Wonderful article 
… And an interesting dimension to LoRs …
^^^ :)) Yes, I would imagine so …
BS people, do make sure the lunch lady likes you! She may be writing your Harvard recommendation! 
LOL - I was thinking the same thing re: custodian recommendations! If the article gets students to think about kindness for its own sake that would be promising. Sadly, I fear that won’t be the case. Community service has become a rat race of counting hours and resume building for college. I guess now we will all figure out how to measure being good.
“Community service has become a rat race of counting hours and resume building for college. I guess now we will all figure out how to measure being good.”
It doesn’t have to be if you as a family decide that a small group of colleges aren’t the only way to a excellent college education and experience. I’d focus on genuine interests and authenticity. There are different ways to tackle that beast. Truly. 
Being kind to the cleaning and dining hall staff is just something that should be second nature like breathing.
@doschicos, I agree with you!
One of the main reasons my son is at St. Andrew’s is so that he can focus on “genuine interests and authenticity.” I volunteer with several non-profit organizations in NC and many (but not all) of our teen volunteers are more focused on getting their volunteer records signed than on the work we are doing.
You are spot on about not looking at a small group of colleges! Our college search is pretty extensive (14 tours and counting). Most of my friends with HS juniors haven’t started touring yet or are only focusing on the in-state flagships like UNC-CH and NC State. They haven’t even heard of half the schools we have toured and can’t understand why my son (a three generation legacy) doesn’t even want to apply to UNC-CH. Frankly, before BS, I hadn’t heard of half the schools on our list - LOL!
College Fairs
So recently 7D2’s school held a college fair over the course of two days, with 70+ colleges visiting each day. As an athletic prospect, her process is different (and accelerated in comparison to the “normal” timeline) so the fair was not really helpful to her (or her parents). Only a few of the schools she has under consideration were there, and even for those schools, she has already visited them in person/gone on tours and/or attended info sessions. But it was mandatory for juniors, so she went…and we met her there (to pick her up for a follow up visit to a school the next day).
A couple of observations: For starters, I was truly amazed at just how many schools were there. From ones everyone’s heard of to those I’d never heard of (and I think I know my way around a Fiske Guide better than the average parent!). Second, I thought about how challenging it must be to be a college rep at one of these events…where you are sort of standing there trying to make eye contact with passersby and ready to engage at a moments notice. And finally, how some tables were clearly more mobbed with students than others (and least in the time we were there)…how does one keep up one’s morale when you are at a table that is NOT mobbed with students clamoring for your brochure/your ear? More power to these folks!
Curious what other parents’/students’ experiences with college fairs are…especially if you actually discovered a school that made it to the “will probably apply to” list at a college fair. I mean, they must work otherwise colleges wouldn’t send reps to them…right?
I find college fairs (like trade shows) almost a waste of time. I think you get a better picture from the school’s website and marketing materials than you do at a college fair. The schools require the kids to go and encourage them to “show interest” so that the colleges will look favorably on any applicants.
I think the tables that aren’t mobbed are actually the ones that can potentially have the most impact. At those tables, you might be able to have a conversation, get to know a little bit about the school and let the school learn about the student.
@SevenDad I never attended one. My kids did that solo at their school. As a 100% boarding school, parents weren’t really invited but I do remember hearing about them from my kids. They did mention what you said - kids stacked up for some colleges, other schools very quiet. There seems to be a couple dozen colleges that most of the students at the school all clamor for. Both my kids were looking at LACs from a range of geographical locations so while the line for Middlebury/Williams/Bowdoin was quite long, they were able to have nice long conversations with schools such as Carleton, Macalaster, Grinnell, Kenyon for example. One of the kids received and unexpectedly large merit scholarship from one LAC and I do think part of why it was received was due to a very nice 45 minute one-on-one between my kid and the admissions rep from the school at a college fair where there was a connection made and further follow up between the two.
