We get that AARP mail all the time. I just can’t figure out if it’s worth joining.
My co-worker compared AARP and AAA and decided to go with AAA. She said they are basically the same.
To move in to 55+ community living, do both husband and wife have to be 55+? or just one person is fine? I always wondered.
I thought one can join AARP after 55. I’ll have to check since I am cheap 
I left AAA when we bought a new car umm it is an old car now.
Okay…all the talk of age. Here we go…I was 42 when my D graduated HS and now I will be 51 when my S does. My husband has issues with turning 50…I always tell him there is always the alternative…not being able to turn 50. I had replacement parts when I was 35 so turning 50 was no big deal for me. lol I think I will have a harder time with empty nest than any age. Not ready for my baby to leave.
40 Here. Don’t feel quite old enough to be sending a kid off to college. We really could use an extra 10 yrs or so to build up that college fund. 
Question: How do you all feel about attending College Rep nights? Not like a generic college fair, or a rep visit to your kids HS, but a night at either a local HS or nearby hotel where one or a few colleges host an event?
We have a bunch of emails coming now from the new CC at the HS recommending these. For many, since it is just offered one night and time, my D would have to take off work or some other commitment to attend. I don’t mind her doing that as long as they are worthwhile. Thoughts?
Number of letters
Our CC advised send as many as they will take as long as they are good letters regardless of what the minimum # is.
55+
@HiToWaMom interestingly enough, I actually just learned a little bit about this last week. S17 has a new boss who came over from Hawaii with the intention of living in a such place. It turns out there’s a maximum income threshold for the ones in our area and he made too much money to live there. I don’t know if it’s true of all 55+ places but that was his experience.
@stlarenas – I have not attended any of these and have wondered if they would be of any use. A few postcards have arrived recently promoting five schools hosting some sort of evening event. We have not bothered, as I guess I assumed they would be a cattle call.
I did attend an event in a hotel sponsored by one school, but that was definitely fell in the category of ‘demonstrating interest’, for a school that cared about that, and that we had not visited.
Our HS hosts a college panel once/semester at night, and that can be useful, especially when just starting one’s college research. Ad Coms from four different colleges, typically a range of selectivity and size, will answer questions posed by our head of Guidance. These are meant to help educate parents and students about the process and the different ways different colleges evaluate applicants.
Today’s application update: D’s second LOR is done! The missing piece is the GC LOR. The GC said it will be done by end of next week. Now if D would just finish up the remaining essays … Hopefully she’ll make some progress this weekend. But it’s her birthday weekend, so I’m not holding my breath.
@stlarenas We had our parent college night this week with the admission director of a very selective school as the key note. He, and the college counselors, indicated that these visits were essential. The students are to register via the school Naviance and attend the meetings when college reps from their colleges visit the high school, they are ALSO to attend the two college fairs downtown this fall and sign in at the tables of the colleges they are applying to. In addition, the student is to open all emails from the college and spend time on the college web site via links included in the email. All of this is tracked and shows demonstrated interest, and likeliness to attend the school. It was said that if the student couldn’t make the time to attend these visits, then why should the school admit them… I was a little freaked out!
I just recently turned 50, but with a 6 yr old, no way I can think in terms of being old! She just started 1st grade. We’ll be in early 60s when we are doing college apps with her. (But by then this should be an autopilot process by then, right?! … I was 40 when our oldest graduated from high school.)
@eandesmom Maximum income threshhold!? I thought the purpose of 55+ living is to live in a quiet environment. I didn’t know it’s also to help out the seniors with limited income. It’s nice, but it’s a bummer if you wanted to live there but you are too rich to do so!
@Atyraulove I don’t think that’s true. Most schools simply don’t track interest. But for those that do, yes those things are important. Check the common data set for the schools your child is applying to to determine whether they track demonstrated interest.
Since we aren’t visiting most schools, it has been important for D to meet with school reps to learn as much about the school as she can. I don’t think there is a single school on her list, however, that tracks interest. That being said, if you sign up to receive information from them, even if they don’t track interest, they will keep in touch. D has received regular communications from the heads of departments that she has reached out to and has lately been getting calls from the schools asking whether she has any questions. Those communications have gone a long way in getting D excited about some schools beyond what she read on their website. So to me, school communications are more about helping students make informed decisions rather than helping with admission.
ACT alert for tomorrow! D just did two practice sections from the NEW 2016-2017 ACT prep guide book and she said specifically there were math problems she has not seen on previous ACTs. So she logged into her online ACT practice account and sure enough there are brand new practice sections that were not there before (last logged on in late May/early June)
-permutation
-vector format/component
-probability sets /functions
-number and quantity
-huge new section called “integrating essential skills”
Been lurking for so long, but here I go:
Stalker schools - Tulane keeps sending emails and multiple mailings - this to the girl who melts when it hits 80 degrees! Once I told her where Tulane is located, the thought of it made her melt onto the couch. And keep unsubscribing from the emails and they keep coming. Ugh!
College list & visits - have 4 on the list & have visited 2 of them. Might add one more that keeps sending info & has the programs she wants. Chasing merit money, so no reaches - except in regard to the competitive scholarships at 3 of the 4.
Age: mid 40’s for both DH & I - been really starting to get on an exercise kick this year as we want to stay healthy & really be able to enjoy that empty nest coming in another year!
@HiToWaMom I suspect those places exist, on the east side, or are condo based versus apartment Hawaii boss was pretty bummed as our cost of living is not much lower at all.
@carachel2 The science section is supposed to be changing as well. They are not supposed to be able to answer the questions just based on data but have to read the selection as well.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek ok thanks! So are the sections in the new book supposed to be updated?
ACT: Nothing we can do about it now but get a good nights rest. Best of luck to everyone taking the dang thing.
ETA: There’s always October. :((
DS has senior pictures tomorrow. He missed the regular day and the first makeup day because of his summer program and then vacation. He is not looking forward to it. >:P I think he would rather take the ACT with his friends.
Good luck to all taking the ACT tomorrow!!
Welcome @michiganbuckeye !!
DS too would rather take the ACT than be in a photoshoot. :))
but we are done with testing. #:-S
I hope what I submitted as a senior picture (cost ~$0) is acceptable. :-bd
Good luck everyone with ACT tomorrow!! :)>-