High School class of 2011

[geffric]

i had a Mommy Meltdown yesterday..afterschool, DS went to the mall with a friend and then out with gf, then about 10 he started homework.. no chores around the house done, no college apps, no BSA selling or work on his EAGLE project in 2 weeks.. so i lost it and told him no car and he was grounded until he caught up with his other responsibilities.. then he springs on me that he has to work today.. when did that happen? is it on the calander? when did he find out? HMMM ..oh well ..

maybe he is doing this so i can let him go and the seperation will not be as bad.. well i am over it.. he can go.. as soon as he is accepted with scholarships.. oh yes, and of course get those college apps in..

 

[smartkim]

What is your son doing between the previous test date and October in order to improve his score?

Believe it or not, I think the improvement has come with retaking the test. He has taken it 4 times and each time his score has improved by 2-3 composite points. I did buy the online study guide from ACT.org and he took some of the practice questions a couple of days before the test. I can't get him study like he needs to. He waited until right before the test to even look at the study guide.

 

[missypie]

maybe he is doing this so i can let him go and the seperation will not be as bad.. well i am over it.. he can go

This is commonly referred to as "fouling the nest."

I encourage all of you once again to visit collegeconfidential.com. There is a board dedicated to questions about the Common App that is quite helpful, plus almost all of the parents are terrific.

 

[smartkim]

We have only visited one local school. How important are the visits as far as getting in?

I would like to know about this too. We haven't scheduled any visits although we would like to. Is this something that colleges look at before deciding upon admittance?

 

[missypie]

I would like to know about this too. We haven't scheduled any visits although we would like to. Is this something that colleges look at before deciding upon admittance?

There are some schools that really want you to "show the love" but most don't care if you visit. Even the schools that want you show a strong interest also realize that for economic reasons, not everyone can afford to visit. There are other ways to show your interest - like having student sign up on their website to request materials, join their facebook page, follow them on twitter, etc etc.

 

[jme829]

DD has been planning to go to a local University and live at home. It is fairly reasonable (we can swing it without aid if we have to) and has a good program for her major. Plus she wouldn't have to buy books (they loan them out like a library) so we'd save there as well.

Well just a month or so ago, she decided she may want to try going away to college. Now, this is from the girl who doesn't even like to spend the night at a friend's house, so I'm not sure where this idea came from..LOL

Anyway, we put some feelers out about possible volleyball scholarships, and there is a Jr. college in Iowa interested in her coming to play for them. I'm not sure if she'll actually get a scholarship or even make the team, but with the tuition, room/board and meals, it will cost just about the same as the original choice. The coach is going to get in touch with us after the season.

Our thoughts are that maybe she should try the 2 year, get her AA/AS (they offer every major she is considering) and then transfer back here to the University. That way she can get the "experience", get to play volleyball (probably wouldn't be able to at first choice) and get her general classes out of the way.

Since its only 2 years and its only 4 1/2 hours away, it wouldn't be a huge commitment if it doesn't work out. She'd be close enough that she can come home on the weekends if she wants, or we can go there and they are on semesters with about a month long break between, so she'd only be gone for about 5 months or so at a time.

She did take the ACT and while she didn't do great, she got an acceptable grade to her first choice, and is already taking some classes there, so it shouldn't be an issue of getting in. (we already applied)

It should be interesting to see how this plays out with her. She's not doing a whole lot with it right now because she is right in the middle of volleyball season and taking a couple AP classes plus the college class, so she's pretty busy, but we'll sit down soon and start planning more.

 

[geffric]

I would like to know about this too. We haven't scheduled any visits although we would like to. Is this something that colleges look at before deciding upon admittance?

college visits are for the student to really see what the campus looks like and drink the water and eat the food.. I dont think that the college looks at it as a requirement. But it might depending on the size of the school. for example, DS#1 loved all he read about Roanoke college.. applied, was accepted, and got a scholarship.. we went there, he loved the campus, the surrounding area but his overnight and classes were a disaster.. so in that way the overnight helped him to decide that it wasnt for him...

DS#2 wants to look at U of Texas and North Carolina.. those would require way too much money to visit. so if he applies and is accepted and gets a scholarship.. we will go IF he really really wants to go there.. cant aford to take the trip just so he can " get a feel" for it..

 

[kbeverina]

She has applied to Bowling Green and will be applying to Michigan State and University of Detroit-Mercy (in case she decides to stay home).

I'm wondering if you can tell me more about Bowling Green? My son is a senior this year and Bowling Green is supposed to have a really good Sports Management program, but I'm wondering about campus life in general.

He has wanted to go to Virginia Tech since I can remember, but Tech doesn't offer this program, so I'm trying to get him to be open to other schools.

