@Themommymommy What is the rational behind NOT showing kids their report cards?
Last weekend before DDâs first class as a senior. Her school starts few days after labor day but college class starts next Monday. Havenât started her essays yet but we talk a lot about college.
Few days ago, she was worried that if she was rejected all of the schools except states flagship school which is super safety for her.
I just asked S about graduation speeches. He says four kids: val, sal, senior class president and student government president. âThey try to keep it downâ, he says-- though honestly, four sounds like a lot to me, considering there are adults making speeches too.
My daughterâs school does not have val or sal. Graduation speeches are done by a couple of students who apply for graduation speech and those students are selected regardless of academic performance or position they hold at school.
My daughterâs school has the top five in the class give speeches in reverse order of their rank.
Edited to ask: What is everyoneâs perception of Rice University?
One of the smartest people Iâve ever known went to Rice. Chances are youâve used at least a recent variation of his software.
Our school is tin with a cap of 300 kids from grades 6-12. There will be 22 grads this year. They donât rank and graduation speakers are the ASB president and a few others chosen by the class. The founder of the school always speaks. The kids are like her family. They usually pick a favorite teacher to speak too.
The district gives the SAT in March and October during school for free to all juniors and seniors. The October one is the 14th.
@petrichor thatâs how it is at my school too. And then the principal, superintendent and BOE president.
@4kids2graduate my understanding of that suggestion is that they want the kids to value learning for its own sake rather than just pursuing grades as rewards. I agree with the theory especially after reading about how influenced kids are in their course selection by the potential for minute increases in their gpa. (I do get why there is the concern or focus on GPA when there is so much at stake in terms of admissions and tuition in some states.) I also feel like getting a grade is one form of feedback that kids need to gauge how effective their studying is. Interestingly though the head of the school told a story once of a student who early on had a lot of trouble with latin but never knew just how close to failing she was. She eventually turned the corner on the subject and really became quite good at it and liked the subject. He seemed to feel that had she known how poorly she was doing intiially she might have decided she was terrible at it and given up. The school my DD goes to makes everyone take the same courses, with the exception of getting to choose a new language in junior/senior year. They all have to go through BC calc and on to special math topics, 2 years physics, 4 years latin etc. So with no easier course load available avoiding discouragement has to be of concern.
@Sophmore1: I really liked Rice, from the website and the recruiting events. It was on Sâs list for a very long time. What finally knocked it off was that he just didnât want Texas-- his schools are almost all in that Washington-to-Boston stretch of eastern seaboard.
@petrichor11 thank you. DD had it on her list - it was actually the first college she said she liked. Then, for some reason she took it off. Well, you guessed itâŠit is now being closely looked at again. We have not visited. You can look at and research but first hand knowledge is great.
Anybody else feel in some ways like their child is already gone? Between the sport, youth group, GF, and homework I feel like we barely see him. I cannot count on him for family meals and pretty much need to schedule time for taking him clothes shopping let alone working on the whole college process. This is what I knew would happen once senior year got under way but it does not make it any easier to take. We have 2-3 more out of town college visits to make and I am looking forward to them as much to spend some time with him as to see the schools. I know that separation is a normal part of this process but is a couple of family meals each week, too much to ask?!?
Maybe it will aid in the transition in the long run. Iâm feeling slightly unneeded since DS16 got a car. Heâs been transporting DS19 to school and ECs as well, and while Iâm appreciative of his new found independence and the reduction of stress on my part, there is a void. Hope you have some excellent bonding time soon.
Hi, fellow parents,
First time posting in this forum. Like a lot of you here, I am trying to help my child, DS, apply to college. Poor thing⊠I am myself intimidated; I can only imagine being in his shoes. We are in Miami, and yesterday he attended an information session from MIT. Needless to say, there were lots of kids! MIT is definitely my sonâs top school, which means nothing more than huge chances of having his heart broken 
At this point, heâs trying to apply EA to MIT. The other day, MIT sent him snail mail regarding âapplying to MIT,â a booklet, checklist, and informational material concerning EA and RD deadlines. I personally do not read anything into those things because you know, schools are pretty sneaky when it comes to marketing. I personally do not like it and actually find it a bit cruel. The kids who are really interested in MIT will apply anyway, regardless of mailing. Why make kids feel âwantedâ when there is a 99% chance that you will reject them? Itâs just adding insult to injury. Weâre talking about kids here. They should keep that in mind.
Iâll be hanging around here looking for advice and sharing.
P.S: We are as well under âNMSF watch.â Iâm looking forward to getting news from his school. As I mentioned, we are in FL. My son got 217 and last yearâs cutoff was 211. So, there is hope 
Welcome @kittymom1102
Welcome @kittymom1102 My DD got this package yesterday too and loved it.So far I think mailings from MIT are most helpful, funny and in general are spot on.
@Cheeringsection I dont want to even think about my daughter being away. She is busy, but I am right there - and that is where she wants me, lol (fortunately for me; we are extremely close). Next year at this time, I am sure I will be a horrible mess. I can only hope that she is close enough for a couple of visits throughout the year. Here is a poem that brought tear to my eyes:
Let Me Hold You Longer
By Karen Kingsbury
Long ago you came to me,
a miracle of firsts:
First smiles and teeth and baby steps,
a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away
and leave to me your past,
And I will be left thinking of
a lifetime of your lasts . . .
