<p>It seems like a pretty legit response and one that I would probably hear from my kids as well. But at the back of my mind there is always this little voice now that tells me "you do not know everything, the picture that you are painting in your head does not have all the details. </p>
<p>Fineartsmajormom - great point ! I am definitely going to include the part about" no matter what " and “no judgement from me” . Actually I have to tell you, that the kid my S was supposed to spend the night at is a wonderful, very nice and very honest looking kid.
An A student, Ivy educated parents (H), well off, swimmer, not a show off at all and so far has been very helpful to my kid in his many crazy projects (they are both into moviemaking). So I am absolutely not judging him, I remember how I was when I was their age etc…</p>
<p>To change the subject - we have been flooded as well with the college mail. Started probably before Christmas. While we have not hear from Yale, Princeton or Harvard ;), there are letters form Penn, Duke and Columbia.
I have those letters in front of me right now, they are from:
Colorado School of Mines
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee
Colorado State
Gonzaga University
Bowdoin College
Seattle University x 2
Emory University
University of Notre Dame X 2
Case Western Reserve University
Saint Mary’s College
Fordham University
Williams College
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Washington University St. Louis
Tulane University
University of Minnesota
University of Rochester x 2
Swarthmore College
Kettering University
Chapel Hill
Westminster College
Columbia
Duke
Penn State
Missouri University of Science and Technology.</p>
<p>Have to admit that I have never heard about some of the schools.
Most of the letters rest unopened, the ones that either S or myself have opened all have the same message - register online for our special preview etc, etc, etc…
We are pretty sure they are not coming to us as a result of S’s PSAT testing, because the e-mail they all have is his old e-mail, before he has opened a special “college dedicated e-mail”. BTW, S says that he is also getting several e-mails a day from colleges.<br>
I simply cannot believe how much money, paper and other resources goes into this insane advertising.</p>
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<p>And it is the exact SAME email from 50 different schools. Honestly, if we didn’t want the booklet from College X, why would I want it from College Y. S gave the PSAT MY email address (thanks!) so I have been busy clicking “unsubscribe.” But how do we stop the mailings???</p>
<p>You can only hope that June 2013 will be the end. D1 (current freshman in college) has still gotten a couple of random mailings from colleges this year.</p>
<p>My son only recently “opted in” to the student search so the only emails/mailings we have received so far have been the ones we (ok…me) signed up for on their websites. The funny thing is that his prospective major has completely changed since then so most of them are no longer on the radar.
I have to admit though that I absolutely fell in love with Kenyon after receiving one of their mailings recently. Before, it was simply one of many schools on the “take a look at” list</p>
<p>The mailings don’t bother me as much as e-mails would, I think.
I cry for the forest gone though.</p>
<p>OK, S has singed up for AP test and it turns out that his Physics test is actually two test, not one . A hefty sum of $522 just went to Collegeboard.
Time to start thinking seriously about SAT Subject Tests…</p>
<p>Last week my D was embarrassed and brought to tears by a boy who was running for a club office against her. He created a rap in which he belittled her and then she had to give her speech right after this. I felt so bad for her and it made me cry thinking of her standing there so vulnerable not knowing what to do. She told me she wished she could have addressed his remarks, but she was just shell shocked! This is a service organization and none of the adult advisors or the current officers said anything! The boy also won the office after this! My D was so hurt that none of her peers had the courage to say anything. Several told her later that he was a jerk and that they had not voted for him, but that did little to change anything. She has very much enjoyed the service work she has participated in with the club, but I told her she could volunteer her time through other means if she wanted to quit the club. She has picked herself up and is staying in the club for now. I don’t think she wants this boy to get the pleasure of knowing that he ran her out of the club. I know she will remain dissappointed in her peers for what happened that night, but she will let it pass. She is a much better person than I! On a brighter note, she made top six on the tennis team last week!</p>
<p>My D, a few years back, was at a school camp (8th grade) that allowed the counselors to do some things that my D felt were inappropriate. She brought it up when she got home and we brought it up to the school’s principal. Everyone who heard the story agreed that it was inappropriate. We received apologies, but…</p>
<p>I also questioned why the teachers (in attendance) didn’t step up and stop the activity at the time, or at least speak up to a supervisor later. While it was going on, they didn’t recognize it for what it was apparently. My D was humiliated (borderline sexual harassment). One teacher was not there (should have been, she was late) and the other I never heard from.</p>
