Class of 2011 Official Thread

Parents Forum
1

<p>There’s already a thread for the parents of the Classes of 2010 and 2011 <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=60126%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=60126&lt;/a> from last year, but it’s been suggested that the Class of 2011 cut the apron strings and strike out on our own as we head into the abyss. Lot of stuff going on – Junior year is in full swing (for better or worst) ACT/SAT tests are looming or have already been taken, PSAT results are in, etc. So, following the format of the other thread: </p>

<p>Screen name: lderochi (and it's a lower case L by the way, not I)</p>

<p>Is your Junior male or female: Male</p>

<p>Home state: Delaware</p>

<p>Preferred geographic location for college: Generally Virginia and the Carolinas, but with an open mind. Georgia is possible, as is Kentucky. And there’s a Vermont school on the list as a maybe. </p>

<p>Any specific things looking for in a college (large, small, urban, etc.): Started out wanting big city, now wants nothing to do with any hustle or bustle. Sooo, small to mid-size (under 7,000 or so), rural or suburban, scenic environment. </p>

<p>Child's possible academic interests: Economics right now, but I get the feeling that this is very fluid. </p>

<p>Schools currently on child's list of possibilities: In no particular order Lenoir-Rhyne, Bridgewater, Winthrop, Norwich, Georgia Southern, Emory and Henry, Presbyterian, Millsaps, Wofford, The Citadel, Elon, Centre, Furman, Wake, Chapel Hill </p>

<p>Schools we've visited (whether or not child is still interested in going there): Mary Washington, James Madison, VMI, Muhlenberg, Randolph-Macon. Visiting Elon, Furman, Wofford, Winthrop and Presbyterian next month. Hope to visit Centre and Emory and Henry while they are still in session. Maybe a few more in summer. </p>

<p>Senior Year Courseload (tentative): AP English 12 (AP English is a two-year track at S' school), AP Chemistry, Physics (maybe AP), Calculus (maybe AP), AP social science and another elective. </p>

<p>Study Plans for SAT/ACT: PSAT went pretty well, as did the December ACT. Moving on to the April SAT. Just started self-studying using the “Modified Xiggi” (resources = Official Guide, Grammatix, TestMasters Solutions, Grubers and Maximum SAT). Hoping to get his Math test scores (average) to be more in line with his Math grades (A’s in advanced classes). </p>

<p>EC's of Note: Volunteer firefighter/rescue squad, school newspaper, baseball.</p>

<p>Summer Plans: Work, continued volunteer work, hopefully spend a few weeks as an Assistant Instructor at the leadership camp he attended last summer, annual family beach trip.</p>

2

<p>Nice move, Mr. L (short for Lderochi)</p>

3

<p>Go, 2011. I'm part of your following. Especially following lderochiSon, which I am happy to spell with the lower case L, but blithely continue to pronounce Eye-derochi. Don't try and stop me!</p>

4

<p>Xiggi, how is your sibling's search going?</p>

5

<p>I would have a daughter that fits here!</p>

<p>And an adopted daughter (S's gf)</p>

<p>And an adopted son (D's bf)</p>

<p>Hopefully each of them will find the <em>perfect</em> fit! ~berurah :)</p>

6

<p>b, just open your own campus, for crying out loud. Between your family and your "adoptees" you might even have a large enough enrollment to support an Athletic Dept. :)</p>

7

<p>OK, how about an actual entry for another Class of '11 applicant?</p>

<p>Screen name: mootmom </p>

<p>Is your Junior male or female: Male</p>

<p>Home state: CA (transplanted from NY in '97)</p>

<p>Preferred geographic location for college: CA or the northeast; wants snow, he misses that from his childhood.</p>

<p>Specific preferences: Prefers in or near city, under 15K students. Hands-on environment for kinesthetic learners would be ideal. Mom is looking for structured yet supportive environment (ADHD).</p>

<p>Academic interests: Computer science, new media arts, digital graphics; interactive game design.</p>

<p>Schools on child's list of possibilities: WPI, RPI, Stevens Institute, Northeastern, Drew, Farleigh Dickenson, UC Santa Cruz, Cal Poly SLO, UC Davis.</p>

<p>Schools visited: During brother's search (MIT class of '09) he saw Berkeley, Columbia, MIT, Johns Hopkins. Has been on campuses of UC Santa Cruz and Davis, San Jose State, Stanford, Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, and Washington College (MD) for various reasons, but not to evaluate. (Tours of schools in Possibilities list already scheduled: Feb. 2006 for CA schools, Apr. 2006 for eastern schools.)</p>

