Parents of the Class of 2019

[mom2rtk]

So earlier I posted how I have a hard time adjusting to DD's school and major idea changes. We had found a school that she liked with a great price, we visited and she loved it, and so I have been somewhat getting used to the idea of her going far away. Now she is becoming unsure of the distance and is thinking of staying closer to home, and particularly wants to look at a certain private Christian college. It doesn't have Geography but she thought she could find something else. As much as I would love for her to go there for the proximity, Christian focus, and a good friend or two she would have there, I can't see the finances working out barring a major outside scholarship or unexpected inheritance! I just hope we have a clear winner by a year from now

At least, as we discussed today, she does have a financial safety that she likes if it feels okay to be far away by then. A lot can change over the upcoming year.

She needs to figure out if she'll continue working at the ice cream shop, which she dislikes. She is interested in being outdoors and sort of into organic food. There is an organic farm looking for gardening help with completely flexible scheduling. She'll be gone one week each month of summer, so flexibility is a must. The problem is it's 25 miles away, so I don't know if it's worth it. Any job is going to be at least an 11 mile drive, however. The only other likely choices are the grocery store, or detassling corn which is awful.

I'm curious what your daughter wants to do with a geography degree. Our older son considered that major, but ended up changing his because he wasn't sold on the job opportunities. There are times I wish he stuck with it though since he had such an affinity for it.

Good luck to her finding the best balance between cost, distance and major

 

[bjscheel]

I'm curious what your daughter wants to do with a geography degree. Our older son considered that major, but ended up changing his because he wasn't sold on the job opportunities. There are times I wish he stuck with it though since he had such an affinity for it.

Good luck to her finding the best balance between cost, distance and major

Not sure exactly, we just knew that she was interested in travel, a little bit of environmental science/natural resources, and has considered Recreation & Parks Management. So the courses in Geography covered a little bit of all of that. She'd like to work in tourism, National Park Service, maybe as a flight attendant, Parks & Rec, college admissions (after she saw on a college visit that one of the AO's is dedicated to recruiting internationally), or a missionary Honestly it would probably just be for the sake of getting a degree, in something that interests her, and working in whatever she found. I don't see her being most of the things that have a specific major, like accountant, nurse, or engineer.

At the private college she is intrigued by their general Humanities major, in which you take History, Theater, English, Philosophy, Religion, Spanish, and a couple other things. You pick one or two to concentrate in but study all of the above. She would like all of those and not having to choose between them. I suggested Public Relations too. She would be a good social media manager for some place.

I hope all our kids find the best balance!

 

[mjkacmom]

We are in full blown turmoil here. Excited, but DD has a difficult decision to make, and it must be made by May 1st. DD found out on Friday that she one of 40 accepted in the Women's Technology Program at MIT in the Electrical Engineering/Computer Science track. It is a 4 week residential summer program at MIT, and it will be free for our family--I'd just have to pay for airfare to and from Boston. Such an amazing opportunity and she is so honored to be chosen. So is UT Southwestern STARS. This is a "good problem", but wow, such a hard decision. Anyone have any thoughts??? I wonder how college admissions would look at participation in these programs???

Boston is a great city, and free is awesome. What are the pros and cons of each?

 

[Eureka]

Boston is a great city, and free is awesome. What are the pros and cons of each?

Yes, Boston is full of college students all year long. I went to college in the suburbs of Boston and loved it.

 

[Eureka]

So, we went on a tour for a small liberal arts college this weekend and DS loved it. So did I. 1700 undergrads, the info session was 6 kids and their families and they greeted them all by name. The tour was even smaller, split us into two groups and we had two tour guides for each group. Beautiful campus and they have majors and minors in both areas he is interested in. It’s about half the student population of the college I went to and I love the idea of a small place for him. He said he doesn’t have a preference so far for size. DH wants him to go back in the fall for one of the sit in on a class days you can schedule bc he is at the upper range for GPA and test scores and we want to make sure it’s the caliber he wants. He would automatically qualify for one (high) level of scholarship and would likely be in the running for even more $$.

Next week we have an open house at a state school, which I expect will be more like some of the others we've looked at in size, but academic standards not as high the others. DS should get in there no problem, it's just what he (we) think of the school. DH hears it’s a big party school but I think everywhere has that aspect if you want it, and other things to do if you don’t, you know?

And we did schedule the tours of Georgetown and GW for early June, so we are rolling along. We have a few more out-of-state schools to look at too but that may become a summer long weekend for us to combine with some sightseeing.

