<p>Two years ago today, TheAnalyst started the College Class of '13 thread (switching over from the HS Class of '09 thread) and it is still going strong. </p>
<p>I glanced at the old '09 thread and I miss a lot of the folks who use to post there. I adore my friends on the '13 thread, but would love it if some of the '09 parents who we haven't talked to in a while would post here to give us a report on how you and your student are doing. Both brags and rants accepted.</p>
<p>I would also love to hear from you all! Are you out there??? ;)</p>
<p>historymom…how are the twins?</p>
<p>Not sure if I count but – my d started out at University of South Carolina. She had not been heavily involved with her college search, just wanted “someplace warm”</p>
<p>After submitting all seven of her applications by November 1st (all schools had an Early Action option), she hesitated, not sure if she wanted to leave New England!!! Before panicking and coming up with a new list, we flew off to visit the South Carolina schools (College of Charleston and USC). Fortunately she liked USC and so I thought we were set.</p>
<p>She made some friends at Univ of SC, but wasn’t crazy about the school. She said she neither loved it nor hated it, and she wanted to love her school. (I’ve been saying that she discovered that the South was full of Southerners, and she wanted to be with people “more like herself.”) She submitted transfer applications to three schools (UMass-Amherst, Northeastern, and Ithaca College at the very last possible moment. She had visited Ithaca to see her boyfriend and liked it, although she didn’t really want to be see as someone who transferred to her boyfriend’s school.)</p>
<p>She was accepted to all three schools as a transfer student, and decided on Ithaca without any hesitation. She was even able to get a spot in the Park School of Communications, as she had decided by this point to major in something Public Relations oriented.</p>
<p>She has been happy there (ironically, her boyfriend is not at Ithaca this year). She told me that she has not regretted her transfer decision for one moment!</p>
<p>I would say I didn’t see any major maturation in her first year in college, but she has grown up more during the second. She was much more on the ball in terms of getting an (unpaid) internship for the summer, for example.</p>
<p>DD2 is safely ensconced at Lewis & Clark in Portland OR (just came home last night for the summer). She absolutely loves it - stayed out there for spring break. She has a couple of friends, is active in a few clubs, goes to the musical events on campus. She has definitely grown as a person. And she seems to be the top math student in her class which bodes well for the future.</p>
<p>DD is absolutely LOVING it at UC Davis and tells anyone that asks her! Lived in the dorms the first year, made some great friends (in and out of her major), lived off campus this year (realized how much work it really is to cook, clean, etc. that living on your own requires!), and will move in with new friends next year. Recently got an on campus job. Still working out details of what summer will bring - staying up there working/taking summer classes, internship out of state, or coming home and trying to find work down here. Her school doesn’t end till mid June while her hs friends are already starting to come home!</p>
<p>Good to hear from you all! More?</p>
<p>Missypie - you’re the best! I’m trying to cut down on my CC hours so I’ve stopped looking at the 2013 thread, it hurts, but it’s for the best as I am now ensconced in the high school 2012 thread instead! </p>
<p>My daughter is doing great at Northwestern, in the MT program, performing in plays, dances, tv programs, etc. Lives off campus and loves that, is the only MT major taking advanced 300 level math course “for fun” every term as well as some sort of history class. She’s incredibly busy but happy; a perfect NU experience!</p>
<p>This summer she working as an acting apprentice at a New England summer stock theatre which she is excited about but because of the quarter system at NU she gets home late Thursday night and leave Saturday for the whole summer. Oh well, at least she’s only 2 hours away so we can visit pretty easily.</p>
<p>Thanks missypie!</p>
<p>My D is finishing another jam-packed year at UCLA, doing fantastic socially and good enough academically. Her social life takes a much higher priority than I would like, but she is happy and thriving. She spent the first year in the dorms, and this past year in a sorority house, which hasn’t worked out so well because they have rush every quarter and a ridiculous number of mandatory activities. She plans to quit that at the end of the year. Next year she will go to Madrid for study abroad and then live in an apartment. Her favorite activity is the Snow Team, and she has made her best friends through that. She was also in the Marching Band and Symphonic band. Oh yes, she has worked in the student store since last summer. What else…she has a very devoted boyfriend. I honestly don’t know how she does it all. She has made the most of her college experience, which is all one can ask.</p>
