I am learning so much by participating in this group. Today I learned what RBF stands for =))
The Orlando situation, both tragedies, hurt my heart.
QOTD from yesterday: I worry S will not eat enough, or consistently take his ADHD meds and struggle in class on both counts. His fears? Choosing a school in a town that doesn’t offer enough for him outside of the school itself. Potentially being homesick.
Much as I would love for S17 to be done with apps before school starts, it will not happen. However, if we can get the common app done before then, and possibly one other it may be about as good as it can get.
3 of the schools requiring additional supplements need to be visited first and that won’t happen until the end of August and October respectively. The current supplements are not up yet and likely not until August although I don’t expect them to change. Earliest due dates are 11/1.
re: **ZeeMee **. While I can see the appeal for some kids and for some types of applications as @2muchquan mentioned (great idea for music) I can also see it really adding to the stress level for some who don’t care for that kind of presentation, a struggle for the non toot your own horn kids and yet another set back for kids without access to technology easily or not savvy in this type of packaging. It makes me think of the sports recruiting videos and oh, I despised that entire process. Some families will spend a crazy amount of money for a professional package, others try to lamely put something together with their phone taken video and basic home software to edit and package. Sure, colleges can tell the difference but what are they looking for? In sports, the pro package will almost always give an advantage and I suspect the same to be true here.
Only one of S17’s schools has it as an option now and I don’t see us bothering with it. He could probably put something pretty decent together but S19 would really struggle with it so I am not at all sure I hope it’s the wave of the future.
re: Senior pictures. For the yearbooks kids can either do the traditional school picture that is taken for their ASB card, or submit a picture of their own. Many folks will do senior pictures over the summer/early fall to have ready in time but it’s a personal choice. We will do a session, though likely taken by a friend who is doing it freelance and has done some nice ones for others, and then see what is better for the yearbook. There is a local photographer though I will consider as well. I’ll want them for grad announcements, and for myself, though so could also see waiting and doing them in the spring. Not planning to spend a ton of $$ on it but will spend some, definitely want some with the trombone, in marching band uniform and then in an outside setting. Pretty much the exact same thing my parents did for me. LOL! He will have a say in all of it though. S17 adamantly does NOT want a senior ad, thinks they are a ridiculous waste of money and is just parents bragging. LOL! For those you choose whatever you want depending on the ad size.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek thanks for the AP links, that will be fun to keep an eye on
@RightCoaster we were told at a few schools that use both apps that it doesn’t matter, there is zero preference as to which one you use. Which to me = Common App.
@kac425 I’ll check those out for S19. S17 only wants flat front tailored shorts but S19 is all about the cargo or denim, I’ll also check out the 19’s at Kohl’s, it’s next door to Target! I am surprised, I’ve had an impossible time with anything slim at Target. The hips sound pretty big though so that’s concerning.
@kac425 Thank you! @eandesmom and I will surely check out.
With DS19, I have the opposite problem. His waist size is bigger than DS17’s pants length. I have to cut like a foot in length and hem pants. [-(
Re: RBF DS17 has RBF too. I looked for what is a male version.
Reddit says its RMF. R Murder F 
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East Coast College tour input for the West Coaster pretty please!
I could use a little bit of input on our summer tour plans. After slashing the list, it looks like there are 2 schools that make sense to tour before our school year starts. East coast travel takes up a chunk of time just getting there and back and I really don’t want to do that during school if it can be avoided. These schools start up at the end of August so we do have a week to work with where the schools are in session, but we haven’t started yet. Win Win.
Definite visits are Ursinus and Ithaca. The only other east coast school still on the list is Vermont and I am not sure we need to visit to apply. Plus Vermont’s viability will be very dependent on the merit offer level (can’t see music money as an option but need to dig more). There are a few in the midwest and we contemplated trying to go through there on the way but it just doesn’t make sense and they aren’t high enough on the list to warrant it.
I’d like to see these two in particular as they have supplements that I think will be far easier to deal with having visited (though neither is really a “why xxx” essay). Given the distance I wouldn’t mind seeing a few more though, but am struggling with whether we should bother or not, and instead just play tourist. Still, that distance for 2 tours seems like a lot.
The overall goal is to find schools that have programs in S’s area of interest but have options should he change his mind as he is really not sure which direction he will go. Passion is renewable/sustainable/alternative energy. Is not sure he wants engineering. Much of the environmental options (science, engineering, studies) are really soils/water/ecology versus systems so aren’t the ideal fit. However, the policy piece is of interest, as are various aspects of sustainability, social justice and related items.
Schools that have bounced on and off the list are Syracuse, Temple, Drexel, Muhlenberg. All are currently “off” for a variety of reasons, of those Syracuse does have an intriguing major that is a very good fit (Energy and its Impacts) but may be too sports focused and while Temple has a number of options that would work, I am not sure for the cost difference the options there are any better than some of his other alternatives. But then again, we will be right there. I think Drexel is too serious and Muhlenberg just not the best fit for a number of reasons, not the least of which is cost. SUNY-ESF is also in Syracuse. It has several majors that would work but S is convinced it is too narrowly focused as a school and he wants a broader undergrad experience that includes kids in totally different academic areas. While ESF offers the ability to take classes at Syracuse and use their facilities, I am not sure if the reverse is true.
