<p>Kajon: second Western State but know that, like Carroll, it can be tough to get to. Transportation to Carroll was the main reason it came off of my DD’s list. But It has so many other hugely attractive qualities…including COA that it did make the short list for her. I think the hassle of transportation would be worth it if your child can get an education you can afford in a place that makes him happy.</p>
<p>Thanks, NEMom,
I cannot wait until some good news comes in the mail. While it probably doesn’t mean too much, one of his admission representatives at one of his schools did send a personalized note in a Christmas card, which I thought was nice. He had met him at his high school back in October and I guess it was a good meeting and really raised my son’s interest in that school. Maybe an early sign of good things to come? He did apply to match and safety schools, but I am worried about a glaring C he got on his first term report card, where he had to change course levels and his grade just missed the B- by a percentage point. Seems small, but it does stick out, especially when it’s listed as a CP level class. We may have to explain that, or hopefully even better, getting a much higher grade in the class this term will help to show he recovered. No one wants a C on their senior transcript as the first thing that colleges see, but not much we can do at this point.<br>
Thanks for the support!</p>
<p>Nightchef,
I totally agree with your assessment on how that list of 8 or 9 ends up being too small. My son did apply to several Naviance reaches, but it’s so hard to judge with that, as schools are looking to balance a class group, so you can never tell. One admissions’ rep at a selective LAC told my son that because he was a male with a interest in a major that was not as common as most applicants that he would have a better shot. He did not apply to that school, however, as we honestly felt the reach was just too much, but hoping that might carry to the ones he did apply to as well.
Did your son apply to schools in Mass? I wonder if the boys applied to the same ones!</p>
<p>Kajon I just re-read your OP and here are a few more thoughts.</p>
<p>1) I was very happily surprised at the FA awards my kids received which brought what I always thought to be an extremely expensive school within reach. They are both attending one on merit and one not but for the one who isn’t her COA is about what it would have cost her to attend her UC option. Even if you don’t think you will be eligible for federal aid, file the FAFSA because there is often in-house need based aid available to many of those of us who make too much but also not enough.</p>
<p>2) Northern Arizona University is perhaps another OOS option to explore</p>
<p>3) Many parents make a deal with their students regarding loan repayment. For us we are paying the interest only payments while they are in school and will be halving their payments with them once they graduate. Once they get real jobs they will pay their full payments. If they marry at anytime before they get a real job they begin to absorb all the payments. If you look at it like that it may seem less onerous.</p>
<p>4) encourage over-nights at both campuses prior to decision time so that your S will get a real feel for both. </p>
<p>5) You have nearly 4 mos before he must decide so try not to agonize till the FA awards come in ;)</p>
<p>CapeCodLady8–Yes, five of the schools he applied to are in MA: Tufts, Brandeis, Clark, Wheaton, and UMass Amherst. Of the five, Tufts and Brandeis are obviously serious reaches, although both seem to like kids from his HS (i.e., Naviance shows his stats as being more competitive for those schools than you would think based on their overall stat profiles, though he’s still borderline at best). Of the others, Naviance shows Clark as a solid match and Wheaton and UMass as safeties.</p>
<p>One interesting thing on our school’s Naviance front–the stats breakdown page for each college now shows updated numbers including 2010 applicants, while the scattergrams still only show last year’s results. This allows one, with a little ingenuity, to figure out the average GPA for this year’s applicants. This has proved encouraging for one college, where it appears that our son’s GPA may be the best among this year’s applicants from his school, even though it would have been below average in last year’s group. I don’t know how much difference that will make, but it can’t hurt.</p>
<p>Kajon- what is my son doing in your house? Seriously I would go with the smaller school if you can financially swing it. My son is thriving in a small specialty college having transferred from a much larger school where he fell between the cracks.</p>
<p>I second historymom’s Northern Arizona suggestion for Kajon. Neat school and I love Flagstaff. S2 applied, was accepted and it’s floating out there as a big maybe. Pretty decent merit “scholarship” for out of state and fixed rate tuition for all 4 years (what you pay as a freshman will remain the same for 4 years.) The entry threshold statistically is pretty low, probably similar to Northern Michigan, Western State Colorado and some of the other directional state schools that aren’t anywhere near as large as the flagship campuses.</p>
<p>My S decided to take the SAT a third time as he was not happy with his math score, but he could not make up his mind & by the time he did, he had to go in and test “stand by” in December. Because he did not register online for this 3rd test I assumed we would get these scores by mail, the SLOW way. As he just decided yesterday to add another school into the mix, I went to the Collegeboard website & the December scores were there! </p>
<p>These scores were absolutely great & I have been busy sending them out tonight. He was very pleased & also his Math I & Math II scores from November were very good. So this is my good news, he is still arm wrestling with the Common Application! </p>
<p>My son decided not to take any SAT IIs. It did keep him from being able to seriously consider one school, but I think just the one. Is your S applying to a lot of schools that ask for them?</p>
<p>Actually he felt that the second test was going to be his best, but turned out to be his worst! The 3rd test’s scores overall were his best scores in everything: CR, Math & the Writing. He took the Math I & Math II as he is interested in Math-related type majors (but nothing definite yet) So the Subject Tests weren’t a requirement but he wanted to demonstrate a math interest. I am glad that his persistence paid off! To test “Stand by” is a lot of extra cash! Grrr…But he couldn’t make up his mind before the Registration Deadline…</p>
<p>Although the college search process has made me very cynical, I have not heard of colleges using merit awards which they expect the kids would not be able to keep, but the 3.2 requirement does seem high for a student who was not given merit on the basis of being a 4.0 in HS. </p>
<p>I was very plesantly surprised by the generous merit award my son received. I had thought his applying ED and not seeking need aid would reduce his merit prospects substantially. My cynicism level is dropping accordingly.</p>
<p>But after a strong start to the year, my son, post-acceptance and post-holidays, has serious senioritis and we need to start pushing him after enjoying easing off last year. I was hoping for a few months off…</p>
<p>yabeyabe2. so glad to hear that the merit money came through! I have shared your cynicism about the effect of ED on the amount of merit money offered.</p>
<p>yabeyabe: I agree your S need to push through to the end of the semester but easing up after is normal and can give you both a sense of relief.</p>
<p>I would suggest having a conversation with him wherein you establish grade expectations but I wouldn’t fight too hard against the natural inclination to take a bit of a breather.</p>
<p>My nephew and his buddies adopted the attitude that if they got higher than a C+second semester, they were working too hard. :eek: I DO NOT recommend this philosophy but when my daughters were seniors last year I was a little relieved when they had a bit more fun second semester. Maybe there is an EC he can focus on that will give him a bit more of a fun social outlet.</p>
<p>Hollie and History, thanks. Since he was a little late in gaining academic drive, I want him to have a fun senior year, but not forget what it took to get his happy landing! I suspect many senioritis kids later pay a price when they decide to transfer colleges and those grades surface. Still, I appreciate a kid about to watch many good friends scatter will want to maximize his time with them.<br>
And the girls in the class who have already begun recruiting kids for post-prom beach houses, don’t help (at our school, it seems no boys do prom planning, which may not be surprising).</p>
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