Our BS just filed for SAT accommodations for our junior this week - wish it was last week! But you do have to submit paperwork (psycho educational testing and/or an IEP) in order to qualify. I guess these CA folks faked that too?
@Golfgr8 - that’s the part I find most upsetting also! I had just sent an email to our teachers letting them know my son would be out for testing this week when this hit the news! I feel like this scandal taints the process for those kids who truly need the accommodations.
We were AT my son’s neuropsych when all this news broke, hearing about all of his obstacles to decent SAT/ACT scores. I think he has already gotten approval for SAT accommodations but I understand the ACT is a different process.
As the mom of a kid who will almost certainly need accommodations both for the ssat and the sat it really bummed me out to hear my 8th grader telling me about all her classmates who suddenly had learning disabilities after taking the ssat once and not doing well. Sorry but not all kids who score less than 90% have an LD. Even if their private tutor says they’re really smart. Grrrr
Hi, all! Yay! I made it all the way through this entire thread, starting on page 1!! :-D. Mom of 7th and 5th grade boys, the oldest planning to apply to PEA for the class of 2024. So I’ve been lurking like crazy for the past few weeks, and finally decided I’d better set up an account and jump into the fray…
I was trying to get through the main thread about the scandal but gave up after about 30 pages. Someone in that thread had what I thought was a good idea: let the standardized tests be taken either timed or untimed - student’s choice - with the result marked accordingly. Any student can choose either option. Let the schools make of it what they choose.
Anyway, boarding school parents can feel smugly superior in the knowledge that whatever we do or don’t do to help our kids get into college, we don’t just care about the kids getting in but also want them to be prepared for college when they get there.
Welcome @JustWinginIt I am also a noob (kiddo is 2023) and this is my first go at BS applications, acceptances and all that good stuff. I have been a lurker and popped out as I had a few burning questions that I needed from BTDT BS folks! Good Luck with the process … it is lots of fun in the beginning. I’ve found lots of info here and the folks are pretty funny too!!
Thanks, @FirstTimesACharm! I’m a BS alum, so it’s not entirely a new world to me, but my experience is several decades old, so tons to learn! Also an entirely different experience coming at this as a parent…
Anyone else see frequent descriptions of schools you visited or that your kids go to where information posted is patently untrue?? I know many on the board don’t mind sharing information regarding where your kids landed. I’d prefer not to. But, I do want to add for the many who are deciding or will be deciding, that you should make your decision based on your own visits, schools where parents/students are actually attending and have correct data and information provided at revisit days.
BS is a huge decision. You want to land somewhere great for YOU. You also want to ensure that the fit is comfortable. Check the activities and ask a current student at revisit what the reality is. Whether your question is about homework or if the school clears out, or activities or competition or arts–make sure you are not deciding based on a post from someone who was on campus for 2 hours total.
I would also suggest that while there are a handful of schools that are mentioned all the time, they are many which are not. I have read information on housing, curriculum and sports that is entirely wrong. And not in terms of opinions, just wrong. So, I’m posting because we were in the same situation last year and I’m glad we didn’t make decisions based on CC hearsay. CC posters had excellent advice but we verified. So my two cents, is verify the information. And go to revisits.
@Happytimes2001 thanks for your post. Just to add: Try not to believe certain people on CC who have never actually been on the campus of a school, but who will provide false information based on myth, stereotypes, postings on Twines & Vines, or Family Guy episodes. I am too tired to constantly correct these people. [-X Sometimes what is posted is so laughable that I won’t bother …but think I will now because the misinformation is unfair to new students.
@Golfgr8 Yes!!! I posted about various inaccuracies since many families come from far away. They might only visit a campus once or twice. Would be a shame to have someone make an expensive decision on non-facts.
Is it just me, or are most of the BS threads turning toxic or argumentative? :-@
Re: inaccuracies, hearsay: While Buxton is rarely mentioned here, I did a search to see if I could find any info on it, as my child will be going there in the fall. One comment said that the entire town of Williamstown hates the Buxton students because they are “a bunch of punks.” The very next comment was this: “A close friend of mine withdrew her daughter from Buxton before her first semester was over because there was so much psychiatric instability: overdoses, cutting, bulemia, drinking, etc. I’m sure that stuff happens everywhere, but it was overwhelming.”
I know to take these things with a grain of salt, but I have to admit it was a little disheartening and frustrating. My daughter LOVED the school when we visited, but she has had some struggles in the past with depression and anxiety, and reading that had me wondering for a second if sending her to Buxton was going to be a bad move.
@Altras I don’t even open some threads because I can tell from the topic it will turn into a free for all.
@Altras I think for the most part CC is still helpful and experiential, however, I have indeed noticed that there are a handful of posters whom I find offensive and argumentative. Like @buuzn03 said, I avoid threads which lean towards hot bed topics, and fully discount posts from those whom appear to have an agenda, closed mindset, or a narcissistic chip on their shoulder.
Sometimes I enjoy obnoxious threads - or being obnoxious myself :-). If I were a different kind of person, I would probably go out occasionally and get into barroom brawls. When I’m in that kind of mood, I go out (actually stay in) and get myself into trouble here or on Facebook. :)) And speaking of trouble, I even posted on the big scandal thread (although I had a serious comment that is unlikely to stir things up).
I’m a classic middle child in a large family so I have absolutely no idea what you guys are talking about.
Re: talking to students on revisit days for the inside scoop: I would try to get as much input from as many student sources whose background/interests/experience are as similar to your child’s as possible. We had some downright bizarre interactions with students at different schools, and finally, we realized we needed to find the kids who roughly matched my son. For us, speaking to the lovely, STEM-obsessed female day students didn’t provide the insight we needed. If you know your student will be involved in specific clubs, sports, affinity groups, musical groups - find those kids! Same with financial aid - it’s far more helpful to hear from students who can speak knowledgeably about their experiences.
Here’s a random thought I had, and I can’t think of a better place to put it than miscellaneous ramblings (aside from perhaps the trash can).
In some ways, I think of the application process a bit like dating. There are qualities that are likely to make someone an attractive candidate to a good number of others (schools), but every school has different personal preferences and needs (some of which are not clear) and will view candidates with more or less favor based on them. A candidate that may look great to one school, may not be another’s cup of tea. In this process, both candidates and schools want to be wanted, and no one wants to be the second choice. A candidate can try to guess what the school is looking for and try to present themselves as a good candidate. But if they are “successful” in this process, but not true to themselves, they may find themselves in a not-so-great relationship. Putting a school on a pedestal is ill-advised. You don’t need everyone to love you, just the one that fits. Everything else is ego.
Granted my analogy breaks down when you consider how many people the schools will be dating, but I digress.
Cashing in last year’s Mother’s Day present tonight…quick road trip (6 hours each way) to see P!nk in concert tonight!!! I just realized this old lady’s closet holds no rock concert clothes…?