@mommdc standard deduction isn’t $6,300 if you are claimed as a dependent on parent’s return. Limited to greater of $1050 or earned income. It isn’t much help in offsetting unearned income including scholarships.
@pickledginger I would think the fact that the counselor checked “most rigorous” would suffice. Remember the average 8 minute admission file review 
Doubtful that they are going to take the time to compare his transcript to the school course offerings.
@MACmiracle DS also has vasovagal response when he gets blood drawn or shots. He has learned that he just needs to lay down and he is fine. He says he doesn’t even feel scared but he doesn’t like needles and it’s just a normal fight/flight that is very common. That being said, he is planning to go to medical school and is not bothered by gore, surgery, or giving others shots. Hmmmm He is embarrassed by the passing out though lol
@Pri930 our D has her application showing as complete, but that didn’t occur until a few days after all of the pieces showed up in their system as complete. We did the UMCP application first (our HS school requires us to do that) then the school gets 3 weeks (or more in our case) to submit the other pieces through Naviance and we order the SAT score to be sent directly. Once everything was in at UMD, the application status turned to complete about 2 days later. Now, today we just saw another teacher finally submitted their rec letter to the coalition app (5 weeks after the request) - since the application is completed I wonder if they will still accept that one? I guess we’ll find out!
Congrats @CuriousInCincy !!! <:-P I love reading the good news as it rolls in!
Of course I don’t mind the gripes either because then I don’t feel like I’m the only one My D will be right there with yours I think @sushiritto though she does have a safety acceptance to NAU, she hasn’t managed to complete the honors college app yet, so… :-??
I love your bribery scheme @traveler98 ! I’m gonna have to borrow that I think, though I haven’t tried it with D since our first, unsuccessful, attempt at potty training long ago! (Fortunately she was later much more amenable to other forms of training ;)) )
I have no news to report. No movement at all. Though she did tell me that she ordered her cap & gown today, apparently this was the “last day” to do it. It was also the first day as far as most of the kids were concerned as there’d never been any announcement that they needed to do it. In fact, D is pretty sure lots of kids missed the memo this go round as well. My guess is we’ll be seeing a few more “last days” before the end of the year. 8-| It’s stuff like this that makes me so nervous about all the school-side stuff getting done!
Big news here (not positive in my eyes) is that S18 is contemplating giving up his winter sport.
No applications completed or submitted
We went to the 9th grade counselor presentation tonight for my second kid, and while they were talking about the IB program, it occurred to me. I don’t see any place on the common app to say that D18 is an IB degree candidate. Should it say that somewhere? It’s not on the transcript.
Maybe the counselor letter will say that?
@daffodilpetunia my D is also a diploma candidate. The IB coordinator (who usually does counselor rec for IBDP kids) said that for the common app at least, the form the counselors fill out has a check box for IB diploma candidate, in addition to the usual “rigor of courseload” check boxes. So yes, I believe that should be covered by the counselor letter/form.
Off-topic minor rant. Our county has had tremendous growth for over 20 years (people fleeing Atlanta metro). When they build a new school here it almost always has portables outside! D18’s HS has been overcrowded since she started, with 3000 kids in a facility designed for only 2500. Kids complain about how difficult it is to walk from class to class with all the hallway traffic. D18 parks in a temporary gravel parking lot. It’s a mess. Note that the school opened in 2009! Anyway, that’ll change next year, right after she graduates, because they’re opening a new HS to our west. It’ll pull 500 kids from her school which will put it back to its design capacity of 2500 kids.
If we think her school is overcrowded, the HS to its north is far worse. It has 3700 kids in a facility designed for 2500! Portables filling the parking lots, new wings added, etc. It’ll drop 1200 kids next year and be back to its design enrollment.
@Booajo I’m sorry your S is thinking about quitting his winter sport. From your previous posts it seems like that was a big part of how someone would define him. And I’m sure you’re pulling out your hair about no apps done yet. My D hasn’t pushed the submit button yet either, but is chugging away at things. Her timing is definitely not my timing, and it’s frustrating because as an outsider you can clearly see that her timing is resulting in so much added stress and hardship for her. It’s a good and important lesson for her to learn, but it’s painful as a parent to see your kid making mistakes. So what do you think is going on with your S? Is he scared? Or is he cocooning for a bit while he’s trying to figure out his future, all as part of his metamorphosis into adulthood? Or is he just tired from working so hard and needs to regroup? Sending positive thoughts your way!