 

[mjkacmom]

It’s interesting, most of the schools Dd is looking at are of a lower standard, just because she needs scholarships. Looking at average test scores and GPA, she isn’t out of reach for the more selective schools. However, putting in her stats into an online calculator, her chances aren’t as good. For example, Johns Hopkins have a 33 as an average ACT score, 3.9 as an average GPA, dd has higher in both, yet only has a 34% chance of getting admitted. Since she attends a decent public school, and not a highly regarded private HS, I would expect the chances to be even lower.

 

[Eureka]

It’s interesting, most of the schools Dd is looking at are of a lower standard, just because she needs scholarships. Looking at average test scores and GPA, she isn’t out of reach for the more selective schools. However, putting in her stats into an online calculator, her chances aren’t as good. For example, Johns Hopkins have a 33 as an average ACT score, 3.9 as an average GPA, dd has higher in both, yet only has a 34% chance of getting admitted. Since she attends a decent public school, and not a highly regarded private HS, I would expect the chances to be even lower.

I hate that. At Duke, which DS decided he didn’t like, they said 90% of the applicants are qualified but they only take like 9% of them. We expect Georgetown will be similar, but he still wants to tour it.

 

[soccerdad72]

I hate that. At Duke, which DS decided he didn’t like, they said 90% of the applicants are qualified but they only take like 9% of them. We expect Georgetown will be similar, but he still wants to tour it.

My son said that Carnegie Mellon waitlisted his school's valedictorian - 4.7 student with 34 ACT score as well as being an all-state cross country runner. He said she did get in and is going there, but once he heard she got wait listed, he took that off his 'stretch school' list.

 

[Colleen27]

Just wanted to mention that we visited Walden Pond during a whirlwind colleges tours visit last summer. It was such a welcome peaceful respite in our otherwise overscheduled time in the area. I am a history geek and literature geek, and I really enjoyed it. I WAS surprised at how busy the swimming beach got in the afternoon, but that probably was not an issue this weekend lol. Hope your campus visit went well!!

Well, it did and it didn't. The visit went well, the rest of the weekend went totally off the rails. But on the bright side, we have a clear winner in the college-choice search! We weren't a half-hour into the tour when my daughter turned to me and said "This is the one." She loved Wellesley so so much, absolutely everything about it from the rural feel with easy access to the city to the students we talked with to the "placemaking" philosophy on display in the campus spaces, and it was really cool being there with her because I could just see what a perfect fit it would be.

We spent Friday night wandering Cambridge and checking out the local culture, picked up a couple of books, had dinner at an Irish pub. Saturday was junior day on campus and everything was going great until lunch. Then she got sick. Suddenly, violently, couldn't-keep-anything-down sick. So she spent the rest of the trip asleep in the hotel room while my mom & I took DD9 sightseeing in downtown Boston, which was an adventure in and of itself since I didn't realize there was a Celtics playoff game happening that night! But we accomplished what we went to do, even if we didn't make it to Walden - location was DD's big question mark about Wellesley and we saw first-hand that their shuttle to MIT/Harvard and the commuter train into Boston proper was more than enough to get around without a car. And she fell in love with the campus and the school community in a big way.

I hate that. At Duke, which DS decided he didn’t like, they said 90% of the applicants are qualified but they only take like 9% of them. We expect Georgetown will be similar, but he still wants to tour it.

Yeah, schools like that are a stretch for everyone. DD's numbers so far are squarely within Georgetown's freshman profile stats but so are those of hundreds and hundreds of students they reject every year! If she had to fall in love and get her heart set on a particular school, I'm glad it is one that's a bit less competitive than that because I really don't think there's any such thing as being a strong enough student and test taker to feel confident of getting into a school like Georgetown (not that getting into Wellesley will be easy, but it should be a bit easier).

 

[Eureka]

Well, it did and it didn't. The visit went well, the rest of the weekend went totally off the rails. But on the bright side, we have a clear winner in the college-choice search! We weren't a half-hour into the tour when my daughter turned to me and said "This is the one." She loved Wellesley so so much, absolutely everything about it from the rural feel with easy access to the city to the students we talked with to the "placemaking" philosophy on display in the campus spaces, and it was really cool being there with her because I could just see what a perfect fit it would be.

We spent Friday night wandering Cambridge and checking out the local culture, picked up a couple of books, had dinner at an Irish pub. Saturday was junior day on campus and everything was going great until lunch. Then she got sick. Suddenly, violently, couldn't-keep-anything-down sick. So she spent the rest of the trip asleep in the hotel room while my mom & I took DD9 sightseeing in downtown Boston, which was an adventure in and of itself since I didn't realize there was a Celtics playoff game happening that night! But we accomplished what we went to do, even if we didn't make it to Walden - location was DD's big question mark about Wellesley and we saw first-hand that their shuttle to MIT/Harvard and the commuter train into Boston proper was more than enough to get around without a car. And she fell in love with the campus and the school community in a big way.



