@grlscoutmom - that sounds great! I highly recommend that as soon as your D knows for sure, that she email the favorite teacher(s) and ask for a recommendation. In my case, for example, I’ve already got so many that I’m not taking new requests. (I had over twenty and then I didn’t want to turn down great kids I’d taught for two years, so said yes to those, but I can’t do thirty and do them well.)
That’s great advice, @Fretfulmother. My daughter has been asking various people, and getting them plugged into the Common App so that they can get them done before the rush of school begins. It’s been useful to see the requirements each school has for recommendations too. My daughter has ended up asking a few she hadn’t thought she would need, because they fit into certain categories.
@AKFirefly - thanks! 
Fly-in programs are all about the college’s needs and also trying to gauge a targeted student’s interest by making them apply. As an example If Caltech asks a girl or a minority to apply to a fly in program, they are trying to recruit them if they actually approve the fly-in. In most cases, some of the big name schools are trying to recruit high stat minorities.
@texaspg - thanks for that info. My DS got an email today inviting him to apply for a fly-in to Washington & Lee. I wrote back that he couldn’t miss school, but that we were grateful to be invited. We were hoping for an invitation to Wash U’s Discovery Weekend, but did not get one!
I have never heard of fly in college program before. Is this for accepted or prospective students?
Just found out that our HS will be on Naviance this year. No experience at all with this or what the benefits are. Any info would be greatly appreciated .
I blinked, and suddenly this thread is 7 pages longer. You all have been prolific! Thank you for all your words of comfort and support.
S is almost done with one of his UC essays! He says it’s tweakable for one of the CA prompts, so that’s good news. Yes, he’s way behind schedule…but I’m focusing on the happy fact that he’s moving forward now. Baby steps!
@AsleepAtTheWheel - you have loons; I have loony. ;)) Enjoy your last days of summer with your boys!
@sseamom - Thanks for the encouragement! S just has his driver’s permit for now, but his license is high on our priority list. We had plans to get a lot of practice hours in this summer, but it’s been so busy with everyone’s activities that we haven’t gotten many hours in. The good news is that after you mentioned it, I reminded my hubby and S, and they went out for a practice session the next morning. So thanks!
@4kids2graduate - “This too shall pass” - that will be my mantra this year. Thanks!
@Cheeringsection - I was thinking of putting together a secret stash of fun things to celebrate each first this year. And not only firsts, but all the accomplishments, big and small. It’s still in the mulling stage, but I thought of buying party horns. Each time an app is submitted, we could take it out and make a big ruckus, haha!
@Mysonsdad - When I look at my S, I still see him as my little boy too. This is going to be such a bittersweet year.
@AKFirefly - I’m really sorry to hear that one of your daughters struggles with the same, but I’m glad that she has an empathetic mom. Hope she’s already feeling stronger and less anxious. It’s really hard to explain to others what it feels like. Most people don’t understand if they’ve never experienced it before.
Oh, and I hear you on the app fees. I just realized yesterday that there are fees to order a CSS profile for each school that requires it, which is most of the ones on his list. It’s $25 + $16 per school. That’s in addition to each school’s app fees, SAT score reports, AP scores, CC transcripts (multiple campuses), and transcripts for various online classes he’s taken. I have encouraged S to be very mindful of the schools on his list as each app will represent an investment.
@LKnomad - My S asked for a spreadsheet too! We created a sheet on Google Drive so that we could each refer to it at any time. On it for each school are the middle 50% stats, deadlines for EA, ED, RD, scholarships, and interviews; whether they track interest, # of undergrads (his request), % acceptance rate for males in his major (if we could find that piece of data). I just added a column to note the date score reports were ordered. My aging brain needs all the organizational help it can get!
@texaspg you said “My older kid’s class had 38 national merit finalists but that number might be smaller in my younger kid’s group”…all I can say is WOW! Your school obviously has many amazing students!
Our high school had its first “commended scholar” two years ago…and that was my D14. She was told that she was the first one the school had ever had (I still wonder if that is actually true - perhaps just in the current principal’s tenure there?). We were definitely proud of my D (still are!) and appreciative of the recognition she received at the time…but since them we have realized our little semi-rural school district really isn’t up to speed on alot of things. They could definitely be doing more to educate the students about the PSAT, encourage them to take practice ones before 11th grade, and also inform them about the entire National Merit process and potential scholarship options. I think most of our high school students are oblivious to all of that (unfortunately).
