<p>My D and I spent most of this year living in a house full of moaning and sighing about college. About a month ago, we instituted what has been a pleasant and productive ritual. On Wednesday evenings, she and I go to the Pita Pit for dinner and have our College Meeting. We bring whatever "work" materials we might need (forms to be filled out, brochures, etc.) and focus on college discussion. I basically don't bring up college the rest of the week (that's a little tough for me), and she can't tell me to change the subject during our College Meeting (that's a little tough for her). The Pita Pit is pretty empty then, so we can take a big table and spread out all our stuff. The guys know us now and are very encouraging. I wished we'd started it months ago.</p>
<p>Why, bblfraser, that sounds refreshingly civilized!</p>
<p>bblfraser what a fabulous idea!</p>
<p>Nice idea, bblfraser! I'm taking that for when my 6 year old applies, 11 years from now (wish I'd thought of it for oldest..)</p>
<p><<familyoutdoors...whose tantrum?="" yours="" or="" his?="">> I think he started it, but I finished it, LOL!</familyoutdoors...whose></p>
<p>Believe me, we have our share of meltdowns. We actually have another ritual: our Sunday breakfast at Panera (notice we are in the cheap date category). The rule has emerged that we keep it light. This means mostly that I get to hear all the dish about her friends. OMG she said what???? I get to be the cool mom for the hour because I listen to all her whirlwind. The conversation is rarely, so what's new with you, mom. That's ok, really. But sometimes it's been impossible to "keep it light" and we don't make it out of the parking lot and turn around and come straight home because we fought so much on the 5 minute drive to Panera. So the Pita Pit night was a way to use the (mostly successful) Panera breakfast format with a different focus. It kept Panera intact and allowed a constructive venue for college talk.</p>
<p>I like your idea, bblfraser - just wish I could limit myself from college talk!</p>
<p>Still waiting for transcripts to be sent. Apparently the school is waiting for their profiles to be printed (they hope to get them this week). Not sure I understand why the profiles couldn't be produced much earlier. Le sigh.</p>
<p>Son will be visiting daughter at her college this weekend. I think he is really, really looking forward to a weekend away from the parental units.</p>
<p>D, who said to me, "Mom, EVERYTHING will be done before school starts," finished the common app and one supplement on Sunday. I wanted to weep.</p>
<p>bblfraser - that is a great idea! As much as I love Pita Pit, my D would prefer Moe's next door, hopefully we won't get salsa on the laptop! Her vegetarian teammates suggested it to her, and she gets there every chance she gets, so I might just convince her to do some college app work in between bites.</p>
<p>On another note - D decided last night that this weekend's invitational was more important than taking an SAT, which we probably would not send anyway since her ACT was so good, so she is DONE with testing!</p>
<p>bblfraser, I am so envious. I wonder if food at a restaurant would get a boy to talk? Actually, I am seeing the pieces of his common app and supplement for 1st choice school come together....slowly.....slowly.....oh so painfully slowly... Now that it's Oct. 1st and he has 3 applications due at varying times between now and Dec. 1 (and will have at couple of auditions in there as well), I'm finding the pressure mounting a tad.</p>
<p>So far I've only had one outburst about time management.....give me strength!!!</p>
<p>BBlfraser,</p>
<p>We have had one meltdown -- it lasted 15 minutes and had nothing to do with college. It was probably the result of being tired -- parent and son.</p>
<p>Right now, I'm glad I'm not suggesting that we go out to eat and discuss colleges. The boy is putting away so much food, it is unreal. He and his friends often eat lunch in my classroom so they can continue to work on their online classes or their college apps. Today, my son ate his lunch, then he finished his friend's Chinese food. But we also got a lot done on apps -- my son and his friends. So it's been a good day.</p>
<p>S1 will be filling out his online application via the CSU Mentor. Today (Oct 1) is the first day it's available. I'm not even having to urge him on - he knows that the sooner he gets his application in, the sooner he'll be notified, and the less I'll be bugging him :)</p>
<p>D had a meeting with the GC today and I signed off on 5 college transcript transmittal sheets. The GC called me today and said D hasn't finalized her resume and they will have to postpone sending the transcripts until she does.</p>
<p>Ugh. One step forward, two steps back.</p>
<p>In the meantime, all 5 of the colleges she applied to have acknowledged receiving her application, most acknowlege receiving test scores, ALL anxiously awaiting a transcript. :(</p>
<p>My kid has given in all the transcript and recommendation requests to the high school; just finished essay; English teacher needs to review. We were lucky school is off for 2 days of Rosh Hashana so she could work on it!</p>
<p>Kid also had huge complex issue she needed to talk to one admissions office about and dialed the number all by herself and had an intelligent conversation to get the issue resolved with no help from Mommy (although she did need me to be in the room with her). I was proud!</p>
<p>When the college's application asks what OTHER schools you are applying (in order)--how is your student answering? S wants to answer but doesn't have a 1, 2, 3 choice at this point.</p>
<p>Ok-S put "Not in order" and listed three schools-this was just an optional "survey". He wanted to answer to show that he wants to stay in the NW and all of his school choices are, in fact, in the NW. But now I am wondering if they will think this was rude. Please tell me that it is late and I am overthinking.</p>
<p>This school is his first choice.</p>
<p>I never understood the schools' reasoning on asking that question, either (& son has been asked it in person at almost every admission event, too). </p>
<p>He's just honest about his top choices---not sure if there could be a strategy to a response; interesting.</p>
<p>I think the what other schools question is really for the college's own use. The admissions guys don't have time to analyze what the range of other schools might mean about the candidate. I like the idea of putting "not in order of preference" anyway!</p>
<p>You might want to read this about "What other schools", esp. the post by tokenadult:</p>