<p>Thanks again for the continued great advice! And I know I need to calm down…lol. I just feel like we are waay behind in serious discussions and getting prepared. gwu and American are in the running. What I think happened with the schizophrenic list of colleges is she really likes the idea of a small prestigious school with a pretty campus. And I think once we start actually visiting some of her choices she will get a much better grasp on what she exactly wants. I am pretty sure Ohio state is on that list because she is distantly thinking about getting into medicine/healthcare. She worries that international studies will leave her with little career choice and honestly she wants to make money. Lol. While I don’t doubt she could make it academically in science/medicine, that is not where her passion lies. I always tell her that she needs to do what is in her heart because things will work out better…trust me, as a nurse who should be an English teacher, I know what I am talking about. </p>
<p>Today I did some research and made two lists. One list is if her act and sat come in low and another if they are high. Honestly, I think the test scores and the courses her school offers will be the biggest detriment. Has she taken the hardest classes her school offers? Excluding math absolutely! And she will have completed pre-calc so I don’t think it puts her completely out of the running because her reading section on the pre act was essentially perfect and she is a great on the spot essay writer. Maybe taking sat subject tests will be helpful if the math section is ugly.</p>
<p>And yes, while she doesn’t intend to pursue dance as a career, I am positive it will pay huge dividends with her apps. So, I have decided to stop worrying about her limited variety of extracurriculars. She has dedicated an enormous amount of time and emotion to dance. Has done solos on stage since age 7. Has experienced the highs of winning and the lowest lows of losing and in return gained insight. It has been dysfunctional at times but I am positive it is a major factor in teaching her motivation, self reliance and discipline. So I guess we are off and running and it is going to be a busy summer but I am so excited that she is aiming high! It’s gonna be an interesting year.</p>