<p>Went to a presentation last night by a company that assists with college planning. The first lady talked about the admissions processes and then next the guy talked about financial things and mistakes people make. Although we have been through the college admissions process twice, with good results both academically and financially, they still managed to make me feel quite uneasy. There suggestions was to take both the SAT and ACT around the same time (within a few months) and then see which one they do better on and then focus on that test. S3 is signed up for the December SAT and he is planning on the February ACT.</p>
<p>Finally, all of S2ās grades are posted for this marking period. He passed! Whew! And tomorrow he has his directorial debut. Heās directing a one-act play for his stage directing class. Iām a little curious to see the results. He hasnāt given me much feedback when I ask how itās going. But he usually pulls things out of his hat at the last minute, so Iām sure it will be fine. The grade (graded on audience feedback, an interview with the theatre director and a directors notebook) will count for an entire marking period grade. So, fingers crossed. After this, all he has to do is act in otherās kidsā plays for the rest of the year.</p>
<p>I feel for D2 as sheās stressing about her AB Calc grade - sheās had nothing less than an A all quarter but the last day they had a test that she didnāt feel strongly about and is worried it will drop her below an A - and for D2 this is big as math is strong for her but not usually a subject she feels strongly about or pushes herself on so I know how excited she was about getting the A so I hope she keeps it.</p>
<p>I also could not get D2 inspired to visit any place if I included shopping but I hate shopping as much as she does so no worries on that LOL - Iām not really sure what would inspire her but Iāll have to think of some lure!</p>
<p>We go on vacation in 10 days and can all really use the break - I know D2 is ready to pack now, LOL, I think sheās looking forward to the break from friends and school.</p>
<p>D13 finished her summer study abroad application last night two hours before the deadline. I had already given up and gone to bed. Iām hoping it was good enough and that she will get to study in China this summer. Iām applying for a three week teacher exchange to China this summer so we might both be going. Mine is more of a sure thing but she will have to interview in early 2013 and will hear back in April. Weāll have to find her some good back up plans in case it doesnāt work out. I know she doesnāt want to babysit younger sibs all summer. ;-)</p>
<p>One of my daughterās friends has been told by parents that she can only take one test, one time. There is an assumption she will go in-state and she will do well enough on the test to get into one of our fine state schools. My D thinks this puts too much pressure on a kid, but I think the parents have their reasons and there is a lot to be said for āone and doneā. However, I noticed that kaplan sponsors free or cheap SAT/ACT mock tests. You take a short version of each and then see which you like bestā¦then, of course, Kaplan tries to convince you to sign up for their class. Has anyoneās student ever taken these ādemosā online or at one of the actual mock tests? I wonder if they are harder than the actual SAT/ACT so you feel you need the tutoring. Still, I love freebees so perhaps it is worth getting the girls to do this. Any experience with this?</p>
<p>Apollo: What an amazing opportunity for both you and your daughter!! Good luck to her during the app/interview process!!</p>
<p>Finearts: My S did a mock SAT/ACT thru Princeton Review back in Sept. To be honest, it really didnāt give us much to go on. If your D has the opportunity to do a full SAT or ACT mock test, I would suggest doing that instead. S was able to get a better grasp on what to really expect on the SAT from his āmockā test.</p>
<p>Dās school is doing a mock ACT next Saturday as a fundraiser that I would love for D to take but of course thatās the day we leave for vacation and if we waited until the test was done to head to the airport I donāt know if my stress level could handle that, LOL! Now if I knew sheād be done early Iād think about it - well no, the morning of the day we leave is already stressed enough but I just wish it was held a different weekend!</p>
<p>My son did the mock combo test when he you was a sophomore. I thought it was good. It got us to focus on the ACT and not worry about the SAT. That was definitely the test he preferred.</p>
<p>I will never forget that test. We went to breakfast before and he looked at it me over pancakes and said, āMom only you would find this kind of a test. No other mom would search for this.ā That is why I love cc, I have a group of great parents that find a lot of great opportunities for our children.</p>
<p>OK - I will only say this here because I canāt say it to DH or any family --</p>
<p>I am disappointed with sonās grades this year because I fell for the Dream School during our summer college visits. I LOVE Pomona. I know Iām not suppose to have a strong preference. I preach to my kid at least weekly that there are many schools that would be a good fit. But, dang it, there are only 2 that I love for him and Pomona is the top choice in my head.</p>
<p>Now that I got that out I feel better. </p>
<p>I am also trying to ween myself off the grade site as it drives me insane to see his grades all over the place.</p>
<p>Longhaul - We will be visiting Pomona in a week. Can you tell me what you liked so much about it? Iād like to have another perspective as we take a look there, as every college presentation seems to be a lot like others Iāve heard, and the details all start blending together.</p>
<p>Longhaul, the beauty of cc is that this is a place to come and vent/obsess so that you donāt it to your loved ones. Itās all good. And I long ago quite looking at online grades. Drove me nuts. So I have no idea whether I should be disappointed in dsās grades! lol</p>
<p>Hmmm, what is it about Pomona? Weāre going to visit there as well, probably this summer.</p>
