<p>I have the parental score disappointment not with standardized tests (where S14 shines) but with his grades. We’ll find out within a few weeks whether he managed to squeak into the top 10% of his class this semester – he was just below before and his grades haven’t risen, so we need to “hope” someone else’s dropped 
We also have a little sibling comparison going on – S11 was a top student (not val, but up there) and S14 just is not. And like eymamom, I can see that he is where he is motivated to be, and I can accept that that’s ok. We had a discussion about where he’s applying and that if he wanted to apply to any of the “lottery” schools he’d have to prepare for and take a science SAT II on his own over the summer, and he just isn’t motivated to. (Previously he had thought he would apply to MIT, but frankly he has no chance there even with an 800 on a science SAT II - he doesn’t have anything beyond test scores, and test scores alone don’t cut it at a school like that.) DH and I have come to the realization that even if he could get into an MIT or Princeton or Cornell, they wouldn’t be a great fit for him, because he just <em>doesn’t</em> want to work <em>that</em> hard.</p>
<p>Interested in perspective on applying to lottery schools…if you knew that your kid’s hs (which is huge) sends 2-3 kids/year total to HYPS, and you knew that someone in your child’s class is already accepted to one of those as an athlete, would there be any point to even applying to that same school? Or, has the school met its geographic quota, making the odds even smaller than they are to begin with? S is disappointed…wanted to apply only to this specific lottery school, understanding the odds, but is now thinking that if he’s going to just try for one, then he should pick another…and I’m inclined to agree.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s quite that “strict” that if an athlete from your kids HS is accepted, no one else could be. If it’s his best fit, I think he should still apply, though maybe try for another one as well.</p>
<p>What’s there to lose except for the application fees? So long as your child understands the odds, and can accept them, I don’t see why you shouldn’t. </p>
<p>DS is likely not going to apply to any Ivies unless he gets some interest after next week’s camp but I wouldn’t discourage him should he want to. He already knows one classmate who has verbally committed to Yale - - a kid who is junior national team level in his sport.</p>
<p>They published the list of where our HS Class of 2013 is going, and I saw 2 kids are going to Roanoke College. The size and location and acceptance rates seem like a fit for S’14. Does anyone know anything about the school?</p>
<p>DS’14 just got another wave of college mail - anybody else?</p>
<p>Thanks Ordinarylives, momreads and Creekland for your understanding. I felt like a “bad mom” last night dealing with “my” disappointment (not his) but today I’m recognizing that his ACT score is still good…just not high enough for a few of the school’s that had the automatic scholarships. I guess for those schools that would be more than we can afford, he just won’t apply (unless he raises his ACT in September). He does have a “safety” state school where his ACT is about 6 points higher than the average and is affordable so I know he’ll be accepted and get a good education there if necessary. I’ll also have him apply for a few monetary “reach” schools as you never know what the final COA will be unless you apply. He’s will be studying engineering (probably mechanical) so as long as the school as ABET accredited he’ll get the education he needs. Thanks again for your input!</p>
<p>College mail has never really stopped around here. DS doesn’t even look at it and it just gets tossed in the vicinity of the plastic bin. I’ve stopped organizing it and it is just in a haphazard pile.</p>
<p>momreads - glad to hear what you thought of CNU. We also thought it was beautiful. They’re knocking down the old admissions office and rebuilding. Did you enjoy the fireplace in the dorm? lol What I really liked what kids having to live on campus 3 years, most doing all 4, the small class sizes, the opportunities for leadership and it seems like they kids have a lot going on. It’s on our final list. It would be a safety for d but I think she likes it more than some of her less in the bag schools. Did I tell you while we were in Einsteins a prof came over and chatted with us? That’s not happened at any other school we’ve visited.</p>
<p>We’ve never really had college mail (and yes, both d’s checked the box to receive it). Oldest’s mail wouldn’t have filled a shoebox. D’14’s mail is a little heavier, but not by much. Maybe if you live in the middle of nowhere, colleges think you’ll go to the local cc and study wind turbine repair or something.</p>
<p>Us either. Just a few pieces from the schools he’s visited, and one random mailing from American University (with the photo of the truncated female student with words on her breasts).</p>
<p>Just as well. I’m so over the fake “we love you” kind of mailings that just try to encourage our tender kids to apply.</p>
<p>Our college mails never stopped either. Recently, we received a couple invitations for DS to apply with registration fee waived. I think these two schools received the free ACT reports.</p>
<p>Cof2015, There’s a wonderful cc member, Kathiep, that has an older son that went to Roanoke. She always has good things to say about the school. She also has a son in the 2011/15 group that is at Champlain. She just posted in the ‘schools your kids turned down’ thread and I’m sure she’d be happy to tell you about Roanoke if you send her a PM. We’ve had a few from our HS head to Bridgewater, also in the Shenandoah. I believe the ACTs are similar so maybe another one to consider. </p>
<p>We hear similar good buzz about CNU from our kids in the last few years. It’s gaining popularity over a segment that maybe wanted something smaller and is frankly a better student experience then some of the older Va publics of similar size and selectively. I love the description of glittered floors! :)</p>
<p>Coffees on. Tea is on the sideboard with a nice spread I ordered up (sorry, not in the mood to cook thisAM). Looks like wonderful seasonal fruit, some raspberry scones, guilt free bagels still warm from the oven, and fresh juices. Help yourself!!</p>
<p>Classof2015: I can add to what blueiguana said about Roanoke College, as one of my fellow teachers attended the school. She raves about it. Small classes. Nice dorms and facilities. Very supportive faculty – she said she still remains in contact with some professors, and she graduated about 10 years ago. A lot of scholarship money is available, she told me, which is good because the price is steep. She encouraged my son to consider the school, but there is no football team so that’s a drawback for him.</p>
<p>Speaking of college mail, I had to ask our postman if he had a card that I could fill out because we planned to be out of town later this summer. He didn’t, but said he would leave some in my box. I joked about all the college mail piling up, and he even noted that he could not believe all the places that sent my son mail.</p>
<p>Oooooo. . . . . Scones. </p>
<p>We’re picking up proofs today from d’s senior pictures. Is that a regional thing, or do you all do senior pictures?</p>
<p>We’ll do senior pictures, but probably not so early in the summer. I think we usually do them in early fall.</p>
<p>I think our senior pictures are slated for later this summer.</p>
<p>D14’s senior photos are scheduled for August 17th. D07 is getting married on August 10th. College visits scheduled throughout this summer/fall…take me away Calgon!! :-)</p>
<p>I remember a flyer somewhere about Sr pictures. I should look for that, lol! They are taken in August. We’ll let the school do it simply for the formal tux shot (mandatory for the yearbook), but don’t purchase fm them. I will take S3s Sr pictures used in graduation announcements. Each of the boys have chosen an outdoor location. I try to get them done in the fall. S2 drug his heels and his weren’t done until May.</p>
<p>thanks blueiguana and momreads for the info on Roanoke and Champlain. I remembered there was someone who had a child at Champlain – just couldn’t remember who! I will definitely PM kathiep.</p>
<p>I feel like there are so many schools out there you’d need a lifetime to investigate them all. It helps so much to hear good things about these schools. Roanoke is now on the list of schools to visit.</p>