@dfbdfb Woot! Grats on KU! (Deep safety or not, its cheering to have the acceptance. And I can think of worse places than Lawrence!)
@Gator88NE My DD won’t start apps until Aug either. We don’t have a transcript. No LORs either. She is off at a summer program in Penn (we are in CA) and won’t be home until July 23. She may start on essays then but the official apps won’t start until at least Aug and probably won’t be submitted until Oct.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I’m a single mom and I know it’s going to be so strange with DD gone. She’s been gone 2 weeks for her summer program and I barely talk to her and get an occasional text. It’s hard but I’m also so glad she is independent and having fun and learning and growing. I have another DD that is 10 and my sis lives with me so I won’t be completely alone but still a piece missing!
Umm, isn’t working on essays starting apps?? 
I asked my DD’s guidance counselor if there was any concern in designating that DD has taken the most rigorous curriculum back in January during our one and only meeting. She only looked at Junior year, counted the AP classes and said not a problem. LOL - I could tell she had not read the parent brag sheet which my DH and I had to prepare before the meeting where we discusseded her schedule Freshman and Sophmore year.
@dfbdfb party time for your first acceptance <:-P <:-P
My DD has done nothing all summer except go out with her friends almost daily/nightly. We barely talk about applications and I am the only one in the house who seems to think about it. I told her she will need to start thinking about her essays in a couple of weeks after she goes to cheer camp and we get back from our vacation up north.
Talk about blubbering, I am a mess. The thought of her leaving hurts my heart. But worse than that is I have my D16 actually leaving in 4 weeks 3 days (who’s counting). I can’t hug her enough, kiss her head when I walk by her enough, and soak in every single moment. It is so hard to imagine my home without her here, and to think in one year both my kids will be gone…my heart is breaking =((
Sometimes I feel like a jerk for being so excited when my kids leave.
Then I get back to converting my D’s room into my new craft room and I forget all about it.
We just returned from college visits–Boston University, Tufts, and Dartmouth. I consider it a success since she liked BU which gives us another ‘match’ school, eliminated Tufts (one less reach!) and kept Dartmouth. I would have been ecstatic if she eliminated Dartmouth as it is a reachy reach without a hook of any kind (unless you consider being a Mississippi resident a hook…lol!). I’d be glad to answer any questions or elaborate on any parts of our tours but since everyone’s mileage varies on visits, I’ll refrain for now.
The best part of the trip was that my DD became inspired to take over her college app process and cracked open the Common App last night (music playing in background). I honestly feel like after helping coach her through her EC selection and leadership over the last several years, researching/compiling a meaningful college list, and taking her on multiple college visits, my job is almost done. The rest (essays and senior year) are up to her. I’m in a supporting role.
And, I’m dreading her leaving home. She is our one and only child and I’m retiring the same time she goes to college. I may need counseling!
@flatKansas: I hear you—I’m looking forward to my children growing up enough to head out on their own, and it makes me happy. And it isn’t just me being a guy—my wife’s the same way. Of course, we’re both quantitativists in our research, which all deals with reducing human behavior to numerical models, so maybe we’re just uniquely weird that way. 
@Mom2aphysicsgeek 《hugs!!!》
I’m right there with ya. Yesterday H and I were out eating lunch and that Fleetwood Mac song comes on with the lyrics “children get older, I’m getting older too” and I burst into tears. H looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Luckily Wed already paid and were just sitting there so he could whisk me out of there.
Today we’re back down in Valdosta picking up D17 from the governor’s honors program. I can’t wait to see her! !! Valdosta State is a gorgeous campus, I’ll say it again. Like a baby Stanford.
@dfbdfb - Congrats! Having a college acceptance in hand before the senior year begins is a great thing!
(My D15 had to wait until January for her first acceptance, when many of her friends were getting early admits in the fall. It was a stressful year.)
@dfbdfb Congrats! An admit in hand would be such a motivator for my son. Like getting an A on a test, it motivates you to work hard and stay on track.
At this point, I have to beg, borrow, and bribe my son to work on his ACT and apps.
Again congratulations!
Mine has done absolutely nothing except work and go out with work friends, all of whom are already in college which kind of freaks me out
@BlueAFMom those sound like great campus visits! It’s the BEST when it clicks with your kid and they finally are involved with the process!
@flatKansas @dfbdfb I’m with both of you. I was so excited & proud for her when D12 left for college. There was that heart twang the first few hours after I left here there the first time, but otherwise I wasn’t anywhere as sad about it as most of my friends. But I knew she would be back. (And she is and now I have no idea when I’m going to get rid of her.) She was back for most summers, holidays. The 4 months semesters started feeling short.
S17 on the other hand will most likely fly the coup probably never to return except for a few vacations. So there is a bit more angst their for me. But I’m also sure that by half the way through this year we will both be so ready for him to go.
@VickiSoCal WORK is something. Employment, especially if it can be tied in to the essay/application will make yours a very attractive applicant.
We’re working on getting my son a job at the local farm. He’s not happy about it. [-(
FRONT LOADING: Wow, is that really a thing? I learn something new here every day. I suppose my advice would be to carefully consider merit-aid that isn’t guaranteed all 4 years. This beggar can’t be a chooser, but I would probably keep looking if an offer was only for freshman year with a “maybe” for later years.
Maybe someone could come up with a video game that combines Pokemon go and SAT prep?!
@motherofdragons Is the academic adviser the same as the college advisor at your school? The form is to be filled out by the college counselor or principal. At my son’s school, his academic advisor is not his college advisor. His academic advisor is kind of odd so lucky for us he’s not the guy who will be filling it out. Contact Georgetown and find out what the options are and if it ends up it’s going to be the academic advisor, have your D schedule time to sit down with her at the beginning of the school year to let her know that she’s applying and part of her application will be her resume (and provide it to her academic counselor and have her ask if she could meet with her again in a week to answer any questions she may have. Even if they spend 15 minutes together a couple of times, I am sure your D can make an impression. If none of that works, keep in mind your D won’t be the only one in that position and the nice thing is I find the Georgetown app gives the applicant a lot of opportunity to present themselves.
@flatkansas Whether your son needs a STEM LOR depends on what type of program he is trying to get into and what the school requirements are. Some schools are pretty specific and others are not. One thing to also consider is the college counselor recommendation can include information learned from other teachers so that is a way to get in more information about the student.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I share your pain. In our home, my son and I handling the college process. My husband gets updates, some of which are becoming a little harder as sometimes I can’t imagine our home without my son in it every day. My son is so excited about going away to college and exploring a new city that he’s excitement soothes my sorrow. Fall of 2017 is going to be a tough time.
@dfbdfb Congrats on the first acceptance. I think it will be a relief for all of the kids, even if it’s not a school they probably won’t go to, just to get that first acceptance and no they have one in the back pocket.
@paveyourpath At son’s school, GC is both academic and college advisor. She will be with him for junior and senior year. They meet in guidance class once a “cycle” or roughly 24 times a year. It’s pretty comprehensive. He meets her individually 2 or 3 times a year. I’m happy with it but it seems the whole team is gone for the summer. Could use their help right now.