<p>@shoboemom “It really seemed at first that there were a lot of good options on the table, where D might get good merit, smaller schools, etc, but then they started getting crossed off the list, and now it seems that options are limited: lottery schools, places I am not so sure about, or places she doesn’t like”</p>
<p>I know exactly what you are saying. I am exasperated. After a year plus of intensive research I feel like I could have just as easily thrown darts at a map. </p>
<p>@vsgpeanut101 “Oh boy, the time and energy that goes into messaging - facebook group chats and sending dozens of selfies on instagram! What I try to remind myself when its driving me nuts as a “waste of time” is that I spent similar hours on the phone or writing long notes about nothing. This is just the 21st century method of bonding and developing social skills.”</p>
<p>S is the epitome of social and that includes all forms of social media. In high school I could spend 3-4 hours at a stretch talking on the phone about utter nonsense. I can still hear my parents screaming, “GET OFF THE PHONE!” And I spent hours and hours in college writing long letters to high school friends instead of studying. At least today’s technology allows multitasking-I was a teen when phones were still tethered to a cord. Sure, I find his constant usage annoying and unproductive but it certainly hasn’t impaired his achievement any. I think that kids that aren’t that involved with it just have different personalities and I am sure they find other ways of being unproductive, lol.</p>
<p>I am trying to convince S to put in an application at UMDCP in hopes of the BK but apparently everyone else has the idea…well there IS a Burger King scholarship, maybe he can try that instead…</p>
<p>@wolverine86 'Guaranteed to provide value for the $$…and the crown makes me feel kinda important"</p>
<p>Right over my computer I have a picture collage and one of the pics is of S with a Burger King Crown(Teletubbies, BTW, anyone else remember that inane PBS production?) I am sure it is a sign that either he is meant to win the BK or that I need a Whopper.</p>
<p>Someone asked up thread for book titles on CA essay writing. Here is the list:</p>
<p>**On Writing the College Application Essay, 25th Anniversary Edition: The Key to Acceptance at the College of Your Choice[/b, by Harry Bauld (This is like the essay textbook to read before beginning the workbook below)</p>
<p>Escape Essay Hell!: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Narrative College Application Essays by Janine W. Robinson (This book is kind of like Spark Notes for the Write Out Loud worktext–read it after Bauld’s text, then begin Write Out Load)</p>
<p>Write Out Loud: Use the Story To College Method, Write Great Application Essays, and Get into Your Top Choice College, by Carol Barash (This is a workbook that most of the kids at BHG’s school is using for brainstorming after BHG showed it to the GC, Ms D.–wink)</p>
<p>The only homework assigned to rising seniors at BHG’s school is to complete ALL essay drafts before the first day of school, memorize 2 poems (this is a given each year), and chose 1-2 books from the all upper school staff recommendation list for seniors with synopsis on each book read due on 1st day of class for extra credit. BHG’s school feels that college essays trumps any other type of summer homework for rising seniors. </p>
<p>Our HS also assigned the essays over the summer, combined with the required reading assignments. D is plowing through them, determined to be done before Sept 4. Telling a story seems to be the best essay- showing who you are without actually coming out and saying it. Thx for the book suggestions BHM!! </p>
<p>OK, I just looked at my spreadsheet for schools and I had a note that no additional apps, etc. were needed for B/K. So does UMD have a separate app? Are they not on the Common App?</p>
<p>@bunheadmom, Thank you for the book recommendations. I got a book for D, recommended on CC, a while ago. She has been writing some, but hasn’t dug out the book yet. I think she wants to write the essays her way, and doesn’t want to be told how to do it. [-( </p>
<p>I just keep being struck by how some of your High schools seem to be so on top of the college ‘thing’. I am fairly certain that our HS knows that kids might want to go to college, but there isn’t a lot of evidence to that effect yet. I wonder if there will be a lot more official talk about it next year, but then it sure seems a bit late to start that conversation.</p>
<p>D is suffering from the “I don’t want to be part of any club who would want me.” syndrome. </p>
<p>Our HS has already had 3 evening parent meetings and 2 individual meetings with each student, however to be honest I would still find this overwhelming if I had not done this before and if I did not have close family members and friends to advise ( plus CC of course!), </p>
<p>They will meet with the kids again during the first week of school at which time they will be asked to bring in their final list along with addresses and all due dates. Everyrhing is sent ekectronically but they ask for the address so that they are sure of sending the info to the right school. </p>
<p>UMD-CP is not on the common app and there are no separate scholarship forms to fill out. </p>
<p>Hello. My daughter is Class of 2015.