<p>Senior year courseload (tentative): English 12 (choose two 1-sem. courses: History of Speculative Fiction, and Shakespeare Comedies), Advanced Topics in CS (post-APCS: Computer Architecture, and Object-Oriented Design), AP Calculus C, Electronics/Engineering (1 sem. each), Graphic Arts/Stone Carving (1 sem. each), Jazz Band, maybe Japanese I.</p>

<p>Study plans for SAT: Refuses to study. PSAT went very well (not quite NMSF but almost surely Commended), decent-to-excellent SAT IIs so far, taking first 2 APs this May. Too bad he's a brilliant underachiever with a too-low GPA (~2.9).</p>

<p>ECs: Water polo goalie; dancer (jazz, ballet -- 6 years: note, MALE DANCER); drums; FIRST Robotics (graphic designer); school radio station; some community service work (~300 hrs.).</p>

<p>Summer plans: Work; 1+ week hiking in Germany/Switzerland; possible short-term graphic arts or Japanese course; intensive water polo practice.</p>

8

<p>"Xiggi, how is your sibling's search going?"</p>

<p>Too slow and too highly concentrated for my own taste. I'm afraid that XigSis' list might even be shorter than mine was. I doubt that my parents will go broke on application fees. :)</p>

9

<p>lderochi - not sure where else to post this - if you are interested in Furman and Ga Southern, look at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. Very good merit aid, if you apply by November 1 (and no essays!).</p>

10

<p>Thanks ThatMom. For absolutely no rational reason that I can discern, Mercer is simply not catching his eye.</p>

11

<p>Good luck to you all! I just want to state for the record that I <em>won't</em> be here next time around. But I will follow along with all your progress.
andi</p>

12

<p>
[quote]
b, just open your own campus, for crying out loud. Between your family and your "adoptees" you might even have a large enough enrollment to support an Athletic Dept.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>lderochi~
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, I'll consider it, but ONLY if your son puts us on his list!!!! <em>lol</em> ~b.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Good luck to you all! I just want to state for the record that I <em>won't</em> be here next time around. But I will follow along with all your progress.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>andi~
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <em>LOL</em> And girl, you'd BETTER be around here!!!!!!!!! The place would never be the same without YOU! love, ~b. </p>

13

<p>Mootmom - Do we now cease to call him by his affectionate nickname, TJFH? Can he now become, as your whole cc family will join in his applications parade if you wish us to, TJWD? The Junior Who Dances? And he will be known to the adreps as "the kid who dances, takes advanced CS classes, and Stone Carving"....BTW, if he sends in a portfolio and a DVD of his dancing they may care not one whit for the GPA...Creative types LIKE underachievers:).</p>

14

<p>I'll add my info, but it's pretty boring: </p>

<p>Name: Peggy (OK, I'm not creative) </p>

<p>Kid: Male (hungry, sloppy and awesome) </p>

<p>Home State: Michigan </p>

<p>Geographic location: close to home </p>

<p>Academic Interest: Engineering </p>

<p>Looking for in a college: a "true college experience". Not an all-engineering college. Big. </p>

<p>Schools on his list: Univ of Michigan, Univ of Ill, Northwestern. Maybe Stanford. (If I had to bet money, I would guess he'll end up at Univ of Michigan. 50 miles down the road, in-state tuition, #6 Engineering in the nation) </p>

<p>Schools he has visited: "A college is a college. Why do we need to visit them." OK, we're working on that. He has attended summer programs at Purdue, Univ of Wis-Whitewater, Lake Superior State University and Univ of Mich. Has seen Millikin University. Will probably go visit U of Mich when he realizes he can get out of school for it. </p>

<p>Senior Load: Chemistry 2, Physics, Forensics, German 4, Web Design 2, Architecture 3, Advanced Honor's Choir, Independent Study Math (He is taking AP English this year, along with AP Calc.) </p>

<p>Study for the ACT/SAT: Only when Mother says he can't IM his friends until he does. Thinks the whole ACT thing is stupid because he had forgotten all the math on the test and he is more concerned with the AP test and nobody else in the entire world studies for the ACT and why should he have to. </p>

<p>EC's of Note: Soccer, High school musical. More soccer. (Reading over my shoulder, he says I should add Student Gov't, NHS and Baseball)</p>

<p>Summer Plans: Soccer practice, part time job, IM friends. (And play with the day care kids, but that's a secret.)</p>

15

<p>Screen name (of parent): Papa Chicken</p>

<p>Gender of Junior: Male</p>

<p>Home State: Maryland</p>

<p>Preferred Location: northeast, perhaps not-so-deep south, interested in Colorado & California perhaps, definitely not Mid-Atlantic</p>

<p>Specific preferences: hasn't figured out the warm-cold and urban-rural preferences yet, but more on the small side of small-big, with some exceptions. Collegiate lacrosse is a consideration (but not primary), probably D3 or maybe club, D1 larger school probably not in the cards. </p>

