<p>mihcal, I am curious: would you let your kids consider colleges outside a short driving distance from where you live? I know air travel has been an enormous hassle in most of the country this winter, but for the most part students seem to manage year after year. (And as we all know airline issues can happen any time. I spent 30 hours trying to get back from Salt Lake City to Chicago once…in June!)</p>
<p>I am just curious about this as I might be in the minority of those who feels safer having my college kid on a plane (or stuck in an airport waiting for a connection) than driving on busy highways with crazy drivers, giant trucks, and so on (not to mention having to stop at sketchy gas stations and also worry about weather and road conditions).</p>
<p>Sally305 I would much rather have my kids waiting at an airport than driving home in all kinds of weather with crazy drivers. My older one does not have a car at school ( no interest) and my D15 won’t have one her first year. </p>
<p>DS hasn’t seen his score yet (he is on a college tour with hubby), but all we needed was to make sure it was high enough for NMSF. If his PSAT score qualifies (probably but not guaranteed), then his SAT score will confirm it. :):):)</p>
<p>They are enjoying the weather in California this week with tours scheduled at Stanford, Harvey Mudd, and Cal Tech. He also wants to go see MIT. We have been to our state school which will be a safety. We also want to visit Washington University in St Louis. I am hoping to add a couple of other schools to the list (known for good merit aid), but DS can’t handle that now. I’ll save that for summer. His is a STEM kid and loves math, but hasn’t decided on a major yet.</p>
<p>Congrats KSMom. I also want to visit Washington University in St. Louis but I do not think we will have the time. By the end of this school year we will have visited 20 schools and I am not sure how realistic it will be to add more given that once acceptances start rolling in we will have to make a few re-visits. She recently added Ohio State to her list and if they make her a good offer I am sure we will be heading out there. My husband does not love the idea of summer visits because you don’t get a chance to see the kids. We did a summer visit with D12 and the campus was empty. I suppose that there are some benefits to summer visits but I don’t think we will be doing any. I already know that there will be 2-3 schools on her list that she will apply to without visiting first. </p>
<p>DS has 2 days off of school this week and missed one extra day for this trip. If we are going to spend big $$$ on a college trip, we want to go when school is in session. One of the CA schools shares spring break with us so he couldn’t go in March. If we do travel this summer we might include a couple of stops at schools, but more because we will be semi-close anyway. Spring break will be either MIT or Wash U. We didn’t want to book a flight until after seeing how the current trip goes. I have a sister who lives close to MIT so it will be a nice visit.</p>
<p>Yahoo–D is truly done with the SAT. I didn’t think this retake was necessary but she wanted it and she got the scores she wanted. I’m relieved and happy for her and she’s thrilled. Debbie Downer that I am, I had already mentally rehearsed my “don’t worry, this doesn’t mean as much as you’re making it out to be and you already have great scores” speech.</p>
<p>@KSMom1518, I want D to visit Wash U too but I’m not sure when that will happen. They have a number of competitive merit awards/programs that sound attractive. </p>
<p>Congrats 3girls on being finished with testing!! My D is also done and I am surprising calm despite the fact that we are waiting for the ACT results from last week. I am reading that last weeks ACT is the same from October 2012 and -2 was a 36 so I am thinking kids may do better on the math than they think. In any event my kid is done regardless of her score. </p>
<p>@twogirls, that was exactly how I felt too. I knew D was done and I completely forgot about the scores. The college counselor met with us a few weeks ago and talked about SAT testing and before he could even say anything, I blurted out, “She’s DONE.” It was funny, he kind of chuckled, probably thinking, ok crazy old lady, I get it, she’s done.</p>
<p>The creeping anxiety showed itself last night when D announced that she wanted her scores. Sometimes, though less and less, I live in fear of her. Honestly, I felt like I had to prepare myself for the worst case scenario. More than the actual scores, I’m just so relieved that we didn’t have to go through that scenario and that this testing at least is over. </p>
<p>The scores here were not so good and she is pretty crushed. Congratulations to those who are done-I wonder if she will be able to get them were she can have a shot at getting into most of the schools she is looking at. I guess I was spoiled with my son-I liked it much better on that side of then fence than this side.</p>
<p>I am editing this to add that even though I am sad for her I am happy that other kids are doing so well. This whole process really is a rollercoaster and there will be times some are riding high and others are at the dip but in the end they all get off and they end up where they are supposed to be-I have seen it enough to really know that to be true-so please I hope if you have good news you feel free to share it on here!</p>
<p>I understand the " living in fear of her" LOL because I have the same, and mine is LOUD. I often hide in the garage inside of my car. She is calm which is shocking given her personality. She knows she is done. I would have liked her to take the SAT one more time just because I just always assumed she would take each test twice. Oh well LOL I don’t think taking it again would have mattered much in the grand scheme of things. </p>
<p>She quickly mentioned to guidance some of the schools she is looking at and he said that she knew exactly what she was doing, so I suppose it’s ok to stop the testing! </p>
<p>Congrats to everybody on what seems to be great scores! </p>
<p>Sorry Pepper. I’ve definitely been on that side of the fence with D#2 and it seems to me that it’s harder when you have a sibling who is following one with great test taking instincts. It does work out–in some ways it worked out better for my second than my first-- but it’s hard when you are in the midst of it all.</p>
<p>D’s got what she wanted from SAT math level II - an 800! not too shabby. Theoretically she’s done with all her SATs, very satisfactory. Two SAT subjects plus January SAT. Think she might take a lit test. </p>
<p>No school. I think it’s either 13th or 14th snow day. It gets to the point that we don’t care anymore. </p>
<p>Sorry to hear that Pepper. We’re not super happy here either since d’s scores weren’t up to her PSAT numbers. We’ll definitely be taking the test again in either May or June.</p>
<p>D did a 180 last night on thoughts about careers and started researching a completely different area than the one she’s been considering. At least she was open to talking about it now. The fact that she actually researched a career on the internet is mind-blowing.</p>
<p>Congratulations to those who got good news with their score reports! </p>
and I am not sure how realistic it will be to add more given that once acceptances start rolling in we will have to make a few re-visits. She recently added Ohio State to her list and if they make her a good offer I am sure we will be heading out there. My husband does not love the idea of summer visits because you don’t get a chance to see the kids. We did a summer visit with D12 and the campus was empty. I suppose that there are some benefits to summer visits but I don’t think we will be doing any. I already know that there will be 2-3 schools on her list that she will apply to without visiting first. </p>
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