This will be a defining gift for your DD. Finding a unique ‘voice’ is a very difficult thing for many young people. Hopefully she will find good English/Literature teachers that will not strip this individuality as can so often be the case. </p>
<p>Have you found any of the libraries that are loaning through ‘Nook’? This may feed her habit a bit. I do know Kindle had free downloads on nearly every one of my 2011 son’s AP Lit books, I’m assuming Nook has the same so watch for those to save some $$.</p>
<p>It’s just really another practice test, but unlike the PSAT there’s no possibility of merit money for doing well. Some schools do one but not the other, at least until 11th grade. </p>
<p>Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but for anyone looking for a great study method for either test, be sure to check out the so-called “xiggi method” over on the SAT/ACT forum. The student first works for understanding, answering the questions with no time limits and reviewing all the questions to understand why they got them right or wrong. Then, as they gain confidence, they move on to prepping with time limits. It’s worked very well for many students. </p>
<p>D1’s first college visits were in the spring of 9th grade–a little earlier than planned for various logistical reasons. She says that in hindsight it was too early. I don’t care, we had to make hay while the sun was shining. D2, who is currently in 9th grade, says that she doesn’t want to do any college visiting until after D1 goes off to college in August.</p>
<p>I have the Xiggi Method converted to a PDF I’d be happy to email to anyone who wants it in that format for ease. Just send me a pm w/ your email address.</p>
<p>Cayuga: Some of our state’s summer programs strongly suggest that a student have an SAT/ACT score. In my oldest son’s case, he wanted to take calculus at the local community college (he had exhausted our curriculum), so the SAT served to place him in the right course.</p>
<p>I recognize quite a few of the posters on this thread from the 2011/2015 thread where we are just ending our cruise on the SS Indecision. It’s a bit early to be cruising on this thread so I will hold that thought for a couple of years or so.</p>
<p>Our freshman D doesn’t want any part of campus visits this summer as she got to share many visits over the past two years with her older brother (HS 2011). We said we would consider it. :rolleyes: Next summer, however, she has no choice. Based on all of the insight and positive comments that I picked up over the past year here on CC we won’t make the same errors or omissions that we did with S during the whole college review, visit, application and decision process.</p>
<p>Someone recently asked about summer programs. Too late for this summer, but if you’ve not looked at [Summer</a> Programs - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/summer-programs/]Summer”>Summer Programs - College Confidential Forums) it’s worth poking around to see what’s available for future summers. Some programs have really early deadlines, as early as the fall for the following summer, so early research is worth pursuing.</p>
<p>D2 (my 2014 kid) loves her camp, so her next few summers are set for JCIT and CIT. No essays or recs required. :)</p>
<p>I’m just jumping in on this thread but from all the familiar names I feel comfortable already. You will be the only people I can talk about D and college for at least a year - she is so sick of S and his college decisions. Well gang, I’m ready to start the next game plan!</p>
<p>Re. summer programs, if you have a child interested in foreign languages, there are quite a few free or cheap ones available. See [STARTALK</a> - Programs](<a href=“http://startalk.umd.edu/programs/search]STARTALK”>http://startalk.umd.edu/programs/search) What we’ve learned is that the admission windows are very short so you really have to keep an eye out for when they are posted online. University of Mississippi has terrific merit aid for summer college for high school students. There, again, I think you need to apply early. I wish there were free or cheap math, science or music programs but I haven’t found any.</p>
<p>Hi all! Glad to find you here!! We’re looking forward to a lower stress year in 2011/2012 for S before ramping up the process again. Is anyone else worrying about the pressure on D/S #2 following the successful process of older/successful sibling(s)?</p>
<p>My '14 will be #3 to go through the process. She is very different from the other two and will be looking at totally different schools. (I’m crossing my fingers for an in state public!!!)</p>
<p>highhead - in some ways, yes, in most ways, no. S has always been more academically driven. D has the people skills that will take her to many places. We’ve been fortunate that their interests have been so different that there has never been ANY competition. During this college search process I have discovered so many great schools that I want her to look at. My guess is that there will be no overlap in their lists. She’s a good student and a hard worker but she has none of the intensity (good and bad) that defines S. Now that I’m so much better informed about this process, I’ll be identifying some great merit scholarship schools that will fit her. ;)</p>
<p>Not really worried about pressure as d2 is a very different person with different interests. Their grades will probably be close to the same, but d1 has a lot of sweat equity in hers. Things come so much more easily for d2. D2 has always had better test scores, too. D1 wanted a rather hard to find major and she didn’t want to go “too far” from home. It limited her choices to 3. D2 wants something more commonly offered and can look at a lot more schools. She probably won’t object to going farther away. Given that H may have been in his current job longer than is healthy, we may look to move when d2 finishes school. That would take tuition remission/exchange off the table.</p>
