<p>Grandparents are the worst. My dad made us take French because, at the time, it was considered to be a more academic language. But, when it came for my kids to take a FL, he couldn’t understand why they took Spanish. I kept telling him that being bi-lingual in Spanish is a plus…but he kept holding onto the idea that French is the academic language…even tho nowadays, PhD students aren’t expected to know French or German.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids, that cracked me up. My siblings took Latin, French and German. When I signed up for high school Spanish in 1974, my father said “Where will you EVER use Spanish? No one speaks Spanish!”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It may be applicable for PhD students in math, or any humanities or social studies with a focus on French or German speaking places.</p>
<p>The one that gets me is when people ask where S is applying, and I mention a few schools, and they say, “Those are good schools!” In a surprised tone. I never know if they’re surprised he’s looking at good schools or what. Smile and nod indeed.</p>
<p>D is applying mainly to northeastern LACs, which are pretty unknown in the Midwest. This usually gets one of three responses:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The alum who’s grateful someone has heard of their school: “Wow, great school! I went there, let me make a few calls to admissions for you before you visit.” Rare, but helpful.</p></li>
<li><p>The completely clueless: “Where is that?” This is usually accompanied by a sad look that means “Oh, sorry she can’t in any place good.”</p></li>
<li><p>The don’t know anything about it, so let’s talk about the weather: “Wow, it’s really cold there.” Number 2 and 3 often go together.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My favorite phrase regarding why x’s kid should easily get into Princeton or Harvard: “He/she gets all As!” My mother says this all the time and it drives me crazy.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Or academic fields/sub-fields where there is much scholarly literature…especially primary & secondary sources produced in those languages. </p>
<p>For instance, to pursue a PhD in Chinese history, one needs not only a command of Chinese(Classical and vernacular), but also Japanese and French, German, and/or Russian depending on one’s topic.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[sheepish grin] that’s me sometimes…I am wont to say “our high school” a lot though to be fair, our town has only one high school and though I did not grow up here nor attend it, it is “our” high school, as a community.</p>
<p>As for “we are applying”…I kinda felt like I was part of “we” after being part of visits and auditions and doing financial aid forms and reminding the kid of deadlines and whatnot :)</p>
<p>Speaking of “smile and nod”…</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/926354-just-smile-nod-smile-nod.html?highlight=smile+and+nod[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/926354-just-smile-nod-smile-nod.html?highlight=smile+and+nod</a></p>
<p>When my D didn’t get into Stanford, she was more concerned about what her grandparents (both Stanford alums) would think (and say) than she was about the fact that she didn’t get in. And she was more accomplished than either of them was in high school. It’s just that much harder for everyone.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Oh gosh. When I was in high school, if you were a “good student” (3.5 ish GPA, decent ACT) if you applied to Stanford, you got in. I don’t know anyone who was rejected.</p>
<p>My family believes because my daughter is cute and sweet and special she’ll get in everywhere she applies - even the place without interviews.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids, my H got in with close to a 4.0, but only 1250 on his SAT back in 1979. By contrast, DD was salutatorian (I never knew her GPA but she had one B+ and nothing but honors and AP classes), and her combined math and CR scores were 1570 (total 2340). It’s just a different game today.</p>
<p>^^^
Oh, I know. H was accepted to Harvard with a 4.0 and a low 1300’s SAT.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well, I didn’t get into Stanford! (Although, to be fair, I can’t actually remember if I applied . . . sigh. Nothing like middle-aged brain cells.)</p>
<p>Just between the time my daughter who graduated high school in 2005 and my current senior there has been tremendous impact by the Common App and internet applications. There are so many more apps at many of these schools because it is easier to do. It also sounds like many are getting flak from grandparents. Travel is so much easier now for kids to go off to far flung institutions. I’m really glad that I am not in the game now.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My late aunt was very guilty of this one. Telling me that I should apply only to the Ivies because of my 3.9, and saying I’d be a shoo in. Then asking why I needed any safties with my grades. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>As for my college applications, I had three camps in my family: </p>
<p>First, the college camp. This consisted of the couple relatives that went to college. They were mostly neutral about the whole thing, except for one who asked why I applied to “the cow school” (aka UC Davis…where I currently am). Then there was my grandfather, who is a retired high school teacher and is still a substitute, so he at least knows how admissions is now thanks to helping so many kids through it over the years.</p>
<p>Second, the veteran camp. My dad’s side of the family is mostly Navy vets, and they were questioning why I was going to college to begin with rather than going into the Navy. Telling me that I’m doing the impractical thing and that enlisting (and it specifically had to be Navy, mind you) would be the much better option because that’s what they all did. Then some of them insisted that I need to do ROTC so I can later go in as an officer. Fortunately, most of them have realized that I’m not the military type and have backed off on that front.</p>
<p>Third, the well-meaning but clueless camp. This consists of my late aunt mentioned above and the other non-military relatives. Basically, it was what’s been described in this thread so far regarding cluelessness about admissions.</p>
<p>My kids were slightly older than children of my friends, but while I had learned a great deal while researching post high school, it was very hard for them to let go of long standing views.
Like " moving to another state & declaring intent to become a resident, is all that’s needed to pay in state tuition".
Or lots of outside scholarships are available so their kids won’t need loans.
It doesn’t count as going away to college unless your flight is at least 3 hrs.</p>
<p>After awhile, I just smiled & nodded a lot cause some things you have to see for yourself.</p>
<p>It doesn’t count as going away to college unless your flight is at least 3 hrs.</p>
<p>Unless your “flight is at least 3 hours”??? lol Where do they think that “rule” came from? Their hineys? 
</p>
<p>There are situations where flights to another state is 1-2 hrs away. I guess even if you’re going to college in another state, and you’re flying 1-2 hrs to get there, in those people’s minds you’re “commuting”???</p>
<p>Remember that the SAT was recentered in 1995, so a combined score from our generation of, say, 1340 is equal to a current (V+M) of 1400. Thats not too shabby. [SAT</a> V+M Composites | Research and Development](<a href=“http://research.collegeboard.org/programs/sat/data/equivalence/sat-composites]SAT”>http://research.collegeboard.org/programs/sat/data/equivalence/sat-composites)</p>