<p>I am also not allowed to mention anything about the college decision at this point. At this rate, D will be pulling a college name out of a hat on May 1st.</p>
<p>Sequoia, you said that you received a letter in the mail after making a deposit, what letter is this?</p>
<p>My son definitely felt pressure last semester with 5 APs. He wanted to work hard for great grades for college admissions. Now I sense my son just wants to enjoy the rest of senior year without the same pressure. I wonder if other parents notice the difference. I also think there is more motivation to study for the APs if your child is getting real credit for it. But, I am thankful that my son is really happy because he looks forward to going to USC.</p>
<p>My s indulges me in a <em>little bit</em> of USC talk per day. He is actually enjoying all of his senior classes and is still working pretty hard–but with a more carefree attitude. </p>
<p>On another note, I have been trying to get him signed up for orientation (he isn’t that interested in administrative details and likes to delegate to mom. 
) I just realized I needed to sign him up for a USC email account. Is this how you all did it? I still cannot get into the orientation registration website, but I think I need to wait an hour. Any other advice?</p>
<p>bmom: D received a letter regarding the sending of AP scores, and another letter about a change in the finaid award.
She also received an email “Welcome to USC, we are delighted that you are attending…” , with info and links about what to do next and instructions for orientation reservations.
And a separate email confirmation of the $300 payment.</p>
<p>madbean: The USC email account instructions can be accessed by that email he gets after sending the $300. There’s a line describing that with “click here”.
I think you may need the email acct etc. before you can access the reservations.</p>
<p>Thanks for clearing that part up, Sequoia. We got the email receipt for the $300, but NOT (yet) the “Welcome” with the various instructions. The site said it could take up to 7 days to process and they may be slowing down a touch now. In any case, I did manage to sign S up for the email acct and I’m hopeful I’ll have some luck getting into the orientation registration. </p>
<p>So which orientation sessions are your kids going to? If possible, we might plan a CC mom meeting?</p>
<p>Also, though some were able to reserve a couple of days after sending deposit, my D was not. She waited the 6/7 days. After getting the email account, it says you need to wait 24 hrs as well.</p>
<p>I am not classified by those who know me (especially my son) as “easygoing” as far as academics go, but I am willing to concede that my son exceeded my expectations by getting into USC, UCLA, Cal, and every other school he applied to so I am in no position to nag him about school. The one little “reminder” I gave him was to do as well as he can on his AP tests, not for himself (he will do more than fine), but more as a thank you to his AP teachers. Teachers are often evaluated by the the scores of their pupils and I feel like they worked hard all year and deserve their students’ best efforts.</p>
<p>x posted. Hmm. So we’ll have to be patient. Gotcha.</p>
<p>madbean, my D received that Welcome thing (email subject: Make your USC Orientation Reservation) 2 days after she sent the deposit.</p>
<p>We will be at the June 5/6 orientation.</p>
<p>I wish we could sign up for that first orientation session, too. Please do post to cc with your advice and impressions of scheduling and orientation after you go, Sequoia. My s’s graduation ceremony is on June 6. Also, he got a letter from his major asking him to sign up for one of three specific orientations, in order to cluster their tiny group of new students so they could give them a proper welcome and the kids could meet at least a few other fellow students. So we’re hoping to get him into the June 17/18 orientation. Hence my concern about getting him registered. </p>
<p>But we’ll have to plan a CC mom’s meeting another time perhaps.</p>
<p>madbean: I HOPE my D will be ready with the pre orientation stuff. She will still be in school, with possible finals around there, but she insists on doing it early in order to have flexibility during the summer (a proposed trip to Europe not yet booked eg, and visitors coming during later June)</p>
<p>Seems very wise to have SCA kids do orientation in groups.</p>
<p>Madbean, were you at the Feb 25/26 Explore? If so, my table was next to cinema so I probably saw you there.</p>
<p>I am looking forward to meeting many parents, especially those here on CC.</p>
<p>Yes I was, Seq. So near…and yet so far. lol. Btw, a very nice film school professor came over to our side of the table to speak with H and me (and another dad, too) at the end of the dinner and we were there gabbing for another 40 minutes–the last ones to leave. If you saw us and wondered why those talkative parents weren’t leaving to let the cleaning crew do their work–I’m afraid it was us.</p>
<p>I’ll put up a thread about this when it gets closer to Parents Weekend, but I’m going to be on campus (McCarthy Quad alongside PSX) for a pre-game party before the football game on October 11 and I hope other CCers will stop by to say Hi. That’s where I got to meet Nikara and her mom last year!</p>
<p>And… <em>what</em> pre-orientation stuff?? Is there work the kids need to do beforehand?</p>
<p>^ When you get ready to register, you will see a whole list of stuff that needs to be done. They have to do 2 or 3 placement exams online, (Math, Language and writing…writing exempt if high enough SATs), gathering med documents, the APs forwarded, other stuff I don’t remember. It’s not too bad .</p>
<p>yes madbean, there is preorientation homework, it’s on the orientation website.</p>
<p>we were at the Feb 25/26 Explore, I don’t remember a student in Interactive at that date, it was production and animation kids. </p>
<p>which nice professor talked to you? we didn’t really get to talk to the professors that much as there were so many of us at the table. </p>
<p>just received an email of DH package being sent out, I wonder what it is? </p>
<p>madbean, when did SCA send you the letter about orientation? did you send in the acceptance letter long time ago to SCA? I’m getting a bit paranoid here as s emailed them and they haven’t received his form yet, it’s been 2 weeks, supposed to take 1 week for mail.</p>
<p>and madbean, have you sent in your scholarship acceptance? do they let you know afterwards if they’ve received it?</p>
<p>There is a whole list of things they have to send in or do for Pre-Orientation Homework. It has to be in 72 hours before Orientation. I also remember there was some kind of drug/alcohol education reading and test they had to do as well (part of the Online Web Registration Tutorial.)
<a href=“https://sait.usc.edu/orientation/preorientation/homework.shtml[/url]”>https://sait.usc.edu/orientation/preorientation/homework.shtml</a></p>
<p>What kind of SAT score do you need to be exempt from the writing exam?</p>
<p>Oops! You’re right, bmom. We were there 2/20-22. Sorry! (So, Sequoia, guess we weren’t so near after all…) </p>
<p>I find it interesting there were no other interactive kids there on the 25/26. Hmm. When we were there, there was my S and one other very nice boy in this major interviewing for Trustee. On our date, there were also a few screenwriting and crit studies kids, too, in addition to some production majors.</p>
<p>The Prof was Gary Goldman. Very kind and just the sort of guy I’d hope would teach our kids. Had a career in movies (don’t recall his credits–heck, I couldn’t even remember what dates we were at Explore!), but he has been teaching full time for years and seemed wise and helpful and creative. Quite reassuring, actually.</p>
<p>My S got an email from his major (Interactive) right after coming home from Explore (see date above–lol). So they didn’t expect he had made his college decision yet–just sent it to let him know in advance of their preferred orientation dates to sort of steer the kids in the major. In fact, we haven’t yet sent the response letter to SCA (tomorrow!).</p>
<p>(hanging head) No, haven’t sent in scholarship acceptance yet, either. (tomorrow!) So I can’t advise if they will let us know if they receive it. Anyone else?</p>
<p>cc411, thanks for the info on the Parents weekend meet-up. I think that sounds wonderful!</p>