<p>LIMOMOF2 --</p>
<p>Nay, DS also has swim team in the spring. All the water polo players do this, to strengthen their swimming skills. However, there is a substantial gap between the sports seasons, which he can now put to good use prepping for the SAT and thinking about where he might want to apply to college. We've got the 3 hour USC campus tour (this includes a talk from admissions, a campus tour and an (optional) meet with an academic department) scheduled for next month.</p>
<p>FindAPlace - That's right - I do remember you mentioning that once before - about your S swimming, I mean. I'm sure you'll enjoy your campus tour next month - and you'll have to make sure to let us know what you thought of it. No tours for us in the near future - unless she decides she wants to look at a local school - something that probably won't happen anytime soon.</p>
<p>Nov 12th will be a big day for us. DS will get his first real ACT score back. </p>
<p>After the test, he said he felt really comfortable with the type of questions. So, DS will take it again w/ some preparation in either Feb or Apr. Then he will take 2 ~ 3 SAT II after his 5 AP. From there on, it is all about picking the right schools for him.</p>
<p>Dad II- glad to hear the ACT went well for your son. My D looked over the prep book last night at literally the 11th hour before the deadline for the Dec. signup. She didn't think it looked that different than the SAT, so we pulled the trigger and she will take it in Dec.</p>
<p>Clark was ok. D is tried, plus she has a cold, plus after visiting the country-club schools recently she was not impressed with their more basic facilities. But it would cost half the other schools, plus a 5th year free masters. We told her we would not force her to settle for someplace, but she will need to keep a wide net for now and really consider what it would mean if she had more financial options on graduation. We stayed for 2 of the 3 panels, plus lunch (which wasn't good) but she would not go on a tour or talk to the crew coach. She will need to pick one school in this financial range, either Clark or elsewhere, and weight it against the beautiful schools and make her own decision, but 1.5 years from now and not now.</p>
<p>FAP- many of the crewbies do swimming which is a winter sport here between the crew seasons. A couple D included do nordic skiing, some other sports but these are the two to keep them in the best shape.</p>
<p>jackief - I didn't realize that tuition at Clark was so much less than at other schools. I guess that's something worth noting. I think it would be really hard for most people to look at some of those gorgeous campuses, and then contemplate attending one that is much more basic. But finances are a big concern for us as well, so thanks for that info.</p>
<p>Sorry your D wasn't feeling well today - that probably made the visit even less fun for her.</p>
<p>Dad II - congrats to your S for getting his ACT out of the way. Good for him. Who knows, maybe his score will be so high, he won't have to retake it next semester. Good luck to him.</p>
<p>LIMom don't you think it's interesting how aesthetics are so important to our overall impressions of places and how much that importance varies from person to person. My two do have an unlovely financial safety school on their lists and I am worried a bit about that but to them it really doesn't matter if the campus itself is as bowl you over pretty as long as they have easy access to natural beauty which they would if they went there.</p>
<p>I'm always curious about people's perceptions of beauty.</p>
<p>historymom (and of course you are welcome as our special guest here) not only were the buildings uninspring, the food was very mediocre also. And at the student panel, the students said they had better food on visit days :-O and that Clark was their saftey school :-O :-O Couldn't convince her to do the tour, would have liked to see the dorms. They are building a new library which will be open for next term, if we did revisit for a scholarship interview, we would see the library/dorms at that time. </p>
<p>As for the cost, the tuition+room+board looks to be $40k a year, but there are $10K, $15K and $18K merit scholarships which her stats put her in the running for. The $18k is for science majors, so taking $40-15 = $25K compared to $50K at the LACs. Plus the 5th year masters.</p>
<p>At this stage, I hope she will apply and can make the decision later. She also noticed on our drive out of Worcester that it wasn't a nice area. She had slept on our drive in so her campus impressions were made before seeing the surrounding area.</p>
<p>: eek : without the spaces = :eek:</p>
<p>Worcester is not much of a town, though my kids like the Armor museum. WPI is in an okay part of town, but I haven't looked at Clark.</p>
