<p>I live very near Binghamton.</p>
<p>Booklady: I have the exact same concerns as you regarding Penn State's social culture. I've also heard good things about Schreyer Honors College, and our high school sends quite a lot of kids to PSU, but it just doesn't seem to be my D's cup of tea. On the other hand, almost all of what I hear about Pitt, either from people I know whose kids go there, or on the Pitt CC sub-forum has been pretty positive. I did visit Pitt a few years ago, during D1's college search, and although she didn't end up applying there, it made a good impression on us. So I'm looking forward to visiting it next year with D2 and I really hope that she likes it, and decides to apply.</p>
<p>LIMOMOF2: That is a funny coincidence! Yes, I think that the shops that you're referring to are still there, although the video store closed last year.(We lost some video stores near us, as well--everyone's going to Netflix, etc.) D was so excited last year she got to see Elie Wiesel and the Dalai Lama speak when they were in DC. And she happened to get into the auditorium when Barack Obama came to AU to accept the endorsement of Ted Kennedy, his son, Patrick and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg.</p>
<p>Zoosermom -- Would southeastern PA be too far for your D? Franklin & Marshall, in Lancaster, PA, offers a major in Classics. It's a good school and from what you've mentioned about your D, it sounds like it would be a relatively match/safety for her.</p>
<p>catbird: How would you describe the Binghamton campus? And the surrounding town? Thanks</p>
<p>momonthehill - wow - your D has had some great experiences. AU didn't attract speakers like those years ago - or at least not that often. Lucky her.</p>
<p>Binghamton -- the campus has a core of 40+ year old buildings, in various states of upkeep, with constant new building going on. Not a whole lot of "charm" but there are some nice views as it sprawls on a hillside. Do you have specific questions about the physical layout or facilities?</p>
<p>The campus is not physically well integrated into the surrounding community. Its entrance is from a busy commercial road with 45mph traffic, lots of used car lots, fast food, etc. There is no pleasant "college town" to walk to from campus. There is good bus transport to nearby shopping malls, student neighborhoods, and downtown. There are Broome County Transit buses and BU OCC (Off Campus College) buses. There are a lot of town-gown connections, with very active community volunteering by BU students, and community coming to campus for performing arts and lectures. BU students regularly volunteer and mentor in several school districts.</p>
<p>Students seem to have a lot of fun and get around the community.</p>
<p>catbird - thanks for filling us in about Binghamton - I know I'm not the one who asked the question, but since there's a good chance D will be applying there, it's nice to know that even if the school is not in a nice little college town, that it's still part of the community.</p>
<p>You're welcome. My kids have had BU students mentoring in middle school and community theatre productions, dance studios, and as academic mentors. Some of the fraternities do community service like riverbank cleanups and Habitat for Humanity. The OCC office seems very active and vigorous about connecting students to the community.</p>
<p>I appreciate the feedback, catbird. You mentioned that the surrounding community is not a quaint college town and, with that in mind, how safe, or unsafe would you consider the BU campus and surrounding area? Thanks again.</p>
<p>The closest surrounding communities are largely well-kept middle-class neighborhoods with single family homes, plus the commercial strip (Vestal Parkway) I mentioned. I feel 100% safe on foot, even at night. My three teens, including D with developmental disabilities, move freely around the Tri-cities area on BC Transit buses or bikes. Overall it is a very low crime community and we have loved raising a family here even though we miss big-city cultural amenities.</p>
<p>There is some student-on-student crime to do with alcohol, bars, and fraternities. Some of the shabbier Binghamton proper neighborhoods have had drug and gang violence reaching up from NYC. I don't think students would typically frequent those areas.</p>
<p>Thanks again, catbird. Your feedback is reassuring. D and I will most likely be checking out Binghamton next spring.</p>
<p>Thanks again, catbird. All that info is very useful because I know very little about the area.</p>
<p>Cheers for 2010! I have a S who will graduate in 2010. He has been busy all summer - a little ACT prep on his own -though not in the last month or so...