She leaves in one week for a pre-college program at Smith College. She will interview while there. (Her first ever interview!)
She is very strong in the humanities and has a passion for theater and film.
Looking at History, Art History, Film Studies, Literature, Medieval Studies and Theater majors.
Math and, to a lesser degree, Science, are thorns in her side. She works hard to earn low As/high Bs in those subjects.
I’m excited about the college application process but she is not, although she is beginning to come around…
She has recently become interested in Sarah Lawrence and we will visit in the Fall. I’ve read wonderful things - but also negative things (especially re. drugs).
I look forward to reading about all of your kids~</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Continue crafting slate of colleges/universities to visit, if not done.</p></li>
<li><p>Once D/S completes summer visits, organize the slate of schools so that decisions begin rolling in early in the school year and continues until April 1, 2015. For example, two of BHG’s public safeties send out determinations roughly 3 weeks after applying, next group of applications issues letters between 12/15 and 1/15. The last group of schools do not provide an EA advantage and will be submitted two-three weeks before the application deadline with decisions sent out between 2/15 and 4/1. Once a student gets the first acceptance to one of their safeties, the pressure of going to college is over, and all is left is determining if any of the reachier schools come through with an offer of acceptance. BUT, this can backfire on you if your D/S does not complete their draft/final essays early, as they may drag their feet on the remaining applications because they are in at a schol. If you need merit-aid, try to get your child to complete the essays as early as possible during the school year. Can yuh tell, getting those essays done early is important to me. ;;)</p></li>
<li><p>Relax, go out for ice cream or coffee with your child and talk about any subject, excepting for senior year and/or college.</p></li>
<li><p>If your GC offers summer appointments or email contact, do so by having your D/S submit their list of schools via Naviance or email. Discuss the application game plan. Ask questions about timelines of submitting recommendation letters, transcripts, and etcetera by the GC office. Does your student need to upload a resume to Naviance? If so, by when? Find out if there are extra costs if your student submits x number of applications. If your D/S is waitlisted, how involved is the GC in making contact with said college/university?</p></li>
<li><p>Work on and try to complete all essay drafts before summer’s end. This includes determining which essays may be recycled for other schools with changes. Be careful here, your D/S should not discuss the new library and J-term opportunities in a recycled essay to a school with a 100 year old library and no J-term in an 'Why X school essay". :-O</p></li>
<li><p>Relax, go on a run, a jog, a bike ride, a rock climbing trip, or a shopping trip with your D/S, but do not mention senior year or college.</p></li>
<li><p>Run the NPC at all schools again several times to see if the figures change in projected award packages. I would do this the end of August, and again in early November, if the NPC was not updated for Class of 2015 back in August.</p></li>
<li><p>Make plans for any last college visits for fall, if your D/S wishes.</p></li>
<li><p>Take a mini vacation over a long weekend with your D/S–do not mention senior year or college.</p></li>
<li><p>Find a filing & tracking method that works for everyone so important dates do not sneak up on you. We use Google Docs, sync’d phone reminders/calendars, and a file box with colored folders to place printed copies of all application materials. BHG also has a specific email address only for colleges that her father and I also have the password to so we can assist with deleting “junk” school mail.</p></li>
<li><p>Remember to relax, enjoy your summer, and enjoy your dear child. Go to a play, a musical, a movie, an art museum, but do not mention senior year or college.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>It is not a sprint, but run your race at your child’s pace. </p>
<p>Welcome aboard, @ClubAcres! My D attended summer programming at Smith two summers ago–fell. in. love, but since Smith does not give out many merit awards, it is a financial reach for my D. I hope your D enjoys her time at Smith while increasing the love/like factor. My D is applying to Mount. Holyoke for sure, though.</p>
<p>Thank you @BunHeadMom My D went to Smith last summer as well and really liked it. I took her and picked her up. This summer she is flying alone which, for us, is a big deal.
