<p>Merry Christmas all!</p>
<p>DD14 is significantly less stressed than she is normally. </p>
<p>And I find that especially sad. :(</p>
<p>Why are you especially sad, KaMaMom? Less stressed sounds like a good thing.</p>
<p>Donāt mean to go all Martha Stewart on you :)</p>
<p>@classof2015 ā¦ yeah, I guess that was worded a bit weird.</p>
<p>What I mean was that its sad that a high school student needs a vacation to de-stress.</p>
<p>She is just a completely different kid when all the stressors of school are removed.</p>
<p>I hear you. Iām seeing that with D (clg sophomore). Itās like theyā¦defrost or something. From a clenched block of ice to something recognizable. That youād want to cook up for dinner. Bad metaphor!</p>
<p>Itās nice to have your happy energetic fun kid back, isnāt it?</p>
<p>Hang in there.</p>
<p>I hope you are all having a happy holiday season so far! Unfortunately, my teachers have assigned work over break, so Iām still quite busy. ECs and things donāt stop either. On the bright side, I plan on crashing the day after my last final exam and never waking up. Delayed gratification ftw :)</p>
<p>Hey Woodie, welcome. My DD is pretty quiet about her accomplishments and interests, too. She finds it a turn-off when she perceives people as bragging and never wants to be seen as boastful. But I completely agree with mathmomvt ā¦ thereās a time and place for discussing your particular attributes. One thing weāve done is practice ways in which she can talk about her interests, EC, grades, classes, etc., that feels authentic and in keeping with her personality. So instead of saying āIāve got a 4.0 and am taking all these AP classes,ā she will say something like āIām really lucky to have the opportunity to take these wonderful accelerated classes in subjects that are interesting and exciting to me. My teachers are amazing at bringing the subjects to life and Iām completely hooked on biomimicry ā¦ etc. My grades reflect my interest in these classes and Iām excited to continue ā¦ā </p>
<p>My DD finds it easier to shine some of the light on her teachers or on her school first, and that makes it easier for her āownā her accomplishments that she built upon that foundation. Same with her ECs ā¦ it starts with her mentors and how they triggered or inspired her to do yada yada. Does that makes sense? This is a technique that has helped her when talking with family, friends and neighbors, but itās also helped when writing applications to competitive summer camps. Weāll see if it does the trick when she is interviewing for that dream college!! 
</p>
<p>Of course, itās important for each person to find a way to stand in that spotlight in a way that feels true to themselves. Good luck to you and your D finding an honest and authentic way to tell her story!</p>
<p>Hi parents of the 2014 class. Iām a 2014 student. Who knows I might know one of your kids (small world lol). </p>
<p>Do parents find there to be a competitive nature between each other an their childās success? For some reason I feel bad for, I guess, letting my mom down when she talks to her friends about their kids. Like my momās closest friendās daughter goes to school with me and she is like classes ahead of me, got into NHS (I didnāt), scored higher on the practice ACT, etcā¦ Sometimes I feel like my mom is sort of embarrassed when they talk about their childās accomplishments. Or maybe Iām just being paranoid. Any input on the situation, is this common among parents to have a sense of competition when it comes to their children?</p>
<p>TinnyT: Be yourself. Because there are plenty of parents who talk a big game, and itās all fluff. With two sons five years apart, I can tell you that Iāve heard all the chatter twice now. My older son was Mr. Academic Everything, and he got a full tuition/housing scholarship to college. Most of the parents I know were thrilled for him, yet, there were some who did not understand why he chose to attend an OOS public school over a school they deemed most prestigious. Well, debt is not prestigious, and that OOS public has given him more opportunities than he can count. With my younger son, the ā14, I have already heard some parentsā chatter that he should look for a more prestigious school. Well, again, debt is not prestigious, so he wants a school where he fits in and can enjoy his studies, football games and other activities. </p>
<p>BTW, NHS can be overrated. I sponsored it for three years. Had plenty of kids in NHS, but only a handful did anything community service-wise. That said, find what interests you and run with it. My last NHS president was my best one, because she was truly devoted to the community, and I wrote just that to a couple of colleges. It helped her gain some additional scholarship money. The same could not be said for many other NHS members. </p>