<p>I’ve worked with youth for years and I have had to step in and try to steer things in another direction (by a kid or adult) when things were going in a bad direction. Many times it can be done without embarrassment, although in this instance, I’m not sure it could be. That doesn’t mean they are off the hook.</p>
<p>I would speak to the principal of the school about the incident - they probably have no idea it went on. Any teacher supervising such an event needs to be responsible for what they allow.</p>
<p>I will caution you though, this can get much worse (for your D) if the school handles it poorly and the students side with the popular student. Make sure you are prepared for that - it can get very ugly if handled poorly.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry your D had to go through this. Maybe the service organization needs to be reorganized to really be a service organization?</p>
<p>Oh, that ticks me off. I agree that if it really bothers you (and only with dd’s permission) I’d bring it up to admin. The teachers won’t say anything because they’ll look negligent for not doing anything. </p>
<p>Ds is addressing the entire school today at an assembly. I hope it went well. Will be curious to hear!</p>
<p>Blueshoe, Sorry to hear about your D’s incident. Your D has shown great courage and confidence in her by continuing in that club. I agree that the adults in the room should have handled it better.</p>
<p>AtomicGirl, thank you for sharing your D’s experience. I’m so sorry she had to go through that. My D did not experience anything approaching the seriousness of sexual harassment, just meaness and behavior unbecoming of anyone who should hold office in any club let alone one that is in existence to serve the community. I feel that as in your D’s case, the adults present may not have recognized the behavior for what is was either. As the initial shock and pain of the event has passed, my D has become philosophical. She chooses to believe that there are people placed on this earth to knock you down, and how you handle yourself through such adversity is a measure of your strength of character. As I said, she is a much better person than I. I am still trying to forgive the boy that bullied my S throughout middle school and now lives in the same dorm at college with him! My S has not forgotten, but has forgiven the young man.</p>
<p>YDS, I hope your S’s address went off without any hiccups!</p>
<p>Donivrian, thanks for your thoughts about my D.</p>
<p>I think I just had a preview of things to come. I looked around and found some summer programs that I thought soninaz might like. I printed out the information for all of them, we sat down and talked about them, and he agreed that they sounded “cool”. Four programs, four applications all varying in complication in completing. I held his hand through the first process, reminding and nudging about the essay, teacher rec, and transcripts. I even emailed the teachers and counselors as a backup in case he had difficulty in this. First application got off well. I was more hands off for the second application but really had to kick butt to get the essay done in time which was the only requirement. Second application done. Third application, I found out he never requested transcript from counselor because I didn’t tell him it was needed even though he had the application requirements printed out. The teacher rec and essay were both submitted though. Ok, third application is incomplete with a deadline of today. I’m resisting the urge to request additional time for the transcript and will put that responsibility on him. I guess we’ll see how interested he really is in going to the program. The fourth application deadline was also today. As late as Sunday he still hadn’t written the application essay and finally decided that it was just too much work to do.</p>
<p>I’m bummed that only 2 applications went out since that means he probably won’t be doing anything worthwhile this summer. But I’m glad we both got some application experiences early in the game. Will he remember that you can’t wait until the last minute when everything has the same due date? Will I find the balance between doing it all and doing nothing? What will happen when the notifications come in? Will he receive enough financial aid to make attending possible?</p>
<p>S takes the state required writing exam (TAKS) today. He is dreading it. He’s not worried that he won’t pass, he just hates writing “personal narratives.” I told him just to make something up! (I also told him to please, please, please write legibly!) Luckily, if he passes he will not have to take it again before graduation. I remember how relieved D was when she finished all of her TAKS exams in junior year. Too much testing!</p>
<p>megp, ds also is taking the TAKS after he stayed out late last night at a school board mtg (what a nerd. ). But he’s a great writer and this is not a high-stakes test so I don’t can’t what happens.</p>
<p>Can you tell I’m already counting down these last two years??? :D</p>
<p>Reeinaz - my S would never let me get as much involved as you were. He would have a fit if he knew I e-mailed his teacher re: rec. letter ;). So count your blessings…</p>
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