<p>paperchasepop - thanks for your comments. those are all good suggestions and i appreciate your help. we’re in the college application process right now with her older brother, a 2012 senior, so am hoping when things settle down a bit we can look more into options for our 2014 artsy child. i am feeling like putting her in outside drawing classes with a teacher may be the way to go. i do have some information on a recommended teacher who lives in a nearby city. hard to be believe that the month of november is already here and we soon will be moving into December. where does the time go?</p>
<p>Many towns will have a local art center that offer classes primarily for adults, but teens can usually take them too. Museums are another good source of art classes. There are also lots of summer classes and summer camps. I don’t know the current ones, since my kids weren’t interested. I agree that drawing is key, and if you can find a life drawing class I really recommend it. I had life drawing as part of my high school education once a week for four years. It made a huge difference. I did not go to art school, but did end up majoring in a major that included studio art and went on to architecture school. I prepared a portfolio as part of AP Studio Art.</p>
<p>Took my son to see our school’s college and career counselor the other day. Thought this would be good since he is new to the school, and she wanted to get to know him. Had a lot of fun with the visit, and she said that he seemed more focused on things he liked and disliked about colleges than some of her seniors. He kept his requests simple – wants a big college with big-time sports (especially football), great rec facilities, a chance to compete in cross country and track and field, at least one Chick-Fil-A on campus (more than one would be awesome) and lots of pretty girls. And he wants to be in the warmer weather. He also liked suite-style or apartment living for dorms. </p>
<p>What was nice was that she treated his wishes as important, not silly. She told him to continue to work on his grades (they have been excellent) and test scores, and to seek out opportunities to build his resume with activities he enjoyed. He did not need to do everything at his school but to be passionate about what he did. Looking outside school for activities or chances to volunteer would be good. She never pushed him to look at a particular school. </p>
<p>Then, they sat and talked college football – she’s a big fan.</p>
<p>Momreads - That sounds like an excellent meeting and a wonderful start to a good working relationship with the new GC! What a positive experience for your S! 
Sounds like your S is doing his part to keep his options open so he can choose from a wide variety of schools that may have his criteria.</p>
<p>paperchasepop~ excellent advice!</p>
<p>condor30~sounds like private lessons would be the way to go. For D1’s portfolio, she was told to make sure she had lots of observational drawings. They like the “big”, creative works, but they want to see evidence of skill in the foundations.</p>
<p>momreads~your son’s college list sounds like my D1’s school!! LOL! </p>
<p>Well D2 is out on this cold, foggy morning helping to weatherize homes for some low-income seniors. Hopefully she stays warm…she’s allergic to the cold and dh forgot to take benadryl. Guess if she has a reaction she can go inside and visit with the homeowners. She would be good at that.</p>
<p>Just a bump for us all.</p>
<p>Only juniors take the PSAT at our school, but the PLAN test is being taken tomorrow by all the sophomores.</p>
<p>Other conversation ideas . . . Winter activities are beginning. For us that means basketball cheer and varsity jazz. Jazz is early bird (6:30 am). It’s a tough sell, especially after a late night at a basketball game.</p>
<p>Haven’t been on this thread in a long time, but have been following it! </p>
<p>DD’14 is finishing up her first semester. Just had parent teacher conferences today. Grades are not where we would love them to be. She is taking honors english and italian, AP World, regents chem and regents trig. Last year she made the principal’s list every semester, but she is not going to make it this semester. She is having a tough time struggling with balancing academics and extras. She is a lead in the play and also is on a varsity sport. Trying not to get too caught up in the #s and letting/helping her learn the balancing act. She is very passionate about her extras (if she had it her way, she’d just have a full day of extras!), so there is no cutting them out. Hoping she’ll learn some skills and strategies that will serve her well in college. </p>
<p>She did take the PSAT a few weeks ago, should be interesting when the grades come out. No clue on how she did, but she didn’t seem too phased by it. </p>
<p>In looking ahead towards summer, she will return to her performing arts camp. This past summer was truly life-changing for her…she grew leaps and bounds as an actress and it just really did amazing things for her self-confidence.</p>
<p>It’s been interesting to read the posts on art colleges. DD#2 who is 2017 will likely be going that route. We are trying to treat her interest very seriously. She attends summer art camp and takes an art class locally. The teacher there helps with portfolio prep so hopefully we are in the right hands for when the time comes.</p>
<p>S14 squeaked through with a late application for a local leadership program and got a letter inviting him to interview today. Last Friday when I realized that it was 2 1/2 hours past the fax due date/time and he hadn’t given me his essay, I was incensed. Faxed it four hours late and they considered it anyway. My guess is that they got few male applicants. Here’s hoping that he makes a good showing at the interview and gets in. He has a great deal of potential but he could really benefit from some leadership training.</p>
<p>I haven’t posted in a while either but have been following. We’re busy here getting used to life with DS11 in college and a new puppy which replaced older dog we lost 3 weeks after son left for school. House was too quiet and now it’s crazy again!</p>
<p>DD14’s term ended last Friday and report cards are due out sometime soon but not sure when. DD seems to have had a good first term in the classes she knows her grades in. English is another story - not much work has been returned graded. She told me today that an essay she did a month ago and a vocabulary test she took a couple of weeks ago won’t be counted for this term because the teacher hasn’t graded them. I don’t understand why it takes so long to grade papers and tests. I realize essays take longer, but vocab tests? She actually just got another graded paper and vocab test back from September the week the term ended!</p>
