<p>I know that not everyone is a huge fan of Loren Pope's books but I'm wondering if anyone reading this forum has ever attended one of the CTCL programs... Here's a link: <a href="http://www.ctcl.com/events_Programs.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.ctcl.com/events_Programs.html</a>. There's no charge to attend.</p>
<p>Anyone?</p>
<p>I rec'd a postcoard announcing the tour (6 programs/locations in 6 days), but I probably won't attend b/c most of the schools just aren't right for my D (not strong enough academically, don't offer ths sports she wants, too far north or, in the case of Goucher and Wheaton, not enough boys).</p>
<p>I did attend without my daughter as she was away at her summer job ( riding staff at a residential camp- or else she was on her senior trip- I am having a senior moment)
This was when we still thought she was going to Evergreen- ( and taking a year off)- it was held in a hotel- and was cozy compared to the huge college fairs at the convention center- I could only get limited info since she wasn't with me- I had no idea what other schools I might have been able to interest her in- had she spoken to the reps- her prep school did have lots of reps from schools all over- but as she had already made up her mind on Evergreen she didn't attend-but I wanted to keep an open mind or at least get a little bit more information.
It was fun- saw some people from her school- who were juniors and still looking- talked to Mr Pope for a few minutes- and got lots of good information especially from Agnes Scott.
But since daughter didn't want heat/cold/snow- staying in the northwest was her best fit ;)</p>
<p>Thanks for your feedback, emeraldkity. It sounds as thought it might be a nice introduction into the whole college search scene - a sort of dipping of the toes, so to speak. :D</p>
<p>If we go I shall report back - we'd be hitting the NYC venue. Right now, my daughter thinks she's interested in Hampshire among others...but of course it's way too early to know anything for sure. ;)</p>
<p>BLUMINI, thank you for posting this!! I bought the CTCL book a couple months ago, figuring I'd leaf through it eventually with an eye towards finding possibilities for my younger S, who is a soph this year and nothing at all like his older bro who is graduating HS now and off to MIT in the fall. Younger S is considered a poor student at his (private college prep) HS... because he has a 3.0something GPA and doesn't take AP courses, and in comparison to most of his classmates he doesn't have much to brag about. But his practice PSAT and early SAT II scores leave me thinking he'll be in the 1800-2000 range with the new tests. And it wasn't until JUST NOW, when I went to the website you linked to and started to look online at the 50%-iles for some of the schools there, that I realized, OMG, his scores and GPA <em>aren't</em> so terrible! He might actually be admitted to a 4-year college somewhere! His ECs are a little unusual and possibly even desireable somewhere!</p>
<p>I am sitting here with itty bitty happy tears on my cheek. Maybe he <em>will</em> find somewhere to thrive after all, after being low guy on the totem pole at his school for years. I am SO going to this event in SF in August, with Younger S in tow! THANK YOU!</p>
<p>mootmom, you're so welcome, I'm thrilled to have brought it to your attention. I just happened to be sleuthing around the Internet and decided to run a search on Pope's books...and then found the site... Probably most people are already aware of it. </p>
<p>It sounds to me as though your "Number 2 son" (do you remember Charlie Chan? ;) ) is absolutely going to find a place to thrive and excel in his own way. There are so many different kinds of people - and many who don't appear to be "top students" turn out to be incredibly successful in their lives and careers. Best wishes to you and Number 2 son in his quest! :cool:</p>
<p>Yep. We went. We thought it was great.D went to each of her top schools represented and really enjoyed her visits with some fantastic reps. Allegheny, Ursinus, Centre,Millsaps, Earlham all had excellent and engaging spokespeople. Be prepared to fill out plenty of cards and wait through several boring people asking questions you can easily find answers to before you arrive. D had her questions ready but not witten out (at least not where they could see them.), and they were fairly precise. She made enough of an impression on the Centre rep (and he on her) that they recognized each other when we did a campus tour over springbreak-which led to an impromptu interview.</p>
<p>Go prepared to ask questions that suggest you (the student) are trying to see if that school will meet your need and your expectations. (Example-The new library hours seem to limit week-end study time, are they thinking of changing it back? or Now that greeks don't have houses, do you see a difference in the type of student applying and do you feel that will ultimately change campus flavor? or D's big Q-Do kid's stay there on the week-end or go to _______?) </p>
<p>Mom and Dad, let the kid take the lead in all conversations. I promise they will get used to it. Convince them they have to be upfront about what they want. They are not selling themselves to the schools anymore than the schools are trying to buy the kid (of,course a little of both IS happening.LOL.) Parents doing the talking for a junior is a turn-off for the rep. I guarantee it. Stay in the background .Talk only when you need to.Try not to need to.</p>
<p>Hope I didn't sound too much like an eastcoast snob. </p>
<p>Many of the schools are solid academcially (Wooster, Beloit, Earlham, Dennison, Clark - too cold for my D who has already spent 3 years at a MA boarding sch; Guilford and Eckerd - - warm enough, but no track). And I know a couple - - Goucher and Wheaton - - to be great for boys. I have friends with sons at both schools and all 3 boys are deliriously happy. Easy transportation b/w school and the city, a male/female ratio that makes for great dating and b/c both schools are working hard to achieve gender balance, boys w/ lack-luster numbers (2.6; 1250) get merit aid!</p>
<p>So if you're unfamiliar with the school (and you don't have my D's list of specifications), I'm sure it's a worthwhile intro level event. But if you're already interested in one of the participating schools, this event is probably not the place to get detailed info or meaningful face-time with the admissions staff (even though the directors often attend).</p>
<p>D and I went to this tour the fall of her sophomore year. She had a great time meeting the reps and learning about what makes each college unique. It did whet her appetite for looking at colleges. Some are still on her list, some aren't, but we gained quite a bit of respect for these gems.</p>