<p>S is as happy as a hog in mud at UC Berkeley. He has been living off campus since the end of Freshman year, and is going to Beijing for an Intensive Mandarin Class this summer. Still a Molecular Cell Bio Major, and has joined a Pre Med Fraternity.</p>
<p>This weekend however, myself and the other parents are heading to their apartment because it is literally a dump, and we need to do some heavy cleaning and lecturing. What is it about boys!?!</p>
<p>I don’t think I posted in the '09 thread, but I am a HS 2009, College 2013 parent, the latter seeming dangerously near. In fact, as I type, I am getting a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. D1 is a junior, loving school, doing well, but still trying to figure out what her steps will be post college. She will be staying on campus this summer to work on research. Now to gear up to senior year with HS 2012 D, who is a more “out of the box” type of student, creative and insightful but not at all a great multiple-choice test taker.</p>
<p>Hey, missypie! We’re headed down to pick up S1 from D’s and my alma mater today. He had a fun first year with his sister there, and has had a great second year, too. Even at such a small school, he’s been able to forge a completely different path from his sister’s. It’s pretty cool to see.</p>
<p>S2 still thinks he’s headed there himself, but things could change. And since he’s just finishing third grade, we have several more years before I’ll need to return to the serious side of CC (and the hair dye + margaritas plan).</p>
<p>Hi Missy, Northminn et al! thanks for reaching out!
I don’t get on here much, but occasionally…have read about all of your kids over the months when I get the chance.
okay here’s a snapshot of a report!</p>
<p>My '09 D is happily finishing her sophomore year majoring in psychology at New College of Florida, she has found her groove and I’m proud to say she has definitely become a focused and strong student. Junior year she’ll do a semester in New Mexico which she is very excited about. She’ll be home for a couple weeks end of May and then she’s headed off to a program in California for half the summer that I wish they had for adults, sounds awesome. </p>
<p>My '08 S is still away at London School of Economics, studying abroad for his junior year, he’s had a blast traveling all over Europe, and says the LSE general course program is a rather intense program as study abroad programs go, meaning, there is much reading/studying required to do well. He’s managing to enjoy while studying…planning a trip to Italy after his finals are done. He returns for a few days in July, then he’s off back to Washington and Lee University to do a paid 
research internship. </p>
<p>We all had a great visit to London and a quick stop in Paris over the holidays, as a year was simply too long to not see each other! We actually stayed in LSE housing, as it was a block from the Thames river, across from St Paul’s cathedral ;)</p>
<p>My '14 S has had a fab year as a freshman in HS, active in activities, balancing fun with studying. He took his AP Bio exam on Monday and came home beamingly confident about how he felt he did. He’s a naturally funny, outgoing and independent kid, He’s spending two weeks at a leadership camp in Wisconsin this summer. I’m so pleased he has internal motivation to succeed, wants to emulate his sibs…the babies of the family can learn from those older ones.</p>
<p>I feel very blessed</p>
<p>I think I may have made a few post back in 09 but here is the update on my D. She is finishing up her Sophomore year at Whitman College. She absolutely loves the college. She is majoring in Biology and minoring in Art. She is currently taking finals but will be home in about 1 week. We will get to spend about 1 month with her before she leaves for New Zealand. She is doing a study abroad program for her fall semester. She is loving life.</p>
<p>missypie, thanks for starting this up. I wasn’t active in the previous thread, but will jump in on this one. :)</p>
<p>D had a miserable, drama-filled freshman year at her wonderful Midwestern LAC, mostly because of boyfriend-separation issues. Over last summer, they broke up. For fall semester, she took a leave of absense from her college, worked part-time, took a few classes at the local CC – and grew up. She returned to school this January. The day she went back, I wrote, “She left in August 09 a scared child, and returned in May a wounded child. Today she left as an adult.” </p>
