<p>@conmama you can get the big 10 experience at Missouri and Iowa. Also look at Kansas and Kansas State. You might be surprise that he could follow yours and his dream.
Look at the Midwest Exchange and check out some of those schools it puts you in IU and Purdue tuition range. </p>
<p>(hug) @conmama. We run into this a LOT - even within my family. D isn’t exactly low scoring (is a B really that bad?) but she’s not tippy top. All I can say, is breathe deep, the GC’s remarks reflect on HER, not your son or even his grades or effort. It’s okay if your son hears her views (then he’ll know she’s a twit - sorry).</p>
<p>It’s also okay if your child can’t attend your alma mater. There is absolutely no way D can apply to my alma mater with a straight face. My school has skyrocketed in rankings and selectivity since my time there (1983 grad). Acceptance rates went from 45-50% down to single digits. Heck, I wouldn’t be accepted by today’s standards.</p>
<p>We’re just looking for schools that fit D as best as possible. I don’t really care if it’s a prestigious place or a well-known place. I just want her to attend a college where she will thrive both academically and socially. She’s very bright but she definitely doesn’t do well in the grades department. </p>
<p>@SlackerMomMD AMEN!!! If you try to fit a round peg into a square it NEVER fits!<br>
I concur my D goes to the top Prep in our state and its a guarantee for admit to our flagships but they are not a good fit and she would be miserable there. She also would be miserable in a cut throat environment. She currently in one now and vows to NOT have the same experience in college.
I’m going to let her sail this ship, (college) I’m willing to be a ship hand but not the captain.<br>
SlackermomMd my D just smiles and nods when her classmates tells her where they are applying. She no longer cares about what others think as she says “I just want to be happy and Employable”.</p>
<p>=D> </p>
<p>thanks Hoosier and Slacker…i can’t figure out how to do the @ sign and your name in blue…must be a link I haven’t figured out. Those suggestions are great and i appreciate it, but he really does want to stay close (within a couple of hours) to home. Plus…he is comfortable at IU from going there during his life, and many friends are going. I’ll just have to help him thru this. Hoosier, when you said top prep, the schools that came to mind were BP or CHS. Did I guess right? (that is if you are still a hoosier). OK if you don’t want to say, i understand it’s good to be anonymous.</p>
<p>@conmama to reply you just need to hit your@ on the keyboard and start typing in name. And to answer you those schools are a no. I went to CHS in the early eighties, if you are referring to the reigning HS football champs 
</p>
<p>No longer participate in that area 
</p>
<p>Iowa is an easier school to get into, but for OOS students, the rack rate on tuition is about $28000 not including room and board. The only affordable, attainable Big Ten school for kids in our range and our personal budget is Nebraska. And from what I have read, I took a pass. Being in Illinois, we have the same issue with the flagship school wanting OOS kids. You pretty much need a 30 to get into UIUC anymore as an in-state student. A friend of mine got a 32 ACT and was rejected.</p>
<p>Even Northern and Southern Illinois have upped their admission standards for in-state kids. My wife went to NIU, and she would never get in there now with her scores. Illinois is one of the worst states to live in for college affordability and flagship entry. It took me very little time to abandon IL schools and look elsewhere. There are a lot of very good colleges in our state, but the cost and admission requirements are tough. Most local kids with “average” grades that stay in state here end up at Illinois State.</p>
<p>@Hoosier96, aha…did it. Thanks. My DS1 went his first year to CHS, but didn’t feel like he knew enough students. Actually, he should have joined the football team, and now knows that was a mistake. He wanted to play basketball and was the last one cut. It went downhill from there, so he transferred out. Great school spirit, beautiful campus. My DH continued to wear an expensive fleeced jacket with the name and emblem on it. DS asked him why he was wearing it. DH said, hey I paid $12,000 for this jacket and I’m wearing it. Ha.</p>
<p>D and I went to the College That Change Lives college fair today. There was a half-hour presentation by the director of CTCL non-profit before the actual fair. It was a great presentation for both parents and students with good advice and some homilies. A big part of it was putting both students and parents at ease with the college admissions process and how to de-stress the whole thing (schedule college talks to one day a week and keep the rest of the time college talk-free)</p>
<p>I “guided” D to some tables of colleges I thought she would like and she went to a couple of others. We went to the Eckerd and New College of Florida tables because we had already visited so they were “easy” (we both kind of introverted and shy). Then we moved onto the “harder” tables (colleges we didn’t know). </p>
<p>Hendrix was the first and while the guy was nice, D didn’t seem to feel the connection. (oh well).
Rhodes was interesting. D went to their table because she recognized the name from all their mailings
Cornell College in Iowa turned out to be a winner so it is on D’s list now.