The last time that I held a bottle
to your baby lips.
The last time that I lifted you
and held you on my hip.
The last night when you woke up crying,
needing to be walked,
When last you crawled up with your blanket
wanting to be rocked.
The last time when you ran to me,
still small enough to hold.
The last time that you said youâd marry
me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and
bright flashes from your past â
Would I have held on longer if
Iâd known they were your last?
Our last adventure to the park,
your final midday nap,
The last time when you wore your favorite
faded baseball cap.
Your last few hours of kindergarten,
those last days of first grade.
Your last at bat in Little League,
last colored picture made.
I never said good-bye to all
your yesterdays long passed.
So what about tomorrow â
will I recognize your lasts?
The last time that you catch a frog
in that old backyard pond.
The last time that you run barefoot
across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly, scattered images
will represent your past.
I keep on taking pictures,
never quite sure of your lasts . . .
The last time that I comb your hair
or stop a pillow fight.
The last time that I pray with you
and tuck you in at night.
The last time when we cuddle
with a book, just me and you.
The last time you jump in our bed
and sleep between us two.
The last piano lesson,
last vacation to the lake.
Your last few weeks of middle school
last soccer goal you make.
I look ahead and dream of days
that havenât come to pass.
But as I do, I sometimes miss
todayâs sweet, precious lasts . . .
The last time that I help you with
a math or spelling test.
The last time when I shout that yes,
your room is still a mess.
The last time that you need me for
a ride from here to there.
The last time that you spend the night
with your old tattered bear.
My life keeps moving faster,
stealing precious days that pass.
I want to hold on longer â
want to recognize your lasts . . .
The last time that you need my help
with details of a dance.
The last time that you ask me for
advice about romance.
The last time that you talk to me
about your hopes and dreams.
The last time that you wear a jersey
for your high school team.
Iâve watched you grow and barely noticed
seasons as they pass.
If I could freeze the hands of time,
Iâd hold on to your lasts.
For come some bright fall morning,
youâll be going far away.
College life will beckon
in a brilliant sort of way.
One last hug, one last good-bye,
one quick and hurried kiss.
One last time to understand
just how much youâll be missed.
Iâll watch you leave and think how fast
our time together passed.
Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last
@kittymom1102 â Welcome!!
Youâve probably already done so, but in case you havenât you might want to peruse this thread:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/massachusetts-institute-technology/1717092-mit-class-of-2019-ea-results-thread-p1.html
Itâs a very sobering experience. The most recent admit rate that Iâve seen for men was something like 6%. Yikes. And of course youâre spot on that it takes a special brand of cruelty to encourage kids to apply because it enhances your schoolâs âyieldâ and revenue. Your son hopefully appreciates the long odds here.
Totally free-associating: A school that might not be on your radar is USCâs Viterbi School of Engineering. When my S14 visited USC he went (with mom) to the school of liberal arts presentation, but I went to Viterbiâs. I was quite impressed. USC has a lot of money and has bought a lot of academic talent over the last decade or so. Up here in northern CA itâs still seen (by the Cal and Stanford folks) as the University of Second Choice or the University of Spoiled Children, but thatâs no longer the case. The overall admit rate is down around 20%, and the academic profile of the kids admitted is nothing to sneeze at. Viterbi in particular has a ton of really smart kids and faculty, and lots of resources. Like most engineering schools theyâre likely stronger in some areas than others, so like everywhere else you/your son would have to do some homework. USCâs worldwide alumni network is renown for providing support and opportunities (internships, jobs) to their undergraduates. Finally, USC gives an automatic half-tuition merit scholarship to NMFâs who are admitted to the school. For a southern Florida kid whoâs never experienced a real winter, a southern California school might be worth considering.
P.S. Of course the worst offender in terms of promotional mailings from schools that your child wonât get into is University of Chicago. Two years ago (when S14 was doing all of this) there was a thread on CC where parents noted the number of mailings that theyâd received from Chicago. The average number was between ten and twenty by the time applications closed.
Thanks!
At the beginning, I thought the marketing was kind of nice, but I have changed my mind a little bit, especially mailing from MIT.
Probably my opinion is colored by the bad experience that one of my sonâs friend had with MIT admissions. He was flat-out led on. It was very cruel. The kid had participated in MITES, applied EA and was deferred to be ultimately rejected. The poor thing kept on taking the SAT all the way through Jan., trying to improve his chances. So much time wasted for nothing. Through MITES, MIT had a good sense of whether he was âMIT material,â so why giving him hopes? Even the schoolâs GC is pretty turned off by MIT at this point.
Iâm just trying not to let my pessimism and antipathy for the school to pass on to my son. Fortunately for him, his dad, a Math professor, LOVES MIT with passion. You know, for STEM people MIT is the âmecca.â So, heâs got a fan and a critic in the house
Rice is a very very very very good school!
Thanks, Asleep and texaspg!
My son does have USC, Vandy, and Rice on his list, together with Duke, Northwestern, and WashU. He will throw the biggest possible net to see what he gets. Luckily, he recently got a fee waiver from WashU after being interviewed here in Miami. So, at least we are saving those bucks, which is one of the biggest downsides of the âbig net.â
I have tried to drill in his mind that more likely than not is going to be UF, our local university. To make it look more real, we even got him a Gator t-shirt, which he is wearing today