“To do so, your kids should not fill out all the personal data on the PSAT/SAT and should not check off the box that allows the College Board to make $$ by selling your name.” Apparently, we are too late. Lol
Yes, too late for you but maybe not for others reading this thread. 
Have a wonderful time with your son, @buuzn03!
Thank you @doschicos !!!
FWIW - a few years ago, kiddo took the ACT for the Duke TIP program. There was an extensive registration form to complete and there seemed to be no way to opt out of submitting the required information online. It was like going through a set of doors similar to the scene on “Get Smart” (anyone else old enough to remember?). There was also a survey to complete. We are still getting junk mail and snail mail from colleges, loan companies, car companies, online degree companies, etc. I wish we had know back then a way to avoid completing this info from the ACT folks. But for those of you with younger kids taking ACT/SAT for Duke TIP or CTY, please be mindful of this trap L-)
Funny but DS took SAT for Duke TIP and never got a single thing from colleges. He actually got state recognition for his scores, too. So, he must’ve not checked a box or the SAT for Duke didn’t give them the option. They’ve found him, now, though! There’s no hiding!
Ha ha @Golfgr8 — I remember Get Smart! One of my favorite shows at one point!
I’d just like to offer another perspective on college visits for sophomores. My daughter is a sophomore at Walnut Hill, and in June we’re planning to visit 4-5 colleges on the East Coast (a mix of art schools and regular universities) and then visit 4-5 in California, where we live (again a mix of art schools and regular colleges). She is 100% behind this idea and is excited about visiting colleges, and so am I. I wouldn’t do these visits if they put pressure on her. What’s difficult is deciding on whether or not to apply to art colleges or not. She’s leaning that way, but I’m concerned about financial aid and think we’d do better with FA at a regular private college or a UC. She also flip flops between thinking she might prefer a large school and getting to know students in fields other than the arts. I think seeing the colleges will help her come up with a list of 8 to 10 schools and then the summer after her junior year we could revisit some or maybe visit new places. It seems too much to do all in the summer before senior year, especially because she’s in boarding school and we just don’t have that much time together. So it really depends on the attitude of the student; thinking about college applications shouldn’t necessarily be intimidating! I think it could and should be fun.
We visited schools in 10th grade with both of our girls. With my older girl, just a quick trip to my wife’s alma mater as well as mine over Spring Break. A contrast in sizes, settings, etc. Just to see if she liked smaller vs. larger. Urban or suburban, etc. For my younger girl, who in 10th grade was still just a potential athletic recruit, we made a number of unofficial visits to schools with fencing programs and met with coaches (this was before the rule change prohibiting on campus coach contact until Junior year). That helped a lot in terms of narrowing her list of schools down. She ended up at one of the schools where we had a good visit her sophomore year.
In other news, Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine) made a guest appearance at one of Maggie Rogers’ shows on the European leg of her tour.
@CAClover What is her art?
@CaliMex Visual art (painting, mostly, but she’s getting a broad experience with a variety of classes from ceramics to darkroom photography to digital art). She’s very happy at Walnut Hill and finds the academic classes challenging. I’m impressed by their rigor, too.
@CAClover We know several kids who have gotten full rides to art schools (PFA, Cooper Unión, etc) for visual arts. Has she had her portfolio reviewed?
@CaliMex Well, she’s just a sophomore, but she did go to Portfolio Day in Boston in October. The lines were long, and she only talked with representatives from three art colleges, I think. I can’t remember which ones, but she left feeling encouraged. All three took long looks at the portfolio on her laptop and said nice things. I think Pratt, in Brooklyn, was one that was especially supportive and encouraging. She’s doing a pre-college program at Parsons (New School) in Manhattan this July, and we’re planning on visiting, along with Pratt, School of Visual Arts, also in Manhattan, and California Institute for the Arts.
As she is in New England right now, take a look at RISD.
Many artistic students aren’t aware of the field Of Industrial Design, but find it appealing once they do.
Mass College Of Art also has an ID program.
Thanks, @Garandman. My daughter seems pretty set on wanting to do animation, storyboarding, and on her own graphic novels. I’m fuzzy on the difference between 2D and 3D animation, but I think at the moment she’s interested in 2D (less of a role for computers?). RISD isn’t on the visit list because she’s going to go with her school since it’s less than an hour away, and because RISD is talked about so much at Walnut Hill, she’s developing a lack of interest in it (again, not sure why, maybe wants a less-traveled path? Also, I think she wants to experience a different geographical area, like NYC).
@CAClover My daughter is a junior and we are on the same path of deciding whether to apply to art schools with some liberal arts or liberal arts schools with strong visual arts. My daughter’s primary interests are ceramics and creative writing and she is leaning towards LACS. Our research so far suggests that a higher percentage of art school students receive some financial aid (perhaps to remain competitive) than at the LACS.
I also agree that prospective art school students need to start the college process earlier as most schools highly prefer an in person portfolio review and each school has slightly different portfolio criteria. Art students also have to complete artist statements and portfolios in time for nationwide portfolio review days in the fall. Chimneykid wants to leave NY which is a bummer for us as we live 90 miles north of the city. But Cal Inst for the Arts is also on our list. Our college counselor was very positive about that school in particular.
@chemmchimney Yes, helping a fine arts student figure out a college path is difficult and confusing, especially for someone like me without background and experience in the area. It would be so much easier if my daughter were interested in a standard academic major. Aside from worrying a lot about financial aid, though, it has been a fun experience watching her develop and learning about studio art. As for CalArts, that school seems to be at or near the top of various rankings for animation and other arts fields. But I have read somewhere that the average age of students there is quite a bit higher than at most colleges because it is difficult to be accepted and so many applicants work in the film industry and apply year after year, hoping to get in. It is on our list of four California schools to visit in June, though. The college search is paralleling the BS search, which started with applying to standard BSs, but morphed into applying to the three arts schools. I am very happy with where she’s at now and hoping that something similar happens with college. One wild card school that is now on the list: Edinburgh College of Art. From what I’ve read online, it sounds great. At least it would make a great excuse for a fun trip.
Rose Sangria is my new favorite thing. I tried it for the first time at brunch over the weekend… and it is was absolutely amazing. Prosecco turned out to be the secret ingredient… which is a total sangria game changer for me! Where have I been?? It’s like happy punch. Someone could’ve have told me the worst possible news and I would’ve have been totally fine with it. OMG!! My husband said I should have a vat of it and a bag of straws on hand at all times!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy, dear…
and I only had two! Well… two very large brunch- sized goblets, but still!
Anyway- throwing it out there just in case anyone is looking for a good alternative to straight scotch or vodka M10 weekend. Cheers!
@PhotographerMom, thanks for bringing up the M10 Weekend Cocktail Therapy topic. For those of you facing your first round of this madness, please return to post #1778 (page 119) on this thread and read from there.
Where has @gusmom2000 gone? We need the bourbon.
@ThacherParent: I’m still waiting for you to organize that CC Cocktail Party you teased us all about several years ago…
@PhotographerMom Recipe please!!
@ChoatieMom I thought y’all had the party and just didn’t invite me!
@PhotographerMom I am going to have to check out your sangria recipe…although I’m not stressed about decisions, M9 is the regional science fair, which DD qualified for and the cherry on top of that sundae is that I got volunteered to judge. So, I’ll be needing some happy juice, for sure!!!