<p>Somehow it doesn't seem possible that I have been reading, posting in and watching these discussions for three years and now it is here, D is finishing up junior year and now starts the crunch of the application process.</p>
<p>At least she is excited to apply and visit some more of the schools on her potential list. I am excited for her too but a tiny bit sad (well okay a LOT sad) that this is her last year at home. Anyone care to share your thoughts on d or s being a senior next year?</p>
<p>When it is all over are you going to keep coming to the CC discussions?</p>
<p>My son is a senior this year. Talk about being sad and joyful at the same time! Enjoy each last thing fully, it's been a wonderful year, except for waiting to hear from colleges--that was painful. If she can find some schools she loves that do rolling admissions or EA, that helps some with the anxiety. Encourage her to do what she loves and help her build a list of schools that fit her, whether or not they'll impress your neighbors. It's too soon to tell, but I don't think I'll be weaned away from CC any time soon.</p>
<p>Great advice bethievt. D actually has mostly rolling admissions schools on her list (not on purpose, it just happened). The only thing will be waiting to see the financial aid packages as I believe those do not come out until March-ish? She even has two schools that she could complete her application to now and they will let her know within two-weeks!</p>
<p>As for impressing the neighbors - never been our family perspective (thank goodness). We live in an area where the big-deal anyway is getting into the LARGE state U with challenging admissions (especially in-state) and she isn't the slightest interested.</p>
<p>This should be an interesting ride for sure.</p>
<p>My D is also finishing up her senior year. Since I've got two younger children(next one up is currently a HS freshman), I definitely plan on sticking around CC. Bethievt made some good points. I can add some more lessons learned based upon my own experience: 1) When developing a list of colleges to check out, cast a wide net and keep an open mind--once she's ready to apply, then you can whittle the list down, 2)Especially with rolling admissions schools, she's smart to get those applications done and arrange for the transcripts and rec.'s to be sent ASAP--there seemed to be quite a few highly qualified applicants that got shut out of rolling adm. schools, in all likelihood due to delaying application submission. 3.) Allow adequate time to complete the financial aid paperwork--especially if you need to complete the CSS Profile--I found that form to be a real bear.<br>
Have a great year--Aside from the seemingly endless wait for the RD decisions to come back (although that shouldn't be much of an issue for you with mostly rolling admissions schools)and the abovementioned FA forms--I really enjoyed this process with my D and am actually looking forward to starting the college visits again, in another year, with D2.</p>
<p>221 views and I am the only parent of a rising HS Senior???</p>
<p>I have a rising senior S but he is a very average (actually he's probably below average) student who has no idea what he wants to do after h.s. gradution. With his low grades and SAT score (which he refuses to re-take), there are not that many options open to him.<br>
This is so frustrating for H and I since older S is a very good student who had his college plan mapped out by the middle of high school and has never deviated from his goal. He was so easy.</p>
<p>I know every kid is different and we don't expect S2 to be just like S1. We just wish he could at least find a direction he is interested in going. He knows we expect him to do something but he has yet to figure out what that will be. H and I worry about it constantly. We will be relieved when he is out of high school.</p>
<p>PackMom, I started a thread on Parents Cafe titled, "Taking a Gap Year DURING High School". While some of the comments may not be relevant to you, there are a handful that might be worth reading - e.g., language study abroad, vocational schools etc. I hope you find something useful there but there are also other threads dealing with options beyond college immediately after HS.</p>
<p>I have an S who is a rising senior and the 2nd of my 3 kids. His older S always said she wanted to go to school in NYC and after lots of nagging, I had her apply to some other city schools because I didn't think she would get into NYU, her 1st choice. She did get into all of her city and near-city schools (Fordham, Rutgers, GWU). I also wasn't too thrilled about her going to school in the Big Apple since she had spent her whole life in rural New England. But she is a sophmore and happy as a clam.
As for her brother, I thought he would be very easy about the whole process and happy at the state university. Oh no, I was so wrong! He has this idea that he has to go to a "name" school, meaning one he has heard of. Until these last few months when some of his senior friends are getting into colleges, he only knew the names of the usual New England suspects.
