^ great description, @Mom2aphysicsgeek! Sink or swim time!
Prior to DD’s departure for summer program, we got an additional credit card for her from our account. The process was very quick and easy. Also, they explained to us that she will be building her credit history using this card. That sounds good to me.
Since she arrived at the summer program, DD only responded if we call or text her. The security of the camp is extremely tight so no worries. I know that she rather talk to the other students instead of her mom! :)]
Donut hole: The first I heard this term used, it was in relation to the [Medicare Part D coverage gap](Medicare Part D coverage gap - Wikipedia), which (to simplify greatly) occurs because coverage covers up to a certain dollar amount, then there is a gap in which there is no coverage before catastrophic coverage begins—so it’s like going across a donut, where there is substance, followed by a gap, then more substance.
This metaphor has been extended to other spheres since then. For college costs, it refers to the fact that need-based aid covers college costs relatively well up to a certain income level, and then above that income level there is no (or very little) need-based aid available, but that occurs before the income level at which full payment of college costs is comfortable or even possible. So those of us in the donut hole are those who cannot expect a helpful amount of need-based aid, but can’t afford the resulting costs.
credit cards - like @mdcmom we had D14 apply for a Discover card the summer after she graduated. She’s set it up to autopay and has behaved with it so far. Two years later and she just got her 2nd limit increase and has a FICO around 760. She’s very proud of her plastic achievements! Going to have her apply for a visa/MC while she’s still got summer income levels, as sometimes she runs into troubles with retailers who don’t accept Discover.
I kinda wish we lived in a world where they were representative, because there seem to be a lot of different kinds of kids on CC, but the metric that ties them together is that they (and their parents) seem to be really involved and care a lot about what they want to do with their lives-what a nice world that would be, and what great things might get accomplished! I firmly believe there is room for all the kids out there to find a school where they can be happy and successful (and not drown in debt).
Coalition app re: UMDCP. Damn it. When D17 goes and checks out Drexel and U Richmond in the fall (H flies to philly a lot), they may or may not do a side trip to UMD. I’m thinking, eeeeehhhh, maybe, maybe not. It depends on when D craps out of the application process and how many she likes when she gets back from Boston next month.
Atlanta gets hot, but we have ubiquitous amazingly cold AC. I have to bring a sweater wherever I go because it’s always freezing inside.
My favorite quote, btw, is 'Comparison is the death of happiness". I believe in that. Do your best-not someone else’s best.
@itsgettingreal17 both D’s have had debit cards which are under an umbrella account that H opened for them. The cards have their names on it, but he’s listed as an account administrator. They sit down and go over spending and saving and any card issues every two weeks (ish). Both started out burning through the 50 bux we put on it the minute they got it and getting their card constantly declined at the movie theater or bookstore (or wherever they were at, because they were out of money and not tracking it with the app), both now are good at living within their means and saving for big events-I never thought they’d get good at that, but a year of buying crap on Amazon has miraculously transformed into saving for important things. The cards are through capital one.
We do think GA Tech is not that safe because D18’s dorm room was robbed when she was there over the summer, and they don’t think it was a student-someone got in and robbed the entire floor. GA State is much worse (and right next door to tech)-the kids are getting robbed at gunpoint in the library. We didn’t let D18 do summer camp at tech this year, we had her go to another campus. That said, I can’t fault the education at Tech-it’s top knotch.
lol! That’s so funny! 
It’s all about the context-that’s the only way I can figure out the acronyms half of the time.
Speaking of which, did anyone see the ads for the new kid’s movie called “The BFG”? To those of us who are gamers, BFG does NOT stand for “Big Friendly Giant”. It stands for “Big (bleeping) Gun”.
@eandesmom I would never advise anyone to take the ACT with essay after our experience. 
@mdcmom a 97 in PE!?! How did they manage that feat? (kidding! I bow down to the 90 in Physics, though-well done!).
Tufts and Auburn keep leaving messages on our voicemail. Stop it! We’re just not that into you! =)
Wow, @picklesarenice that is a bad and sad story. I was out on my mountain bike today in the mountains of western Maine and I almost crashed into a huge Moose. Massive. Fortunately he was friendly and just stood there eating leaves. He let me walk right by him on the trail. I was scared, but he was pretty calm.
@RightCoaster, have you ever read that Gary Paulsen (author of Hatchet) essay about why he’s afraid of moose? It’s a funny but scary story about how he once watched a moose absolutely pulverize a small pine tree, because she decided it was a threat. I’ve never looked at moose the same since.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek, thank you for your thoughtful post #8710 back a few pages ago. I have been a little worried about my DS14’s summer internship. He has been doing the same internship last and this summer. Overall, it’s a good one and paid. I’ve been telling him that he should spread his wings and look at REU’s. But I heard (not sure if it’s true) that REU is ultra competitive and some spots reserved for women, URM, or students from colleges without research opportunities.