And, speaking of Va Tech, to me it fits all the things your daughter is looking for, but I don't think they have a nursing program. That may come in the future since they're opening a medical school, but I don't think they have one right now. She may want to check it out, though, if she's not set on nursing. It's a fairly large school with a beautiful campus in the mountains, an active Catholic campus ministry, lots of school spirit, and, when I went there, girls generally didn't rush sororities until sophomore year.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Well, the one and only application has been submitted. She wants to go away, we want her to go to a state school here in FL. Based on grades and GPAs, FGCU should admit her. Sure hope so as she doesn't have the SAT/ACT scores for most of the others.

So anyway, they sent an email recommending you apply for housing right away, but it's a $50 non refundable deposit. I'm thinking we should wait for admittance before we do that. What does everybody think?

 

[geffric]

Well, the one and only application has been submitted. She wants to go away, we want her to go to a state school here in FL. Based on grades and GPAs, FGCU should admit her. Sure hope so as she doesn't have the SAT/ACT scores for most of the others.

So anyway, they sent an email recommending you apply for housing right away, but it's a $50 non refundable deposit. I'm thinking we should wait for admittance before we do that. What does everybody think?

I'd call admissions and see if there is a housing shortage..and if she will get accepted..do they do rolling admisssions or wait until Dec.. is this the school she wants???

 

[johnsontrio]

I'm wondering if you can tell me more about Bowling Green? My son is a senior this year and Bowling Green is supposed to have a really good Sports Management program, but I'm wondering about campus life in general.

He has wanted to go to Virginia Tech since I can remember, but Tech doesn't offer this program, so I'm trying to get him to be open to other schools.

And, speaking of Va Tech, to me it fits all the things your daughter is looking for, but I don't think they have a nursing program. That may come in the future since they're opening a medical school, but I don't think they have one right now. She may want to check it out, though, if she's not set on nursing. It's a fairly large school with a beautiful campus in the mountains, an active Catholic campus ministry, lots of school spirit, and, when I went there, girls generally didn't rush sororities until sophomore year.

I typed out a long response, got interrupted by a lengthy phone call and by the time I finished, it wouldn't post and now is lost somewhere in cyberspace. I will try again.

The campus at BGSU is a closed campus with only a few streets running through and very little car traffic. There is a large cemetery that was one on the North side of campus but the campus has grown around it. It is kept up very well and has large older markers and headstones. The campus is nicely maintained with nice landscaping and is clean. You can easily walk from one side of campus to the other in 15 or 20 minutes max. There are 4 new huge building projects underway which is a statement in and of itself given these economic times. Freshman dorm, sophomore dorm, convocation center/basketball arena and a fine arts building that has already won architectural acclaim. Mostly freshmen and sophomores live on campus. There are lots and lots of student type apartments all over town where the upperclassmen live. On campus there are lots of dining options including national chain restaurants and they are trying a new plan that lets you swipe to eat instead of the a la carte they have been using. There are 3 plans, all you can eat, a la carte and a combination of the 2.

We became interested in BGSU when we noticed that they scored well in the US news and World Report for dedication to undergraduate teaching, residential learning communities and first year experiences. They keep freshman classes at around 20 students. They have several first year experiences that seem like they would help a student transition. There is a one week wilderness experience that they can do prior to school starting that counts for 2 credit hours. The group then meets once a month for the semester. They have a program called BGeXperience that incoming freshmen take and is composed of a class that meets throughout the semester. There is a common reading experience that all freshmen read and is incorporated into different classes to give them a common topic to discuss. And lastly, there are many different interest groups that are grouped into residential learning communities, i.e honors, leadership, french, arts etc...

I have talked with current students and recent grads that love BG and don't have anything bad to say about it. I have been told by others that it is a big party school. Admissions says that only 25% of the students leave campus on any given weekend so it is not a suitcase college. There must be parties and activities to keep the kids busy as it is a small town. There are some 18 and over clubs in town. On the downside, we noticed on our last visit that the sororities are having to hold open recruitment to attract members. Tthere seems to be very little enthusiasm for Greek Life at BG and I wonder why you would want to devote so much time and money to something that isn't really relevant on the campus. We also noticed that a lot of students were smoking outside the campus buildings between classes and that concerns me. The majority of students were also very casually dressed (sweats) and the tour guide admitted that students wear pajamas to class. I think, for DD, that would get old coming from a prep school environment and there is something to be said for "dress for success".

There seems to be ample sports opportunities, nice recreation facility and the usual campus clubs. I have also heard that the Sports Management program is well regarded. They are very generous with merit money and reduced dorm expenses for out of state students and recruit them. We are still considering it but DD has her heart set on going to a flagship institution down south. Thank you for mentioning Va Tech. I will check them out to see if they give out of state merit money but I had herd that VA schools were very hard to get into even for in-state students. If you have specific questions about BG please ask.