Yeah, schools like that are a stretch for everyone. DD's numbers so far are squarely within Georgetown's freshman profile stats but so are those of hundreds and hundreds of students they reject every year! If she had to fall in love and get her heart set on a particular school, I'm glad it is one that's a bit less competitive than that because I really don't think there's any such thing as being a strong enough student and test taker to feel confident of getting into a school like Georgetown (not that getting into Wellesley will be easy, but it should be a bit easier).

Sorry to hear your daughter was sick but glad she found the school she loves. I hope it works out for her. I went to college not far from Wellesley and the area is a great place to be a student. All the perks of being close to Cambridge and Boston and not being right in the middle of the city. The commuter rails are very good for getting around.

Luckily, DS is well aware that Georgetown would be a stretch and he's not too concerned about it. But with what he wants to study, it would be remiss to not even look, you know? So off we go. We live close to DC so it's not like it will be a wasted trip. So far there are two schools he really really likes, one is a large state university and the other a small private college. He thinks he would be happy at either one, so I am glad to see that. For a while he was not giving off any vibes of liking anything, so hearing this puts us at ease (A little, anyway. The whole process puts me at UNease!).

 

[Eureka]

My son said that Carnegie Mellon waitlisted his school's valedictorian - 4.7 student with 34 ACT score as well as being an all-state cross country runner. He said she did get in and is going there, but once he heard she got wait listed, he took that off his 'stretch school' list.

Makes you wonder what you need to do to get into some of these places. Cure cancer probably.

 

[mjkacmom]

Makes you wonder what you need to do to get into some of these places. Cure cancer probably.

I think you need to stand out, have a great hook, show leadership, passion, attend a great HS, and yes, discover a cure for cancer or the equivalent. Student counsel president, first chair violin, organize a hurricane relief trip, Eagle Scout, establish a sports clinic for kids with disabilities, ACT 36...

Actually Dd knows a senior like this, great private HS, 36 ACT, 1570 SAT, made it to nationals with track, amazing figure skater, wants to major in neuro trauma, and is going to UCONN because of the financial package they gave her.

 

[laughinplace199]

I hate that. At Duke, which DS decided he didn’t like, they said 90% of the applicants are qualified but they only take like 9% of them. We expect Georgetown will be similar, but he still wants to tour it.

My son loved Georgetown, but he knows it's a big reach. He's not even sure if he'll bother giving it a shot.

 

[Colleen27]

Sorry to hear your daughter was sick but glad she found the school she loves. I hope it works out for her. I went to college not far from Wellesley and the area is a great place to be a student. All the perks of being close to Cambridge and Boston and not being right in the middle of the city. The commuter rails are very good for getting around.

Luckily, DS is well aware that Georgetown would be a stretch and he's not too concerned about it. But with what he wants to study, it would be remiss to not even look, you know? So off we go. We live close to DC so it's not like it will be a wasted trip. So far there are two schools he really really likes, one is a large state university and the other a small private college. He thinks he would be happy at either one, so I am glad to see that. For a while he was not giving off any vibes of liking anything, so hearing this puts us at ease (A little, anyway. The whole process puts me at UNease!).

You and me both! DD has been thinking a lot about her "hook" and strategies for getting into competitive schools. She feels a lot more confident about schools like Wellesley and Georgetown, where an interview is part of the evaluation process, than about schools that don't interview every applicant or use the interviews for informative purposes only, because she would like a chance to talk about her 4H experience as a whole, which covers 10+ years and everything from growing veggies for a food bank to spending the summer in Japan studying the language/culture, and that is hard to do in the short essays they want for applications.

 

[Eureka]

You and me both! DD has been thinking a lot about her "hook" and strategies for getting into competitive schools. She feels a lot more confident about schools like Wellesley and Georgetown, where an interview is part of the evaluation process, than about schools that don't interview every applicant or use the interviews for informative purposes only, because she would like a chance to talk about her 4H experience as a whole, which covers 10+ years and everything from growing veggies for a food bank to spending the summer in Japan studying the language/culture, and that is hard to do in the short essays they want for applications.

