<p>We don’t have a studio option for senior photos here so everyone goes to a private photographer. Yes, it’s expensive…</p>
<p>It CAN be super-expensive. A friend used a friend who charged her $200, which is in line with our studio. But when I checked out her website, the going rate was $675. Uh, no.</p>
<p>We used a student photographer for our twins. She went to the same elementary school as our kids and grew up down the street from us. Their photos turned out amazing and best yet, $75 for the sitting fee. She gave us the disk with the photos so we can print them anywhere. I just saw that Walgreens has a framing service now that looked interesting. They do a canvas print and frame it for $40 or something. I just saw the sign and I haven’t really looked into it but it’s something we will look into. I need the kids to pick which photos they want to use though so we can get those done.</p>
<p>Yeah, if the woman I hired didn’t come in at a reasonable price, I was going to ask a friend who shoots just for fun. Or get a girl I know who shoots for her HS yearbook. I’m not looking for Annie Leibowitz ds-in-a-flower art! I felt bad telling the other women “no, thanks” after getting the $675 price, but she’s an artiste and we just need pics! ;)</p>
<p>We used a private photographer, and it is expensive, but it’s the customary procedure in our area, especially for girls. We were very pleased with the results.</p>
<p>Well, yeah, being a boy I don’t think he needs a thousand clothing changes like I’ve seen friends’ daughters do, but he was perfectly willing and excited to do it. I just found out that the woman I hired is an assistant for a famous photog and is working on building her business on the side. Maybe she’ll be the next Annie Leibowitz and I can sell prints of my ds some day! lol</p>
<p>pictures: We got a minimum package from the pictures done at school. The actual picture came out better than i thought it would, but still it is kind of “stiff”. I would love to do photos with a private photographer, but #1 I am worried about cost and #2 I didn’t do it with the other two so I don’t know if they would be upset. </p>
<p>Speaking of which, any of the schools on your list ask for a photo? I think the only one on S3’s list is Claremont Mckenna. So of course I am obsessing about what sort of photo to send.</p>
<p>587 in our senior class. Our school only lists decile rankings. If your kids are applying to an Ivy League school and your hs doesn’t rank, you should ask the counselor to specify as close as possible their rank. It is figured into the Academic Index that we discussed last week. Top 10% is too wide open. Sometimes schools will narrow it down if you ask.</p>
<p>Got the proofs back today from senior pictures. You are absolutely right about costs! We just went to the big box contracted company-- I figured it would be easier and cheaper. Cheap it is NOT!!! Packages start at over $300 and that’s on top of the $40 sitting fee. I should have gone to a private photographer. Oh well… I am a sucker for nice photos of my sons, especially when they are together!</p>
<p>tx5, I didn’t know CMC asks for a photo! Glad I went with the private photog. ;)</p>
<p>And I thought about ds1 wondering about going with a private photog for ds2, but we all loved ds1’s photos from the studio and we had to go there for the tux and cap-and-gown thing anyway. Because the studio came to the school to do those for ds2, we’re now free to do whatever we want. I don’t think ds1 will care. He probably won’t even notice!</p>
<p>Greek, that’s what I mean about the cost! The studio’s lowest package was $158, I think, and if you want the disc with all the photos it was $49, BUT you only got it for that price IF you bought a package for at least $250. Plus there were extra charges here and there, like $20 for touch-ups per pose. Good grief! I’ll pay this woman 200 bucks, touch-ups and disc included, and we’re free to print wherever we want. OK, I just looked at her website, and I’m getting all excited!!!</p>
<p>We did the requisite school photog for the generic senior pic, but recevied a post card saying they hadn’t heard form us about ordering?? D was supposed to get the proffs…see what happens when I let her own it??</p>
<p>Our D has a classmate that takes amazing pics like our D loves (she did a couple of shoots of D’s rock and roll band), and so D asked her to do her “real” senior pics. She said yes, and at no charge because she needs some stuff for her portfolio. She will give us a CD…and we will pay her for her time - win win!! It will cost us less than what we’d have to pay for a private photog, she will have shots for her portfolio and though she doesn’t know it yet, she’ll get paid :)</p>
<p>S had photos done at school today. He brought in suit jacket, shirt, etc for the shoot. Brought it all home stuffed in backpack with his books. </p>
<p>A college we visited was at his school today also. I told him to go schmooze, but he did not bc the ad rep from another school was just the “most attractive brunette” he’d ever seen. Was he interested in the school? No, but she leaned in toward him when she talked, offering cleavage, so he told her he’d be applying. </p>
<p>Double head smack day.</p>
<p>My son just got a postcard from his interiewer at Hamilton and a letter from the dean of admissions saying she heard about his interview. I know that’s SOP for them, but still, it’s a very nice touch.</p>
<p>S has had excuse after another as to why he hasn’t made it to the college office this week to request his transcripts. Arrgh!!! It’s so frustrating. I still haven’t seen any movement on the LOR front either. I know his advisor showed everyone their letters on Monday but S wasn’t at school that day. Today he missed advisory for a x-country meet and school is closed Monday for Columbus day. And he’ll miss adivisory again next Thursday for another meet…lol. What’s that saying about hurry up and wait?</p>
<p>MomofNEA: your S’s day at school cracked me up! II read your post to DH and he says that sounded like a great way to choose a college. LOL.</p>
<p>Hi everyone! OOPS! photos have not been taken… we rescheduled twice and then I just gave up for a while! Need to get on that or D won’t be in the yearbook!</p>
<p>MomofNEA, that is TOO funny! </p>
<p>Reeinaz, that sounds so nice! D has received notes from the interviewer, but never a note from anyone who heard about her interview. I’m glad it went well. 