<p>The difference this year is night and day. This time, she jumped into the social scene with both feet. Her friendship group now reminds me of what worked so well for her in high school: a couple of really close friends, and a very large group of buddies to hang out with. She’s becoming a student leader; on the steering committee of the most visible performing arts group on campus, and next year will be co-captain of a non-academic team. Academically, she bit off more than she could chew (18.5 credits) and anticipates Bs and Cs, down from her straight-A freshman year. But she did win a campus-wide essay contest, complete with $250 prize. </p>
<p>She’s majoring in English, aiming for a career in journalism. She’s planning on a semester abroad in India before she graduates.</p>
<p>Missypie, again, like many parents, thank you for starting this thread.</p>
<p>My son just completed his second year at Alabama, and he just loves the school. He is in three honors programs and is a triple major (math, economics and political science). He also should have time to complete his masters in economics all in four years. He has had his share of bumps – a breakup with his girlfriend leading the list. But he also has had triumphs – great grades, researching for an economics professor, a chance to be a student leader for a class and take a group to Costa Rica, studying abroad this summer in Europe, winning an all-expenses paid trip to Greece, thanks to his fraternity, and capturing a national scholarship that will provide him with tuition money and a government internship. He has made some wonderful friends through the many organizations on campus. </p>
<p>Like lindz126, I also have a son in the HS Class of 2014. He is an excellent student … and becoming an outstanding distance runner. His older brother has been a wonderful role model, but he wants to run his own path with a variety of activities and interests. </p>
<p>We are truly blessed.</p>
<p>I still pop into the 2013 thread now and then and enjoy hearing of all the D’s and S’ and their siblings, too. My S is home as of a week. Ups and downs last semester but it all came out fine. He enjoyed sharing a dorm room with a platonic female friend and is in a suite with 3 platonic females next year. Seems to work for him. He turns 21 this week…yikes! He finally broke up with the HS GF and now has been seeing a lovely young woman and enjoying this part of his life.
He is looking into his school’s 3/2 MBA program. I think it would be fabulous for him.
Our D moved back in with her dog to save money for a few months. She is busy studying for the MCAT’s and is quite determined. So now it is once again a full dinner table. Fun but never expected at this stage!
I enjoyed hearing from everyone…hope some more post.</p>
<p>lindz and oregon!!! So good to hear from you! :)</p>
<p>So glad to hear from you all!</p>
<p>Hi Missy-
When the thread gets past 4-5 pages I stop reading… takes too long… S Class of '09 is doing well. M-A-T-U-R-I-NG… smart, loved by all, except tough to pay the tuition bill when he spends to much time being loved by all.</p>
<h1>2 D Class of 2011-- very different college app process experience. We changed strategy-- go for schools where merit $ offered. Tremendous amt of effort! (this surprised me since I spent so much time on CC & I was actually starting a business w/ assisting others w/ college app process- post poned since I got a pay check job. ) Great results for D- thanks to all the knowleged earned here.</h1>
<p>Mayb e the more you know the more time you invest…</p>
<p>I probably only posted a couple of times on the HS class of 2009 board, but I still check the college class of 2013 board almost daily. </p>
<p>My '09/'13 daughter is completing her sophomore year at Carleton and loving it. She is a geology major (despite her mother’s example) and looking forward to missing the MN winter for a summer in New Zealand studying geology next year. The classes are HARD but Carleton has such a great personality/attitude. She has a great friend group and has no regrets going to a college 2000 miles away (and a million climate zones) that she had never visited</p>
<p>My '10/'14 daughter is a freshman at Pomona College in Claremont and also enjoying herself. Major still undecided but leaning toward History/Religion/English with possible law school aspirations. My husband and I are going up to Claremont tomorrow to bring her home.</p>
<p>Both girls have summer jobs as camp counselors (both at the same camp and the same camp where my husband and I worked and met at their age). </p>
<p>So far, so good. Both seem happy and engaged and are following their interests. It’s still hard not to worry but we are enjoying the experience.</p>