Hopefully I am not violating some terms of CC by posting this, but I have always loved this image.
Well, apparently you cannot post Pinterest links.
If looking for a laugh, search google images
I don’t think that honesty is a weakness
…page 666…
@CT1417 Hilarious!
DS17 in practice interview, biggest weakness: “I don’t have wings, and I’m not immune to radiation.”
@Dave_N Welcome to the team…
Basically DS wrote about how his ADD has made it difficult but that he has listened to really interesting speakers that have been able to keep his full attention and what ever job he ends up in he wants to be someone who is able to engage people when he is talking. I may not be explaining it quite right but he is going to ditch the ADD part and reword it somehow.
@MichiganGeorgia I don’t necessarily agree with your husband. Depends on how it’s handled.
I used a professional college concealing service when my D12 was apply to college. She has LD’s & they were helping us best figure out how to market her. They suggested we DO mention her struggles with her LD’s on her applications but not in the main essay. On CA there are few ‘extra’ supplemental short answers questions and one is along the lines of do you have any additional challenges we would know about. It was a few years ago so I don’t remember details of where to find it.
Additionally I read a college admin person on a college tour say that if your GPA/SAT looks a bit out of line. (Example she gave was exactly my son’s situation… excellent test scores… but much lower grades.) They do want to hear why. Otherwise they might just assume it’s laziness.
Okay, I wrote and undid a wordier version, but my feeling on disclosing challenges overall is that if a college doesn’t want my kid because she’s autistic then she sure doesn’t want to go there (and my money won’t be going there!) In cases where a student doesn’t feel there’s a big reason to mention a challenge, then that’s fine too. But I hate the idea of kids thinking that any kind of mental difference is something that needs to be hidden. Unfortunately there is still a big stigma against mental differences (especially certain types) and people have to weigh their options and decide what to do in their particular situation.
On a lighter note, I’m among those who thinks kids should try both the SAT and ACT if possible. For D17 they’ve been equivalent. But for oldest D, her SAT score was equivalent to an ACT score 4 points higher than what she got on the ACT. That’s pretty significant. Hopefully we can ditch them both once it’s found the SACT is much better at "QUAN"tifying a student’s college potential! :-bd
S finally ordered ACT for UA. That should mean 2 apps complete, except for any scholarship/honors supplements. Baby steps!
In less productive news, he mentioned that he’d originally had one of his ACT scores sent to a college I had never heard him mention before. I asked him if he wanted to apply there and he said “sure?” (For the record I think he’d get in but we can’t afford it.) This kid is killing me.
JOTD: A nod to our Texans on the thread:
Some Texans are mingling at the bar when an Oxford graduate walks in. “Howdy, stranger,” one Texan says. “Where are you from?”
The Oxford graduate answers, “I come from a place where we do not end our sentences in prepositions.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” replies the Texan. “Where are you from, jackass?”
I’m dropping my son19 off at Dartmouth College tomorrow for a soccer camp. Let me know if you’d like me to swing by the admissions office and put in a good word for your kids 
@2muchquan I’ll make sure to let them know that your fake kid is a strong candidate.
@snoozn I think taking both the act and sat is a wise move. Although, for my son the scores were almost identical, he did slightly better on ACT. Still waiting on scores from his last SAT test though,
@MichiganGeorgia Definitely run an internet search on LSU Funding. It would definitely make me worry.
@Dave_N lol on the 11.
I’m still on my phone, wiping and reinstalling windows 8 on the dinosaur, now upgrading to 10. At least it’s staying connected to the internet now.
Went through ALL of D17’s tidal wave of papers (found stuff from middle school), didn’t find the coveted blue ap sticker. 
did find the booklets, but not anything specific to her. I filled five garbage bags full and put them in the garage. If she wants to keep all that she’s welcome to go through it. Anything from junior year our that looked important I put in a box for her to make sorting easier. I am ruthless when it comes to stuff out and not suffocating under it.
@STEM2017 About a year ago, my daughter received an offer to take a practice ACT exam. She had been studying and taking some practice tests at home. But we thought it would be good for her to get a practice in under real testing conditions (not sitting at our kitchen table) so she signed up. She had been consistently scoring well on our practice tests. Always within a point or two. When she takes the official practice test, she scored 6 points under what her average was. She was pretty freaked out.
She took an actual ACT a few weeks later and scored well (totally consistent with the practice tests she had been taking at our kitchen table. We later found out that the “official” practice exam was being offered by a test prep company. I am sure they underscored her test with the idea of selling us on signing up for practice sessions with them knowing she would score much better when she took an actual exam (and they could then take credit for the “improvement”). Total scam.
URichmond just tweeted that their supplements are ready (yes, Spider prompt remains):
QUOTE Sometimes asking the right question makes all the difference. If you were a college admission counselor, what essay question would you ask? Please craft and answer your own essay prompt – in your response, reflect on what your chosen question reveals about you.
OR
(2) Tell us about Spiders.
[/QUOTE]
**Computers in the classroom/b: I used to forbid them (except for students with a certified disability that required their use—rare, but it happens), but then students started getting digital textbooks for my one class that actually uses the text in class, and I had to reevaluate. Now I don’t necessarily encourage them, but I don’t discourage them, either—but I request that students who use them position themselves so that students behind them can’t easily see the screen, to avoid the distraction of even course-related stuff appearing in bright light with movement. (And texting on a cell remains Right Out.)
And I figure that if a student can pass my class while spending the entire class session posting on College Confidential checking Twitter, I’m actually kind of okay with that—and if they can’t, like I told my D17 yesterday (to her mild horror), I and a lot of other college professors see our job as being to give students enough rope that they can choose whether to make a rope bridge for themselves to cross over, or a noose.
The standardized testing scam: I found out a couple days ago that my daughter actually actively eliminated colleges from her list at one point that requires SAT subject tests. I was a proud dad at that moment, I was.
Joke: How many college professors does it take to change a lightbulb? One, with some help in the lightbulb lab from four masters students, two doctoral students, and a postdoc. (And I got three first-author papers out of it!)
p.s.: So the trip to the lower 48 begins today—Alabama gets to try to sell themselves to my skeptical-about-the-South daughter in eight days. Wish her my wallet luck!
p.p.s. Two posts to 10,000!
@snoozn I completely get and appreciate your point and don’t think anything should be hidden. I just think there is a fine line as to where and how to disclose if it is felt it is needed. Each situation is unique to be sure and I hope you didn’t think I felt things should be hidden as that isn’t the case, it had more to do with what it seems colleges are looking for in the essays and helping kids stand out from the crowd. I agree that some have greater stigmas than others and sadly some are overdiagnosed, abused and used an an excuse which absolutely hurts kids that truly struggle with these issues.
At the end of the day if a challenge is important to that student to discuss their app and know that the college “gets” them I don’t see it as being a wrong thing to do regardless of what kind of challenge it may be.
I want the SCAT for my kid. I am not at all sure how to approach this now. He absolutely flat out said NO to the idea of trying the new SAT. I hadn’t planned on doing much tutoring/test prep for this next round of ACT which he is willing to do, but given the changes…UGH.
We hate the standardized tests so much that my D17 may only apply to test-optional schools. Her anxiety really gets in the way of her performance on them.
@eandesmom You bring up a good point. If my son has done nothing but prepare for the ACT, (self studying, tutor, etc.) does all that studying translate well to the new SAT? Or does he need to start from scratch with the SAT? Anyone have any opinions?