<p>Well, D applied to both Temple and Drexel so she is willing to "live" in an urban city such as Philly but I thought Camden was worse. We haven't visited the Rutgers campus there, I know Camden from driving through it to get to Philly and going to concerts at the waterfront. It's about an hour away, D would not commute.</p>
<p>Well, yes, Camden is worse (much). My impression is, from our summer experience, that it's not all that bad for commuting, though--but guess that's not an option for your daughter.</p>
<p>Btw, I just heard that it's good to send a 'follow-up letter of interest' to schools your child is particularly interested in. I think son will do that (he's fine w/it) for maybe his top three preferences.</p>
<p>The college is Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla). They have their own mine and offer explosives engineering as both a major and a minor. They also offer a summer explosives camp to high school juniors and seniors, which sounds like a blast. Sorry, had to say that. We toured here in the summer and were pleased with their facilities, nice campus and town. And they have merit aid available! It is easy for son to love this safety.</p>
<p>hmm-just sent S off to a tour and interview at a school 1 hour away. I have toured and also heard the Head of Admin speak so di not go with him. Now I am wondering--what do you think--does it show more seiousness/interest/? if a parent is present. I could run out there...</p>
<p>Hard to say how admissions might look at it, but I think it shows initiative on a prospective student's part to make the trip for the info session/interview on his own. Of course, that could be from the perspective of a parent whose child shows VERY LITTLE initiative.</p>
<p>Thanks cpeltz. I just feel like I am missing a beat during this whole process. Little things that occur to me after the fact--I do think it has to be my age! At least that is my excuse. I did call him and suggested that he mention that his parents have been on a tour last spring. It was kinda big to let him drive that far alone. Just got a new GPS system so figure he will not get too lost. Oh, I am rambling but thanks for the support!</p>
<p>Thank you, fireflyscout! (lol at "a blast")</p>
<p>oregon101--I think that does show initiative! Good for your son!</p>
<p>I'm at a loss as to how Admissions looks at lots of stuff. Son and my husband visited one small LAC on one of their "visit days" last winter. Since then, we've gotten a call inviting us to visit campus. Don't they have any records that we visited? Son has submitted all of his apps, yet we still get "please apply" mail from those schools. We've visited the schools, yet we get "please visit" mail from them. I guess once you're on the mailing list, you stay on. I sure hope that if they reject a kid, they then at least take him off the mailing/calling list.</p>
<p>Oregon 101, I honor you. I think that you're son's initiative in making the trek will be recognized. Very un-helicopterish!!!</p>
<p>irony---</p>
<p>Son wrote an essay in Eng that AP teacher said was "the best he's seen" (in a while, apparently). Son used teacher's (minor) edits & submitted it to about 6 schools. </p>
<p>Find out today--son did not turn in revised essay to Eng teacher so now gets a zero (out of 100) bringing A grade down to F.</p>
<p>This is the story of HS. Maybe a good thing--how would he fare at a competitive college when kids are not only smart & productive but can turn their work in on time?</p>
<p><banging head="" on="" wall=""></banging></p>
<p>We must be parenting the same child. Son received zeros in two classes right off the bat for not turning work in. In AP English, the teacher dropped the lowest grade of the 6 weeks, so he got a 94. In AP Goverment, the teacher didn't drop the zero, so he got a 77. It's painful, and I do tell Son that we simply can't send him away to school if this keeps happening.</p>
<p>Jolynne: Use the search function to look for slacker son threads. Many of us have been there. It seem to be the nature of the beast. You have no idea of how many kids like this end up at "competitive colleges". My S is one of them.</p>
<p>Try not to worry. They do seem to get it.</p>
<p>When my S checked his grades this summer he had a D in one class. I was sure it was his slacker tendencies. He insisted he turned in the paper the teacher said he didn't. It turned out he was right!!! And she changed his grade. But this is kind of what I expected, but it didn't happen.</p>
<p>He once lost enormous credit on the assignment because the teacher said he wanted it "by the end of the day." (I believe S was already late.) S took this to mean midnight. Teacher meant school day. So S emailed at night from home. Well, anyway, you get the idea. This just seems like how many young men are. Trust me. You're not alone.</p>
<p>Missy: We cross posted. So I include you and your S in my comments too. BTW: My S is a soph at a very competitive college.</p>
<p>I am very grateful that we can check grades on line. Like mythmom, Son has failed to turn in stuff so many times that I assume that's what happened when I see a zero. But at least once each year there is a zero where the paper really has been turned in and the teacher put it in the wrong "stack." One was even a test grade in AP Comp Sci...I mean, they take the test in class, how could Son not turn it in? When Son followed up, the teacher said, Oh yeah, I remember you turning it in, I'll have to find it. Earlier this year, what was recorded in English as a 19 was really a 79....teacher didn't read her own writing correctly.</p>
<p>The online system went live last year. I will forever wonder how many poor grades that we blamed on "Son error" in 9th and 10th grades were teacher error instead. If Son never receives a paper back, it doesn't cross his mind that the teacher may not have located it; Daughter, on the other hand, would bug a teacher if she didn't get the paper back.</p>
<p>Mom of another slacker son here. We don't have online grades which is just as well, it would make me crazy every day instead of just when report cards come out.</p>
<p>fireflyscout thanks for the levity! </p>
<p>Oregon101 we all can second guess ourselves throughout this entire process but the truth of the matter is that there is not one minor boo-boo which will totally mess up our kids' chances. The colleges all know what they are dealing with here and honest to goodness they accept kids with "warts"...even multiple large ones ;)</p>
<p>:) for grades posted on line.</p>
<p>Each year d has had a grade changed due to teacher error. Mid term exam was not factored in as a grade - d made a 99 on the exam and her overall grade went up two points when corrected. A paper that was turned in was recorded as a 0. A 100 homework grade was recorded as a 10. Another homework grade was recorded as an 80 when it should have been 100. </p>
<p>Students like to check and teachers like students to check. As one teacher put it: "I know if I err, the error will be caught. I have a room full of budding auditors." </p>
<p>And mostly, I like how it has made my d aware that grades represent more than just performance on tests. She can see that 100 in homework - 10% of the overall grade - and that 100 in participation - 5% of the overall grade - combine to ease a bad day on a quiz -25% of the overall grade. Each teacher sets the parameters according to importance to his class and that helped d also know for instance that essays played a greater role for last year's Eng teacher than tests.</p>
<p>There are also hard lessons to learn about averaging and digging out of holes. Last year, my younger daughter had a low B in math. She got a 97 on her last test of the grading period and was so thrilled...but then upset to see that the late 97 didn't raise her grade much at all. Sometimes it's best if they don't have that info, because they might just give up.</p>
<p>A feature I love is that when you click on a grade it gives the class high, low and median grade. So when they bring home a 70 and say "everyone did badly" and then you find the class average was 90....It can work the other way, too....if they bring a 70 and say "everyone did badly", you might find the class average was 55....</p>
<p>Hm. I wondering if this isn't too much parental interference. I am glad that those features did not exist for my kids because my staying out of their business except when absolutely necessary was one thing that kept our relationship functioning and gave them both the ability to navigate college, D more than S, but he's getting there.</p>
<p>I know I would have made myself crazy with hypervigilance.</p>
<p>With a kid with Asperger's and no accomdations, it's a helpful tool.</p>