts, etc. will all have to be snail mailed from the school. I do know of a couple teachers at our school that will only mail letters, not send them electronically so it is a case by case basis. Our GC would PREFER that everyone did everything electronically but they don’t have control over that.</p>
<p>Hi all!! I am a parent from the HS class of 2012. My DS is on a gap year so will actually be in the college class of 2017… with all of you guys.LOL!! I remember being right where you guys are right now… completely overwhelmed and trying to find the right way to get my DS to do everything he was supposed to do in a timely manner. I think boys are just harder when it comes to this. I can tell you that it WILL all get done, the year will fly by, you will have moments when you feel like pulling your hair out, and moments when you will tear up at the slightest thing. </p>
<p>I have to say that it was probably one of the most stressful 8 months of my life. My DS was fine… it was all me…LOL! Of course, my main concern was the $, his main concern was planning his trek on the PCT… where he still is at this moment. He has hiked so far over 1900 miles from the Mexican border heading up to Canada. </p>
<p>My DS applied to 15 schools, and I am happy to report he is going to college next August with an outstanding merit scholarship. All’s well that ends well.</p>
<p>If anyone has any questions about anything, I am more than happy to help. Our 2012 parent group… now the college class of 2016 is the most supportive group ever. It was so nice to have this group of parents to commiserate and celebrate with. I hope you all find the same.</p>
<p>@SteveMA: I know what the colleges want and how they want it because they make an effort to put it in writing on their web sites. I have no idea what options are available to me in terms of the high school sending information. They give us NO information.</p>
<p>I am calling the counselor this afternoon. It appears that she is now confused by the envelopes I sent in. Sigh.</p>
<p>Walker: I think you could benefit from yoga, this is going to be a stressful year for you.</p>
<p>Still 8 days until school starts. Minor progress being made on the summer homework. He still has no clue who he is, so no progress on the essays, but major progress on keeping up with all the different girls he met at ASB camp.</p>
<p>Walker - I think that the GC’s are obviously overwhelmed - do you think they prefer to be communicating with the kids? I know my dd really wants to do the communication with her GC in person - and for me to just help her at home. Today was my dd’s first day and I didn’t dare suggest that she talk with her GC today - she doesn’t want to be “pushy” - we are working on the difference of being “pushy” (her word) and “advocating for yourself” (my word :))</p>
<p>Walker: I’m afraid your GC is just relating the unfortunate reality of the situation. There is no consistency across all schools and even some members of the Common App will accept both electronic and snail-mail LOR’s.</p>
<p>However the school should be able to give you a consistent process–materials, timelines, and communication channels–by which requests for LOR’s from teachers can be made. (“We require forms A, B, and C delivered in this way X number of weeks in advance in order to make a request of a teacher or counselor.” )</p>
<p>Vampire Bat S13 (yes, he is part of the club) has officially dropped year 4 of foreign language. CC at our HS told him that 2 years of foreign language is generally required for acceptance to engineering programs; he has 3. I’m disappointed that he dropped but at least he did it early enough so it won’t be on his transcript at all & he still as a full schedule this year. (it was an “extra” class)</p>
<p>Big meeting at school this week about Common App & Naviance, etc. I will report back if they have any great insights but I think I am getting better info from y’all. </p>
<p>tx5 & walker: I just signed up to do yoga tomorrow after work. I’ll let you know if it helps! Right now I have a zit the size of TX from all the stress. S13’s face looks great. Hmmm…</p>
<p>Thanks for the essay advice. We will sit down this weekend (it is going to be a LONG, long weekend) & brainstorm ideas for his essay. We’ve been talking about some things like the computers he is forever taking apart & rebuilding, the anime, the karate, the camp counselor experiences & I 'm we will come up with something. At this point, anything will be progress. Any thoughts about re-purposing (is that a word?) essays - for example, using personal statement for a non CA school as the long essay on the CA? Is that o.k.?</p>
<p>Thanks for coming over 5boys. We have few experienced parents here but could always use more :)</p>
<p>My son’s schedule has finally made it online. Well, the list of classes anyway. It looks VERY demanding and I’m worried. Even though some of his classes are just semester long, I’m worried. I’m glad they gave him a study hall against his will…lol</p>
<p>5boys, welcome to 2017 thread, please remind me where your son is going again. When I last read he was offered a huge merit aid @Hobart and Smith(??). I think I went to the school website and it seemed very nice. Maybe I look at it again. It’s in NY I think.
ETA, I went to the bank to pick up the vaccination form in my safe deposit box for my daughter and found her kindergarten picture there. She was so smug with herself. It was a very cute picture of herself, but how did she turn out to be so surly in Senior year.</p>
<p>I just spoke to the GC on the phone. She asked me “how do you know all this stuff?”. Cuz I’m doing your damn job, lady.</p>
<p>As far as the kids dealing with the GC instead of me, THEY have to make an appt to even talk to her. There is no time in their day to deal with the secretarial details of the admissions process. They fill out the apps, scholarships, essays… I do the envelope and stamp licking and checking off the materials needed for each app. But I need to know what the HS needs or can do before I request stuff, right? It’s just crazy that their is no procedure to follow other than signing in some dumb notebook that you need a transcript, where it goes and a stamped envelope. That’s it. It’s just frustrating.</p>
<p>On a good note, four schools have received the application and one recommendation! Woo hoo!</p>
<p>Yep…I cried. In fact, I have been doing so on and off for about 3 hours now…
But I did get a great “First Day of School” picture :)</p>
<p>Both kids were up PAST 1AM finishing up summer HW. Not that they didn’t have the assignments back in June or anything. (Insert tired-Mom eye-roll here.)</p>
<p>S13 got a new GC last year after the old one retired. She is younger and on top of the electronic submissions! One of his teachers is anti-technology, but she still managed to figure out how to do the teacher LOR online. </p>
<p>TTTC: At S13s summer program at top CS school, they told them NOT to reuse essays . . . they said the schools can tell if its another schools prompt and it makes you come off as lazy or not interested enough to put the time in. I cant imagine that something very general cant be used though. Im trying to get S13 to do GATechs prompt first and use it for PITT and the Common App - I thought hed be all for it since he hates writing. I dont think GATechs is that specific, but hes adamant that he not do that since they really drove that point home. Oh well.</p>
<p>School starts one week from tomorrow here. D was at school early this morning for a volunteer opportunity, so she stopped by the guidance office to ask when seniors could begin ordering transcipts. She has already applied to one school and is close to finishing another application. In turn for her good planning and proactiveness, she was interrogated by the guidance secretary about why she already needed the form to order transcripts! D tried to explain, but was further lectured that she would not be able to avoid the senior meeting about college by applying early to them! She continued to huff and puff that she needed her parent’s signature and that they cost three dollars each…that means three dollars for every one. D does not want to go back and order the transcipt for the completed app now.:(</p>
<p>On a happier note, D got her AP award in the mail today…AP Scholar with Honor. No lecture included for being prepared early for college!</p>
Sorry DS is having a bad first day. </p>