Even if you don’t attend your BS kid’s college fairs, I think it is worthwhile brainstorming with your child ahead of time about how to use college fairs productively and to also encourage them to follow up with an admissions rep with an emailed “nice to meet you” if a conversation/connection was made, especially with schools that factor in “demonstrated interest”.
My experience was similar to yours (except it was without SkiParentals). Like you, I did know my way around Fiske, and many of the colleges were the usual suspects. However, I will say, that as a result, of the college fair, I did learn about a college (Rice) that was not on my radar, and after some post-fair research, was actually going to apply, and would have had I not had EA/ED acceptances.
@SevenDad my daughter just attended the mandatory college fair too. It was offered this past Monday and Tuesday and she went with a list of 4 schools that offer what she’s looking for. Just like your child who is an athletic prosthetic, mine is an artist so there aren’t many universities that offer what she wants to major in (BFA in Animation). I wish I could have been there with her but she did text me throughout the fair letting me know who was there and what she thought. I still haven’t had heard the whole story about that evening but will very soon. The one thing that was a pleasant surprise for me is that she spoke with a SUNY school (which she refused to check out at last summer) but now wants to visit and give it a chance. That made me happy since this state school is 1/10 the cost of private school and it may be a good option. She is now realizing that art school is very expensive and she needs options.
I went to the BISCCA college fair this weekend, and it was fun, but I don’t think I learned anything that couldn’t be found on the school’s websites.
A lot of standardized testing going on (subject tests today, APs done and yet to come), and I am sad because I don’t get to sharpen #2 pencils (or nag my kids to sharpen them) or pack a snack and water (or nag my kids to do so).
First time visiting this thread (class 2018 sounds so junior to me. ) Regarding the comments about applying to all 8 Ivies, I get the point, but to play the devil’s advocate, how is it different than applying to both Andover and Groton, or Hotchkiss and Milton etc. etc.? Last time I asked, I was told because you’d never know what options you would have unless you applied; that all these schools had their merits so one would be thrilled to attend any one of them; and that you could only get picky when you have more than one options. Doesn’t that apply here as well? These are highly selective colleges. To some applicants, the “fit” to Dartmouth or Penn is just not as big of a concern than getting in a really good school with enough FA to attend. Right?
No school is an island
Example… My kid would LOVE to go to Brown but would be miserable at other Ivies. Finding fit and good FA is a plan… but nothing to do with sports
@panpacific We found more similarities between the BS than the Ivies. For example, Dartmouth’s campus and location is significantly different from Brown’s and both are very different from Columbia or Penn. In addition, it was easier to predict FA with the colleges than the BS. So, I think, in terms of my kids, while they would be happy at any one of several BS, this is not the case with the Ivies - primarily due to the physical campus and location. (My kids are not fans of big cities.)
@HMom16 It’s all pretty subjective. Practically? Just as in BS, college students life is centered around the campus. It’s nice to have some places nice and fun to hang around, but it’s not a critical factor. The setting of colleges may have a bigger impact to transportation/logistics (with so many breaks during the 4 years) and possibly internship/job opportunities (for schools without much on campus recruitment especially) more than anything else.
And regarding college FA, actually it is similar to BS at least in one respect, which is that better offers from TRUE peer schools make greater bargaining power… @HMom16
Figured the Class of 2018 thread needed a bump — seeing as it’s the next in line to graduate! Curious how things are shaping up for fellow families…
I’ll bite. I have one home and one in Europe for a month. Both have many ambitious plans for the summer - maybe too many - and also have to get started on college apps…and maybe learn to drive. They are at the stage of making a list and checking it twice. With luck, we will be able to squeeze in a few more college visits. What’s everyone else doing?
Swimkid is currently out west touring national parks with his father and his grandfather. He faces double shoulder surgery when he gets back, so recovery, some volunteer work and college apps are taking up the remainder of summer. Thankfully, his doctor is optimistic swimming is still in his future : )