Is it time to get this tradition going? I am not sure how many 2026 parents are out there, but it would be great to have a place to come with questions, requests for advice, etc.
Today, it is math and language placement tests. Soon it will be move-in and roommates. I have absolutely no idea how this whole experience will go. But I am pretty sure it will be better if we can bounce things off of each other.
And absent that, we can always discuss the Seattle grunge scene in the early 90s. Are you in?
Son is listening to Alice in Chains right now. 90s grunge is alive and well in my house.
Welcome to the journey! My D’22 graduates in a few weeks. Starting again with S’26. Different school than his sister - new experiences and adventures await…
Excellent! I look forward to learning from those who have done it before.
(What is your son’s favorite AiC? I always leaned toward “Would?” from the Singles soundtrack or “No Excuses” from Jar of Flies. The latter is almost upbeat/poppy.)
Thanks for starting this thread.
My son took the math placement test and found it more difficult than he was expecting. He is used to being the top math student in his grade, I think he is starting to realize that he will really need to adjust his expectations.
Hi all! I am a 2024 and 2026 parent. As kiddo2 is attending a different school than kiddo1, its sort of like starting all over again!! He took his language placement test last week and was only able to fill out a small portion of it … this after 8 years of Spanish in elementary / middle school. Kiddo1 was the same way, but it was nice for her to have Spanish 1 as an easy her first year. It doesn’t appear that kiddo2’s school does placement tests outside of language, as he’s already submitted his other course requests.
Wonderful - I love having the veteran presence in this thread. It will make up for my not knowing anything!
We did math placement and course selection (the “non-placement” categories) last weekend. We will tackle language placement this weekend. And let’s not forget the all important student photo for the school directory!
Once all of that is done, I think there will be a lull until the required summer reading drops. Do other schools do that as well?
Emma Willard’s placement tests were all online. My experience in the local day school privates is that many international kids are way ahead on math.
After a mostly quiet period in terms of school communication, we received the summer reading list today. Or, more accurately, the summer list of poems, films, and books (students can choose from several options in each genre). There is also an “all school” read. While not applicable to incoming freshman, the list of films that the 12th graders get to choose from includes a lot of inner circle Hall of Fame directors.
Have other schools sent out similar lists? Hope everyone is having a good start to their summer!
Struggling mom with a struggling new freshman over here!! I know the first few days are the toughest, and we’ll both get through it, but lots of tears over the past few days in our household.
Just wanted to send virtual hugs to you all. It’s so hard to not be able to help our kids when they are hurting. This is a huge transition for both you (even if, like @cityran ) and your kid. New faces, new rules, new routines, etc… And all without the safe harbor of home.
The schools go through this yearly and are good at it, and the kids are resilient. And ultimately, most love their school and new friends.
They are lucky to have your listening ears and open hearts. Hang in there!
And remember that if you think there is cause for real concern, you should reach out to a dorm parent, advisir, dean, etc. Without knowing your kid, they may not recognized that anything is amiss.