<p>Classof2015 - I can only hope my D’s English teacher gives a CA essay assignment early on. That would be so wonderful and such a blessing! She opted for Honors English her senior year, so I just don’t know. English is definitely not her strong suit. She’s on a block schedule, with 4 classes per semester. All of her other classes are AP, other than Honors Band. Here’s to hoping!</p>
<p>Will be interested in any tips you might gather at the college admissions event.</p>
<p>It’s been a while since the last time that I post here. Although I’ve been reading all the posts.</p>
<p>Welcome to all new posters!</p>
<p>I’m so jealous to all the parents whose kids started their CA already. My D on the other hand hasn’t done anything. She still needs to finalize the LIST and debating if she wants to do a one school SCEA or 2 school EA.</p>
<p>Her HS is semi-year-round so they started the school year early (last week of July). But they will have a Fall break (2 weeks next month). Perfect time to jumpstart her CA.</p>
<p>Not sure if the rest of you are following the NMF thread under Financial Aid. go2girl will definitely be commended (commended is for 203+) but we’re on pins and needles as to whether her score will make the cutoff. </p>
<p>She received a lot more college mail in the last couple of weeks including a postcard from Carleton congratulating on becoming a finalist. Anyone else have this kind of marketing coming their way? I’m trying to find out whether or not the colleges hear earlier from the NMF Foundation the cutoffs to coincide their marketing efforts or whether they just let them know the commended cutoff. Thoughts?</p>
<p>Hello Everyone!
Haven’t checked in for a while but we have been plenty busy this summer!! DD14 goes back to school tomorrow. Go Seniors!!! As town tradition the senior girls meet at the beach very early in the morning (6:00 AM) and take pictures then drive around the town blasting music, screaming, and cheering. This is perhaps the only time DD will ever get out of bed so early, willingly. Then the seniors go to the school to “greet the freshman” forming two lines for the freshman to walk between as the senior girls cheer. Then DD will got out to breakfast with her friends as she doesn’t need to be in school until 9:30
On Friday we went on our 14th and final college tour!! We visited Trinity in Hartford CT. Besides the awful surronding area DD and I both really liked the school.
DD has been actively working on supplements but is having trouble writing the ones that ask “Why ________(fill in university name)”. Anyone have any tips for these???</p>
<p>go2mom: Our DS got his application into our state flagship two weeks ago. The application asks whether the applicant is an NMSF. I called the University Admissions office to ask whether he needed to wait until NMSF scores come out before he submits his app. I told her that DS things he has a shot to make it. She said he should go ahead and check the NMSF box because that is only used as a back-up - the university get a list of all the NMSF in the state on-line which automatically populates via the computer into all of the applicants. She did not say when the list came in.</p>
<p>(DS got the Carleton post card congratulating him on NMSF too.)</p>
<p>I enjoyed go2mom’s review of Cali colleges. We are Californians ourselves and have visited all of the colleges reviewed except for University of San Diego and U of San Francisco. Our perceptions of the colleges truly mirrored what go2Mom stated.</p>
<p>Our older son (S11) is 3rd year at USC. It is such a wonderful school for him. He loves the energy of the campus and avails himself of the many opportunities that come with being a Trojan. Football is not used as part of the admissions pitch- academics, Los Angeles, and “Trojan Network” are the big selling points. There is a great deal of community service on the campus. SC has a “good neighbor” campaign and the diffferent schools offer outreach to school kids in the area. My son has participated in Engineering exploration days for highschoolers in the area and has done Relay for Life, blood drives, etc. There are statistics kept by the school on high numbers of students who are active in community service. Too bad the tour guide didn’t key into those.</p>
<p>Thanks go2mom for your excellent reviews!</p>
<p>glido–your post was very encouraging. go2girl’s score is on the cusp so we will just have to see whether there is good news this week or not. It won’t be the end of the world if she doesn’t make it; but since she’s decided to apply to USC, it could certain help if she got the scholarship. My BFF has two boys at Yale and reminded me that neither of them were Nat’l merit scholars—and they didn’t have any other hook to speak of that made them outstanding candidates for many schools.</p>
<p>Minnymom–the Trojan network and pride was emphasized a lot in our tour at USC. I also forgot to mention that they had five new majors in the College of Arts and Science, based on feedback they received from professors and students. They really embrace the idea of interdisciplinary studies. One major, GeoEd, for example, combines geography and urban planning. My 13 year old son was ready to become a Trojan right then and there! </p>
<p>There is so much positive to say about all the schools we visited–it was go2girl’s decision to keep/take schools off the list and I think she did a good job determining what would be the right fit for her.</p>
<p>go2mom - Great reviews on your California school visit trip. Sounds like it was a rather intense week of travel and touring. Fingers crossed for the NMF for go2D. Our D is still massaging her list of schools. Now we are sorting our all of the EA, ED1 and ED2 and SCEA options and trying to rank and “schedule” the admissions submittal dates based on the possible outcomes of the early applications. (Admit, defer or deny).</p>
<p>Should be a day when some high schools get word of NMF cut-off scores. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Just want to make sure you all knew that we took two weeks to see all the schools in California! There was some time for soaking up the sun and swimming in the Pacific!</p>
<p>Best of luck to all the seniors returning to school this week!</p>
<p>Hi Everybody… hope you had a great lonnggg weekend. 