 

[ctinct]

Well, dd's first two applications were submitted this morning. They're not complete yet, because she still has to send her scores and such, but it was pretty exciting for her to hit that "submit" button. One was a an early ection school that will send its decision in early January, along with notification of any merit money. I can't recall when the other notifies, but it was also early action.

On another note, are any of your students resistant to doing anymore school stuff? Daughter's list is complete and she is quite content with her choices BUT....the other day we got mail from Washington and Lee University with info on their Johnson Scholars program. It is a full ride scholarship, not just tuition. I'm sure they got her name from the ACT testing people; while her score is in range, it is by no means in the tippy top strata. I think she should at least apply. They pick 200 finalists and fly them down for interviews, and then pick the winners from that group. I told her she has nothing to lose by applying. If not selected as a finalist, oh, well. If selected as a finalist, they pay for the visit, so she could have a chance to visit to see if she even likes the school. The problem? The school requires two SAT subject tests, which she hasn't taken. She doesn't want to do it. She is already taking the SAT again next Saturday (I'm kind of regrettting that one, because I don't think she will improve enough for it to be on par with her ACT score) and the ACT for the second tome a few weeks after that. I'm hoping she can improve that a point or two, even though it is already very good. Would you put your foot down and force her to take SAT IIs? I'm torn.

 

[arminnie]

To sum it up these are the criteria we are looking for:

small class sizes
great school spirit and sports program
reasonably active Catholic campus ministry
swimming pool available at convenient times/great rec center
Greek system
solid undergraduate education

Tulane fits everyone of those criteria. Plus they have the Newcomb Institute for Women which offers incredible opportunities. Newcomb used to be a separate college of Tulane until post Katrina. All of the Newcomb endowment money went to the institute for undergraduate programs for women. Harvard did the same thing when they eliminated Radcliffe except that the Radcliffe Institute is more geared towards graduate studies.

Plus the Newcomb Alumnae association sponsors a "town mom" program for women students that want one. Many of my friends have participated in this as "town moms" and have made lasting friendships with these young women. They give rides to airport, find a doctor if sick, etc.

New Orleans is primarily a Catholic city so lots of activities. The student body is more diverse.

Okay - maybe not great sports program at least in terms of win/loss record. They are in the top division of NCAA whatever that means. More competitive in baseball than football.

Cons:
Tuition - something like over $50,000, but gives LOTS of financial aid including some extremely competitive merit scholarships.
Well over 40,000 applications for about 1500 places.

Because admisssions are so competitive I think it probably helps to really show an interest in rebuilding New Orleans.

I'll admit that I am prejudiced. I've served on several Boards at Tulane.

 

[budmonster]

Wow I can't believe I missed this thread up til now.

I have DS17 who is a senior this year. What a roller coaster ride it has already been, some days I don't know weather to cry or laught hysterically. DS17 has very little interest in doing any of the Senior things. I had to make him get a school ring and pictures. I know that he doesn't want to go to prom or participate in any Senior activities. It breaks my heart because I don't want him to miss out on the memories, but I know that he is who he is and I can't change that.

DS17 is going to start out at a local Community college to make up some classes that he didn't do so well in HS. Then hopefully he will transfer to UF to major in IT.

I know that I;m going to be a mess this whole year, not only is my "baby" finishing HS and leaving but I also turn the big 40. So if you haven't already buy stock in Kleenex their share price is about to go way up.

 

[johnsontrio]

Tulane fits everyone of those criteria. Plus they have the Newcomb Institute for Women which offers incredible opportunities. Newcomb used to be a separate college of Tulane until post Katrina. All of the Newcomb endowment money went to the institute for undergraduate programs for women. Harvard did the same thing when they eliminated Radcliffe except that the Radcliffe Institute is more geared towards graduate studies.

Plus the Newcomb Alumnae association sponsors a "town mom" program for women students that want one. Many of my friends have participated in this as "town moms" and have made lasting friendships with these young women. They give rides to airport, find a doctor if sick, etc.

New Orleans is primarily a Catholic city so lots of activities. The student body is more diverse.

Okay - maybe not great sports program at least in terms of win/loss record. They are in the top division of NCAA whatever that means. More competitive in baseball than football.

Cons:
Tuition - something like over $50,000, but gives LOTS of financial aid including some extremely competitive merit scholarships.
Well over 40,000 applications for about 1500 places.

Because admisssions are so competitive I think it probably helps to really show an interest in rebuilding New Orleans.

I'll admit that I am prejudiced. I've served on several Boards at Tulane.

