<p>NerdyDad: We are fortunate that my D is already doing volunteer work for the cat adoption society and she has already told them she would be available for more hours in the summer and they have already expressed an interest and appreciation for that. So we are fortunate in that, but I know what you’re saying. All you have to do is look in here to see what it took for us to find volunteer work for my D.</p>
<p>Hi VandyGrad! Welcome! I just told you about this thread on another thread & you’d already found us. Oops!</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcome, RobD. I can tell I have a lot to learn!</p>
<p>For now, I need to learn to glean information but keep my mouth shut. I can tell that I am inadvertently stressing my daughter out and I am not meaning to. I have checked some books out of the library about college admissions etc and I think I am freaking her out. </p>
<p>One thing that I really want to do is expose her (in time) to the idea of other schools. Since my Dh and I both went to Vanderbilt (and he also to Vandy Law), she has always wanted to go there. She is fixated! But there are plenty of good schools in our area (MD, VA, PA etc) for her to consider and I feel like right now she is way hyper-focused. It’s hard to get that message to her without her getting that closed-off look on her face!</p>
<p>Leeann</p>
<p>Several of us on this thread are on our second (or third or…) kiddo 
I’ve got a S’11 whose college search we’re focusing on but we’re finding out info for our very different D’13. Her stats are in line with her brother’s but her focus is so.very.not math/science but English/writing/drama, resulting in a totally different potential list of schools!</p>
<p>By having S’11, I’m able to hang on CC and check interesting books out of the library without freaking her out 
Our youngest is only 10 so she’s going to think college planning is something every parent does all the time… :D</p>
<p>Vandygrad: this will also be my 2nd go round, as my oldest is a senior this year. One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of schools are a lot more selective than they were back in our day. Vanderbilt for example had a 16% acceptance rate this year. My oldest is a National Merit Finalist, attended 2 summer programs at Vandy & I work there. She was waitlisted. Which is fine and quite honestly her heart was already given to another school by the time she found out, but her stats were in the ballpark for admittance. Mind you in 2008, Vanderbilt announced that their acceptance rate had dropped to 23%. So it’s become even more selective in the past two years (partially due to their new “no loan” FA package policy. Here’s a link to the Vandy admissions blog about the newly admitted Class of 2014: [Vanderbilt</a> Class of 2014 Notifications in the Mail The Vandy Admissions Blog](<a href=“http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2010/03/vanderbilt-class-of-2014-notifications-in-the-mail/]Vanderbilt”>Vanderbilt Class of 2014 Notifications in the Mail | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University)</p>
<p>This isn’t to scare you, or to discourage your D from applying when the time comes. It’s just that a lot of 1st time parents don’t understand how much the admissions landscape has changed since they were freshmen.</p>
<p>Finally getting caught up on this thread. It is great to read new folks joining!</p>
<p>Kelowna – 3 APs! WOW!</p>
<p>I’m with Robb – My son is SOOO ready for this year to be over & I am with him. I hate spring with so much sports, ECs, school projects. </p>
<p>Son is deciding his 10th grade schedule now & I can’t believe how difficult it is – he really must plan carefully in order to get in all his school requirements & his “want” classes. Basically, right now we are working backwards with a list of everything needed by senior year and how to schedule. I know my high school years were not this difficult to plan.</p>
<p>The end of the year is in sight. S has two weeks left and will exempt all of his exams so other than a few chapter tests and a paper we are on the home stretch.</p>
<p>The summer will be pretty busy with the hospital volunteer position and the animal shelter work. S has decided to use the Ziggi method to prep for the SAT. He is considering applying to our state Governor’s School for science and math for junior and senior years so will need to take the SAT in Oct or Nov. This is a boarding school so I’m not sure that he will want to go if accepted but he wants to keep his options open.</p>
<p>Finally, all IB kids at our school have to do a personal project in 10th grade in order to stay in the program. S has decided on a project that the IB Coordinator and teachers have deemed extremely ambitious and have encouraged him to reconsider the project and do something “easier”. Of course the project is something that means a lot to S so he will not budge. I have agreed to support him by allowing him to follow his heart on this one. I think much of his summer will be spent on this project.</p>
<p>I can believe the year is almost over. It seems to have flown by.</p>
<p>RobD,</p>
<p>Good to know. I was perusing the Vandy message board and read about how difficult admissions has gotten. That just blew my mind. 16%!! I honestly believe I would not have gotten in now… in fact, I often wonder that I got in at all. I was, IMO, not an exceptional student. I did, however, have a passion for Special Ed and did things in that area on a regular basis, and NOT to be admitted to a college either.</p>
