<p>Zetesis--I agree with you--the first success at hitting the send button or finishing the essay helps tons with the next steps. I know S is thrilled to be this far along but in the beginning it felt like pushing a rock uphill. My LOL was when S very happily told me that the GC told him that "he" had done a great job with his app's.
Son had a twinkle in his eye as he told me this story. He did do all of the work but knows that it was my pushing and pushing and...maybe raising my voice just a tad...to get it done, that motivated him. Along with "your not driving our car until...".
It did seem that once S saw that each step actually has an end--write the essay, visit schools, write thank you's...he stopped feeling overwhelmed. And feeling overwhelmed by this whole process is what I think a lot of our S's and D's are feeling right now. Not all, as some are just so busy that they don't have time. That was our D...she could not leave the house one weekend until her essay was done...it was early Dec. This certainly fed into why I wanted S to get going earlier. But is has been just as difficult. Well, I am rambling but will end by saying how much I have appreciated this forum and all of you and cannot wait until the congrats party we are all going to have.</p>
<p>House arrest worked well with D1! ;)</p>
<p>Zetesis, I keep joking with my son that he needs to pay me to be his personal secretary, but seriously the kids do need some assistance -- even if they are great with time management. He also has several hours of homework, along with a part-time job, lots of ECs and those college apps. Usually he's great with deadlines, but he missed a school day last week, so I had to make sure some of the paperwork that guidance needed got there. </p>
<p>I do not look at it as micro management. Rather, it's more like Survivor. And since that's my son's favorite show, he'll probably laugh if he reads this.</p>
<p>I have kept the "chart" regarding who wants what and when they want it. I know that some kids could do it -- and that some parents could let them! I think everyone has to find their own way. There is the goal of getting things in, and the process of getting there; and we're trying to find ways of lowering the stress and potential conflict in the process of getting there.</p>
<p>I have sat down with my daughter and showed her "the chart," and what she has to get from a counselor or a teacher. Then I have tried to sit on my nagging, and discovered that she usually gets what is needed -- even if it's often after I want it! I did cave in and have her transcripts sent via Docufide; it was slightly more expensive, but saved her having to fill out the requests, and then check to see if they were ready; more importantly, it saved me from worrying and nagging.</p>
<p>On Friday, it was confirmed that I "own" the process more than Son and certainly more than Husband. Friday, Son got his acceptance letter from St. Edwards. When I got home and read the second paragraph of the letter, I was pleased to see that they were offering a nice amount of merit aid. I said, "You didn't tell me that part." Son, "I didn't read the second paragraph." I asked Husband. He said, "I only read the part on the front that said 'You're in.' Is that a good amount of money?" (after which I showed him my spread sheet of the cost of each school.)</p>
<p>Harriet's post 1331 and Missiepie's post 1333 should be required reading for anyone wishing to post on CC. and HMW, no matter if you are feeling Oscar the Grouchish or Little Mary's Sunshiney, you always bring light to a thread.</p>
<p>Aw, historymom, gosh thanks! </p>
<p>:::Toasting historymom with anchovy ice cream::: I always did love Oscar. :D</p>
<p>:D anchovy ice cream! I can see you are not as removed from your Sesame Street days as I. I was thinking something with worms would be a suitable treat but then I remembered a worm was O the G's best buddy. sighhh I miss Sesame Street loved it even more than my kids.</p>
<p>I even miss Barney. Okay, not really, but I do miss the innocence and joy that those days represent, particularly in the midst of the application process!</p>
<p>Mr. Rogers fan here</p>
<p>Oh oregon, won't you be my neighbor?</p>
<p>correct as usual King Friday!</p>
<p>:) I literally grew up in Mr. Roger's neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Used to run into him at the corner grocery store wearing....you guessed it...his sweater and comfy shoes. And Mrs. McFeeley (the mailman's wife) lived next door to us!</p>
<p>....and I just visited Pittsburgh. What a great city!! I am a Philadelphia area resident and my husband and daughter are at the World Series game tonight. I am happily thinking about what a wonderful memory this will be if they win! </p>
<p>Forget the college applications and homework for today. Go Phillies!!!</p>
<p>and here we thought star sightings only happened in LA! </p>
<p>Seriously, Pitt is on son's list and we haven't had a chance to visit, but have heard it's a great city.</p>
<p>Reliving our childhoods? I loved the locally produced shows for kids (Cadet Don and Kitirik, for anyone who grew up in Houston).</p>
<p>Son is over the moon happy - he received a scholarship award at Missouri S&T which is amazing, and received an early scholarship estimate from another college - also excellent. I'm hoping he'll be able to channel this ego boost to overcoming senioritis.</p>
<p>hello Crazed and All! You asked for stats on my son. His gpa 3.2. Has earned a total of 6 college credits (Music and English Comp) thru NYC's college now program. Member of the Arista National Honor Society. He has taken 3 years of private guitar lessons. He is great with the computer, loves video games, and is a great writer. He does not know what to major in. So far, his college lists is: Adelphi Univ, Hofstra Univ, Stony Brook, Queens College. (He may add the following: CW Post, Five Towns College. We haven't visited these colleges yet.) His SAT score June 2008 was total 1610. He is taking a SAT Prep class now and plans to take the SAT again either in Dec 08 or Jan 09. We would prefer that he take it in Jan 09 but his guid. counselor said Jan is too late. Any thoughts on this? The SAT scores would eventually get sent to the colleges... so why not Jan?
Within the next two days, we will be submitting apps online, registering for the SAT test and requesting recommendation letters. I feel stressed. Son seems fine. Go figure. Please share!!!</p>
<p>Fireflyscout, congrats to your son (and to you) for the scholarship!</p>
<p>Mar, I think January would be too late for the SATs too. Schools wouldn't get them until February and while that may be before decision dates, unless schools have a late deadline like 2/15, it won't make any sense to take it that late.</p>
<p>Okay, reliving childhoods, I was actually a birthday girl when I was 7 on Chucko the Birthday Clown here in L.A. You'd think it would be a huge milestone, but not in the memory banks. My mom saved the TV Guide with my name in it...such a shame my 15 minutes of fame was over so soon in my life.</p>
<p>Cpletz - Your response makes sense. Most apps we plan to do online are due Dec 1st and they do state that we would get a decision by Dec. 31st. Thank you!</p>
<p>'08/'10 parent here...the hardest part for S last year wasn't the <em>writing</em> of the essays, it was the mental work he needed to do to expose himself and reveal his deepest hopes and dreams and THEN put them on paper. It takes a lot of courage for a 17 year old to spill his/her guts to total strangers, for something that means so much to them. </p>
<p>While S was sitting around with his head in the clouds and I was going stark raving nuts, there were actually real, live thought processes going on.</p>
<p>We all took about five weeks off of college apps after EA/priority apps were done. We all needed the break.</p>