My dd is starting to hear back from friends that are a year older and at college…
and she is now starting to get anxious. She has already crossed one school off her list due to excessive partying ( Miami/OH) and feels like she doesnt have that 5-10 schools to apply to anymore. Others are on the hit list too.
Are your Srs. getting feedback from friends? I thought it would be a + but it’s turning out to be a - . I guess if she ends up at the right school it’s a +</p>
<p>ldavis – I would tell your dd to take their info with a grain of salt. Every kid finds out some aspect of their school that’s surprising or not so great (it’s inevitable). Maybe it’s hard to work out a decent class schedule; maybe the food isn’t great; maybe the shuttle that takes you to the other side of campus is never on time. Our kids get so psyched to be at their dream school or target school and there’s got to be a little disenchantment when reality sinks in. It’s like the difference between dating and being married :)</p>
<p>S knows several freshman (and upperclassmen) and we have a small school and lots of the college kids come back for Homecoming, so the info flows pretty freely. I’m actually watching a friend’s son at Elon (he just did move in) to see what his experience is because he’s very similar to S. If this kid likes it there, so will my son.</p>
<p>S14 has offiically begun his senior year and I’m left wondering how the last 17 1/2 years went by so incredibly fast.</p>
<p>Right there with you 2016BarnardMom! How did we get here so fast?</p>
<p>LDavis: I agree with Classof2015: Tell DD to take whatever she hears with a grain of salt. If a school has several aspects that she finds important, go ahead and apply - keep the options open - she can always make up her mind later. Don’t want to shut too many doors in September.</p>
<p>I also agree with the “grain of salt” recommendation, especially this early in the semester. College freshmen are most verbal about what they really love, and what they really hate. And even a good friend’s experience may be quite different from your student’s. My DD14 had two close friends start at U of Michigan last fall, with totally different experiences. I encourage D14 to talk to the one who loves it, not the one who had a tough time adjusting.</p>
<p>Last “First Day of School” at our house today. I wonder where it will take place next fall…</p>
<p>NMSF state cut-off scores are starting to trickle in. So far, they appear to be about 3 or 4 points higher than last year. Of course, it will vary state by state. Looks like Commended is 203.</p>
<p>Anybody else have any NMSF score scoop?</p>
<p>Good luck to all future NMSFers. Nice to have it specially for families that are not qualified for need-based aid. </p>
<p>I don’t think my daughter will make it. We live in California and the cutoff is pretty high. OTOH, she just received her “AP Scholar with Distinction Award” certificate from College Board today. Not sure if this makes any difference as far as college acceptance.</p>
<p>Maybe I shouldn’t have picked my son’s first day of his senior year to finally end an on again/off again relationship that I had hoped would fill my “empty nest” next year. I am having a really hard time blocking this thought that keeps running through my head “You’ll be all alone a year from now.” 
I did this for me, I know it is the right thing, but I still wish it could have been different- even though I know it can’t. I can be successful in my career, raise two amazing kids, hold leadership positions in volunteer organizations successfully- why in the world can I not get this relationship thing right?</p>
<p>^relationships are tough, no matter what stage of life were in. I’m sorry for what you’re going through.</p>
<p>barnard - obviously you ended this relationship for a reason. I’d like to think you’re opening yourself to new possibilities. And if you’re alone next fall? So what? I’d rather be alone than with someone I didn’t enjoy. Just maybe you haven’t met the right person. And now let everyone know you are foot loose and fancy free and who knows who could come forward!</p>
<p>As for us - I’d like to just know already. I don’t like this part of hanging by a thread not knowing. My d chose a very wide variety of schools. She also wants to rush a sorority, but depending on where she goes depends on how much we need to freak out. I’m already asking friends/family what sororities they were in just in case we need recs. Her top two schools are big southern u’s that give me the feeling I may be in over my head. Thankfully my sister works for Lilly. lol (my d hates lilly)</p>