<p>Longhaul, I sympathize. We did an open house today for a school that I think would be just perfect for my S ā everything he seems to be looking for and then some. He was not enthused. He liked the tour guide but said he thought the kids attending the school did not seem like the type he would āhangā with. On what basis do you say that, I asked. The response: āI donāt know ā just a feelingā. So the question is, do I ask him to keep the school on the list because I truly believe it is an excellent fit and hope heāll come to see that, especially after we visit more schools. Or should I just bite the bullet, and move on?</p>
<p>Lots of time, LCS. Let it just sit there for now. Depending how many other schools drop off the list he might decide to keep it on himself. </p>
<p>Also, with ds1 I instituted the āparental prerogativeā ā the school he had to apply to because I didnāt think he would, but I thought was perfect for him. He is a happy sophomore there now after falling in love with it all on his own! I love being right! Bwahahahahaha ā¦</p>
<p>We are visiting Pomona as well in a few months. Longhaul, would love to hear why its your #1 choice. The school sounds wonderful from everything I have read. We are also visiting USC, Pepperdine and UCLA.</p>
<p>Jumping on the Pomona bandwagon. We are visiting, too. It will be the first LAC DD has visited. I think we will visit Pitzer in the afternoon, or jump in the car and head down to UCSD. She has some major ānarrowing down the listā to do.</p>
<p>My first post on this forum, but I had to chime in ā when my older dd and I were visiting colleges, I fell in love with Harvey Mudd - just across the way from Pomona. I loved the small size and that the profs were so involved with their kids. She had always been shy and I was worried about her getting lost at a bigger school - sitting alone in her room. But she loved MIT from the moment she set foot on campus, and thatās where she wanted to go, despite my aprehension. She is now a very very happy sophomore there.</p>
<p>My younger dd is a junior and we are just starting to search. Unlike older dd, she is very much her own person and wants me to butt out most of the process. This is hard. I was very hands-on the first-time around, and I hate watching the days/weeks/months pass by without much getting accomplished.</p>
<p>Welcome mom22girlsā¦nice to hear about Harvey Mudd. Iāve been thinking my son would really like it there, for similar reasons you mentioned, and I like that there is a liberal arts program there too. I think he wants California and to get away from the Northeast but who knows. Does your daughter take any liberal arts at MIT? What do you think were key factors in her admission success? I only have one kid so canāt compare his openness for help from others. At times he is open to suggestions, at times he tells me to be quiet. In any event, I was very proud to find out he will be getting a gold medal on this new test called the National Classical Etymology Exam- not exactly math/science oriented is itā¦he is doing well in math/science, eg in AP Chem and honors precalc now, but also is into Latin, Japanese and doing well in English and History as wellā¦he will be working with the college counselors starting this winter so I am looking forward to seeing if they steer him toward math/science places or more general colleges. It is kind of interesting that although he is saying he wants engineering he is getting A- in the math/sciences right now and A in all his other classes. Not sure if I should look at A- as a great grade in difficult math/science classes or as a sign that itās not his best areaā¦well ACT is in Dec, and SAT in Jan, so we shall seeā¦I am eager to find out if his PSAT score is as good as his practice one. He said he wasnāt able to answer two of the math questions as he ran out of time. I think he sometimes ends up needing a tiny bit extra time on math/science tests and thatās part of what makes me wonder about if engineering the way to go; or, it could be that I am worrying needlessly and he will be in ballpark for whichever way he wants to go!</p>
<p>For my daughter grade is not an indication of her interest. She has STRONG dislike for social sciences subject but thatās where she has been getting A+.</p>
<p>We visited in August while freshmen were on their ābondingā orientation trips & before classes began. My son is highly gifted IQ but with inattentive ADHD. He craves a challenge, but drowns with too many course. On paper, Pomona with only 4 classes/semester is a great balance for him giving depth while having less courses then the traditional 5 course load.</p>
<p>We are from the East Coast. Colleges must have ivy walls, strong architecture and grass areas to feel like a college for me. Pomona had all that plus a breath taking view and perfect weather. None of the smog I expected. No humidity.</p>
<p>The 5 college consortium really are connected physically! Much different from our nearby consortium of Swat/Haverford/Bryn Mawr/Penn. </p>
<p>Our tour group was large and had 3 current students accompany us (1 in training and 1 new to conducting interviews who needed to tag along). All 3 were very well-spoken without sounding so proper that you felt they were stuffy.</p>
<p>The āoutsideā classroom was a long picnic table with a trellis. Appeared well used, not just a show piece. There is an outside wall that students can paint on or use as a billboard for activities. I loved all the fountains.</p>
<p>I saw a spark in my sonās eye that I hadnāt seen anywhere else. As the week progressed that spark was really for SoCal, not specifically Pomona.</p>
<p>I learned one of our tour guides had not bought text books in the last year because the library was so well stocked with copies of texts.</p>
<p>I liked the entire 5C, but CMK is not my sonās people. Pitzerās small physical campus and ānativeā desert vegetation depressed me. Mudd, well, my son has a natural aptitude for engineering, so of course this means he doesnāt want to pursue it. </p>
<p>Iāll hold onto a hope that son will get insomnia under control and implement more organizational strategies. His Headmaster believes the counselor can explain away his grades due to his issues (chronic insomnia, etc.). Pomona simply has everything my son wants and I felt very comfortable and energized there. Added bonus, Ontario airport was great.</p>
<p>David</p>
<p>The A- is a very good grade. But if your kid is like mine, it may be precisely the fact it is lower grades than other courses is why my son wants to study the subject more. My son thrives on the challenge of bettering the grade and mastering the material.</p>