<p>My D has loved IB e-systems. It is a standard level course so not as tough as the science courses taught at higher level but if she can do HL math she doesn’t need to prove herself! HL math, physics and chemistry are probably the most challenging IB courses. E-systems inspired my D13 to get involved in environmental activism.</p>
<p>FromMD, again, thanks so much for the link in the PM. I’m still not sure about the differences in math offerings. D’s HS doesn’t have any IB courses until junior year; no MYP. D’s taking honors and AP classes this year. And the IB math offerings aren’t broken down into subjects. They’re all 2-year courses and you have a choice of Math Studies SL, Mathematics SL, and Mathematics HL. </p>
<p>PinotNoir, LeftofPisa had a good suggestion, and the people in that forum are very helpful. I’d also look at the musical theatre forum–they have a big list of schools right at the beginning of the page, which might give you a starting point. My D does want to major in theatre, but she wants a liberal arts college (BA as opposed to BFA).</p>
<p>Apollo6, thanks for that info. They don’t offer IB Physics (only AP) at our school, and she says she “hates” bio and chem (she took honors of each in 9 & 10). I, personally think that Env Systems sounds very interesting. ;)</p>
<p>giterdone, I have to say, I really like your DS state of mind!! Be that as it may, that might change in the next year when college is more of a reality. For many sophomores it is still a distant thing. If I had mentioned college to my S 2012 as a sophomore I would have been met with rolled eyes.</p>
<p>momsings,</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son!</p>
<p>Yes, for my son, college is a very distant thing. We’ll see how he does on the SAT this June. That will perhaps make it more real for him if he does well.</p>
<p>He just has no idea what he wants to do, though, and <em>that</em> is what I find hard. His interests are waaay too diverse. He’s been a cellist for over 10 years and I could see him as a music major. But he also designs live RPGs and is working on RPG programming, and I could see him going into video game design. But he also likes biology and has expressed an interest in possibly doing research into diabetes.</p>
<p>It will probably depend on whether he can move all the way through his many learning challenges as to the feasibility of a good college.</p>
<p>Sbjdorlo, my D is also really unsure as to what she wants to pursue in college. That, I think, makes it most challenging in identifying the right places to study. Well, that and the fact that career choice is in such a state of revolution that the job she wants in ten years may not even exist today! My niece recently described work she does in “data visualization.” Wow. I had no idea this sort of creative programming work was out there. This could be a real match for D’s personality. On the other hand, she is a standout writer, reader, and researcher and could easily decide to follow her sister in the new world of blogging. She has a lot of self-discovery to do and I think a bit of that has to happen before she can think about college. For now I’m holding off.</p>
<p>LeftofPisa, I loved your guide to dealing with crazy. I totally get it!</p>
<p>Linmer, I’m a parent of a 2007 HS grad too. We all thought that was a brutal year–and I think that was the peak of echo boom kids–but it certainly seems to be worse now. Yikes. I was somewhat lucky then because that kid was just like giterdone’s son. She was indifferent to status and was focused on pursuing her writing talent. It made for an interesting list of schools from high reach to hipster. I have to say, it’s easier going into this when you have a kid with a clear interest and direction.</p>
<p>IJD, I’m not sure what you mean by unique applicants? </p>
<p>My husband interviews for a reach school and we received a rundown of admission statistics. The international admit number was higher than it’s been in the past but yes, you are right, there are greater numbers of applications coming from that pool too and the competition in that pool is very keen. There’s a very clear message that this school and its ilk are recruiting more students from abroad. U.S. kids are going to continue to face single digit acceptance rates.</p>
<p>I don’t know if it’s all that hard to figure out where your kid stacks up academically against the greater pool. We’ve lived in different states and between my three kids, have been through four different school systems, all of which are highly competitive, some public, some private. I think I can see where my youngest stacks up but what I can’t see is what niche she might fill at any given school in any given year. None of us can know that in advance because the schools themselves don’t know until that class starts to take shape. And then there are the intangibles: my eldest wrote an essay for an LAC that drew the attention of a reader in admissions. The way she handled a subject was interesting and different but it easily could have gone the other way if a different reader had picked it up. Oh, and let’s not forget the role of money in this process 