<p>You are who you are. Do not worry about what others say or think. Your mom is proud of what you have accomplished. You need to travel the road that is best for you.</p>
<p>BTW, we just got back from touring Coastal Carolina on a chilly, windy day. My son really liked the school. It has a lovely campus. Kids can bring a car, but they do not need one as the Myrtle Beach/Conway bus service is available to them. The business school is excellent. The athletic facilities are nice (always good for a kid who is very active). There is some merit money available, too, so it will be on the list of schools receiving apps.</p>
<p>Oh, and my son, too, has AP work this holiday season. Need to read two books ā one for APUSH, the other for AP bio. Also has a practice test for AP calculus. And there is practice for indoor track and field. ā¦ Itās a fun world. Not.</p>
<p>DD14 is SO much less stressed during vacation! I think catching up on much needed sleep is the answer. Still has all of her study guides to do but sheās finished the book she needed to read for APUSH. She even cleaned out her closet yesterday and her room doesnāt look like quite as much of a disaster area as sheās had time to pick things up!</p>
<p>Went to see Les Miserables yesterday which was fabulous. As a musical theatre kid sheās been waiting for it to come out. Ran into more families from her theatre group so we all saw it together - including siblings who were in it with her four years ago. We had found out they would be seeing it at the same time we were but the big surprise was running into a close friend she hasnāt had time to see since this summer. They were both so happy to reconnect! It was so nice to see my smiling, relaxed daughter again! Even though we were both crying at the end. Sheās already plotting to go back to see it again tomorrow. But today is for study guides!</p>
<p>reading todayās post gave me happinessā¦just wanted to share and say thanks</p>
<p>Tinny -
I agree - be yourself! There are outstanding qualities in every child. I think itās human nature for parents to brag and be proud of their child - whether itās their grades or ACT score, making the winning touchdown, or being the big brother/sister that their younger siblings look up to. Every child (teenager, person) is different. Know that your parents are proud of all of your accomplishments and not at all embarrassed. </p>
<p>Good advice for the humble student. Iām afraid my DS will also be too shy to toot his own horn. Just in seeing how he reacts when friends ask him about specific things he has done, he turns shades of red.</p>
<p>There are several movies out right now that Iād like to go see - Les Mis being one of them! The youth in our area recently did this performance and did an outstanding job. Grease will be showing next week at a new dinner theater in town. I think Iām going to get some other moms together and have a fun night out! I loved Grease as teen!!</p>
<p>We are still enjoying snow on the ground! Unusual for our area and glad that it is over Christmas break so we donāt have to worry about school make up days! DS is at the gym enjoying his new membership that he received for Christmas! He used to workout a lot in junior high during off season, but since starting high school, they just hang out and use the off season as a study hall. </p>
<p>I was reading on the '13 thread all of the excitement about acceptances and scholarships! This time next year, weāll be in their shoes! DS just signed up for a Junior Tour that will take place on MLK day. Very nice school and only 2 hours away. Still trying to make a plan for spring break/beach trip! I think Iāll go over to the college search board and look for suggestions. :)</p>
<p>TinnyT, if I could I would stand upon the highest mountain and sing the praises of both my children. And academics would hardly enter into that song! They are both so different with vastly different gifts to give the world. However, the minute I opened my mouth to sing, my kids would push me off the peak. </p>
<p>Your mom knows you. She understands how hard you work, what makes you tick, what makes you, you. She also knows some parents grab hold of those shining academics because how well someone does in school is assessed and valued and graded ā¦ these are metrics a teacher has bestowed and grades / scores feel like near tangible evidence that their kid is āall that.ā But grades and scores are not who you are. It really is true ā¦ you are not your grades, your PSAT score, your grade point average. You are not how many AP/IB classes you are taking. </p>