DS is very uncomfortable with the idea of selling himself, and we’ve been trying to tell him he has to. He’s got the grade, scores, sports and activities to list and talk about. What we liked about the liberal arts college is that the admissions counselor said the essay is a chance to give an “honest voice to who you are.” He is an excellent writer so I know this will be a chance to shine for him.

 

[lovesdumbo]

At Duke, which DS decided he didn’t like, they said 90% of the applicants are qualified but they only take like 9% of them.

And when you consider that these schools accept legacy students at a much higher rate the odds are even lower.

She loved Wellesley so so much. QUOTE]
Beautiful campus!!! I went to Babson-just down the road. My 2 sister in laws went there.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

We are in full blown turmoil here. Excited, but DD has a difficult decision to make, and it must be made by May 1st. DD found out on Friday that she one of 40 accepted in the Women's Technology Program at MIT in the Electrical Engineering/Computer Science track. It is a 4 week residential summer program at MIT, and it will be free for our family--I'd just have to pay for airfare to and from Boston. Such an amazing opportunity and she is so honored to be chosen. So is UT Southwestern STARS. This is a "good problem", but wow, such a hard decision. Anyone have any thoughts??? I wonder how college admissions would look at participation in these programs???

That's awesome! DD applied for one of the internships at MIT in the Biological Engineering track, but hasn't heard, so I'm thinking that it was a no. However, in good news, she and her team got 1st in the state JAS competition (Junior Academy of Science if you're wondering). It's actually for Colorado and Wyoming, so I guess it would be 2 states! They were the 3rd place project overall, but 1st in the Plant Science division! She's been invited to the national competition in DC!

Still no college visits, she's so busy with 3 AP tests coming up (AP Lang, APUSH, and APES) plus her biotech research class and the presentations for it and the state JAS that she barely has time to turn around! They'll be done with school by 5/25, so the tests and finals are pretty much sucking up all of her time. Then she'll be off to Thailand for a week so we'll basically have the last 3 weeks of June to squeeze in some visits.

 

[LouChris]

Joining in DD19 just got here SAT scores back and she improved them over 160 points from her PSAT so she is over the moon. It puts her in the full tuition range at the smaller schools that she wants to go to. 10,000 - 20,000 kids is her limit. Thank goodness, now bf and I will just have to come up with room & board.

We have done one college day and we learned that we are not going to do that again. The poor kid is like her mama doesn't like wall to wall crowds and being herded from place to place. I thought that she hated the school but i find out MONTHS later that she really liked it but just felt uncomfortable in the crowd push of the day. We have several schools left for her to look at but with her hoped for major (she wants to be a NICU Nurse as she is a former preemie herself) we are hoping she gets admitted to a direct admit nursing program.

Me I'm ready for the stress of Jr year to be over. I don't remember it being this hard back in the dinosaur days. Prom was last weekend. This weekend we have to study for the APUSH and AP BIO exams plus an APUSH term paper and there are two more projects for French and AP BIO due in the next two weeks . Then summer volunteering at the hospital and trying to squeeze in college visits in Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin!

Not looking forward to the hit my checkbook is going to take with senior year (pictures, college applications, cap & gown, deposits...etc etc etc )

 

[mjkacmom]

I have no idea when Dd is going to study (APUSH, AP Spanish, AP calculus, AP English ) she’s at a track meet until around 10, at a college visit tomorrow morning and not getting home until 5, out to dinner with friends, and then hosting a surprise birthday party for a friend until midnight, 5k tomorrow. So is so tired with track 6 days a week and dance 4 days. She’s so tired and still needs 6 more shadowing hours for her HS medical program. Not enough time!

 

[tink1970]

I think you need to stand out, have a great hook, show leadership, passion, attend a great HS, and yes, discover a cure for cancer or the equivalent. Student counsel president, first chair violin, organize a hurricane relief trip, Eagle Scout, establish a sports clinic for kids with disabilities, ACT 36...

I like the explanation Brown gives on their admission page...makes it harder to swallow if DD doesn't get into several of the schools on her list. They are looking to create a class with different characteristics known of course, only to them. So if you don't have the hook they want, it's not that you're not good enough, it's that they wanted a purple llama that crochets and you're a pink walrus that plays the clarinet (ridiculous examples but I don't want to offend anyone).

He is an excellent writer so I know this will be a chance to shine for him

This is my thin thread of hope...DD can write and hopefully will sell herself.

And on our can't be in two places at once frustration..DD took the online test for the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament and made it to the live try out phase...which will be held when she is in Spain. Drat!!! Seventeen years ago I had the same experience-invited to the live try out but couldn't due to a military obligation. Not sure when we'll learn we're destined to watch, not play