<p>Well, son has spent the weekend licking his wounds after his football team was knocked out of the playoffs on Friday night. He has played football since he was a little kid, so the finality of it - plus a very tough loss on the home field for the final time playing there - is something he is dealing with. I think it helps a bit for him and his teammates that their bodies actually hurt - makes it a little easier to bear mentally somehow, knowing they left it all out there. But he will miss playing with his senior teammates - they have been together since 7th grade as a group. </p>
<p>So now the fact that football is in his rear view mirror - plus his p/t job has ended - gives him a little more time to focus on all the upcoming app and scholarship deadlines. Fortunately he has found he actually likes writing essays, and he is my first kid who actually enjoys the honing down work that is the editing process. We work well together with it - who knew? My other two older kids hated it, and really bridled against editing. I am grateful that his last full time year here is starting to become enjoyable once again. Fingers crossed, teenagers change weekly! </p>
<p>Dec 15 will be a big day in our house - ED and EA results will be known by then!</p>
<p>Moonmaid – I’m so sorry his season ended so soon! It is the end of an era for him (and his friends). I hope there is a wrap up team party with photos of them in their glory so they have an image of themselves on an “up” note.</p>
<p>We have a visitor in our home – S’s nagging cough. It moved in about 2 weeks ago. I’ll be happy to see it leave.</p>
<p>Moonmaid, - I’m sorry his team lost the game, but happy that things are less stressful and that you all can enjoy some essay time! I have a 2013er also, and last fall and spring I heard many stories of kids playing their last games in high school of whatever sport, or maybe being in their last play, but always with the friends that they had done all this with for years. It’s melancholy. End of an era, but beginning of a new life! It really hits at graduation. When I see a parent, like my left and right neighbors with their little elementary kids, I feel like they have all the fun stuff ahead of them. And here we are ready to move onto a new phase of life, with less kids and then with none…and then is it back to me and him? - the hub of all those years?</p>
<p>Moonmaid, I understand exactly how your son is feeling. Got an idea that my son will be a bit down when it’s his final track and field event next spring. The other night, we had a nice team dinner and he won the MVP award for cross country. They definitely will miss him next fall, because he pushed everyone to reach his/her potential but reminded them that academics should always come first.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, just a few more days until the Nov. SAT result.</p>
<p>Moonmom & momreads - we are all going to have these moments of “Last-times” throught the year. Our DS just finished his last play with all his high school buddies. It was a wonderful production, but very emmotional for the seniors on the cast and crew. Also, he covers varsity football for the school paper and live Internet broadcasts. He just wrote his last football article. This is going to go on all year. I just tell him that if it didn’t hurt when it ended, it wouldn’t have been so special when you and your friends spent all that time working together on it.</p>
<p>glido - closing night for my S was Saturday. The seniors were very emotional. I didn’t expect him to feel it that much. They actually still have the Spring musical which is the big one! I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like. I think he will feel that day more than his actual graduation day. Theater has been such a big part of his high school experience.</p>
<p>jrmama496 - as sad as it will be for you D, it is wonderful that he made such great friends and has such wonderfulu experiences to cherish! Does he know what show he’ll be doing in the spring?</p>
<p>S is 4 for 4 on acceptances (3 were because he has a pulse LOL!) and now needs to write an essay for the “OK, fine, I’ll apply” school because he’s been advised to go for the “big” scholarship based on test grades. Also, this is a LAC which is way more expensive than the state schools so all aid is crucial. Now that he can actually see himself there, he is motivated to make an effort. He also just finished being in a play at a girls’ school (because they need guys for the play…). We had the cast party at our house and it all went very well.</p>
<p>jeannemar, mine is also hem-hawing about a school she might want to apply to. HELLO?! Get a move on, sister. Right now she’s got 7 to choose from, but only one we know for sure we can pay for. I wouldn’t object to #8. </p>
<p>For the rest of you, I’m having a pretty down day with my college freshmen. I don’t know if its just too close to the end of the semester or what, but I’m ready to go bat ***** crazy on a number of them. NO, I’m not taking late work. Says so in the syllabus. No, you can’t have extra credit. You’ve already used up your absences. Don’t care why you want to skip out now, you can’t without some pretty Draconian consequences. Why, yes, I believe the books still ARE in the bookstore. </p>
<p>And here I sit, getting ready to send one of my own out the door and hoping like heck she’s going to be different. Is that really wishful thinking?</p>
<p>glido, they are doing Beauty and the Beast. Actually they are at the auditions right now. He’s got a pretty good chance of playing the Beast and he’s really excited. No rest for this group! Auditions this week, callbacks next week, and they start music rehearsals right when they get back from Thanksgiving!</p>
<p>Long time no post for me, but I’ve been lurking quietly.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all who have college acceptances. As for my D, she didn’t apply to any school EA/ED. She’ll apply to most of the UC’s, and their deadline is Nov. 30. She been busy with her UC essays. We’ll planning to submit the apps this weekend.</p>
<p>Also she’s planning to apply USC by Dec. 1 to be eligible for merit scholarships. I’m so frustrated with the teachers that she asked for LORs. Out of 4, only 1 submitted so far. She asked them in early October. USC requires 1 but I would like to have at least 2 LORs. Also her GC is done with her school report either, but she promised she’ll get it done this week.</p>
<p>I have a question, can you submit the application to a college even though the GC is not done with the school report?</p>
<p>Just in case anyone read this and thought “great, my kid has a month and a half”: the UC deadline is NOV 30, not December! The UC server crashes every year on November 30, so better still to get it in early like 2018dad’s D is doing this weekend. </p>
<p>And yes, you can submit an app before the GC submits the school report.</p>
<p>2018dad - yes, go ahead and submit the application, they all get matched up at the receiving school miraculously! DS’ LORs are trickling in and somehow the schools eventually show app is complete.</p>
<p>How to handle a senior who feels they are being forced to choose from colleges that we can afford vs. those that she would really be interested in attending (and we cannot afford)? I am thinking we really need to have another finance talk because she obviously does not get it, and this talk should not just come from me but represent a united front with hubby and me.</p>
<p>Do your seniors really understand the financial ramifications of a college education – not just what income/job they might have upon completion but the cost of attaining that education?</p>
<p>I am now feeling the stress of launching this almost young adult. Nothing like this happened with the first one…</p>
<p>As for me and my D, we made a deal early in the process and for the most part, she’s OK with it. Her “goal” and her “goal” are not exactly alike though.</p>
<p>Hers is to get away for college w/o really considering the financial and ROI aspect. And yes, I consider this an investment on my part since I will be spending hard earned money.</p>
<p>Ours is for her to go to a college that makes sense financially, a really good fit for her socially and academically.</p>
<p>Hi Buckeye@heart - you might try providing her with a dollar amount that is the upper limit of what you can or are willing to give her. Anything beyond that can be her responsibility via a job or loans. This is what we have done with my D. We also said that if she pulled in a full-tuition scholarship, we will still give her that amount & she can keep anything leftover for grad school, etc. So far so good - she’s been fairly motivated to take a good look at the more affordable and/or generous schools.</p>
I have a 2013er also, and last fall and spring I heard many stories of kids playing their last games in high school of whatever sport, or maybe being in their last play, but always with the friends that they had done all this with for years. It’s melancholy. End of an era, but beginning of a new life! It really hits at graduation. When I see a parent, like my left and right neighbors with their little elementary kids, I feel like they have all the fun stuff ahead of them. And here we are ready to move onto a new phase of life, with less kids and then with none…and then is it back to me and him? - the hub of all those years?</p>