<p>Your mom surely knows this and chooses not to enter into a conversation with someone who canāt see beyond that metric. Your mom probably realizes that you are so much more than these academic accolades. You are your heart and empathy and compassion and strength. You are your curiosity and kindness and humility. And these are harder to talk about because these are attributes that are exemplified by the way you are in the world. The fact that you worry about how your mom is feeling when talking with other parents demonstrates your empathy and concern ā¦ and that is worth more than āall thatā other. Be perfectly you!</p>
<p>Question for anyone who remotely knows the answer ā¦</p>
<p>Does my DD need to take the writing portion of the ACT?</p>
<p>She just took the SAT and scored a 770 on the writing portion. Sheāll re-take the SAT in a few months. </p>
<p>So ā¦ since she scored so well on the SAT writing, should take the ACT w/ writing?</p>
<p>Which begs another question - when it comes time for her to apply, should she submit BOTH her ACT & SAT scores? Or only the better of the two?</p>
<p>TinnyT, yes, some parents get too caught up in bragging about their kidsā accomplishments. IMO they are losing sight of what is important - and whatās worse, they are communicating those priorities to their kids. </p>
<p>The truth is that even though the college search and transition is all about YOU and YOUR LIFE, itās a big transition for us too. Itās hard to let go of our ābabiesā and see them off into the wider world. Sometimes we alternate among hopefulness, worry, pride, and loss. I have friends who become very focused on the college search as if the acceptance letters were the ultimate judgment on their parenting, instead of just a step onward to the next phase in their childās life. Doing something concrete helps to distract from worry and uncertainty. Iām sure thatās part of the reason I hang out here. ;)</p>
<p>Your mom may not know what to say to these people, but NOT having a mom who brags about you is actually a good thing! She is focused on you and not your awards and accomplishments.</p>
<p>Thank you everybody. Itās good to know other parentsā perspective. I feel better.</p>
<p>KaMaMom: Scores you send depend on the school. Some schools ask you to send ALL scores. It can get expensive if your kid is applying to lots of schools. SAT is a flat rate for all tests, $11 per school. Ten schools, $110, even if you took the test three times. ACT is $11 per test, per school. So if your child takes the ACT twice, its, $210, three times, $330. Yikes! Both tests allow students to choose up to four schools receive the test free, but you have to pick the schools at the time you take the test, so itās before you know what your score will be.</p>
<p>Some schools allow for score choice, where you can choose what tests you want to send to them. Take a look at the admissions section on the websites of any schools your child is interested in and youāll be able to tell what they want.</p>
<p>KaMaMom: Forgot about the Writing part of your question. She probably does need to take it, but again, check websites to see. Plus, since she did so well on the SAT writing, sheāll probably do really well on the ACT writing, so why not?</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>My DS is a HS 2014er who is just thinking about college options. I used to post a bunch at CC when my DD was applying and learned quite a lot here. She graduated a year ago in June.</p>
<p>Although I have no child applying to college this year, I have enjoyed reading a nieceās essays.</p>
<p>And I look forward to getting to know you and to connecting with folks Iāve gotten to know before.</p>
<p>Welcome back Momfromme! We are all getting ready to kick off the second semester of JR year and weāre glad to have you ! Has your DS started thinking about where he might want to apply next year? It is hard to believe that our guys will be starting to fill out apps in just 8 or 9 months!</p>
<p>Thanks, Glido. </p>
<p>Right now he says heās interested in McGill, although I think itās because he is studying French and would like to be in a city. Weāve only visited one school with him so far. It looks like he made NMS and Iād like him to apply to a financial safety based on the national merit status.</p>
<p>His sister went to a LAC and had a super experience and I think that could be a good choice for him as well, especially since he doesnāt know what he wants to study yet. But so much can change in the next months before he has to decide where to apply. Certainly if he wants to apply to McGill, that would be fine, as part of a mix.</p>