Are there schools I am missing???
Temple would be easy enough to add to the trip but is driving to Syracuse worth it or not? In theory I suppose I could drive to Vermont after Ithaca but that just doesn’t sound fun at all and flying out of Burlington is not the easiest or cheapest option.
Flight-wise Philly is easy enough to get in and out of from home. I am assuming we fly to Philly, hit schools there, do a bit of tourist stuff, drive to Itacha, tour, come back and fly out of Philly (not all in the same day of course). Syracuse would add a day and then make for a very long drive back. Doable just not fun. Could also take the train from Syracuse to NYC and fly back that way which would take a little bit longer but I wouldn’t be driving so that part is a bit appealing. Flights in and out of either Ithaca or Syracuse are a bit ridiculous, plus I’d like to just use miles and can easily do that in and out of either Philly or JFK/BWI.
Thoughts and Input greatly appreciated, I want to book these before the miles needed go up.
^^^^^^
@eandesmom
New York school tour first, then drive up to VT. UVM is very nice, Burlington is very fun in the summer. You could always fly out of Burlington airport.
Have you looked into Clarkson in NY? I think they have environment stuff there.
@kac425 Thanks. I will check those shorts out as well. Great tip.
@eandesmom I don’t know if this will be particularly helpful, but when we toured Oklahoma over spring break, S indicated he might have interest in civil engineering, which somehow translated into a one-on-one with their environmental engineering prof. (It was great the guy gave up a couple of hours over spring break, so I’m not complaining.) Once he figured out S wasn’t as interested in the environmental aspect, he veered more into general CE info, so I don’t know if or how it’s different than other engineering programs you’ve looked at. I also don’t recall if your S is in the merit hunt, but Okie does have some good merit packages. It would be way different than the northwestern schools you looked at and maybe that’s not a good thing.
Anyway, I can probably get S to dig up his contact info once I get home, so if you’re interested in at least looking him up on the Okie site, let me know.
thanks @RightCoaster we need to hit Philly for Ursinus so that would leave that off entirely. Burlington is a pain to get to for us 3 flights and very pricey. So, I’d rather save that $$ for after admission IF it ends up as an affordable option and top choice. It’s common app, no “why” essay required and visiting won’t make a difference for admission so I have a hard time justifying the 2-3 days we might lose by adding it plus the extra cost.
Potsdam is WAY the heck up there, and really more driving than I want. We have looked at it and it has some nice program options but the general vibe doesn’t seem to fit S17 all that well. While I take ratings with a big grain of salt, it getting PR’s both least beautiful campus and least happy students top 10…aren’t the stats S is looking for. He cares about those things. Of course that is part of what makes Drexel fall off as well. No music program is a problem as is lack of diversity. Though it’s not a major he does want an element of it at the school (music and theater) and just a well balanced school versus one that is fairly STEM heavy.
@IABooks S isn’t interested in CE. He is interested in mechanical as it relates to energy but is a bit bored by ME by itself…he wants that energy hook in the curriculum and it is hard to find. He is also not sure he wants engineering, but isn’t sure he doesn’t either so that makes it difficult. He has some very specific geographic restrictions that Oklahoma wouldn’t fit into that kills a lot of possible options. The schools that have the more basic CE with an Environmental Emphasis, Environmental Engineering, non tract Environmental Studies/Science are definitely falling to the bottom of the list. We have 3 schools on the list that include some type of energy engineering that fits. University of Ohio, University of Wyoming and Oregon State. None are perfect for a variety of reasons. There are other, better, schools that have it but either they 1) in a part of the country he will not consider, 2)unaffordable and way out of his league academically or 3)not the right fit at all for various reasons (too conservative, not diverse, no music/theater).
One of the nice thing about the LAC’s is that while they don’t offer the engineering piece, they do have some good policy options and the ability to be a bit creative in creating your own major. He’s an LAC leaning kid, wanting that smaller school experience with music and theater…but in a STEM focused field. As a result, the reality is there isn’t “one” school we have found that checks all of the boxes for programs, school size//type/feel, geography/climate and then budget.
@eandesmom The drive from Philadelphia to Ithaca is pretty long. If you are going to add Syracuse (and ESF) to the trip you might consider flying from Philadelphia to Syracuse and then driving to Ithaca, because it is a much shorter drive. There are direct flights between Syracuse and Philadelphia multiple times a day, and it is only about a 45 minute flight. Then you could fly back to Philadelphia and leave from there. The problem with the train is that it is rarely on time, so you have to factor in extra time for the inevitable delays. I wouldn’t be comfortable counting on the train to get me to NY in time to catch a plane without a huge time buffer.
Also Syracuse students can take unlimited classes at ESF. ESF students can take classes at Syracuse, but only a certain number, not unlimited. The only catch is that students from the home college have priority, so students can get shut out of a class at the other college if it is full.
@eandesmom I don’t know if you’ve already investigated and rejected, but RIT has both Environmental Science and Environmental Sustainability, Health and Safety majors (I know this because it’s a school I’ve been looking at for my D) They do offer merit.