<p>
You didn't come off as an East Coast snob, just not very well informed about the schools that will be in attendance. With all the schools out there to choose from, that's certainly understandable. There are incredibly "academic" schools within this grouping for a variety of students. Top students could hardly do better for themselves than Reed, Centre, Whitman, Agnes Scott, and several others. nyc,I'll admit I'm not familiar with your child's stats but if you post them , I'm sure we might can find someone's kid who has similar requirements and maybe some of these schools are a fit, and you'll never know till you look.</p>
<p>As someone who has attended and had a wonderful and productive time , I'd strongly encourage anyone with a desire for a smaller college to attend and to do so with some prior research and a mind free of pre-concieved notions. If you or your kid needs validation of their own worth by attendance at a particular grouping or ranking of colleges, you probably don't need to attend the CTCL tour as these schools "are more about the fit than the finish". Some kids will think it is a giant candy store where all they ever wanted is there in abundance.</p>
<p>We attended last fall and found it a great opportunity. I would 2nd Curmudgeon's recommendation to have you s/d take the lead. If they have read CTCL, they should have some idea of schools that appeal to them and have some questions ready. The more engaged they are with the rep, the more they will get out of it. It is also a quick way to get a lot of the stock written material from a great collection of lesser known LACs that emphasize teaching in a supportive, "wholistic" environment. These fairs are useful to help narrow down the schools on your visit list.</p>
<p>I am a huge fan of the book and the philosophy - it worked for us (S #1). We attended the session last year in New York City. It was very well attended, ie a bit of a mob scene. I found the book (CTCL) most useful, and their website and the individual college websites have a tremendous amount of information. There is no substitute for visiting the colleges. If you are able to corner the college reps you can get your questions answered. They are eager to talk to you (parents or students) but there can be quite a crush. It is definitely worth going, but I wouldn't travel a great distance to attend.</p>
<p>We went to the LA presentation without our son whose heavy metal band was playing at paying gig that evening -- and he may not have gone anyway. At that time he was convinced the one and only choice for him was Evergreen if he were going to college at all. H and I had read CTCL and credit it with giving us hope our delightful, quirky, brilliant, disorganized and indifferent underachiever might actually get into a good four year college and prosper once there. It was a great way to pick up literature and have a brief discussion with the college reps in a less zoo-like atmosphere than our school's huge (and way, way, way too crowded) college fair. I concur with letting the students ask questions and not ones that can be answered from websites or reference books. S looked primarily only at the Evergreen literature we brought home, no matter how many times we tried to persuade him to read the rest. Interestingly, many months later and after acceptances were received, we embarked on the college trip from hell which came to an abrupt halt after visiting Beloit whiere he now attends and to our delight is thriving. He never even went to visit Evergreen. So, take this opportunity to attend the CTCL roadshow, take advantage of being able to hear from and talk with college reps, and be prepared for the roller coaster application period ahead of you. You can never have too much information nor be too surprised.</p>
<p>
[quote]
delightful, quirky, brilliant, disorganized and indifferent underachiever
[/quote]
How did you get my kid at your house? I am growing more optimistic by the minute.</p>
<p>I didn't go to an event, but I recently found out my college is in there! I had no clue that Clark University was in that book until they sent me a little info. sheet on it. It's in Worcester, MA, and the right fit for me; family (east-coast Ivy League snobs) are getting used to it. ;) They're just glad I didn't decide to fly off to Walla Walla for my schooling. </p>
<p>[/shameless plug]</p>
<p>Many of the schools in the book are getting more and more selective. Many "B" students may find it quite difficult to get in.</p>
<p>The stats shown on the CTCL website show quite a few of these schools with avg HS GPAs hovering around 3.0 (or even lower) and SATs (old scale) 50th %ile between 1050 and 1250. Perhaps Pope needs to update the website, but it still gives me hope. Not <em>confidence</em>, but hope.</p>
<p>mootmom, I think the stats vary by college which is what allows for an enjoyable tour event. For any student serious about an education there are more than one school to meet their needs. Reed and Whitman's 75% is as high as some of the so called Elites and Centre and Rhodes and others are not far behind, all have GPA averages at 3.8 or over and 75 %-tile SAT's of 1380 to 1480. But the point remains that all these schools come with a "teaching" focus, an UG focus and commitment, and a track record of getting people where they want to go in life, wherever that may be. I do understand it is a marketing ploy or device, and that the differences are many between the schools but this is one consortium that seems to pay dividends to all the schools, and the students,too. I think several of the schools will be great fits for some B students with 1200 SAT's, and for some 1600 vals, also.</p>
<p>Mootmom, There are some excellent schools out there that would be happy to get your son. His stats are not bad at all and he will be helped by being male, a rarity at many LAC's these days. There are actually many, many great schools out there beyond the CTCL list for kids in your son's range! Trust me on this. </p>
<p>Even thought I think Pope's book is a little cheerleaderish, the schools my daughter has overwhelmingly preferred have all been schools from that book. There is something really tangible about the schools he included --- most seem to have very strong "personalities" and you can feel it when you arrive on campus.</p>
<p>I'm taking a refreshed approach to this "new and different" college search... but I might take a few months off first, LOL! Thanks for the encourgement and info, folks -- and I'm looking forward to exploring the "personalities" of the LACs we did not get to meet during my first S's college search.</p>