Last summer we toured MHC and I loved it. My D did too, although now is not excited abt it. I have already told her that I am insisting that she apply to MHC. I won’t force her to attend (if admitted), but I do insist that she apply. It is so impressive and seems like a very good fit for her.</p>
<p>planner03…Re: Teletubbies…God, yes, I do remember them!! D1 is 4 years older than D2 and S, so she was a Barney kid, but D2 and S were NUTS for Teletubbies. They each had a 3 foot tall stuffed one that they obsessed over for years (La-La and Dipsy respectively IIRC), watched the TV show religiously, and owned every video ever produced. And now I’ll have that fricking mind virus of a song running through my head for the rest of the day. But a lovely double Whopper with cheese, bacon, and jalapenos might just make the day better!! :-c </p>
<p>Welcome ClubAcres!! Pull up a deck chair, grab a fruity frozen drink, and enjoy the cruise!! <:-P </p>
<p>D and I have been taking college free, senior free walks; they are daily and what a difference in attitude when we do discuss the dreaded college talks. We also now have decided that Sunday afternoon for one hour or less that we do a check in on what needs to get done other than that it’s totally in her court now…and she has become a teenager I can live with now.</p>
Thank you for saying “drafts”. That plan does ease some of the pressure.
I love the summer list, but not talking about college is HARD! lol Things just pop into my head, or onto CC…</p>
<p>@Hoosier, I love the idea of the walks! </p>
<p>Welcome @Clubacres! This is a great group! Has your D also looked at Wellesley I am hoping my D stays closer to home (Florida), but she is enamored with what she has ready about Wellesley.</p>
<p>BHM, I’ve been thinking about the timing of applications and acceptances as well. The UC application is due Nov. 30, and if she does a couple of EA schools and one ED, that means she’ll have probably half of her applications in during November. I had been thinking about whether we should take Veterans Day weekend to travel and visit some schools, but November is starting to look like it will be a crazy month, so maybe not!</p>
<p>I don’t think she’s applying to any schools that have rolling admissions. Her preference is for small LACs; the UCs are mostly on there for financial reasons (although frankly I think the only UC she really likes is Santa Cruz because it has more of a small-college feel – and luckily it is either a low match or a safety for her). </p>
<p>Her ED school will most likely be Scripps, and her college counselor is suggesting Lewis & Clark and Tulane as EA schools. Tulane was the counselor’s idea; D1 is receptive to the idea because she has a friend there, but I’m scratching my head because isn’t it both a larger university and a party school? I’m thinking we need to visit there before she decides to apply!.</p>
@BunHeadMom I forgot to add - good luck to your D!</p>
<p>
@shoboemom - we have not visited Wellesley, although I have looked at its website and its CDS. Her Math scores probably make it too much of a reach. Also, it doesn’t sound like as much of a match for my D. I’m afraid she would get VERY stressed out w/ the workload. Will your D be able to visit? Good luck to her!</p>
<p>
Thank you, @MamaBear16 (LOVE your avatar ) - glad to hear that random crossings-off are normal. D seemed to really like U of R when we toured during her sophomore year, but soon after said she wouldn’t even consider it.</p>
<p>I’m so, so relieved to be a member of this thread. I try not to drive my D crazy talking about schools but I want her to go somewhere that will offer her The World and it’s hard to keep quiet! Thank you all for the friendly welcome :)</p>
My D went to Smith last summer as well and really liked it. I took her and picked her up. This summer she is flying alone which, for us, is a big deal.
) - glad to hear that random crossings-off are normal. D seemed to really like U of R when we toured during her sophomore year, but soon after said she wouldn’t even consider it.</p>