So … we heard from that third university (possibly first pick) last night via email. She gets an interview! This is the first year the nursing college has started using multi mini interviews (MMI) as part of its application process. They told us most applicants will be offered an interview. You don’t have to do it, but you know how that goes.
Has anyone been through an MMI process? We have links, but I’m curious if anyone has any real life experience in one. Apparently it’s set up as a 3.5 hour process (I would imagine with breaks) where you interact with faculty, alumni and others in what sounds like a speed-dating situation. It is modeled after what medical students encounter.
I think DD is officially all done…letters of recommendation and gc reports are marked as received at all schools.
Yesterday DD came home with the packet to order graduation announcements and cap & gown. Does anyone else think $68 is a lot of money for a cap and gown and tassel? DD really only needs a tassel, she is willing to use her sisters cap and gown, a tassel alone is $11.
@labegg - that’s ridiculous for a cap and gown - I’ll
bet your school is using it as a fundraiser. I just looked at ours and it’s $35. It’s the only “bargain” I’ve found this year though. I’m irked by the outrageous prices for just about everything related to senior year. Senior baby ads in our yearbook are between $175-525 depending on size. Then you have to buy the book on top of that for $130! Optional of course, but sheesh.
Here the cap/gown/tassel orders aren’t placed until January. $68 does sound like a lot to me @labegg, but then Herff Jones is the vendor for S’s school so it wouldn’t surprise me if S’s costs at least that much. Herff Jones doesn’t strike me as a bargain-price vendor…
@1822mom Thanks, that makes sense!
Re: USC. They had my daughter when she saw the cupcake vending machine. They had me when I saw what the Viterbi school had to offer. My D qualifies for a significant merit scholarship, but we’re still struggling with the cost vs. in-state (CA) offerings like UCLA and Cal Poly SLO.
Update on UMD Application.
D18 emailed admissions office 2 days back and they said they have received everything. Today the application shows everything received but still says application not complete. I guess we will keep tracking the status.
Another thing - we sent 2 SAT scores but it only shows the date Nov 1, 2016 which is the month she took her first SAT (but the date of SAT wasn’t Nov 1).
UMD remains a mystery 
Big news here! Go2boy got his first admittance! It was completely unexpected in the sense that we thought it would be Thanksgiving before we heard anything. Cornell College is on the block system (one course at a time) similar to Colorado College and Quest. I think it will be a great fit for him. We’re waiting for the snail mail package to arrive to find out if he received merit aid; hoping it’s an affordable option. It’s my top choice for him so we will visit on one of the admitted student days. Congrats to everyone who has heard back and hang in there to everyone still waiting or working on applications. There is something calming about an EA letter in hand!
Okay, so yesterday must have been a specific date on the NCAA recruitment coaches’ calendar because DD’18 was called by 2 coaches last night (and a 3rd sent an email asking for a good time to call). She is on top of the world and wants to run in college now. Go figure. (She is very interested in two of the three schools. The coaches want her to apply early.)
@LOUKYDAD for purposes of being required to file a tax return and calculating standard deduction, scholarships arei considered earned income. Then for the kiddie tax they conveniently become unearned income. And for determining support they don’t count at all.
Feel free to disagree but that is my unprofessional understanding of the tax rules concerning scholarships.
@Labegg, my S is a few inches taller than his sister so I ordered his cap and gown set for $30. But otherwise I was going to order a tassel online in the school colors.
For the health insurance, I think schools handle that differently, some require you to buy their insurance unless you can waive it if your coverage qualifies. But you need to find out when and how to apply for the waiver, and I think that needs to be done every year.
@Pri930 we have the same issue with UMD with the weird SAT date. My DDs says March 1, 2017 when, like your kid’s, that’s the month of the first time she took it, but wrong day. Plus she took it twice more. When we called UMD earlier, they could see all scores. I wish they would just list them on the Coalition portal for piece of mind!
Grrr, still waiting in teacher recommendations from teachers who were asked the first week of school! Plus they offered! They said they’re working on them but it’s nerve-wracking!