Unfortunately, he is not as strong a student as his sister and the admission game has gotten much tougher in only 2 years, so I am trying my best to take hime to visit schools that he hasn't quite heard of to see what he thinks. I believe that he can learn as much about what he doesn't like as what he likes by visiting many schools, and like all of us, I just want him to find the right fit. But I also want to prevent the inevitable hurt that our kids feel when they are rejected from their top choice school. I try to tell him that it isn't that he isn't smart, it is just that there are so many kids out there who are equally deserving of a spot and the decisions are often arbitrary.
So we'll see how it goes. As for leaving CC, I here for the duration, since I also have a freshman D and while right now I think she will be quite easy, that is what I thought about my S too.</p>
<p>BTW, this is my first post.</p>
<p>All the kids on our street are juniors so after next year all the older kids will be going somewhere. It will be very strange and quiet. I geuss at our house we feel the pressure because this is out last to send out into the world and then we will be empty of all children. (yay). But, this one wants to go away to Univ of Miami and we think it will be a reach. She is the best out of the bunch and we are hoping for a flippin miracle for her. She lets things roll off her shoulder and we are paniking that she is not more proactive with the whole app process. She is a real delight... but slow going with a perpetual smile.</p>
<p>count me in too! I've been here a year or so, and with a musician kid, I spend a lot of time on the Music Forum. Welcome to those of you who are new to CC.</p>
<p>I've been on for, well let's just say..eons. DD is now a rising senior - in COLLEGE, and I was on for two years before she matriculated. DS in a graduating HS senior. I thought I was through, but now DD is talking grad school, so I may just hang around. Welcome to all newcomers, and congrats on your first post, 4my3kids! :)</p>
<p>PackMom, have you read posts by Northstarmom about her sons? You may want to talk to her about her experiences with one son doing a gap year and another son who went to college when he wasn't ready.</p>
<p>Sorry, Believersmom, no advice from me. I'm just a lowly student. :)</p>
<p>Like Anxiousmom, D1 is also a rising college senior...also applying to grad school. D2 is a rising HS senior...so I will be on board for the "fun." Besides, D3 will be entering HS in the fall. It never ends...;)</p>
<p>corranged-
Lowly? No way, it is what we are all living for, our students. :)</p>
<p>Jr. S has never liked school (except for the social aspect and football. he excels at both of those,lol). His gpa is prob. only 3.1w., has taken 9 honors classes and 2 AP's so far. Will take 2 more honors classes plus 2 community college classes for Sr. year along with assorted non-weighted elective classes.<br>
Only made 960/1600 on SAT and says he never wants to take it again. He could possibly get into 2 of our lower ranked state u's but H and I don't know if there is any point in sending him (if he even wants to go which he is not real sure about) since he has no real goal/plan at this point. We know he could get into a small private but we don't have private school savings and are not willing to take out big loans for an unmotivated student. We would not qualify for fianancial aid. We are a state school family.
We have no problem with him going the Community College route if that's what he chooses. We just wish he would wake up and take some interest in any of this. He chooses to spend most of his free time with his head under the hood of a car. He and his freinds are motorheads at the moment .</p>
<p>We have told him that after h.s grad., he can go to school, join the military, or find a full-time job and pay us rent while he figures out what he wants to do. He knows these are his choices. Hopefully he'll become interested soon.</p>
<p>I am also the parent of a rising HS senior, D2. D1 just finished up her Freshman year at UF (Go Gators). I also have a son who is finishing up 7th grade so ... the beat goes on. </p>
<p>D2 is very interested in going to college and would love to start tomorrow however she has little interest in the "process". She has spent the greater part of her life with medical issues which inevitably affected her academic and social life. Despite this, she is a terrific (warm, friendly, smart, funny and very pretty) individual. Unfortunately, I don't believe that most colleges will see this...her extra curriculars were severely limited from the medical problem. Hopefully she can write a good college applc. essay that explains this without the "poor me" aspect. Because of her recurrent/occasional medical condition we have narrowed the college search with this child to schools that are in our home state, preferably driving distance (far enough for independence, close enough to come home for a weekend).
