<p>Summer Programs -
I just opened an email and see that DS was accepted to BU’s RISE. The lab they paired him with isn’t a topic that he is already interested in. Any folks have kids that did RISE? Did it go well? Does anyone have a sense of where on the spectrum from ‘uber-competitive to if-you-can-pay-you-can-come’ it sits?
If it goes well he could meet some nice people and fall in love with a whole new field - that’s good.<br>
Thanks in advance,
PS</p>
<p>Spring break already? It seems like we were just digging out of 3 feet of snow. How times flies by!! We will be hitting a few schools in Boston and hopefully headed up to URI later that week. All via Amtrak. I just can’t see myself doing all of that driving by myself. I will be cranky/stiff and tired when we arrive. So we will hop on the train and read/surf/eat and arrive refreshed. Have you guys been done any of those mega college fairs hosted by NACAC? There is one here on 4/11 and I think I read somewhere that they are expecting 7,000 attendees. Is there any true value in attending those things at this stage of the game? Especially the ones that will be jam packed?</p>
<p>Hi everyone, I just read an article about the new common application that I think will be helpful for all our kids. I encourage all of you to read it so that you’re updated now about the changes our kids will face w/ the 2013 CA.</p>
<p>[The</a> Common Application offers a first look at CA4 - Washington DC College admissions | Examiner.com](<a href=“http://www.examiner.com/article/the-common-application-offers-a-first-look-at-ca4]The”>http://www.examiner.com/article/the-common-application-offers-a-first-look-at-ca4)</p>
<p>thanks RenaissanceMom!</p>
<p>Our DS1 will not come home for Spring Break next week. Instead, he and his roommates are taking a driving road trip. I am ambivalent about this trip. He is almost 20, the boys are not drinkers and have plotted their trip, so off they go. But I still worry about being on the road for couple thousand miles! We will come his way the next week when it is DS2’s spring break from HS and visit. While in LA, we will take DS2 to visit 4 colleges. Should be a fun trip.</p>
<p>We also head out a week from tomorrow for Spring Break and east coast college visits. Flight, lodging, rental car, tours are booked! DD has State mock trial competition this weekend as well as a debut of a play she’s in so there will be little rest until she’s on the plane. Praying for springlike weather as I’m a wuss driving in snow. </p>
<p>Thanks for posting the article on the Common App upgrades–interesting reading! It will be interesting to see which colleges allow a resume and additional recommendations. </p>
<p>Now I’m just waiting for the Captain to tell us how many days until it goes live!</p>
<p>NHCtMom, I don’t see any value in the college fair if DD is already interested and actively involved in the college prep process. I guess if she needs practice talking to reps, or if you have a school which “considers interest” that you can’t visit otherwise, then it might be worthwhile. If you do go, plan in advance and target the schools of interest.</p>
<p>S is going on his school East Coast College Tour. Not really seeing much that will specifically match his stats and interests, but I am trying to work a detour to see Northeastern. Of course he will be college’d out by spring break so I don’t think we will try to see anything else. I’m still wavering, since the schools he’s seeing will be useless to him except to compare big vs. small, urban vs. rural, artsy vs tech, etc.</p>
<p>Thank you for the CA article, RenaissanceMom! </p>
<p>ParentSparkle, I don’t know about RISE, but I’ve seen some students on CC class of '14 talking about it like it’s a very competitive program. Looking at the website, it sure impresses! Congratulations to you and your DS!!!</p>
<p>Hi all,
I lurk a lot on this thread but haven’t posted much. I am looking forward to hearing about your spring break trips. We are live in So Cal and are visiting Juniata, then returning and touring UCSC and Cal Poly SLO. Our son is very interested in Juniata but it is the only OOS school we will be looking at - at least at this time. I kind of wish we lived in the midwest, so close to so many amazing small LACs.</p>
<p>Hi All Busy here as we get ready for spring break</p>
<p>We are flying into the NE to look at several schools–traveling in OH/NY/CT/PA/MD/VA…</p>
<p>Met with GC today and eliminated on school that was on the tour list and added in another. Not quite perfect driving-wise yet a better fit.<br>
The lists is broad and the GC wants to see it be more defined…was happy though to see some “academic jewels”… alot of kids at the hs stay regional…</p>
<p>So as for the trimming of the list… that will happen after this trip, end of yr grades and the SATs/ACTs.</p>
<p>anyone getting any universally good tidbits of advice from GC’s ?</p>