<p>I will absolutely be making sure that, while I support whatever hopes and dreams she has, I also help her to find alternate schools where she will thrive and learn and grow!</p>
<p>DogsandBirds: I am thinking to apply to an out-state private school for my D’d junior and senior year since she got ambition from her big brother and her current high school is a first year brand new high school which does not provide many interesting programs and she complained about teacher’s teaching skills all the time, I hesitate to act upon this since junior year is THE most important year of high school before applying college, the transition to new school may hinder her performance even the school itself is excellent. I should have planed this a year a go. Tough decision.</p>
<p>I forgot that I had asked about honor society inductions here, thanks so much for the replies. :)</p>
<p>It was for the [url=<a href=“http://www.sociedadhonorariahispanica.org/]Sociedad”>http://www.sociedadhonorariahispanica.org/]Sociedad</a> Honoraria Hisp</p>
<p>MNMom62, Thank you for the information on the NUMATS. It was very helpful! As an introduction, we have 3 children in high school (two in 9th, one in 10th) one graduating from college this year, and one in 4th grade. Balancing everyone’s differences and interests is our major challenge. It is so good to see that other families are researching information. Many parents in our area believe I am crazy to start so early. I only wish I had started in the 6th grade, so that they could have taken advantage of some programs that would have put them a year ahead in high school. Good to “meet” everyone through your past posts!</p>
<p>Nerdydad,
My dd is going to do a writing camp (day) at a local college for two weeks. She has also asked if she can attend the camp she has attended since K to work as an asst counselor. I am good with that except I think it is crazy that she spends the day working there unpaid. She did this last year and loved it and learned a great deal about responsibility. May of her friends from K returned and they had a blast together. </p>
<p>I will only have her do that for the first half of the summer. After that she will just spend time at the beach, hang out with friends, and do fun summer stuff, probably including sleeping until noon.</p>
<p>Yet another meeting with the GC about sophomore year courses. DS keeps changing his mind, plus he was accepted into the TV broadcatsing program at the school so changes needed to be done. I am worried about the number of difficult classes he will take, but GC thinks he will be “just fine” 
AP Physics B done, he has decided not to write AP Geo. So it is almost summer vacation! Just watch those grades for a few more weeks!
Summer plans here are not yet finalized.</p>
<p>Kelowna - maybe my daughter should have sat for AP Human Geography…</p>
<p>Last night was awards night and she received the Outstanding Social Studies Student Award.</p>
<p>Oh well. ;)</p>
<p>I’m sure we’ll regret a few decisions as we go down this road.</p>
<p>Morning all! Last week of school here for D2; exams started today and go through Friday. D1 is already done as she is a senior & is exempt from all her exams.</p>
<p>Went to the Honors night program for D1 last week and was thumbing through the program when I saw D2s name. Um, what? She wasn’t there as she had a softball game. Turns out she scored in the 90th percentile on the National Spanish Exam. Forgot to tell me. Thanks kiddo!</p>
<p>I don’t think that our school does any awards
Well, DS is bored to tears in his classes as they are mostly watching movies at this point.
He is questioning the need to be at school at this point…</p>
<p>RobD: my S is also senior as your D1, he is skipping the whole week except Friday to do some internship at a company to make some money and to start his first working experience, he slept during the meeting yesterady… Friday is graduation (rehearsal?) day? not sure.</p>
<p>my D is having finals like everybody else for this week. She still has not come up any plans for her summer yet. No honors/awards to bring home for this year so far.</p>
<p>My D is jealous of those who have just a few days left in freshman year. She does not get out of school until June 18. Then she starts summer school two weeks later!</p>
<p>My D2 has summer-itis something fierce! I am hoping she can hang onto her good grades for a few more weeks but I have watched them s-l-i-d-e. Too many distractions with school team playoffs and sports try-outs for next years teams.</p>
<p>In contrast to those with freshmanitis ( 
), LuckyGirl is actually working harder! She had a really rough first semester, with my mom dying in November and a chronic headache that lasted from October to January. After lots of testing and an elimination diet, the headache was linked to MSG and a few other foods. She already has several food allergies so why not add some food sensitivities too :rolleyes: </p>
<p>She discovered last week that if she gets As in the remaining assignments and on the finals for a few classes, she will end up with an A for the year in those classes. So she’s been working hard She has an A in English and one in French, so she will be exempt from those finals.</p>