<p>Our middle school ( which includes 6th grade) has something called a STAR Award. Not sure what it stands for but it is basically an award ceremony at night for kids getting a certain GPA. It is a nice ceremony that includes some light snacks afterwards. </p>
<p>Looks like our NHS ceremony will be cancelled due to the weather. I guess they will do it after the break. </p>
<p>Threesdad reporting back in from our field hoceky recruiting trip. Finally having a minute to write after playing catch-up at work for two days.</p>
<p>Who would have thought it would have been better to stay in lovely snowy NJ, then head very far South? Not me. We got out prior to the snow on Wednesday morning; we saw the sun on the drive from the airport to the hotel and on the drive from the hotel to the airport, and landed back home Sunday night in the snow. The stay in the Land of Mouse was cloudy, gloomy, wet and damp and very cool. Rain ponchos, rain gear hoodies and sweatpants were the dress code. We ran the heater in the car every day and also the defrosters. Lovely. </p>
<p>D played well, none of her team mates got injured as a result of the lousy conditions and lots of coaches were there to see the girls play; so all-in-all a suucess.</p>
<p>Speaking of feeling old, my father was an understudy to Euclid and debated with him several of his ideas on the founding of Geometry - Dad said they used to write in the dirt not on clay tablets -LOL !! </p>
<p>OK keepme, that is just ridiculous! how about we give the principal a $1 coupon for doing his job well?</p>
<p>I’m actually thinking about having a dozen bagels delivered to his office…just kidding!!!</p>
<p>I am so behind on this forum but wanted to welcome anxiousma and yes, your D’s stats seem amazing. Those few B’s should not be an issue. OHMom- I cannot imagine the stress this involves but it sounds like you are trying to think through the situation and do what is best for your kiddo. </p>
<p>Grrr, Keepme, I’d be so annoyed. And…$1.00? Seriously? If they’re going to skip the breakfast, they should at least give something the other kids see as “honorable”! Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks gift cards? </p>
<p>Twogirls, we are headed east this Sunday. On one hand, I hope the weather is ok, but on the other, I hope it’s cold and nasty (but driveable). My kid is insisting that she prefers east coast weather and I think she has romanticized her memories of it. She says she wants a snow day again. I reminded her that it’s pretty unusual to have a snow day in college and that she hated snow days one on top of the next in middle school. </p>
<p>If we have a snow day Thursday then my D says all of her tests will be moved to after the break >:P. This means she will be reviewing in the car and every night in the hotel. Threesdad sorry about the gloomy weather but glad to hear that your trip went well. </p>
<p>3girls and twogirls - Just FYI… We are expecting another snow storm in DC area starting tomorrow evening thru Thursday afternoon… As of now, they are saying about 4"-8" in DC region by Thursday afternoon. Safe travel. </p>
<p>FromMD we are driving to Virginia on Sunday ( or Sat if snow is predicted for Sunday) and will be visiting UMD some time next week. I think it will be in the 40’s next week. We are getting the same storm as you tomorrow night and Thursday. Winter storm watches are already out until Friday morning. Thanks for thinking of us!! 3girls if you are leaving tomorrow ( forgot what you said) be careful!</p>
<p>@anxiousma – your D’s test scores are excellent! You can see the percentile ranks of her SAT section scores (compared to all college-bound seniors) [url=<a href=“http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/SAT-Percentile_Ranks_2011.pdf]here[/url”>http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/SAT-Percentile_Ranks_2011.pdf]here[/url</a>]. Her PSAT places her at National Merit level, so top 1% nationally. Her class rank (top 10%, almost top 5%) is good. It sounds like your school may have some grade deflation relative to some that one reads about on CC. (There are some HSs where dozens of kids graduate with straight As, and other schools where top students get multiple Bs. This is why it is impossible to compare GPAs across different schools, and also why college admissions officers assess students’ records “in context”.)</p>
<p>The important thing, for any student at any level, is to find a good range of colleges to which to apply. Her list should include at least a couple of “safety” schools that are likely to admit her, that are within reach financially, and where she can see herself fitting in. If she does her research well and list-building well, she should have some good options next spring.</p>
<p>nonononono…not Sunday!</p>
<p>@twogirls, junior visit day will be Monday @ UMD. There will be sessions onFA, college app (umd doesn’t use CA), honors programs, etc. D and I will be there.</p>
<p>3girls I read that there is a 30% chance for a tiny amount- nothing major. The major snow is coming Wednesday night. Are you flying in on Sunday? </p>
<p>4cookie we got that email about junior visit day but we will not be going on Monday. We have a tour lined up for a different day that week- forgot which day. </p>
<p>Keepme, LOL and Grrr!! Sorry that you have such a jerk for a principal!</p>
<p>3girls3cats, good luck on your drive and hopefully the weather will be a little warmer by then.</p>
<p>Threesdad, glad that none of the players were injured and that you got back to the frozen north before the ice hits the south tonight!</p>
<p>OHmom, sorry to hear about your situation; good luck with getting issues resolved as smoothly and painlessly as possible.</p>
<p>anxiousma, welcome and your D sounds like she’ll do fine. There was an interesting thread last month about shy students not always thriving at small schools and sometimes preferring the anonymity they can find at a large school. Sometimes a smaller department or Honors college at a big school can be a better fit. Have you looked at the Fiske guide “Sizing yourself up survey” quiz? <a href=“http://www.fiskeguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/quiz.pdf”>http://www.fiskeguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/quiz.pdf</a> </p>
<p>About FAFSA / CSS: I’m not sure if it was already mentioned in the last couple of pages but I know that some schools that give merit require families to complete them if they want the student to be considered for merit. For some schools it’s just FAFSA. For others I know it’s both–Fordham is one of them.</p>
<p>Ohmom…I’m sorry you’re in that situation. I hope it all works out. Deadbeat dads s*ck!!