It’s just not enough to be smart, even really, really smart. (H interviewed a kid who blew him away this past year. UNBELIEVABLE kid, the kind of kid who does compete nationally, maybe internationally. We were sure this school would be panting to get him. Not only didn’t he not get in early but he didn’t get in at all. H can’t understand it. ) </p>
<p>So yes, I completely agree, dream big and look at every possibility out there. Understand that the prospect of rejection is not only real but likely. And most of all understand that the big name schools are not the havens for the best and the brightest! Some of the best and the brightest end up there, sure, but there are many more who don’t. </p>
<p>Stepping off my soapbox. I’m going to change my handle to DebbieDowner :)</p>
<p>By unique applicant I mean a single kid. One kid who applies to 20 schools is still only going to take up one seat. You can’t count her the same way as you would count 20 different applicants. (i.e. unique in the math sense). </p>
<p>We also both interview for our highly selective alma maters and are always wondering who told these kids to apply to these schools. The one very good applicant was indeed admitted. None of the rest were, unsurprisingly.</p>
<p>Actually, I take it back. There have been 3 really good applicants over the past 10 years, two for me and one for him, and they all were admitted. I also had one who was really bright and interesting but it was pretty clear from the way the interview went that her grades were such that her spark (and presumably high test scores) wasn’t going to save her. (I don’t get the file, so I don’t know grades or test scores unless the interviewee says something. I don’t care, either. DH does get some background information including GPA and test scores.)</p>
<p>I don’t think when my son was a sophomore we talked much if at all about college. He is the kind of student someone mentioned here-it came effortlessly and easily to him in HS-college is a different ballgame but he is managing to figure it out and catch up. There are a lot of kids he is with who are IB kids-and almost all are kids with lots of AP’s-so it has been tough for him at the beginning of semesters but he gets where he needs to get to. He also is interested in a lot of things but if this coop is making one thing very clear to him it is that he has to find a career that involves creativity and writing in some fashion. The reality of going to a job every day for 8 hours has taught him more about himself than any college class ever could-so here is another reason I encourage all of us to do our research as the conventional wisdom is coop schools are good if you know what you want to be but not if you are undecided. I had one person tell me that a coop school would be the best for him since he was undecided and she related her experience to me about how it was so good for her family member. I think she was right-and I am grateful he is finding this out now instead of after he graduates. He loves to write and he is blogging as well! I also need to tell you if I haven’t that I didn’t want him going where he ended up going-was very much against it and did my best to give him all the reasons why another school was better but in the end I stepped back and let him pick-seems he made the right choice-although I think he would have been fine wherever he went-so this is one crazy process but I do believe in the end it does work out most of the time.</p>
<p>I have thought a lot about the AP class for my daughter and I have given her all the information I have gotten-I now will step back and let her pick-I am sure if she picks the AP and it is overwhelming she can get out of it but I know her and I know she will do what she needs to do-she has a tremendous work ethic and unlike her brother it doesn’t come naturally to her-she is a fine student but she needs to work at it more than he ever did-and that is OK that is what makes life interesting!</p>
<p>My H does get the file for his interviewees. Almost all of them are highly qualified kids. Some he finds less impressive, some more, but I can’t think of one who comes in without the requisite near perfect scores/grades/ECs. What is interesting is the way these kids handle the interviews. There’s lots of variance there. Some don’t respond to emails or phone calls, some pepper H’s inbox with anxious reminders, some are nervous, some are (too) relaxed–show up late without apology, dress too casually, etc. The interview has no effect on the decision and H finds that his recommendations are usually ignored anyway. This is the case with other friends who also interview for this school and with our good friends who interview for one of the most competitive LACs in the US. We all laugh that it’s just a way of drumming up more alumni $$$. It does give us a little insight into the process but not a whole lot.</p>
<p>I understand the unique applicant reference now, thanks. Since the unique applicant can be accepted at multiple places, doesn’t that just mean that the process is extended into waitlist season and summer melt? </p>