@4kids2graduate Our school almost had two commended scholars this year (both missed by a point or two). It’s been donkeys’ years since there was an actual NMSF. When I mentioned that S got a 32 on his ACT and was retaking it, I earned immediate Tiger Mom status (and he became Wonder Boy). Seriously.
@happymochi We’ve noticed the discrepancy between acceptance rates for males/females as well. For some schools it’s significantly better to be a guy, for a few it’s actually slightly lower for males. I’m not quite sure what to make of that.
@carolinamom2boys Naviance is very helpful early in the college search because there are a variety of search tools included. I think you are past that part of the process. The scattergrams show admissions data for each college on students that have applied from your HS. This feature won’t be useful to you since your school is only in year 1. You will likely benefit from the task lists, due dates, and ability to request LOR, etc.
My D is a spreadsheet lover. She would like the names of the kids on this forum who want spreadsheets so she can date them. She’s not an engineering kid at ALL, but she does love order.
Thanks @Cheeringsection . We were just at DS19 freshman orientation tonight, so I’m sure I’ll be able to use it for him in a few years. Busy times. This year is flying by.
@petrichor11 my son has a 31 on the ACT and I’m making him retake it to try for greater merit opportunities . I too have been called a Tiger mom by one of my younger coworkers.
@ballerina16 here is a blog with a list of Fly Ins programs for this fall. Like Texaspg said above most of the time the Fly Ins are about increasing diversity.
http://blog.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/blog/2015-college-fly-in-programs/#sthash.PQ3ogexJ.dpbs
S is probably the whitest kid on CC (he’s ginger) so I don’t think the fly-ins would be interested in him. Just as well, since I’d have to pry him away from band with a crowbar.
He does have a pretty extensive spreadsheet though. A quick look shows Name, Location, Category (reach, match, etc), Application Fee, Application Style (online, Common app), website, acceptance rate, CSS profile ID, FAFSA ID, app deadline, honors college deadline, financial aid deadline, common app essay (now marked done! hooray!), school essays 1, 2, and 3, recommendations 1,2,and 3, supplementary materials, and dates to note when all the school stuff gets sent.
Right now…it’s not as full as I’d like.
We have spreadsheets on google docs also. I have the schools, size, stats, admission stats, requirements, deadlines and our NPC results. I have 2 results for the NPC since for son’s first year (and last) of college we will have 2 in college.
@Dragonflygarden - oh, good tip to add the NPC results to our spreadsheet! I will have to do that.
@petrichor11 - yes, unfortunately, some of the schools S is looking at have dismal admission rates for males. We’ve had lively discussions around the dinner table about the fairness of it all, but it is what it is. He will just have to put his best foot forward.
@sseamom - haha! Thanks for that laugh! My S may need help in the dating department, so we will let you know. 
Although I thought opposites attract?
@petrichor11 yes some of the fly ins are specifically for URMs, but others are recruiting “diversity,” however that is defined. S15 went on many fly ins last year and at several of them there were plenty of Asians(URMs at many LACs) and Caucasians. Geography, low income, LGBTQ, and who knows what else fall under the diversity blanket.
DD does not want to talk too much about college stuff and she’s focusing more on other stuff now. Sigh…
She plans to apply Telluride Housing both Cornell and UMich. Even though alumni can apply before other students apply to the house, she has to submit 4 essays before she apply to the college and one of them is 3000 words essay! She also plans to apply NSLI-Y and wish to have gap year next year. She’s planing to submit some writing competition. Last three years, she submitted her writings to Scholastic and won two national awards and more than ten regional awards. Now she wants to apply more on other awards as well as Scholastic.
I might need to discourage her some of them but it is very hard while I hardly did it. Anyway, there is always priority.
I never heard about fly in program which looks very interesting. DD is not enthusiastic visiting colleges and chose schools based on her vague impression. We probably visit the schools after getting admission, I guess.
LACs with 65% women will be interested in him. 