<p>I don’t expect anything to be the same this next time around.</p>
<p>My three are all very different. The youngest (S3, 2014) will certainly benefit from what I learned along the way (more optimal testing times, etc.), but his interests and goals are unique to him. I expect some overlap in state schools, but the search will be much different. His immediate older brother was very focused (read almost closed-minded) in his search. There was no wide-cast net for this kid. He knew what he wanted and was reasonable in his expectations. It worked for him. I see a much broader search for S3. I would bring one to S2’s attention and it was usually a curt ‘No, not interested’. Okie-dokie then! S3 is much more easy going. There may be more ‘disappointments’, but there will probably be more options on the table as well.</p>
<p>Another thing we will have to consider with the youngest is our residency at the time. DH will be close to retirement…and I say that loosely because he’ll retire from one career and go to another. Actual retirement is a good 20years away! We will have to consider that we may move and this would affect S3’s college choice. He may be much ‘safer’ at a private U with merit aid where our residency isn’t an issue, as opposed to at a state school where we would be faced with a sharp tuition increase if DH took a job OOS while he is still in school. Just another thing to consider.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say they were “mistakes”, but definite areas for “improvement”. Some of the things I would do differently include the use of the Early Action and/or Early Decision options at some of the more selective schools; the focusing on a specific major vs. “undecided”; starting the essays over the summer and not at Thanksgiving; completing the Common App before December 30th! :eek: ; forcing visits to different types and sized of schools (DS refused to look at any LAC’s or schools with less than 5,000 undergrads); starting practice SAT/ACT tests and test prep earlier in the HS cycle; and more personal contact with the adcon’s for our area so that they may recognize the name on the application file. I am sure there are other items that I can add to the list after I think about it for a while.</p>
<p>That is a fairly comprehensive and accurate list AvonHSDad. We committed many of those same transgressions during our first journey through the minefield. Procrastination was certainly an issue with S1, but its hard to push rope :rolleyes: Another error we have vowed to avoid is committing oneself heart and soul to a school before they have committed to you! That caused quite a bit of pain.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the comments on pressure! Unfortunately, I am coming to realize that my two are quite similar. The humanities/strong writer is turning into a scientist, the math guy has realized that he does not want to go to an engineering school where he would not have access to top-notch social sciences. The high stress kid won the lottery and got into all her schools, including some super-reaches. The phlegmatic one is working on improving his grades (didn’t bother in middle school as ‘it didn’t count yet’) but is not yet putting in that extra 10% to raise the A-'s to A’s. However, he seems to be assuming his choices will be similar to his sister’s. Growl.</p>
<p>Hello fellow class of 2014/2018 parents! I recently found this CC site and the class of 2011/2015 thread and spent a few days skimming that before coming over here. Lots of familiar names, I see! Now that the dust has settled from DD1, I’m looking forward to the process again with DD2, although I am sure it will be quite a different path. </p>
<p>I was fortunate with DD1 that she was going into music as it forced us to start the search a lot sooner than I would have as a first time parent. We were visiting schools during spring break and summer of her junior year and got the applications going when they went on line in August so that she would be able to apply for audition dates that suited our calendar. By November, she was done, except for having to work on her audition pieces. Going to the auditions gave us a second look at each school, so when it came time to make a decision, we were ready. I learned that her GC’s time schedule causes last minute running around and will therefore know not to wait for her this next time around.</p>
<p>DD2 will not be going the music route, but may possibly throw athletics into the mix. We’ll have to see. For now, I just want her to start to think about what type of school she may want to attend… how far away, size, etc. Not worrying about anything else at this point. Grades are great and she has a lot of EC’s that she’s having fun with. </p>
<p>Looking forward to chatting with you all as we go through this again!</p>
D2, who is currently in 9th grade, says that she doesn’t want to do any college visiting until after D1 goes off to college in August.</p>
We said we would consider it. :rolleyes: Next summer, however, she has no choice. Based on all of the insight and positive comments that I picked up over the past year here on CC we won’t make the same errors or omissions that we did with S during the whole college review, visit, application and decision process.</p>
S3 is much more easy going. There may be more ‘disappointments’, but there will probably be more options on the table as well.</p>