<p>Pepper, it’s great to hear that your son has had the sort of learning experience in college that we all hope for our kids. My eldest did not attend a coop school but she spent a lot of her time in college working in internships and ended up defining her future career through those experiences. I agree, it’s a fantastic experience. I am sure your D will make a good, informed choice about the AP and I applaud you for giving her a full and realistic picture of her choices. I’m also impressed that she wants to take two math classes! </p>
<p>Herandhismom, I forgot to say “well done” to your D in my earlier post! That’s very impressive that she’s worked so hard and done so well in a difficult class.</p>
<p>Upon reflection; DD’12 really didn’t get into 2nd gear of her college search until fall of her Junior year. We used an October break to visit a couple of schools a plane ride away, and that was her first experience at any organized event. From that point it’s a blur. We’re an ACT area, so that was scheduled for June between Jr./Sr. year. Most of that summer was used up for visits between or during travel softball events. October break of Sr. year is when we made some 2nd visits, added others to the list and she developed her “solid 7” :)</p>
<p>In retrospect; DS’15 is right on schedule.</p>
<p>3Girls- I think that schools are pretty good about predicting their yield, so instead of worrying quite so much about waitlist and summer melt, they’re simply adjusting their number of acceptances to compensate. And sometimes they project wrong (like U of Chicago a couple of years ago) and have too large a class. But very, very few kids are getting in off waitlists in the last several years in spite of the increase in applications per kid (which the Common Ap makes relatively easy).</p>
<p>I guess I’m less excited about grades and standardized test scores as qualifying. That’s a floor. I want to know what makes this kid stand out. I will say that standing me up is a very, very bad idea. At least have the courtesy to call and cancel.</p>
<p>Another interesting trend is <em>where</em> interviews are taking place. About 5 years back we were encouraged to move interviews from our home to a public place. This year it shifted back. My guess is that as the interviewing population ages it gets harder to hear what an applicant has to say in a noisy Starbucks! (I do try to be visible, but out of earshot when DH interviews a young woman in our home. It’s certainly easier to not have to clean the house and go to Starbucks, but harder to hear what the candidate has to say.)</p>
<p>Oh yeah the coop part has been good for him but I was concerned as he was undecided and the advice was to avoid coop schools for undecided students-until I heard this woman’s story who I did trust. The point I guess is no matter what school they chose there are lots of great choices out there and so many twists and turns it is really amazing-and with our kids just sophomores it is good to remember so much is going to change between now, when they apply, when they are accepted, when they pick a school, and when they attend. My son changed so much from mid-Junior year to when he started college I still cannot believe it. :)</p>
<p>Pepper is right that kids change quite a bit between now and beginning of senior year. What our older kids thought they’d like early wasn’t necessarily true after visits, research and peer influences over time. Many kids get quite college-focused spring of Junior year, but that’s not to say it doesn’t make sense to try to plant the seeds early. My D13 just accepted at UChi, and already without a break, we (like you CCers) begin again with S15. The best thing we did with D13 was start early so we could have a list of schools and map out over summer after junior year. We had seen enough schools and had enough info on scores/gpa/ECs to make a plan A list and plan B list by Sept,. that we could adjust as needed in the fall of senior year (i.e. if scores improved or if ED didn’t work out). For us, that worked well.</p>
<p>My oldest said his Princeton interview was the worst but he got in SCEA, so all is not lost with a bad interview, thankfully!</p>
<p>With my oldest, he contemplated early college twice, once after 8th grade and once after 11th grade, but ultimately decided he didn’t want to go to the local colleges.</p>
<p>With this son, it’s a whole 'nuther ballgame! :-(</p>
<p>This message shows how ignorant I am about this whole thing. :eek: I’d love to hear from you - </p>
<ol>
<li><p>college visit - we haven’t done any except for some accidental ones - like when we visited Boston, we walked in Harvard campus, took pictures like tourists. Now that D. is a sophomore, she expressed strong interest to some schools. I’m thinking about visiting some schools. Should we make appointment, or just join the tours? H. says it’s too early. But I think it’s better to do it in the summer when we all have time so we can enjoy our trip. If she does it next fall or spring, it’ll be like a day or two, rush through the tour, because of her school and my work. The bad thing about going in the summer is we don’t really see the students except for summer students.
