<p>Today’s on-line NYTimes edition opened up their annual “The Choice” Blog for this year and one of the high schol seniors is from my DS’s school. The blog has been fun to follow in past years…we’ll see for this year…having a hometowner involved. In the past they have been from various places with varying academic interests. This year’s group of 8, interestingly, highlights 2 that are international.</p>
<p>Just a reminder–DD has a much earlier deadline than most kids because she has to have a decision ready to go by Nov 1st–which means applications had to be in so they can do their thing on the school side and then we have to get our financial info over to the colleges so they can work their magic and offer us copious amounts of money for DD to attend :D. DS just went along for the ride because I made him :D.</p>
<p>Vandyeyes- I’m going to be following that set of students also. Kind of excited. ;-)</p>
<p>Happened to turn my tv on while I was getting laundry folded this afternoon and Anderson Cooper was interviewing Honey Boo Boo. It was hilarious. He looked uber annoyed. Gee, wonder why? lol</p>
<p>Surfcity, LOL! I better not show that to D, she already thinks I’m like that!
Sshhh, I left work a little early to catch the second half of D’s game. She’s having a great season- so proud of her!</p>
<p>Watched a webcast for one of D’s safeties and I feel better about the school today. Our tour left us both unimpressed so I hope that another visit down the road will make us both love it. Mom error here… D’s favorite is likely to be the least affordable on her list. :(</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using CC</p>
<p>Progress- D’13 has finished her 2 common app essays and is now working on her 1st EA school supplement. </p>
<p>Exciting news- DD got into the Dartmouth Minorities in Science fly in weekend for the end of this month. She will be thrilled in a few minutes when crew practice ends and she reads her text message. The program is mostly astronomy/ physics lectures which is perfect for her.</p>
<p>Very cool Dragonfly!!! You should have one of her friends record her yell when she reads that :D.</p>
<p>Well, if anyone has any ideas for LAC with terrific merit aid, DD is looking for Chinese language and environmental studies. Study abroad is important. She would like to be near mountains or at least nature. Her SAT is 1450/2240. She is an AP scholar with distinction plus will have full IB diploma, including 5 Higher Level exams. She has plenty of unique experiences to write about and is a good writer. She is not URM and we do not qualify for financial aid pretty much anywhere. The only schools I’ve come up with where she might get enough merit are Lewis & Clark and Beloit. She’s willing to go anywhere; she just doesn’t want to go to our state flagship.</p>
<p>Have you looked at Grinnell? A friend’s son is there and received quite a bit of merit aid. Your dd’s stats look similar to his. It has a Chinese major and lots of study-abroad options. <a href=“http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/chinese/offcampus[/url]”>http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/chinese/offcampus</a></p>
<p>Carthage in Kenosha, WI has a Chinese major, right on Lake Michigan, no mountains but the students I know there got very good merit aid. Gettysburg College, Gettysburg PA-not sure about the merit aid but pretty, pretty campus and there are “mountains” in PA. Southwestern in TX. Merit aid looks favorable there as well. University of Hawaii–no idea about merit aid but nature and VACATION for you :D. There are several schools in PA according to the collegeboards site. I searched for Chinese language and literature and came up with 115 schools. Concordia Moorhead in MN is also on the list. It’s a flat as you can get there however, major opportunities for internships at the Language Camps. People I know at Concordia have all gotten pretty good merit aid too. Macalaster is on the list-merit aid is iffy, however they give pretty good “aid” in general and are one of the colleges that meet 100% of need so worth checking into. College of St. Benedict has a Chinese minor and environmental studies major, very, very good merit aid (20K+ with those stats) very environmentally conscious, WONDERFUL study abroad programs including one to China-no mountains but lots of nature.</p>
<p>Walker and SteveMa - agreed on that. Just trying to please the kiddo…and I want to take her to look at Truman. We have a friend who was on the adcom for OU Med and he stressed how strongly they consider whether applicants are local Okies or not. hmmmm…</p>
<p>Finding a Chinese language major is tough. Hobart William Smith has an asian studies program with a chinese studies concentration, but I don’t know if it meets what your D wants. She’d probably qualify for good merit aid there, and they have an absolutely gorgeous campus. Good study abroad and environmental studies.</p>
<p>What about Wofford?</p>
<p>I was gonna suggest Earlham but they have Japanese, not Chinese.</p>
<p>Ivv: Yay! Go eagles! DH and I are both class of '87. I was 13 when I graduated. Lol
DH was a biochem major.</p>
<p>My kids could go to USM cheap but we have visited and zippo interest.</p>
<p>Congrats to your d, Dragonflygarden!</p>
<p>I’ve talked to the admissions director at Earlham re. Chinese. Apparently, they are waiting for the German professor to retire and then they will replace German with Chinese - too late for DD13 - but Earlham is definitely the best coed LAC in Indiana and a hidden jewel.</p>
<p>Many colleges only allow 1-2 LORs. We havent seen S’13’s LORs but I have a sneaking suspicion that his best LORs will be from humanities teachers. I spoke with both teachers at the open house and they both told me how they think he walks on water one is also an English teacher, so presumably a good writer. His math and physics teachers both think highly of him, but I dont get the feeling they would be good at expressing it in writing. MIT specifies one science/math teacher and one humanities teacher, but most dont. How would you interpret a computer science/engineering major sending LORs from an Art/AP Art History teacher and an AP Euro History teacher?</p>
<p>At first I thought it might look fishy, but then I thought it might show that he is well rounded. Plus, his SAT IIs already show he is very strong in math and physics. Any opinions?</p>
<p>MommyDearest13, in some ways I think that makes sense. A very strong student in any subject may have less close relationships with teachers in that subject, for the simple reason that they are more independent in those classes. I see the same thing in the “teacher awards” at the end of the year, none of the strongest students get the awards, it’s generally the student who comes in for tutoring, asks for clarification/help, and generally interacts with the teacher. Not that this is necessarily your situation, but I don’t think it’s uncommon. 
And it would definitely show well-roundedness (?).</p>
<p>Anyway, I just decided that I’m doing an app a week til I’m done. This week is Chicago.</p>
<p>Apollo - first let me say, I know nothing about Language Majors, but Friday at the University of Alabama tour, they mentioned something about Chinese (and other eastern) Languages being taught at UA. I didn’t pay much attention to what she said about that. Sorry. A 1450 SAT would qualify for a guarenteed Presidential merit scholarship - Free Tuition. Then there is the competitive scholarship for $8,500 more and an iPad. Not sure how high a ranking you are looking for, but 2012 they got like #75 National University.</p>
<p>Just checked UA - they offer a minor in Chinese Language - the major is Foreign Languages and Literature. It includes two years of Chinese Language instructions plus either another year of Chinese language or a year of Chinese literature.</p>
<p>Apollo, when we were at Earlham this summer they said they were working on getting the Chinese program started, but that it wouldn’t be this year. 
Ok, one more suggestion - New College in Florida. It’s small, but an amazing school, and I’m pretty sure they have Chinese. They have guaranteed merit aid and a few others that may be available as well for IB, NMSF etc.</p>