Welcome to anxiousma…your D sounds like a great kid, great student. Her stats are fantastic!
Threesdad…good luck with the recruiting. We are not really going down that route anymore with D. She may play club, she may not. Now S1 may be another story but we have some time.</p>
<p>Now as far as snow…as long as it’s plowed, salted and sanded by Friday at 9:30 in the morning, it’s all good!!! Extended forecast says 51 for the day we tour Georgetown…that’s what I’m talking about!!!</p>
<p>Yep, we are flying in on Sunday and I’m hoping for clear runways. </p>
<p>I read that thread about shy students sometimes preferring the anonymity of larger schools. It’s a tough call–sometimes it may feel easier to be anonymous in a crowd but it doesn’t help personal growth and it’s all too easy to be lost in the crowd. On the other hand, being forced to be “on” all the time in a small school with small classes can be too much too. I think honors colleges can be a great option.</p>
<p>Threesdad, the weather may have been gloomy but from a recruiting standpoint, it sounds like that trip went well. </p>
<p>Here’s the thread about some shy students not finding their best fit at a small school:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1594803-don-t-make-this-mistake-with-shy-student.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1594803-don-t-make-this-mistake-with-shy-student.html</a></p>
<p>Mine is also on the shy side, and I followed that thread as well. I think it makes a big difference if they are so shy that they don’t want to have to participate in class (as is the student mentioned in that thread). Then I can see why a huge school might be a better choice. As for my D, she doesn’t want to be class president or fight for leadership positions, but she really thrives on class seminars and discussion-based learning, so we are looking at some small LACs. </p>
<p>OHMom – I’m so sorry you have so much on your “plate” right now. :(</p>
<p>KeepMe – Sorry about your DS. That $1 must really make those kids feel special… :(</p>
<p>And to all of you traveling back East for break, safe travels and I hope you have good weather.</p>
<p>Welcome anxiousma!! Your D sounds like a fantastic kid, and those stats will open a lot of doors for her. I’d also encourage her to at least consider looking at an Honors College at a larger school as a potential alternative to the small LAC type school. We have a junior in the Honors program at UMinn and she LOVES the mixture of small-sized Honors classes with all the benefits of a larger school “traditional college experience”. Something to consider anyway if she’s willing to take a look.</p>
<p>OHMom…add me to the list of folks wishing you the best, and to those suggesting you get something in writing regarding the college process as part of the divorce agreement. I’ve read in other threads about divorce decrees including specific financial responsibilities for both parties, so I would think requiring NCP paperwork would be fairly easy to include (although more difficult to actually accomplish as you said).</p>
<p>I fondly remember the days of sniffing fresh mimeograph sheets right off the roller!! I’ve never worried that it affected my brain functions adversely…sorry, I drifted away there for a moment…what was I saying? >:D< </p>
<p>Re: Applying to “unaffordable” schools…We made it a point to explain to our kids exactly what we could afford to pay each year, and unless a school offered merit scholarships that could bring the cost down to an affordable range for us it was off the table. As various schools came up for discussion we looked at what merit scholarships they had to offer, and if the largest one wouldn’t get us in the ballpark it wasn’t worth considering any further. If it qualifies as a “take a shot and see what happens” school they could choose a few of those to apply to if they desire, but only with the understanding that the large merit scholarship was a necessity. As long as their eyes are wide open there “shouldn’t” be any letdown if the scholarship offer comes in too low.</p>