I am hoping that she will be able to enjoy her senior year in high school for what it is and not stress too much about the college admissions. D1 spent probably the last 6 months of her senior year wishing (constantly) that she was already in college. I hope that I don't have to hear this again but, perhaps they all do that!
D2's first choice "match" college is a rolling admissions school so she will apply early and hopefully be admitted early in the Fall, thus allowing her a stressfree senior year. She does have two reach schools but knows that her chances for them are unlikely. To know D2 is to love her but since those schools do not interview, it is unlikely that they will see beyond her non-stellar GPA and SAT scores. Her GC at school is a very nice person but, lets face it, she really does not know her that well. Teacher recommendations are also a tough thing....the teacher's are being very nice (she is still trying to make up about two weeks worth of schoolwork from her last illness) but I sense an underlying frustration with them having to deal with this.
Yes, the whole process will be very different for us the second time around!
I have confidence though that all will work out well in the long run.</p>
<p>My son is a junior. He is a bright kid, who never learned to study. This year, he took 3 AP course (calc ab, us history, english) and 2 Honors courses (physics, german), phys ed, an english elective and an independent study. I think he's having some self-confidence issues because AP course work didn't come as easy to him as academics have in the past, and his GPA has decreased. (From what I'm reading here, downward trend = bad.) </p>
<p>He took the SAT in January. He did not prepare (unless you count eating a hearty breakfast the morning of the test as preparation.) He doesn't want take it again. I don't see any sense in it because he won't prep for it. His scores are okay. Also, he is a national merit scholar commended student. He probably will not progress any further in the competition.</p>
<p>He has definite interests as far as what he wants to study in college, but he hasn't taken any initiative as far as researching schools. We've gone to a couple college visits this spring, and plan more over the summer. </p>
<p>I'm sure he'll get into a school, but I want him to get into a school that he loves, or at least likes a lot. I'm hoping that he gets fired up about some place soon, and that it will be place that is financially feasible for our family.</p>
<p>Packmom- maybe knowing a lot about cars isn't such a bad thing (except on CC) - after all, they are getting more and more complicated, and (at least where I live) a good trustworthy mechanic is worth his weight in gold, plus it's a job that can't be outsourced overseas, unlike pretty much all comp sci jobs apparently. Seriously, maybe something that's related to cars like engrg, or even just a business degree so he can have his own auto shop and be his own boss. Do what you love and the money will follow.</p>
<p>Our S is into music. We allowed him to not take physics next year and take music theory instead. He's into multiple instruments, a garage band, and choir. I've been preaching "follow your passion" for years and now I have to worry that he will pick the state u with the great music dept and be poor for years waiting for his "break". But then I feel like a hypocrite if I say "maybe it might be worth considering a degree you can just go out and get a job with", ya know?</p>
<p>Oh well, he has a lot of talent so I guess we have to have faith in him. Thankfully, the state u is really good at what he wants to do, so we won't be putting a huge amount of money into it (see Taxguy's thread), and his test scores so far are pretty good (but he is going to take the ACT for the third time in June, just to see if he can bump it up into the good scholarship range).</p>
<p>This is the caboose for us. Last night he said "one more year and i'm outta here". Yikes!</p>
<p>I am soooo glad to hear that many of you are going through the same things as we are here. Sometimes it seems on CC that the ONLY schools are HPY etc...</p>
<p>Not so! I have a VERY successful business life that spans several industries AND I am involved on a volunteer basis with several more in which I do not make a living but know people who do. I have lived and done business all over the country. Also I am in my mid-forties. I say this because with all that, I have NEVER even met someone who attended an ivy league school. Additionally, two of the most successful people I know (one of whom was recently on television because he is so successful - by anyone's standards) went to teenie tiny private no-name colleges in the midwest, and started out at a public(gasp) mediocre hs.</p>
<p>Take heart fellow warriors, as long as our children find the course (and the place) that is right for them, they will be fine.</p>
<p>Mercymom- You are NOT a hypocrite, you are doing your job. But I trust that as long as your S has drive and passion and is willing to get creative, he can turn anything he wants into a living. Same holds true for all of our children.</p>
<p>Now if only we got combat pay for this upcoming year! :)
Oh wait, we don't get paid for any of this. LOL!!!</p>