We talked about Tulane, Loyola, Vanderbilt (toured there) and a ton of other private schools. She is very clear that she doesn't see herself in a place that would necessitate working on her studies 6 days a week. In her opinion, she has already endured "the grind" at her high school and she is looking for a more social college experience. I am thankful for her honesty. I wouldn't want to push her into a rigorous college experience, spend top dollar for a private academic school and then be disappointed at her effort and it's outcome.

Right now she is very angry at not being able to waltz right into Bama on a scholarship and our unwillingness to just write the check for the out of state tuition. She is finishing other applications but not putting tremendous effort into her personal statements. She may have to learn this one the hard way and it is very upsetting to us as her parents. She is very resistant as I bring up additional options for colleges. It's gonna be one long hard school year.

 

[johnsontrio]

Well, dd's first two applications were submitted this morning. They're not complete yet, because she still has to send her scores and such, but it was pretty exciting for her to hit that "submit" button. One was a an early ection school that will send its decision in early January, along with notification of any merit money. I can't recall when the other notifies, but it was also early action.

On another note, are any of your students resistant to doing anymore school stuff? Daughter's list is complete and she is quite content with her choices BUT....the other day we got mail from Washington and Lee University with info on their Johnson Scholars program. It is a full ride scholarship, not just tuition. I'm sure they got her name from the ACT testing people; while her score is in range, it is by no means in the tippy top strata. I think she should at least apply. They pick 200 finalists and fly them down for interviews, and then pick the winners from that group. I told her she has nothing to lose by applying. If not selected as a finalist, oh, well. If selected as a finalist, they pay for the visit, so she could have a chance to visit to see if she even likes the school. The problem? The school requires two SAT subject tests, which she hasn't taken. She doesn't want to do it. She is already taking the SAT again next Saturday (I'm kind of regrettting that one, because I don't think she will improve enough for it to be on par with her ACT score) and the ACT for the second tome a few weeks after that. I'm hoping she can improve that a point or two, even though it is already very good. Would you put your foot down and force her to take SAT IIs? I'm torn.

I would really hammer this one home... Maybe by explaining what is to be gained by increasing her options. For example, that it would free up money for something else, perhaps you that would have the resources to help her on a Master's degree if she desired to continue into graduate studies. If the timeline would work out then I would ask her to do this. I know in some cases, we are getting too close for test results to come back in time for scholarship consideration. Sounds as if she is well on her way. Good luck!

 

[geffric]

DS just heard he got accepted to Indiana U... now he needs to do some scholarship stuff as it is a pricey school..

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

I got accepted to the University of West Florida. It's average, not difficult..it is my very last backup.

I am still waiting to the university of south florida.
I have yet to send FSU or university of central florida.

I hope I get UCF, it is my top choice! I'm finishing up the essays.

 

[geffric]

We looked at Fl ( Gators) in Gainesville.. but it was expensive for us out of staters..

 

[minkydog]

We have made 4 college visits so far. DD17 is accepted at Valdosta State U. in south Georgia. It has a fantastic arts program, plus carries a lot of classes she's interested in (like Latin ) She visited a small liberal arts school in North Georgia, Young Harris College, which is well known for it's fine arts program too. Valdosta is about 4 hrs from home and YHC is 2hrs. The big plus for YHC is that it's about 6miles from the campground that our family loves so much, so she is pretty familiar with the area already.

However, now she says she doesn't want to go off to college. She wants to stay home and go to the local tech school "to get my basics." Actually, she really wants to go to Kennesaw State,which is about 4 miles from the house. KSU is very competitive because it's a commuter school in metro Atlanta, plus it's a large university.I don't think she's going to be happy at KSU, I think it's just familiar. Her GPA and test scores are not good enough to get in there, anyway. So KSU is off the table at this time. I am pushing her to apply at YHC, but so far she is lukewarm toward everything except KSU. DId I mention that there is no way she will get in to KSU?

My big issue is that I really think she needs to go off to school, at least for a year. I think the problem is she's afraid of separating from her friends and her brother. She thinks that her HS life will go on as usual. Her senior friends will go going away, but her junior friends (including the BF) will still be home. I'm thinking that if she starts out at tech school, she's going to miss out of the normal college life: learning to live in the dorm, taking part in activities and learning how to be an adult. My fear is that she will go to the tech school(which caters to mainly older adults) not like it, and think that she doesn't like college at all. She wants to major in communications and minor in dance, neither of which is offered at tech school.

I'm not sure how much to push her on this. On the one hand, she's already accepted to VSU so I *could* put some pressure on her to follow through, get her grades up and transfer to KSU. I really, really want her to go away to college. At the moment, I'm trying to just lay low. I've talked with her about it, but she just puts a wall up and doesn't want to hear it. I don't want to pressure her do something she really doesn't want to do but on the other hand do I just stand by when I think my child is making a college decision for all the wrong reasons?