Parents of the high school class of 09

<p>Has anyone else noticed a dwindling of college mail lately? I guess we're in the lull before the onslaught of viewbooks.</p>

<p>HistoryMom -- Thanks for your advice! </p>

<p>Another general question for all -- My daughter is primarily interested in math/science. I see from other postings that similar students consider Liberal Arts schools. She has been primarily focusing on strong Math/Science schools. Is there a good reason to consider Liberal Arts Schools for a strong Math/Science student? She's flexible and doesn't have her heart set on any school in particular. We, her parents, of course would love to see her get at least some academic money if she considered either an Out of State or Private school. Are there any good Liberal Art Schools that are somewhat generous with academic scholarships to strong students?</p>

<p>My daughter (only kid) has good grades, terrible test scores, and is probably going to play a sport in college. as of now, she has a couple of offers, but we have not yet found the right combination of athletics and academics where both are a good match. She will be taking the SATs for the second time and the ACT for the first time in June, and if she can get her scores up just a little (she has always had a very difficult time with standardized tests) she should be OK.</p>

<p>Her highschool GC says, that given her good grades and her athletic ablity, if she can break 500 on each section of the SAT's she will have lots of options.</p>

<p>AdvicePlease,</p>

<p>A job would look good on your daughter's resume. BTW, my son won't turn 17 until mid January of his senior year (2009). Many colleges look for a financial contribution from a student -- say $2,000 to $2,500 a year. </p>

<p>As for schools with merit money and pre-med programs, look at the NJ schools like Drew, TCNJ, etc. They have combination BA/MD programs. They are smaller schools but still very good schools.</p>

<p>The writing score matters at some schools, but not all. </p>

<p>SUNY Stony Brook is on the mid-range size, but has good merit money. My cousins each have a child going there -- one for ROTC and the other on merit money.</p>

<p>Washington and Lee is a good choice, too. Excellent school, but she will need to interview to have a chance for admission/merit money. I know this, because my friend's son didn't, and he was waitlisted. Still got into a top 25 school anyway, which was his top choice.</p>

<p>Firefly Scout, </p>

<p>There's still tons coming in my box -- both snail and e-mail!</p>

<p>Adviceplease - There's a thread elsewhere on good schools for Merit Aid; some LACs have only need-based aid (not sure whether you'd qualify). </p>

<p>As for LACs for a science-type: I'm a huge proponent of LACs because of the small class sizes, focus on teaching, and research opportunities for undergrads. Also I think many kids change their interests in college (they generally have such a narrow exposure in hs). At a small LAC they can try all sorts of things. (My neice went in expecting to major in Env Sci and ended up in Japanese linguistics.)</p>

<p>Also, for women, some colleges are especially strong in the sciences providing great support and mentoring. I'm sure it's true at a bunch of others, but I know most about Carleton:</p>

<p>"between 1991 and 2000...[Carleton] is first among liberal arts colleges in graduates who earned PhD’s in sciences and mathematics, first in physics and astronomy, first in the numbers of chemistry PhD’s, first in PhD’s in the geological sciences, fourth in PhD’s in the biological sciences, and sixth in mathematics and statistics. Carleton is first among liberal arts colleges in the number of students who have been awarded National Science Foundation fellowships for further study during the past five years."</p>

<p>"Although Carleton’s undergraduate enrollment is minuscule compared with that at universities like Minnesota in the Twin Cities, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Wisconsin at Madison, it produces more women who go on to earn doctorates in the physical sciences than do any of those institutions.</p>

<p>Carleton has even managed to send on more women for advanced degrees in the physical sciences than either Dartmouth College or Princeton University—both of which graduate double the number of women that Carleton does."</p>

<p>Strykermom - a few thoughts which may or may not apply depending on your daughters sport, how competitive she is, etc.
Smaller div3 schools might be more likely to a)look at the pkg not just scores, b) be thrilled to get a scholar athlete and c) afford your daughter star status on her team.</p>

<p>I think adcomms that have the band width to read full apps recognize that there are many great students who don't do well on standardized tests.
Good luck!</p>

<p>MomReads and Bingle:</p>

<p>Thanks for your advice. I'm definitely going to plan a trip to SUNY Stonybrook. never heard of Drew but will definitely look into it. My older daughter received a good merit award from SUNY Stonybrook but decided upon Penn State. She would have been able to attend SUNY Stonybrook at a lower cost than Penn State even as an out-of-state student. Penn State gave her some academic scholarship money in Freshman Year but none afterwards. She's been quite successful there, however, and currently has a great internship and still may graduate in 3 years due to advanced standing through AP credits and online summer courses. I loved my years at Penn State and have encouraged her not to rush it but.......she's anxious to finish early.</p>

<p>My current rising senior has better academic qualifications but not as specific of a plan for a major as my older daughter. My older daughter is absolutely an IST/programming techie type and my younger daughter is more Biology/Chemistry/Medicine but enjoys other subjects also. That's why I think a LAC might work for her. We definitely won't get financial aid because we both work but am hoping for some academic aid. I'm of the opinion that my daughter will do well wherever she goes so am definitely not going to push her to apply to especially expensive elite colleges.....unless she wants to. If she gets into an exclusive school with no academic aid it will be tough for us to support her attendance unless she's going to share the financial burden through loans.</p>