Is it worthwhile to wait until next fall or spring to do the visits, for the benefit of seeing the real college atmosphere. while school is on and she has a ton of things to deal with, rather than doing it this summer, like early June? (We are far away from all of the schools she’d like to visit. the closest is 6 hours away, one way.) </p></li>
<li><p>college admission - is there any advantage of trying for early admission? I know it’s too early for a sophomore, but I’m just wondering - why do people try early admission? Is it just for feeling secure? Are there advantages in terms of FA?</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>This is obviously very personal and depends on your family’s schedule and preferences. But the schools S’12 and I visited without students there felt like a bit of a waste of time. It was important to him to see the students. But if summer is all you have, it’s certainly better than not seeing the school at all. I’d contact (or have D contact) the school to see if an appointment is necessary for a tour, and also see if it is possible to perhaps sit in on a class, eat in the dining hall, perhaps meet with a professor in the major of interest if there is one.</li>
</ol>
<p>S and I ate our way through 12+ colleges and wile the food didn’t vary a whole lot, it was a neat way to see how students interacted socially. Some colleges gave us free meal passes, some did not. Never hurts to ask :)</p>
<p>One your D has applied and been accepted to some schools, she may want to revisit and spend more time, perhaps do an overnight. </p>
<ol>
<li>Generally, applying ED gives you LESS of an advantage in terms of financial aid because you’re telling the school you will attend for sure if you are accepted, so they aren’t competing with any other schools, and you won’t be able to compare the aid offer with other schools’ offers. However, most schools’ ED policies allow you to get out of the agreement to attend if the FA package isn’t affordable for your family. I think the main disadvantage is in losing the ability to compare offers. EA wouldn’t affect things either way since you don’t have to accept and you don’t have to notify until the regular accept date of May 1 - so you can compare offers.</li>
</ol>
<p>FA aside, at some schools you do have an advantage applying ED. Schools like to fill their class with students they want and know will come. How much of an advantage it gives varies by college.</p>
<p>3girls, my HS07 kid only had vague ideas of what he wanted to study (history, IR, sociology) but he initially wanted a big (<10K), urban campus, which gave me fits because it knocked out most LACs. He ended upafter 5 acceptances, 5 wait-lists, and 2 rejections–35 minutes from a big city in a school of under 2000, where he was enormously happy (and figured out what he wanted do for a career).</p>
<p>My D15 has a clear direction, but shes always been more oppositional than my S. Hence my freakout over the junior schedule not being set.</p>
<p>I did learn one thing from our experience with S that I feel I can apply to our experience with our D: I really want to savor and enjoy my time with my D these last two years. Theyre going to go by in a flash, and then she’ll be embarking on her own life. My H and I sat in our living room and boohooed to beat the band after returning from dropping off S at college his first year. We still had lots of time with him on holidays (his school had a 6-week break from Thanksgiving to January), but, as my H put it, this was the beginning of him starting his own life. Its what you hope for, but its bittersweet, after having your kids with you almost 24/7 for 18 years.</p>
<p>OK, enough of that, otherwise Ill be stealing 3girls debbiedowner sobriquet. ;)</p>
<p>My own feeling is that you follow your child’s direction. So if your D is interested in visiting schools, I’d go if it’s convenient to do so. Look at the websites for each school. Usually there’s a “Visiting X” link and there’s lots of information about where to stay, when to visit, when they hold tours and info sessions, etc. It’s a great start and since some schools do track visits, you can preregister online for the visit in those cases. You may find that the more relaxed pace of summer is a good time to see the school and sometimes there are fewer crowds besides, but in addition to school being out of session, dorms and some dining halls may be closed. It’s always possible to revisit the schools that make a strong positive impression. We did summer visits with one of my daughters and really enjoyed it. It felt like vacation and it was nice not having all those activities and demands intrude! She revisited a couple of the summer visit schools in the fall of her senior year so she could attend classes and stay overnight. </p>
<p>There are schools that allow application for early action and those that allow application for early decision. In the first case, there’s no binding commitment to attend that school in the event of acceptance. In the second, you must attend that school if accepted. The admit rates for early decision are typically higher than those for regular decision so the conventional wisdom is that early decision is a good idea for those who (1) know where they want to go and are ready to commit to that school and (2) do not have to wait to compare financial aid offers. I don’t know that there are downsides to applying for early action decisions. The rates are a little bit deceptive though because buried within that higher acceptance rate are recruited athletes, legacies, and development cases. Even so, the college counselors at D’s school say that it’s a good idea to try.</p>