<p>Possiblie interests: philosophy, psychology, biology, history, literature, music</p>

<p>Schools currently on child's list of possibilities: Bowdoin, Colby, Williams, Conn College, Vassar, Skidmore, Penn, Brown, Davidson, Colorado College, UC Berk, Wesleyan, Trinity, U Colorado, Vanderbilt</p>

<p>Schools visited: U Md, Dickinson, Wesleyan, Trinity, U Colorado (a while ago), plans for Feb junior day at Davidson & hoping to visit cousins at Conn College & Williams this spring, and perhaps attend spring Trinity kids of alumni thing.</p>

<p>Senior year courses planned: in the process of selecting now...Calc (honors), AP Bio, AP Music Theory perhaps....some English & history electives, probably dropping Spanish</p>

<p>Study plans for SAT—Small study group tutored for SAT last summer, but like pulling teeth to do any more recently; taking SAT 1 for 1st time next weekend. PSAT in commendable range. Took 2 SAT II’s last year: Latin & Physics & did OK; planning probably a couple more, perhaps Chemistry & Lit this spring.</p>

<p>EC's: Sports….soccer & lacrosse (lax includes school & club team, all year ‘round tourneys & camps); school’s A Capella group & a new start-up coed A Capella group; Comm service…..English as Second language to local Hispanic community; writing workshop volunteer.</p>

<p>Summer plans: beside a number of lacrosse recruiting tournaments, he better get a job! Some family traveling, maybe some camping.</p>

<p>Enjoyment….guitar, composition & studying the contemporay guitar masters</p>

16

<p>Doesn't sound boring to me. Sounds like a great kid!</p>

<p>And good luck to Papa Chicken's S and all others taking the upcoming SAT! </p>

<p>B -- I dunno, trying to convince the DW to let him go all the way to Kansas (even though her Grandparents were orginally from Winfield) might be too much of a battle!</p>

17

<p>

LOL peggy. Let's hear it for the Real Boy and let's hand it to us parents of them.</p>

18

<p>
[quote]
B -- I dunno, trying to convince the DW to let him go all the way to Kansas (even though her Grandparents were orginally from Winfield) might be too much of a battle!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Awwwwwwwwwww c'mon lderochi, we'll take good care of him....in fact, we'll adopt him TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! <em>lol</em> We are super close to Winfield. D spent part of last weekend there with bf's family--his dad has a small farm there.......</p>

<p>S actually has FOUR friends who went to college in Winfield...at Southwestern. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why ANY college student would want to be mostly confined to Winfield, KS for four years.....</p>

<p>~b.</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
Let's hear it for the Real Boy and let's hand it to us parents of them.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>jmmom~</p>

<p>Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I've got a <em>VERY</em> real girl this time around! And I love her beyond words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! </p>

<p>~berurah</p>

20

<p>I'm a student, but my parents aren't on this site. (You're my surrogate parents when it comes to college apps!)</p>

<p>Name: thisyearsgirl (Elisabeth)</p>

<p>Home state: DC</p>

<p>Preferred geographic location for college: Somewhere cold(er).</p>

<p>Any specific things looking for in a college (large, small, urban, etc.):

What he said, except that I'll consider urban if it has a proper campus in a calm neighborhood.</p>

<p>Possible academic interests: Chemistry, biology, neuroscience/psychiatry, forensic science, psychology, English, French</p>

<p>Schools currently on list of possibilities: In no particular order, Swarthmore, Amherst, Yale, Carleton, Brown, Dartmouth, Macalester, Williams, Reed, University of Chicago, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Stanford, MIT</p>

<p>Schools visited (whether or not still interested in going there): Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, University of Pennsylvania</p>

<p>Senior Year Courseload:
IB Chemistry HL
IB English A1 HL
IB French A1 HL
IB Biology SL
IB Mathematics SL
IB History SL
Journalism
Theory of Knowledge</p>

<p>Study Plans for SAT/ACT: I already took the SAT I, but bombed the math section (800CR/650M/710W). I'll be taking some practice tests before retaking later in the spring. I'm taking SAT IIs in French and Literature this Saturday, neither of which I've studied for, and probably Math I (is that the easy one?) at some point.</p>

<p>EC's of Note: School newspaper (running for editor in the spring!), photography (will be submitting a portfolio), horseback riding, webdesign (working on starting a company), tutoring (paid and volunteer), Badminton Club, lots of misc. art and writing</p>

<p>Summer Plans: Applying to RSI, TASP, and the Clark University medicine program (all free programs). If none of them works out I'll try to get some research experience at a local university and/or work.</p>