<p>I've learned much since my first daughter applied to college....I had no idea that kids were expected to take SAT subject tests to apply to college and consequently my older daughter was limited in to where she could apply. I should have known all of this, I suppose, but somehow missed it. Now I know more for my younger more daughter....I still have a bunch to learn, however about what colleges she should apply to. She's an active player in all of this -- of course -- and is anxious to start the college application process. </p>

<hr>

<p>Strykermom --- The standardized test thing is a strange thing. My older daughter had 720 in Math and barely 500 in CR. Oddly, she was an early reader, was in the gifted program at her school, excelled in the standardized tests during grade school in middle school...go figure. I spend a bunch of money on a tutoring service and she did not improve at all. We never did figure it out...and my stubborn child refused to take the SATs again. She had taken the old SATs twice (in ninth and tenth grade) but only would take the new SATs once in eleventh grade.</p>

<p>My younger daughter does not have the same issue....initially she tested quite low in CR and then her score went up almost 200 points...why?...anyone's guess. Crazy tests!</p>

<p>My daughter thinks she got a lower CR score because she tried to zip through and not bother reading the passages but just going straight to the questions and then searching for the answer. I suspect there are other kids like her for whom this has worked on other tests. She's willing to retake and read the passges this time - we'll see how it goes.</p>

<p>strykermom: I think our Ds play the same position in the same sport :) Mine though is not being recruited. Congratulations! My girls are hoping to raise those pesky scores in June too. Especially math! I am sure your D will have a lot of wonderful and exciting options. Sometimes the CC obsession w/ test scores over 2100 gets me worried but I have pragmatic and experienced friends who know that our kids are more than their numbers and they talk me down off the ledge ;)</p>

<p>Hey lindz!</p>

<p>Bingle, great idea to look at D3 I think shewould be middle of the pack at many D-1 schools and would be a star at many d-3 schools. Right now, she really wants to go to a big school with a big sports program but I think she shoud widen her criteria a little bit. She and I are not quite on the same pge - she is focusing more on the sports aspect, I am trying to make sure she gets good academics, and we just haven't quite found the right mix yet.</p>

<p>Anyway, thank you for your thoughts -</p>

<p>Carleton doesn't offer interviews for juniors, or at least that's what we were told. So he didn't have an interview.</p>

<p>Thanks Cardinal Fang, I didn't know that, tho it makes sense. I'm even an alum interviewer for Carleton, but very new to the job:) If he's still interested next year he can do an interview then and be better able to tell them why he wants Carleton and explain why his GPA doesn't tell the whole story.
Good luck - maybe we'll end up on the parent maillist in Sept '09???</p>

<p>lunatari - did you attend the road show of Whitman & 3 other LACs in the Twin Cities last month? Whitman is one of the 4 schools we visited over spring break, and it remains #1 on D's list. Actually, Walla Walla had a lot more charm than I had envisaged; think Stillwater with a western flair.</p>

<p>However, as I like to point out to D, you can get to Paris faster than Walla Walla.</p>

<p>Strykermom...I also have two Ds who play the beautiful game. D2 who is also in the class of '09 verbally committed to a DI program this spring so our search is over. We were also concerned about the academic/athletic blend at a smaller DIII LAC. If you are interested in schools with good combinations look at WashU, Wheaton (Ill), Emory, Puget Sound...those are off the top of my head.</p>

<p>I loved Carleton and the coach is fabulous! D liked it initially but then it fell off her radar. I was disappointed at first but we're pleased as punch with her new choice!</p>

<p>Looking ahead to what we'll be chatting about next year...</p>

<p>This is a very naive question, but when a college waitlists you, do they also give you an idea of what kind of financial package they will give you should they end up accepting your child? </p>

<p>I can see next spring being a very stressful time!</p>

<p>No, they will only inform you of the financial aid package when you are actually accepted off the waitlist.</p>

<p>Yikes, makes a stressful situation even worse. It's not "...but I'll go to choice #1 if they take me off the waitlist" but rather "...but I'll go to choice #1 if they take me off the waitlist and my parents can afford it".</p>

<p>Good Luck to all those kids taking the SAT today. I hope they achieve the scores they need to get the admission and the $$</p>

<p>Hope the SAT II takers did well, also.</p>

<p>Anyone have any idea what would be a good score on the Math I (for a kid who wants to go into a semi-math-related field--comp sci)? Son also took US History..not sure what would be good for that?</p>

<p>(I know there are the 'averages' out there on collegeboard or whatever, but I don't think they show the competitive end of things as well as parents here!)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>reviving again because I know we have some new 09 parents. Welcome to Queen's Mom and anyone else who is new...I have brought over some of owlice's baked good and laid out some California wines</p>

<p>Jolynne: re your post above...I don't know what a good score would be but as we count down the remaining days till scores come in I am pulling for all the CC June SAT takers. I had an interesting talk w/ a former colleague who happened to bemy DDs Geometry teacher...both girls aren't big fans of Geometry, anyway he asked about my girls and math and I told him that though they both continued to challenge themselves in math one of my twins still struggled. anyway I expressed concern because my D wants to major in Bio and continue on to Vet School and Math is an ineveitable part of that. What he said was reassuring so I wanted to pas it on to you. He told me she would be fine. That as long as she understands the concepts, which she does, she will apply them correctly to the subjects she is interested in in college. She will always have to work at it but her math knowledge is solid. Anyway when I just re read your post ablove I thought of that in regards to your S. Engineering math is practical and if it is your son's desire he will likely do fine regarless of his SATII Math score :)</p>