<p>On a summer note, she’s looking forward to being old enough (16) to audition for her theatre company’s summer musical production with her favorite director. Her guidance counselor met with her earlier this week and had suggestions of doing something related to her career interests this summer. I really like that guidance is ensuring they’re looking forward as sophomores to college and interests. She was selected by her school to attend HOBY leadership conference also which she’s looking forward too especially since the two students going from her school are DD and her best friend! Now we just need to survive the two shows and two tech weeks she’s involved with over the next month!</p>
<p>Good luck to Apollo son on his interview. Sorry the essay was late. This is when they remind you they are high achieving students, but still kids and apt to procrastinate. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>akmom - So sorry to hear you lost your dog right after DS11 left for college. That must have been very hard! I’m sure a new puppy is keeping you very, very busy. I asked Bluedad if we could get a puppy when we launched our DS11, and to keep our 10yo pup company…I got a resounding NO. Oh well. Congratulations to your DD being selected for HOBY. S3 has applied at his school and will hear next week so fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Tomorrow after school S3 is having his wisdom teeth out. A bit early, but the dentist and orthodontist assure me it’s time and don’t want to risk shifting teeth. He avoided braces (his two older brothers both wore them) and has just worn retainers at night so we are sensitive to any movement until his jaw is done growing. Thankfully my oldest son will go with me. I learned from the first go round that when they wake up they are still too groggy, and heavy, for me to help move to the car as I’m 5’6" and they are all over 6ft. Reinforcements help!</p>
<p>Don’t mean to be alarmist but this is more in the spirit of a friendly warning: D (college freshman) said it would be great if S (HS Class of 2011) visited her at college. I thought – how nice! She could show him around; he’d get the “college experience” and maybe be inspired, academically. But flights (even with miles) were too $$$ so I said no.</p>
<p>I just heard today from another mom who has a freshman college daughter and son in my son’s class: when her son visited his sister at college (1.5 hours away from home), some of her friends thought it would be funny to get him drunk. Really drunk. And he got himself locked out of the room he was staying in and was throwing up, etc. He’s 15. My mind starts going on how much worse it could have been – stumbling drunk down stairs, falling, hitting his head, or wandering outside, getting arrested. I don’t view this as a learning experience.</p>
<p>So I’m glad it didn’t work out for S’11. I’m glad the flights were pricey. I think this kind of visit can be postponed. For a couple of years.</p>
<p>akmom, Congratulations to your daughter for being selected for HOBY. It may seem like a small thing now, but HOBY really pays off later. I hope my son is fortunate enough to be selected from his school. blueiguana, Good luck to your son, too!</p>
<p>My D is now a licensed driver. Got her license on her birthday.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your D. I thought my S would want to get his permit on his birthday but it’s been almost a month and he still hasn’t asked to go get it. Go figure?!</p>
<p>Hi
Haven’t been here in a long time. Not much to say when they are only soph and the real journey for colleges doesn’t begin quite yet.</p>
<p>Kiddo2 is excited that kiddo1 '11 will be home from college next week. It has been since Aug that we have been together. Looking forwrad to the holiday.</p>
<p>Kiddo2 spent the weekend here alone Fri and Sat night because of a commitment Dh/I had to be somewhere and the MiL wasn’t able to stay here at the last minute.
Kiddo2 did a reasonable job fending for self…cooking dinner. Emptied dishwasher. Did laundry etc. Got to sport practice Sat etc etc. Except for some spaghetti sauce on the stove/microwave etc…things were in pretty good order.</p>
<p>my d received her first piece of college mail yesterday and surprisingly, she was quite excited.<br>
i am wondering if the mailing is at all connected to the psat that she took earlier this fall. when do those score results come out?</p>
<p>With DS '12 we received PSAT scores in early December, but I remember others not finding out until Jan.</p>
<p>DS’11 started getting college mail a little before PSAT scores came out. It may be that some schools that buy names are just buying names and info about what programs the kid is interested in, without scores? Or possible that the scores are known now and just not distributed yet. No college mail here yet.</p>
<p>We don’t receive scores back from the school until mid-January, however the scores are available on the collegeboard website sometime in December if you have your students login information. I remember pulling up S2’s over winter break. Here’s a link to be notified when scores are posted online. You just enter your email in the first field.</p>
<p><a href=“https://quickstart.collegeboard.com/posweb/login.jsp?AffiliateID=1&BannerID=ba_190554[/url]”>https://quickstart.collegeboard.com/posweb/login.jsp?AffiliateID=1&BannerID=ba_190554</a></p>
<p>S3 FINALLY submitted his app for the big summer program this morning. I left the final details to S3 and Bluedad so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything was initialed and signed. I am so glad to be rid of that thing! The second summer program he will be applying for doesn’t release it’s app until mid December so the month break will be nice. Hopefully he can knock out most of it during winter break.</p>
<p>Congratulations to missypie’s DD on her newly minted driver’s license! I think S3 is on target for February, however with lousy winter weather I don’t think he’ll do much solo driving until late spring.</p>
<p>Fog - Good to hear all went well with your son’s first solo. We also do things with S3 we never did with the older ones. They are all individuals. As for the speg. sauce on the stove, if that’s the worst that happened he did an awesome job!! No one would even notice in our house! S3 will stay without us in December, but it’s hardly ‘alone, alone’ as his 20yo brother is with him and his grandmother is 10min away. I don’t even think he notices we are gone as at 16yo and the youngest of three he’s very independent now.</p>
<p>Finals for the first trimester start tomorrow. D has had tests and/or presentations every day so far this week. I guess the teachers are rushing to fit everything in before the trimester ends! She has one final tomorrow, followed by regular classes the rest of the day (including one class with a chapter test!) I don’t miss high school.</p>