<p>thank you mathmom :eek: :) Clark is near the Centrum (DCU center) off of Rt 9</p>
<p>Historymom - So glad you stopped by again. You are so right about the aesthetics of a place being important when we form impressions of a place. I'm glad that your Ds' "unlovely financial safety" is in an area accessible to plenty of natural beauty, and that that's ok with them. My D is so influenced by the aesthetics of both the school and it's surrounding area. Probably why she loved both W&M and Dartmouth. She liked all the schools she visited, but I think those were the two she found to be the most visually appealing. I'm very worried about that issue, as my D will be using SUNYs as her financial safeties, and they are not known for their beauty, or for being is especially beautiful towns.</p>
<p>jackief - I see - it's the merit money that makes it half the price of other LACs. </p>
<p>:eek: - just practicing - hope it worked. :)</p>
<p>Hi mathmom.</p>
<p>S got the most random college mailing today--from Oral Roberts University, with a return postcard pre-filled with his correct name, address & email!</p>
<p>Where the H3CK did they get all this info on him, and what gave them the idea this nice Jewish boy might be interested? :eek:</p>
<p>(chance to use the gasp emoticon) :D</p>
<p>:eek: mommusic. What list was your son on to get that particular mailing?</p>
<p>Oral Roberts? Oh no!</p>
<p>I've been thinking Clark might be a place for S2 to look at. I like that it's close to my parents. I really have no idea what sort of place may appeal to him. He's the B+ student. History is usually his best subject, but for some reason his main ECs are things he's less than stellar at - Orchestra and Science Olympiad. Last year his PSAT score was 72 in CR, and in the 50s for both Math and Writing. We're hoping for better scores this year, but anything is possible.</p>
<p>Momnmusic, please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm LOL about the Oral Roberts thing. We're conservatives and neither of my girls have ever been so blessed</p>
<p>No Oral Roberts mailings here either...........lol. </p>
<p>Hi zoosermom - welcome back.</p>
<p>Hi all:</p>
<p>Been away on a business trip and haven't had much time for CC. </p>
<p>DD has been really getting buried with school work - first quarter grades are out and she did really well so the hard work is paying off - but I still think this is going to be a long year. </p>
<p>Big decision day was last Saturday - and after 8 years of playing soccer, she decided not to go out for the team this year. She has been getting a lot of questions (and pressure) at school - but seems fine with the decision. As she puts it - it just isn't that fun anymore. Kinda sad for me to see it end - but I respect and understand her decision. </p>
<p>PSATs came and went - she thinks she did ok - but she did not put much effort into preparing for them so I don't have high expectations. She wanted to treat them like a practice test - and use the results to decide where she needs to focus her prep for the real thing. She is also planning to take the ACTs - both in the spring.</p>
<p>Maybe Oral Roberts recognized the value of diversity?</p>
<p>FindAPlace - LOL. Do you think so?</p>
<p>mathmom- objectively, Clark has what she's looking for in a school, so it could be worth taking a look for your son. It is a university but the classes are relatively small and they are taught all by professors or a small number in their grad program. They have first year seminars with that prof being your first advisor and a broad distribution requirement set, very LAC-like. They also have a focus on community service and focus on their "core values" They also are part of a consortium with "higher" LACs in the area, Bates, Middlebury are two I wrote down, on an internship consortium. So in short, it has a lot going for it.</p>
<p>LIMOMOF2:</p>
<p>I really need to find a tongue in cheek emoticon!</p>
<p>DS has really been working hard on his "take home exam for the online linear algebra class. I reminded him that he should be proud of the fact that he's probably one of a few handfuls of juniors who's attempting this. It makes it kind of fun for me when I take the call for him to do some math tutoring and the parent on the other end wants to know if S is qualified enough to do the task (last time, for s sixth grader.)</p>
<p>Many of high school age students in CA that I know are still trying to sort out how the state of CA voted so heavily for Barack Obama, and on the same ballot voted for Prop 8, the anti-gay marriage measure. I think they recognize it's not the end of this issue, and they also know they'll be old enough to vote the next time, in one or two years. I reminded my S to look for parallels as he studies AP US History this year.</p>