:(, soccer practice, soccer camp, soccer tournament, playing tennis in a summer league and caddying/cutting grass to make $$$! He turned 16 in late May and has not found time to even get his driving temps yet - I'm really hoping we get there this month so he at least can do some practicing! </p>
<p>We have an appt. with his counselor Monday morning at 9:30am - we got the postcard in the mail Friday that "there is a scheduling problem with your classes) i.e. probably going to have to make some changes. This ALWAYS happens at his school past sophomore year - why can't they tell us this in the spring when they fill out their class forms??!! ARG! </p>
<p>He is also joining the band this year and I'm a little worried about him keeping up his grades (he's currently top 3) along with all his sports and activities. Junior year is SOOOOO important! </p>
<p>I look forward to keeping up with this thread!</p>
<p>Welcome, abasket. Another busy kid! Good idea to get the driving permit out of the way during the summer - my D's only driven twice so far, but it's something. I got the confirmation from the driver's ed program received her application and that they have room for her - so yay for that! I was a little concerned because if she didn't get in, she would have to wait for spring - and I want her to get in lots and lots of practice this spring before I let her out on her own. </p>
<p>Good luck with your S's scheduling conflict. I already knew about a potential conflict for D's schedule which is why I wasn't sure about one of her classes - but either way she'll be fine (I hope).</p>
<p>Is band in your S's school an EC or a class? If it's a class, it's probably less work than most other classes - so maybe not so bad.</p>
<p>Yes, band is a class, but in the fall "marching band" performs at all the football games, homecoming etc. - of course, fall is also when soccer season is - 2 to 3 games a week,plus practices....he is aware of how I feel and he says he will handle it all....crossing fingers...</p>
<p>abasket - don't worry too much about it. My D is in the same situation (substitute XC for soccer though). It seems to work out. Most people are reasonable if there's a conflict - and there will be conflicts - just find out your school's policy regarding these things.</p>
<p>Is anyone else holding a kid back on driving until grades improve? S1's grades tanked during soccer last year, and he stubbornly refused to bring it around. :mad: He has no learning disabilities, and he would knock one out of the park JUST often enough to remind everyone how smart he is. We said he needed two quarters on honor roll to get a learner's permit. He probably got honors 4th quarter, and he did get a 3 on AP Euro. He turns 16 in September so we're talking about a 2-month delay, assuming he has a good first quarter. Is this...like...wicked and cruel? :confused:</p>
<p>catbird - that wasn't necessary in my D's case - but I will definitely use that as an incentive for my S when he reaches that age (he's only going into 7th grade, so we still have a few years). He's definitely one of those kids who almost needs to be coerced into doing well. So, no - not wicked and cruel.</p>
<p>Just got back from counselor appointment to try and rework S's junior year schedule that was NOT working out!!!! Our public always ends up having issues with limited # of honors classes when you reach upper classman level...he almost gave up band to avoid a bad English teacher! I was proud that he, on his own, told his counselor that he refused to spend a year in an English class with a teacher that does not "teach". </p>
<p>Schedule ended up pretty good. Only flaw is that he is in an "average" English class (but with a superior teacher than the "honors" teacher - figure that one out!). His counselor told him that he can approach the English teacher and ask her to let him do honors work in the average class and they will give him honors credit. Fingers crossed!</p>
<p>So here's what he ended up with:
AP Euro History
Honors Chemistry
English 3 Average (hopefully with honors credit)
Band
Latin 3 Honors
Pre-Calc Honors
Social Psy/1st Semester AP Govern/2nd semester
Senior Composition
(the senior comp teacher approached him last year to take her class as a junior)</p>
<p>Saying lots of prayers for our to be juniors to have a good, good year - junior year is SO important!!!!</p>
<p>My D was just old enough to get a permit at the end of July. She is not very interested in driving and neither am I. Maybe next summer she will decide she wants to do it.</p>
<p>What do you guys think about her schedule for next year?</p>
<p>AP Eng
AP World Hist.
Honors Chem.
Honors Pre Calc.
tech (required)
Honors French 4
Theater</p>
<p>She wanted to take AP chem, but it is a 2 period class and she just does not have the room.</p>
<p>Queen's Mom - I think that's a good schedule. 5 heavies and 2 breathers. ;) </p>
<p>Lucky you getting to wait on the driving. We NEED Son to get his license as soon as he's eligible. My office is relocating (20 miles in the wrong direction) so I won't be able to do the after-school chauffering anymore. It will be up to him. :(</p>
<p>My D is easing into the driving thing with H giving her lessons 1X per week. Her real driver's ed will start in mid-Sept. D can take her road test and get her license after completing driver's ed, but she won't be able to drive alone until she's 17 (except to a job - and she doesn't have one).</p>
<p>Queen's Mom and abasket - both of your kids' schedules sound good - rigorous enough, I'm sure. BTW, Queen's Mom, my D took tech last year (also required), and she thought it was the biggest waste of time - great for her GPA though. Also, a question for both of you - don't your kids have to take PE? It's required for all 4 years at my D's school.</p>
<p>DougBetsy - good luck at your new job location - and good luck to your S with his driving. I'm pretty anxious for D to get her license. I've gotten a bit spoiled the past two years as she's had a BF and friends who had their licenses - now they're all going away to college, and I'll have to get used to doing the bulk of the chauffering again. I did most of the ECs, but her friends handled the social side - now I'll be back to doing both.</p>