<p>
[quote]
Your college life will have a beginning and an end, but don't expect it to have purpose in between.
[/quote]
lol
but, really, purposes too numerous to mention. Maybe not a purpose in getting you a job (my husband would turn over in his grave if he saw this), but what about broadening your world.....?</p>
<p>I tell my children all the time that the only people in the world who will ever know how nuts their dad & I are will be their siblings. So if they want ANY sympathy for their rotten childhoods, any help someday taking the car keys away from us, or a person to speed dial and vent to when we act mean or insane-- they'd better remain close with their sibs!</p>
<p>I lost my brother as a teen. I thank God for my sister. I have raised my kids to appreciate one another and not take each other for granted. I would give anything to have my brother back-- and when we were growing up we fought like guerrilla warriors. I don't beat myself up for it, but I really regret that we were not closer.</p>
<p>My kids are really close but it might also have something to do with the major spacing between them (ages 18, 13, & 7!) My brother & I were 15 months apart and I know this contributed to my decisions on child spacing.</p>
<p>No counselor is going to know as much about or care as much for your kid as you do.</p>
<p>Through great info found on CC and other sites, I've been able to direct my D in ways that her HS college center director never could. In most instances they're overworked (1:450 at our school) and sometimes they're hopelessly outdated and clueless (unfortunately that was the case here as well). I wouldn't mind so much, except for the fact that a lot of the information spewed by this guy is flat-out wrong.</p>
<p>I did identify this flaw early on, fortunately, and steer her more towards specific college websites, and more importantly the dollars-and-cents aspect of the whole thing. Not that a 17-year-old is going to totally understand that, but it was worth a shot...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Be Your Own Child's College Counselor
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I totally agree. I have told many people something along the same lines. The only person who has your kid's best interests at heart is you.</p>
<p>Match does not equal admit</p>
<p>This came from another discussion on highly selective LACs, is any student ever a match? Safeties should equal admit. ?Matches equal more likely than not?</p>
<p>Cangel-
I read this on the other thread as well and whole heartedly agree. Actually the advice given in that thread about matches with regards to top LACs was very informative and actually cast them as reaches or even worse, lottery, than HYPS.</p>
<p>Yep, that is a great one-liner.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>For high stats candidates (1600, 3 800s, 1st in class) , the top LACs are not lottery, imho. They are matches. I don't think cangel is wrong when she says that it does not mean they will be automatically admitted. But I don't agree they are lottery. You just have to package your application so that you:
1) Show a strong interest in the school.
2) Don't appear to be arrogant.</p>
<p>Just imho.....kat. And I could be wrong.</p>
<p>** If you think the cost of education is expensive, try the cost of ignorance**</p>
<p>Virtually any class is interesting if it is taught by a passionate & excellent teacher, and a ho-hum instructor can ruin a topic that sounds incredible in the course catalog.</p>
<p>Ask assorted upperclassmen for a list of their all-time favorite professors, then try to pick from the classes these profs are offering.</p>
<p>sybbie-
Great line. Sounds like something my Zaydie would say.</p>
<p>cangel - at our PHS, Guidance does not use the term "match." They call it "50/50." Drives home the point - it is a 50/50 chance; it is not an assumed admit. So have a real safety -- or two -- that you would really be happy to go to. A safety is not "I know I can go there if I really have to", it's a place you'd really enjoy that is not as competitive in the admission process.</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>For high stats candidates (1600, 3 800s, 1st in class) , the top LACs are not lottery, imho. >></p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>Actually with all due respect, I disagree. I read somewhere that some of these schools (the Ivies in particular) could fill their classes two or three times over with student such as the ones you are describing. AND they could fill their classes five times over with all the valedictorians who apply. If you have those "perfect stats" these schools would only be matches if you have a reasonable chance of acceptance. While the stats indicate this might be so, the reality is that MANY students with these stats do NOT get accepted. Thus the LOTTERY.</p>
<p>thumper1, I wasn't talking about the ivies. I was only talking about the top LACs. I think a student with those stats have a reasonable chance of getting into AWS.</p>
<p>I know that the ivies, particulary HYPS are lotteries!</p>
<p>Rip yourself off the CC board after you have been on for 30 minutes. Failure to do so will make you a life-time addict.</p>
<p>There are worse addictions ...</p>
<p>1. Honesty is the best policy, and it's easier than lying</p>
<p>*2. Look at what you plan to do from the viewpoint of the person on the other side *</p>
<p>Sorry; need two one-liners.</p>
<p>Honesty is the best policy and also the easiest; as a previous poster said, it enables you to be consistent. You don't have to remember what story you told whom, and you'll feel better about yourself, as well. That doesn't mean that you can't properly promote your good points to achieve a result, e.g. admission to a good school. But it does mean that you shouldn't lie. </p>
<p>On the second, one example is that there are a lot of posts about whether or not one should submit all sorts of additional materials with college applications. The answer I always give is - think not about how great these look to you; rather think about the person who will be reviewing them - whether it will seem great to them, or be a pain. How would you feel if you are in their situation and are asked to look through this video, CD, book of poetry, etc.? When making a presentation to someone, think more about what they want to hear about, and less about what you want to say (but you'll still be able to get your points in with good organization).</p>
<p>
[quote]
think more about what they want to hear about, and less about what you want to say
[/quote]
This advice was given to me almost 30 years ago before I was to speak, ironically, at a HS College Night, and it is the best advice I have ever received re speaking to groups. Has served me well as speaker/teacher over many many years.</p>
<p>Sort of along the lines of honesty is the best policy, dadofsam.</p>
<p>Learn to understand such foreign languages as German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, French, Hindu and others because in college those are the only languages that most of your math and science professors will be able to speak.</p>
<p>*Consider the administrative cost involved with the college application, financial aid process before you apply to 20 schools *</p>
<p>I see many tirades on the finanical aid threads about the college board being a bunch of greedy blood-sucking vipers because of all of the charges associated with filing the CSS profile, releasing SAT scores etc.</p>
<p>While that may be true (and can be debated on its own thread), there are a ton of schools that do not require SAT's /SAT II's or the css profile. If you find this to be so horrendous, simply do not apply to schools that require stuff fromt he college board instead of crying that you cannot afford to file for all of this stuff. I really love the classic question, "What happens if I don't send in the CSS Profile?</p>
<p>If money is going to be an issue, talk it over with your parents the cost of application fees, releasing scores, submitting the CSS profile, postage etc before attemping to apply to 20 schools. Or better yet, get a job (mow lawns, baby sit, save gift money) to help defray the cost of the process.</p>