Willamette was a surprise. I didn’t really expect much but we had talked to the rep earlier. D had an actual conversation with him and he had some good ideas for her. It’s on the list.
U. of Puget Sound was also an addition to the list.<br>
Whitman was interesting.
Hampshire College turned out to be a bust. Too loosey-goosey for D. She wanted some structure in the curriculum.
We forgot to stop by Guilford College but we can visit it during the summer.</p>
<p>So, all in all, a successful college fair. D looked at more schools and decided to add some to her list. Some schools are reachy (Whitman and New College of Florida and maybe Hendrix) but I feel most are within her range.</p>
<p>@bigbossman1, yes it does. <a href=“College Fairs & Information Sessions – Colleges That Change Lives”>http://ctcl.org/events/programs</a> has the schedule of events. It doesn’t go to all areas. I recommend it - the director was a sensible woman who put things into perspective for the parents and students. I liked her. </p>
<p>Thanks @ slackermommd :-bd; can I have you come speak to my dear D she wants no part of a small LAC; just maybe if she hears it from some else beside dear ole mom she might listen…</p>
<p>Rhodes is a great school, beautiful campus but be fore warn its high intense learning environment. Great for the teachers and advisors…if your kiddo is well organize it might be a great fit.</p>
<p>I would think Rhodes would be a reach for this group?</p>
<p>Our list continues to be the same all large universities.</p>
<p>@hoosier96, Rhodes may be a reach. D wanted to talk to the rep because she got a lot of mail from them. I don’t know much about the school. To be honest, I was surprised D expressed interest in Rhodes. </p>
<p>As for talking to your daughter, sorry you’re on you’re own. Mine shudders at the thought of a college with more than 5,000 students. So no big universities for her. I think we’re just stuck with the kids we have. </p>
<p>scared colleges are going to think less of me with my 30 act but 3.0 gpa sigh my biggest regret is freshman year I took too many advanced classes and 2 math classes and barely got a 2.0 so its held down my whole high school gpa 
the past is the past though but heres hoping to getting into my dream college!!</p>
<p>@kmanshouse yes DS took the April test and scores were released online April 22 and mailed maybe a week or so after that. Thanks for the pep talks guys; they are greatly appreciated. >:D< DS has been doing the assignments his tutor has assigned so all we can do is “just keep swimming” lol.</p>
<p>Gotcha. Ours didn’t even take the April ACT until April 24th - this was done through the PSAE which is Illinois. Not through the act.org website. Their counselor is hopeful they will get the scores this week. </p>
<p>On another note, we had 4 snow/cold days this year - all of them are were at the very end of first semester when it was too late to change the finals schedule - so in 2nd semester they have 4 fluff days where the kids are basically doing nothing. Also, my sons are both in a couple of classes that are mostly seniors - who finish school this week. Ours have to go through the end of May. My one son said his AP Enviro class will have 4 kids left after this week. What a waste of time.</p>
<p>@kmanshouse We got ours through the mail yesterday. So you should be getting the snail-mail results soon. </p>
<p>Thanks @elliemom. I am not sure if the scores are going directly to the school or to the home, but yeah, it’s snail mail for sure. </p>
<p>Nothing in the mail today. Counselor said the school and homes get it, but the school gets it first, and they dont’ have them yet. Grr…</p>
<p>I am on pins and needles waiting for the May SAT scores to be released tomorrow. As per usual, he doesn’t have a clue. He is so anxious and worried about finals next week. The stress is really tremendous. He has two classes that he’s getting D’s in so far, and at this point just wants to make sure he passes them. It’s not that he hasn’t tried…it’s just Chemistry and Algebra 4 are just a little to beyond him. Very bummed that he won’t be getting the academic honors diploma as he’s done well and on track for that, even with AP classes. But I guess we’re going to have to let it go. At least he hasn’t given up, even with the 2 D’s, and is still trying his best to do as well as he can on the final.</p>
<p>Went to visit IUPUI on Saturday. Terrible tour guide…awful. I wouldnt’ say he wasn’t impressed with the campus, but that’s not what he wants to do. However…I’m still not so sure doing that wouldn’t be the way to go for him that first year. We’ll see…all in good time. I’ll let you know his results tomorrow.</p>
<p>@conmama fingers crossed and will look to the stars tonight to place a wish. </p>
<p>@Hoosier96…thanks. It’s been such a disheartening semester for him. He’s been so proud up until now for having mostly B and B+'s, a few A’s in core classes and only about 4 C’s the past 2.5 years. To have these 2 D’s has been really hard to deal with. With someone that knows he’s not quite a brilliant as his peers, it just only makes matters worse. I really hope he comes up on his CR and Math…that would give him a little spark, and help him with the next 2 weeks. If they come in worse, I’m not telling him until the school year is over.</p>