<p>I have to say our HS does a pretty decent job of giving the kids fun but still educational projects to do during the 6 weeks or so between the AP exams and the end of school. In science classes, they often use that time to “catch up” on labs they didn’t have time to do while cramming in “content” before the exam.</p>
<p>They have not announced graduation dates, but we know they will be in June. Generally, my son’s HS graduated on a Sunday afternoon at an off-campus site. We rent one of the big concert facilities in Northern VA. Some people may complain that they need to drive a distance, but it’s a wonderful place. Lots of seating. The faculty handles the traffic and parking. There’s snacks and drinks for the faculty and staff in one of the trailers, and yes, there is AC on. Our principal arranges for a charter bus to take the faculty to and from the place, too, so we do not deal with parking issues. I’ll need to get a parking pass for my folks, husband, the older son, and of course, Son '14, this year so they can pull a bit closer. I’ll probably ride over with faculty (we are required to be in cap and gown for the ceremony). </p>
<p>Son '14 already informed us that he has no desire to have a party afterwards. Well, maybe we can convince him to go out to dinner that night.</p>
<p>I remember my high graduation. At 6 p.m., it was 98 degrees. YUCK!</p>
<p>OK, we are in the final stretch of applications. S2 has to finish his 5 brief essays for Oxy. They actually seem more like reaction papers - about 250 words each - but of course they have to make sense, show him at his best and be grammatically perfect. And I am trying to get my house ready for an appraiser visit later this week, so we can refinance for a much lower interest rate and have a wee bit of breathing room. And back to work tomorrow.
Phew!</p>
<p>Finished the CSS Profile today!!! So glad to be done with that. Now on to FASFA 
After that I think there is nothing left but fun stuff.</p>
<p>I’m impressed by those of you who are finishing finaid forms this week! I need to do taxes first (2012 will not be a good estimate of 2013) and I don’t have all the info I need yet, but working on it!</p>
<p>Ditto mathmom. I have some very good estimates but I’m worried they aren’t close enough or that I forgot something so I’m wary of completing those forms. I know my ex is going to need his W-2’s to be able to his portion of the Profile so I have a bit of time to finish it up.</p>
<p>I had to do an estimated CSS Profile a couple month’s back for S2’s ED1 school. I will modify as soon as we get our taxes back, and I plan to get those done as soon as we get our W2s. And FAFSA for two this year, but the last time for my daughter. </p>
<p>I was cleaning out a box of papers earlier, and found some sweet notes from my kids, past students and photos of my son in 6th grade little league. Made me very teary!</p>
<p>We finished the FAFSA yesterday, and after feeling a bit sick at our EFCs for two kids, we’ve moved on. Kid2 needs to finish an essay for an honors program (she’s rewriting it after a book she received for Christmas caused her to rethink her focus), and she must start assembling a photo portfolio. Remember that commercial about all of the photos trapped in the memory cards? That’s her. She’s very worried about college costs, so we are trying not to appear worried. Trying. Happy New Year, everyone!</p>
<p>Oh, and just checked the Pomona board - apparently Pomona required the CSS Profile by Jan 1 this year! I had been going by their brochure with last year’s dates, and it says Feb 15. Someone called the office there and they said they would accept late submissions. So I logged on to CSS Profile and sent it off to them, 4 days late. Thank heavens I already had done it for Claremont.</p>
<p>Ugh, Moonmaid! I just checked dates yesterday and I’m glad I didn’t get any nasty surprises. DS’s earliest deadlines are Feb. 1. It may be a stretch to get it done accurately by then even!</p>
<p>Well, I am going to have to update it as soon as we do our taxes, so I’m not too worried. We have two kids next year too, and I thought we’d be doing well with FA, but then my husband got an extremely unusual year-end bonus this year - not enough to make us rich, but probably enough to mess up FA in a year when I thought it would be very good. Sigh. Oh, and my son keeps talking non-stop about, “When I’m at Tulane,” even though I have a feeling their FA package is going to be not so hot. If he did get into Pomona (long shot, but possible), we’d have to be having a long talk. They are incredibly generous with middle income families.</p>
<p>@Moonmaid- You can send a letter explaining the unusual bonus. The financial aid office may take that into consideration when determining aid.</p>
<p>S2’s 5 Oxy essays are due Friday. He was supposed to do one every day starting yesterday (yes he is a last minute kinda guy). He has shown me nothing so far, although he has finished the rest of the application and asked me to pay the $60 fee. Then he went to work tonite. I really just want to box his ears. I know that’s wrong and I won’t, but he is working my patience hard this week!
:P</p>
<p>Just taking a moment away from the hectic pace of college apps and the holidays to announce:</p>
<p>Its a girl!</p>
<p>Our older D gave birth to our 5th grandchild on 1-414 (her third). More babysitting for D this summer. :D</p>
<p>Congratulations to AvonHSDad!</p>
<p>Congrats AvonHSDad! What a great birthdate! 1-4-14!!
Can’t wait for our first!</p>
<p>Congrats AvonHS! That is an excellent birthday! My children mock me for the fun I have with certain calendar days, but I think that is special for her.</p>
<p>Congratulations, AvonHSDad!!</p>
<p>Congrats AvonHSDad- wonderful news!!</p>
<p>AvonHSDad: Congrats to you and your family!</p>
<p>Son '14’s 17th birthday is today, and he gets the day off. Nearly every school district in Northern VA closed because of the cold and wind. My husband thinks this is crazy – he’s from upstate New York and walked to school in the middle of snowstorms. Yes, it’s cold, but we can survive, he said. So, what will our son do today? Well, get his teeth cleaned since I got him a last minute appointment. I asked if he wanted something special for dinner, and he said no. He may work on a final, short essay for one app so it can be sent.</p>
<p>Speaking of apps, I need to share this story. One of my son’s classmates is applying to 20 or more schools. She just added a few more this weekend. While a good student, she is not a great test taker. Yes, the tests are part of the puzzle, but … I did manage to convince her to apply to a few rolling admissions schools, because it seems, everyone in the class has at least one place to go, and she has nothing yet. I knew she was in trouble when she told me that she considered Fordham a safety school. Really? There could be some major heartbreak come this spring.</p>