Thanks @hellomaisy ! I was accepted there back in 1977…but went to Tufts…another friend went there at that time…great programs generated and it was ahead of its time.
I agree, that was quite an article @hellomaisy ! Our local paper had a similar article a few weeks ago about PA schools - I do believe there will many large scale changes in higher education over the next few years due to rising costs and falling birth rates:
I’m thankful my kid is in a BS that stretches abilities without pandering to parents. No grades are online until the end of the semester, teachers tend to focus on the learning rather than the grades and kid is sailing along. We agreed not to talk about day to day tests. Results have been great (but not a smooth line, some quizzes and exams have been a bust). The lesson has been to regroup, recover and work differently (not harder). As we move towards the college process, I’m hoping that our kid takes the lead and makes most of the decisions. We’ll be hovering the background but hopefully will be helping with admin only.
As parents, we do help with path selection (not the actual courses). Our kid is really happy to have taken the BS path, rather than the excellent public school path. So that’s good since tuition has been paid for the year 
Thanks for sharing, @hellomaisy. Finally made time to read it.
Here’s one of my key takeaways…The advice given to one of the one Hampshire grad mentioned who is now at Harvard Law: “You need not to find the best college but the best college for you.”
THIS.
For BS, for college, for grad school, for life partners, FOR EVERYTHING.
This way of thinking, seems so correct to me…the only way to approach things. But yet it doesn’t seem that common among families I encounter in real life and online.
I should probably not care so much now that my kids are into their respective colleges/grad schools…but yet, I still do.
@Golfgr8 I’m a jumbo too! I’m not sure I realized we had this connection. Re Hampshire they are not accepting applications this year and it is sad - they were a popular choice at our “weird” BS. Re test optional and test flexible, there are more colleges going this route everyday and it is worth your time to google this. You might be surprised at the options - Bowdoin, Bates, George Washington, Skidmore, and many many more. NYU is NOT test optional except for a few majors in the arts at specific schools within NYU who must apply with portfolios connected to their majors.
@buuzn03 You will be able to ride it out with your DS. The reason you are scratching your head from looking at the “other side” and hearing your supervisor is because BS frees us of a lot of the running. All activities are run from BS. Rides and schedule conflicts are worked out by the BS staff. Communication is centralized. And BSs are used to doing this. They know (overall) what is necessary and what is not and can advise the kids accordingly.
The public school boards/parents are running at a frantic pace because, IF they choose to join the race, this is what is expected and necessary. Activities are all decentralized and require parents to drive them. Parents are expected to coordinate, facilitate, prioritize, etc. Regardless of if its causation or reaction, the public schools now expect that level of parent involvement too - or don’t expect anything, in which case parents need to be extra involved to make sure DK doesn’t fall through the cracks. And CC is a good support system during the craziness, even if it can sometimes generate even more craziness.
I have found that I don’t have to go to the other Class of xxxx boards since I only have a BS high school kid right now. I certainly found the other Class of xxxx boards helpful while navigating the college process with LPS kid.
I really enjoyed reading this take on the college admissions process, from the college counselor, parent, and student perspectives. Yeah, it is from Thacher, but I think the insights are relevant elsewhere, too: https://www.thacher.org/news-detail?pk=1286327&fromId=236387
Also: University of Chicago and Wesleyan are both test optional! The list is growing every year.
@chemmchimney , @Golfgr8 … make it 3! ???
Wow - we found each other!
Oh, wow!! This really beautifully captures what I haven’t been able to put into words about one of the huge benefits of BS. We’re in the application process right now, but I went to BS so have some experience to go by. We live in a major metropolitan area and have two middle school kids, 6th and 8th, in two different public schools that are nowhere near each other. The juggling and coordination necessary to manage their schedules right now is insane. Our 8th grader has a horrendous commute - he’s in a fabulous magnet program, but spends almost 3 hours a day commuting. I’ve been focusing on how much more he’ll be able to do if he goes to BS because of the lack of the commute. But I hadn’t really thought about how that centralization frees up the whole family from the scheduling/management insanity…
@JustWinginIt as a side effect of the above, it also allows your kids to become self sufficient at a much earlier age. I definitely would have been a more controlling, over involved parent if they had not attended BS (it’s just how I am wired).
Because I was not there to remind them to bring their swim googles to practice, push to have them meet with a teacher to discuss their poor performance or set up the meeting with their college counselor, they quickly took ownership of their daily lives. Some of our 4 took longer then others, but these skills have been the most important that they learned at BS. In college and in work, they are capable adults as they learned how to mange their time, ask for help and were given the opportunity to fail and pick themselves up and realize the world did not end because of their failure.
@vegas1 - from my own experience, I totally agree. I remember being very amused by the freshmen I encountered in college… ?. I tend to be pretty hands-off with my kids anyway - they do their own laundry, make their own lunches, etc., and have for years. But, especially with my younger son’s school, I always feel a little guilty, because they expect parents to check their kids agenda book every night and stay really involved with keeping the kids on top of everything. I think the whole point of middle school is to start taking responsibility for that stuff, and to learn time management.
@JustWinginIt and @vegas1 BS has eased up my control, too. Not only because DS is the first child…I always feel bad for kid1, but it has also opened my eyes to what is really important. Going through this process with him, I made many mistakes and have learned from them (sorry buuznkid1) so that I hopefully don’t make them with DD.
My kids also have done their own laundry and made their own lunches since age 8, I only check portals for my daughter when she asks me to…I’m pretty hands off compared to my LDS cohorts. But I think BS has caused me to back off even more.
I hope I can maintain the balance of being involved but not holding the reins throughout…y’all can call me out if you see me trying to take the wheel!!!
Random question—Will anyone be freezing their bum off at the New England Championship XC race at NMH today? We surprised our kids (both had no idea) with a trip up to NE…and will be braving the cold to watch DS run. If you see a lady frozen solid with a hockey mom voice…that’ll be me!
We wish could join you, @buuzn03. Enjoy. Go St. Mark’s!
How did it go, @buuzn03? Do tell!
@buuzn03 , did you thaw out? Or will we hear from you in April?
My teeth literally chattered for an hour straight. My daughter’s feet were so cold the pain from them brought tears to her eyes. Meanwhile, DS was running in a tank top and skivvy shorts. To say we did not prepare for that type of cold is an understatement. But it was fun to see our tiny school run with the large schools and see the crazy competition. The top three varsity boys were all under 15:45.
Unfortunately, the wind whipping through that valley and the expanse between buildings on campus may have dropped NMH from DDs list.
I can feel your misery. There’s an art to dressing for inactivity in the cold, but honestly, it’s rarely needed this early in the year! Hope you all got to warm up together somewhere afterwards.