:)) I can answer all the “gobbledegook” and hieroglyphs in STEM subjects, ONLY if DS’s would ask me! 8-|
I am afraid they are like me. They do not know how to ask for help. 
@dfbdfb come on over. You’ll fit right in. We had some parents on the 2017 thread (the 3.0 version) that outed themselves later with hither gpa’s.
I posted a bit of a soapbox opinion on the subject but in my mind, all are welcome.
@carolinamom2boys subpar slacker. Yep, that could be S19 on days, and then not on others. CC is a weird self selecting place and average here is stellar in most worlds.
Hmmm, @carolinamom2boys, would that Subpar Slacker be the same kid who is also your Eagle Scout? Sorry, it’s just not working for me. ;
The national average for ACT is 20 and for SAT it’s 1000. Hanging out in CC is like sitting backstage at fashion week, comparing dress sizes and thinking what you’re hearing is normal. Thankfully there are dozens of factors taken into consideration by college admissions staffs, and all of our kids will find their place!
@EastGrad No that would be his DS19 who is not yet an Eagle Scout who has a 4.5 GPA , but would be lucky to see a 1200 SAT or 24 ACT even with practice and prep, but is an overall amazing kid .By the standards on this page definitely would be considered a “subpar slacker” by many.
We’re going to visit Temple tomorrow (school closed for Rosh Hashanah). One of the acting kids from last year, D, is a freshman there. She’s a classic drama queen, either you love her or you hate her. I arranged to have lunch with this kid.
So, I was at rehearsal last night picking up my kid and I mentioned we were going on the tour tomorrow and having lunch with D, and I had two spots in my car if any of her friends want to tag along. One of the senior kids, K, sounded enthusiastic about the idea, and I’m kind of regretting offering to take her. I know for a fact that her family’s plan is to move to Hollywood next year, kid will get a waitressing job and audition for acting jobs. She and her family are convinced of her acting genius, her grades certainly aren’t much to write home about.
I feel kind of resentful of the idea of taking K on a college tour when she isn’t going to college and just wants a ride along and free meal. But I also tell myself that maybe she’ll be inspired and actually pay attention in class this year and at least get that high school diploma before she becomes a Hollywood sob story.
There, I have excised all my catty thoughts so now I won’t be saying them out loud when I have the kid in the car.
@ninakatarina Good luck tomorrow. Sounds like it will be an interesting day for sure!
I’ve never once thought any of the kids here were sub par slackers. Regardless of grades or test scores. My perception was that every kid represented by a parent here has some kind of struggle and some kind of strength.
Re: @momoftwogirls’s post #3787
Sometimes we need reactions better than just “like” and “helpful”, you know?
I’m not sure what you mean.
@ninakatarina I would just enjoy the campus visit and the kids and not worry beyond that about her intentions.
My daughter mentioned last year that some of her friends were complaining that their parents nag them about college and future plans. Another girl at the table said she wished her parents cared. They don’t discuss her future plans with her and don’t seem to care at all. My daughter said she felt really bad for this girl, who may not go to college partly because her parents have no interest and don’t plan to help her navigate it at all. So in some ways, not different than what you describe. But then again, I know people who decided a few years after high school that they would get a college degree and they succeeded. So even if this girl doesn’t decide on college now or even later, it’s good for her to go as far as touring a campus to be sure she is really considering her options.
Ok so can someone explain something about applications to me like I am a newbie who doesn’t know anything (since I am! Lol)
It’s a little early but my husband has been asking about something and as I am the researcher, I need to understand. I know that at some point in the summer/very early fall next year, applications will open for our kid’s choices. If we aren’t applying early decision/early action but want to get everything turned in as early as possible, when do we do that? Do we wait to send the apps in until after ED deadlines have passed? Do you mark ED in the apps so then you don’t have to wait until the ED deadline to send in a RD app? I mean, this could be premature and maybe my d won’t be able to get apps done that early anyway but just in case, I need to know. Especially since she probably isn’t applying to a huge list of schools, so maybe she will have them done on the early side.
Any insight?
You designate ED or EA on the app so that the colleges receiving it know. There is no limitation on the timing of when you can submit your application to schools. Once the Common App opens, you can send away designating whether the application is for RD, ED and the like.
Perfect! Thank you! I had been hoping that was how it worked but didn’t want to tell my husband and daughter and then be wrong. You know how that can be!
If a school offers EA, is there any downside to going for it? I mean, there’s nothing binding, right? So why not get that one out of the way earlier, when maybe the folks reading everything are fresher and more forgiving?
No downside whatsoever. You can apply to multiple EA schools that do not have specific restrictions (like Single Choice Early Action which only typically allows you to apply EA to state schools).
I think some kids who expect the upward swing in their grades first semester senior year sometimes wait until RD so those grades are included on application.
Watch deadlines. Many schools require EA for merit opportunities . My DS16 dos all EA and had 5/5 acceptances by Christmas. 2/2 Honirs acceptances by Feb.
I would really love to have a couple of very early acceptances.
@homerdog I’m hoping, probably fruitlessly, that she will worry less about her grades if she already has a couple of acceptances she is happy with. At the very least, I will be able to tell her that there is even less of a need to be perfect.
Sometimes when I look back at the student I was, I kick myself over missed opportunities. And other times, I am grateful that I was so oblivious to the college admissions process/financial aid that I was pretty much just happy to pass most classes.
The other reason I would like to have applications done early @carolinamom2boys is that a friend’s daughter ended up being asked to submit a number of additional essays for honors programs and potential scholarships. That made the time more stressful.