@Cheeringsection exactly. My D16 has been working a ton this summer, and has already started HS volleyball and prep for yearbook. My husband or I often stay up to midnight or later just to catch a few minutes with her before bedtime. (She works at an amusement park and is often home late.)
I’m actually hoping we see more of her during the school year … well, after volleyball and mock trial seasons are over … so, uh, springtime?
@texaspg thank you. We have researched the school; However, we didn’t visit so I really don’t think we have a feel for the area or “feel” of the school.
I am hoping to see DD more once school starts. She won’t be working, which was the primary knock on dinners together this summer. I am hoping she will RELAX once classes start. So worried right now constantly–sport (swim) plus school plus CC class plus college apps. She is driving herself crazy. And me too!
@sophmore1 @kittymom1102 – My wife says that one of my many annoying habits is stating the obvious. In terms of Rice and the other very good (but very selective) schools: Apply, with great attention to the essays. Make them school-specific, showing that your daughter/son has done a lot of reading about the school and is seriously considering the school. When the decisions come in you can then all go to admitted student days, and an epiphany might occur.
@kittymom1102 – If UF’s on the radar, would he consider Miami’s engineering program? I know that UF has a fantastic honors college, so Miami might not have as much to offer, but they are pretty strong in biological/medical engineering. And given his NMF status he’d certainly get significant merit money at Miami, and he could also apply for one of their full-ride scholarships. I do remember that they have special merit scholarships for Florida residents. Likely, it’s too close to home, but he can live on campus and act like his parents don’t exist!
We are seeing quite a bit of S16. He’s enjoying having both parents to himself with S14 back to school, but he’s especially enjoying time with his dad debating the merits of psychology and economics. These are two of his AP classes and dad questions their fundamentals. They are also talking through CS projects and playing a lot of pool. Just before school started S16 stopped playing a time-consuming online game – now he has a fair amount of time which is good because he needs it for college apps and homework. On the other hand, he also decided to teach himself touch typing. Life is never dull. I’m looking forward to a two-day trip to New Orleans with him to visit Tulane. Expecting some good discussion about climate science and environmental justice.
Welcome @kittymom1102 ! UF is pretty far from Miami, and over the years my respect for UF has grown (in part because a number of my favorite colleagues have ended up as biology professors there).
@AsleepAtTheWheel, You are more than right regarding the essays. My son needs to dedicate a lot of time researching schools and tailoring essays accordingly, which is another problems of the “big net.” Additionally, he is taking 7 AP, coupled with all his EC commitments. Just like everyone’s kids here…When is he going to find the time to right such detail essays? No idea.
My son is interested in ME, so UF makes more sense than UM. However, he is applying EA to UM for scholarship purposes.
Rice U is in the middle of the museum district and the world’s biggest medical center with two medical schools as part of the medical center. It is also a very short train ride away from downtown. The school has every program any kid wants (world class music program, liberal arts, engineering, sciences, architecture) and access to every industry for internships.
@crowlady, I meant “local” in the context of all other school being considered, out of state schools 
You are totally right, UF is far, far, far from here. Pretty much at the other extreme of the state!
Sorry for the typos in my posts!
@kittymom1102 hey, he could go to UWF still be in state but in a different time zone;-) I grew up near Pensacola but my first teaching job was in Miami. Talk about culture shock!
@3scoutsmom Wouldn’t that be funny? Florida is such a big state. You can drive for hours on end and still be in Florida.
So, at some point we had you as a neighbor… I can only imagine what an experience that must have been for you
My son also has MIT as his top choice but he would be really happy at his other choices as well. When you look at their stats it is totally obvious that unless you have some really special unique talent (national contest top award winner, athlete, etc) that you need to have absolutely close to perfect grades and test scores. But in their blog and when you visit they always say that is not the case which leads many kids to think they have a chance when realistically they don’t. I guess if these schools were more honest they wouldn’t get as many applicants which hurts them in a number of ways. I think a lot of HS counselors do their students a disservice recommending too many reaches for kids whose scores/grades/level of challenge just isn’t even close to that of accepted students. A friend’s daughter only got into her safety schools because her counselor led her to believe she should apply to better schools than she had planned.
Welcome @kittymom1102. Good luck to all awaiting NM results.
@MidwestMomTo2 we also sometimes have to adjust to his schedule to ask him things. The first week of school was the worst as all the parent e-mails were arriving and there were lots of details to attend to. All three of us lined up beside his desk and asked him questions on Sunday afternoon. He wanted to know “why is everyone in my room?”, to which I replied “this is the longest you have been home all week,”.
I have already made an appointment to work on the CA next weekend and take him to some of the sales. DS has not yet bought any back-to-school clothes. The washing machine needs a rest.
Unfortunately, I think that for certain hyper-selective schools, perfect grades and scores are just not enough. Entering this process unaware of that sad reality, will set up a kid for a huge disappointment. In my son’s case his cores are above the average of MIT, 800 in M and 770 in CR. 800 in Math 2 and is taking Physics in Oct. 4.0 UW GPA, 9 AP classes already taken + 7 AP in Senior, for a grand total of 16 AP classes at the end of HS. He is already a National AP Scholar (got 4 and 5 in all his AP tests), in the running for NMS, National Hispanic Scholar. I am painfully aware that means NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING for admission’s officers. The irony is that not having stats would be reason enough to reject him but having the stats is not reason enough to accept him.
The truth is that being smart and hardworking does not equal acceptance to hyper-selective schools. There are just too many smart and hardworking kids applying to those schools these days. Schools resort to subjective (obscure) metrics over which we do not have control. This website is a real eye-opener in that regard. It just takes browsing through the results thread to realize how random and capricious the whole process is. Fortunately, my son works hard for the sake of learning and be the best he can be. He knows that admission to a school is out of his hands and it doesn’t change whom he is and what he will do with his life.
I’m sure many here share our sentiments. I’m just trying to keep it real for his sake and my own sake
Welcome @kittymom1102 After reading all of these posts today, I’m so glad that my son isn’t applying to MIT
@kittymom1102 - talk to @sbjdorlo about MIT. You may have some hooks and your son should get invited to one of their diversity programs.
@carolinamom2boys, A lot of wisdom in your words
I rather think of my son’s application to MIT as a contribution to the university ($ and ranking). My husband loves MIT dearly due to his admiration for Noam Chomsky. MIT was a great source of learning when he was a poor, broke grad student at Tufts. This is him giving something back to MIT
@kittymom1102 That’s exactly how I feel everytime I buy a SC lottery ticket . My little contribution to my son’s college fund.
Former Florida Gator here…my experience at UF (back in the dark ages) was a very good. Also, my niece obtained her BS in 2010 from UF (and was in the Honors College)…and also was at UF for veterinary program (2012-2015). Her overall experience in both was favorable as well. In addition, her husband was in undergraduate and graduate engineering at UF - also a positive experience for him!
I am very grateful that my son has no interest in MIT even though his grades and scores fit their profile. It doesn’t help that early on a teacher of his said that he was sure he would go to either MIT or CalTech for college. Luckily our tour of CalTech turned him off to that school as well, which surprised me. He is still interested in Uber competitive schools but only two I would consider lottery schools. The rest seem to be matches. This is a relief.