Anyway, your post made me think about this topic again.
@mdcmom I have not read that, but will now look for it.
Moose are funny creatures. Sometimes they come into the small town where we own a vacation home. They walk right up Main St. I had one sitting in my yard one time when we came up. This is in a small village setting. It stayed in our yard for 15 minutes after we got there. It was laying in the sun.
I’ve heard stories about people getting hurt from aggressive moose, but I’ve only seen mellow ones. The moose today was pretty nice.
I’m much more afraid of bears and I know there are some small mountain lions around, but I’ve never seen them.
@dfbdfb Aaahhh, I got it!! Thank you for the donut hole explanation! I never thought about trying to walk across a donut, it never occur to me.
Whenever I hear the term donut hole, I can only think of Dunkin Donuts munchkins and I forget what I was reading or listening to. True story.
@4beardolls REUs are competitive, but I do not believe the rest of the info represents how REUs are actually awarded. My child is definitely male, white, and has been conducting research since his freshman year. I can’t remember where the other students are from, but every single name he mentioned was male and the schools were all names that I recognized immediately. Next time he calls I’ll have to ask him where they are all from.
Ds applied for 6 REUs and he was offered 3. He applied last year and was offered 1 wait list and was not pulled off. He was sort of discouraged after last yr, but his attitude was that the odds go from competitive to zero if you don’t try. I posted this article about REUs before, but I will share it again. https://astrobites.org/2013/01/05/so-you-want-to-apply-for-an-reu-heres-how/
If grad school is a goal, I hope you can encourage him to apply for an REU. But, I am so glad for your son that his internship is paid and a good one!! That is truly a blessing!
(And I really hope I didn’t offend anyone with that post! It was certainly not my intent. I have read one incredibly heart-wrenching internship story this summer. It was a huge financial sacrifice for this family and it has turned out not to be even slightly beneficial.)
Does anyone know which colleges require senior 1st semester or quarter grades?
Oh, I forgot to add-I did a google search for older D and everything checked out fine, except there is one super skanky girl with the same name and about the same(ish) age with the same (ish) hair color on FB, so I’m going to tell D about it and ask her to add her middle initial to her facebook page. Her FB page isn’t public, but the avatar is, and I don’t want there to be any confusion. The skank’s FB page is public, along with her phone number and the invitation to “hit me up”. Yucky and sad.
Okay, she didn’t get anything from Yale, but now D17 is feelin’ the love. She got this email today:
I think I said earlier in this thread or perhaps another that D was 5’6" post player and quit after freshman year. She has no memory of ever indicating that she was going to do a varsity sport in college.
Amusing…
Welcome to all those who have recently delurked or are about to delurk. :-h
Credit and Credit Card: We opened a checking account for DS with his SS# so that he could have an ATM card this summer. We are also on the account, so I can see all the accounts online and transfer between them, but he can only see his own checking and saving accounts. It’s a BofA student account with no fees until he’s 23. He can get a Visa credit card with that account when he wants. Right now, he has a prepaid credit card with him. He is generally very frugal, and probably won’t use it much. It probably is a good idea for him to get one to start building his credit.
@Dave_N …that is HILARIOUS!
Would be fun to respond back…just to play with them!
I’m not sure if there has been a new QOTD today, but I was inspired by reading @mdcmom’s answer to the home alone question.
So, QOTD
Are your children more conservative than you?
My first two definitely are, our third DS 20 not so much.
I remember watching an episode of Friday Night lights with DS 14 relatively recently. The group on the show was gathered around drinking beer. DS 14 commented that it wasn’t realistic because high school kids don’t stand around and drink.
I didn’t grow up in Texas, but my last two years of high school most weekend nights were spent gather around a keg of one sort or another.
And instead of a professional HUDL highlight package, I could send seventh grade home movies.
She was a beast!
Moose and bears: Upon moving to Alaska, I did enough research that I’m not scared of bears—they’re apex predators, we’re apex predators, and so as long as we each respect the other’s position, we’re all good. Wolves make me a little nervous, but not terribly so—as long as you’re with two or more other people, they recognize that you’re part of a pack and it’s all good.
Moose, on the other hand—they’re unpredictable, and thus immensely frightening.
QOTD (comparative conservatism): It all depends on what you mean by conservatism. My oldest is more socially progressive than me (and I’m pretty intensely socially progressive, myself), but she’s much more likely to follow the rules that she’s given. So yeah, maybe we’d say that she’s more progressive than me, but less radical? 