Not sure where the things are at with LORs etc. D has asked teachers, but nothing is in yet.</p>
<p>Even cleavage couldn’t sway my son to write another essay! Stuffing the suit in the backpack is totally something he would do though…I’d make HIM take it to the dry cleaner and make him pay the bill.</p>
<p>S2 finally asked a different teacher to write his LOR. Got tired of waiting for first teacher and, if he finally writes it, then he’ll have 2 nice LORs. The new teacher was his 11th grade English teacher - very sweet. I just hope she’s also very organized and gets a LOR done by Nov 1.</p>
<p>I remember my DS’11 putting on a dress shirt over his shorts for his senior year book picture. I couldn’t convince him to get any other photos done. Now DD’13 won’t do senior pictures, either because they aren’t done at her school. The only pictures we ever manage to get are our torturous family photos taken at JCP every Christmas - but this year we did it in July before DD returned to New Mexico and DS’15 headed for China. I am envious of everyone who has beautiful professional photos of their kids. I’m sure it will be worth the $$$!</p>
<p>I’ve always spent a crapload of money on photos of the kids. Even when we didn’t have the money to spend, I did without other material need or wants to get those photos done. It might not be important to anyone but me but I have never regretted that choice. </p>
<p>As far as our senior pics go, the school contracted photographer is horrible. A friend of mine is in the process of starting her own photo business and she did the girls senior pics. They are amazing. I’ll end up with lots of pics for a total of $600 for two kids and multiple locations and choice of outfits. </p>
<p>Got home today to a mailbox PACKED with college stuff. Idk why this push now! Last year would have made more sense to me.</p>
<p>SteveMa - Congratulations!</p>
<p>MomofNEA - Crack me up!</p>
<p>I’m applying to seven of my schools tomorrow night! I’m freaking out!</p>
<p>We went on a field trip for my APES class today, and one of my friends’ moms called her on the way back and told her that she was accepted to Montana State, her first choice! It was so excited and we were all really happy for her! She’s the first acceptance for my class!</p>
<p>I’m visiting Barnard (…again) on Monday, and I figured that I’d let my dad know on the train ride to the city that we have to fill out the CSS profile ASAP. I’m soooo not ready for it, but hey, I have to do it.</p>
<p>In other news, I recently inherited quite a bit of money from my grandmother’s passing (and by quite a bit I mean about $12,000), so I’m able to buy myself a laptop, printer, new phone (I’ve had the same one for many years now, and I need a new phone already), and then save the rest. I’m soooo excited! It was such a nice surprise!</p>
<p>We’re working out all the tweaks for Naviance at my school. We figured out how to get the teacher evaluation page to work finallllllly, and my guidance counselor accidentally submitted a fake application she made up with a fake name to a university. It was really funny trying to watch her explain to an admissions rep at some college from Virginia that she didn’t really mean to send in that application and that person doesn’t actually exist.</p>
<p>My Quinnipiac admissions rep is visiting my school tomorrow. I’m really excited! QU is one of my safety schools, but you can never be too sure! I’m definitely going to make a good impression! And, to top it all off, my best friend and I are skipping Spanish (I don’t like Spanish at all) to go talk to the admissions person! Yay!</p>