@caroldanvers I looked at the flights, $350 to Syracuse from Philly around those dates. So for $700 for the 2 of us, it seemed easier/cheaper to drive as I’ll have to rent a car in both philly and syracuse otherwise but I haven’t priced out cars yet so maybe it would be a wash. Heaven knows I’d prefer not to do all that driving.
Looks like about 5 hours to Ithaca and another 1.5 or so to Syracuse. It sounds like you are saying though that the flight option would be better even if we weren’t to visit Syracuse?
I agree on the buffer concern with NYC, I had actually thought if we did that, we’d spend the night in the city and then head to the airport the next evening. Too long of a day otherwise.
@thermom I had looked at RIT briefly some time ago but no energy aspects and no music/theater so it fell off.
@eandesmom Gotcha. It sounds like it’s a bit of both blessing and curse to have a kid who knows exactly what he’s looking for. 
On our end here, D finally had her last day of regular classes, huzzah! Regents exams tomorrow and Wednesday then no more school until September… except all the college stuff she’s going to have to do over the summer, haha, I’m not sure it’s going to be all that much of a break!
@eandesmom, I am told that Muhlenberg is pretty aggressive with Merit Aid. Family member goes there. Not a particularly strong student. They threw money at her…Might be worth a little research before you dismiss it…Just saying…
@eandesmom – I have lost track of your NE travel logistics other than to agree that there is no easy way to get there from here…
If staying overnight in NYC, you may want to turn in your rental car as NYC parking is expensive and it will be so much more relaxing to take a taxi to the airport for probably the same price as parking.
I think Ithaca to Syracuse is an hour, but that is 18 year old me talking. We used to go up there for concerts.
Potsdam is serious winter weather and absolutely remote.
Burlington is a very cute college town but agree that you can postpone that visit until April.
Good luck!
@eandesmom The other possibility would be to fly one way to or from Syracuse. So drive to Ithaca, tour, and then drive on to Syracuse and fly back to Philly for the flight home. That might minimize car rental costs because you are only renting once, although I don’t know how much extra it costs to drop off the car in a different city.
I’ve done the drive from Philadelphia to Syracuse multiple times, and it is not one of my favorites. The first half of it is on the PA turnpike, which is a poorly designed road. And the second half is on interstate 81 which is in a constant state of construction, especially around Scranton. Does your son have his permit or license? Because being able to share the driving would help, but maybe that is not allowed with a rental car anyway.
Yesterday my daughter said she is targeting to complete all the essays during summer. I am not sure how is that attainable since we don’t have a finalized list yet ;
@4beardolls My son’s portrait session is scheduled for two hours. The whining that I endured when my son found out it was two hours. I can’t wait to tell him about your daughter’s 5 hour session that is extending to next week! It will make 2 hours seem very reasonable. 
@BigPapiofthree they are generous with Merit to be sure. However it’s a very high sticker price to start with so even with what I expect, there seems to be better fits and deals out there. A few other things are dinging it for S. The huge focus on ED (not going to happen for us) and the religious tie ins in particular. Choosing RD is likely to impact merit offered, possibly by quite a bit there. It’s not 100% ruled out but has definitely dropped off. But…if extra time in the area it may make sense to visit. It may be one that NPC understates more than other based on FAFSA.
@caroldanvers I am looking at that as an option although it looks it will just up the overall flight costs. With as many flights as there are daily between Philly and Syracuse on American, it’s a bit shocking how quickly they seem to sell out. He does not have his license but even if he did (and he should by then) typically under 25 cannot drive a rental car. But it may be worth the cost, I really hate driving lol!
@eandesmom If you haven’t yet booked travel, car rental prices may be cheaper out of Syracuse than Philly. If you haven’t yet booked, make sure you run both car rental and airfare simultaneously as a cheap air fare sometimes comes with a whopping car rental rate. If you decide to drop off in a different city, surcharges can vary tremendously. Go to car rentals dot com to do quick comparisons. I usually reserve through them to lock in a rate and then watch to see if rates go down and rebook or I switch to priceline or equivalent a day or two before travel.
Good luck!
@mamaedefamilia I’ve not booked a thing yet though am putting various car options on hold while I figure it out lol. Hedging my bets. I travel quite a bit for work so it’s not new by any means. I tend to watch cars up until the week of as often they can go down substantially as it gets closer. Given the time of year in this case, I suspect not.
With regard to sending AP scores. I would look at the schools that your kid is applying to. IF they say that they will consider them as part of admissions and the scores are good then I would send them in. For example DS13 had 5’s on the AP’s that he had taken. I only sent them to Georgia Tech because they put that they would consider them when making a decision. I did not send them anywhere else. Now he does go to GT and while I would like to think he would have gotten in anyway there is no way to know if the AP’s were the deciding factor.
When deciding if AP scores are good to send in when applying I would look at what scores the university gives credit for. If for example they give credit for 4 & 5’s. then I would think that 4’s & 5"s would help. However if a school only gives credit for a 5 I’m not sure I would send in a 4.