<p>S’14s spring break starts Good Friday so we have some time yet. Since he doesn’t really know what he wants, we’re going to drive down I-94 and hit up all the colleges along it, just drive throughs. Eastern Michigan, University of Michigan, Albion College, Western Michigan and Kalamazoo college and then I think we’ll head up around Grand Valley. He needs to get a feel for size and rural/urban/suburban/big college town, etc. Then we can narrow things down a little.</p>
<p>It looks like we aren’t going to be able to visit the Florida schools until summer or fall. Has anyone here visited Eckerd or Palm Beach Atlantic? I saw someone mention on the “crossed off” thread that they didn’t like Eckerd because students went to class barefoot. That most certainly won’t turn off my guy. He’d consider it a plus.</p>
<p>The ironic thing is he was born in Pinellas County, FL (where Eckerd is), but I’ll admit that I wasn’t really considering colleges back when he was 6 months old (when we moved to PA).</p>
<p>He may end up returning to his roots. I think they may top his list (based on website) so far.</p>
<p>Juniata would win if he had to stay in PA, but he really wants tropical. We can visit Juniata in a day trip sometime, but like others, we don’t get time off for spring break other than the Friday before and Monday after Easter - probably not great visit days. So… even that may have to be a summer or fall trip.</p>
<p>We opted for the “just fun” spring break. We’re going to Sedona for six days. We’ll hike and explore and just relax. Maybe we’ll get some mystical collegiate inspiration from all the crystals in the local shops! She has no southwest schools on her list, so no visits for us.</p>
<p>DD has a basic list of about 11 schools, but she keeps changing her mind. DS got home last night for spring break and now his school has shot up to number one on her list. It would be a great fit for her and he loves it. It would be kind of nice to have them at the same spot for two years, but I want whatever’s going to make her happy, even if it’s 3000 miles away. She visited several schools when we were looking for him, but has only seen a couple of schools on visits just for her. Got to make sure she doesn’t feel short changed, so I think there’ll be a California trip for her as soon as school gets out.</p>
<p>We did the midwest/south trip during feb break. in 2 weeks, we’re doing a bunch of NY schools: bard, vassar, skidmore, hamilton, colgate and maybe, if we’re up to it and he’s not crushed by homework, syracuse and cornell. otherwise, we’ll have to get back up there in the summer. we did MA schools last spring break and may have to revisit some if they end up at the top of his list when the time for apps is near. it’s so hard choosing which schools to invest the time/money into right now without the hard data of their end-of-junior yr grades and test scores. the next SAT score will come out on the thursday while we’re away. i wish we had all that before planning these trips.</p>
<p>ResaissanceMom–I assume you know this, but just wanted to mention in case you didn’t, Hamilton, Colgate, Cornell & Syracuse are all kind of in the same neck of the woods. An hour or less from one to the other, if you can plot out their info session schedules. Skidmore is down in Saratoga Springs and Vassar is over in Poughkeepsie. I can see why you have booked Skidmore, Vassar & Bard together; they string together nicely. The Cornell campus is still fairly populated during the summer since a decent number of students elect to live up there one summer in order to take advantage of all the location has to offer. Also, Engineering students who participate in Co-op have to be in school the summer between soph & jr years so that they can work fall of Jr year. Some of the grad students never leave either.</p>
<p>We are debating the same fatigue factor for our April break. Am not sure how much any of us will care after the sixth school but this is the only time to squeeze in these visits during the school year.</p>
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<p>RenMom - Thanks for the link. Interesting article. :)</p>
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<p>go2 - Since you asked … 138 days to go (not counting today - Friday) until the CA is released for our 2014 class. :D</p>
<p>@gotomom + everyone
I noticed in post #4126 you mentioned the possibility of sending resumes, i.e., to see if under the revised Com App form, colleges would allow resumes. I would be interested in hearing what all of you think about this subject. We were advised in no uncertain terms that sending resumes is not a good idea. Pretty solid reasons too: kids too young for resumes, enough space in app, etc.</p>
<p>The article says that resumes can be submitted to schools that invite them. So you won’t be able to send them with the Common App unless requested.</p>
<p>My guess is that if schools invite them, there is no harm in sending them. For kids who have major accomplishments in their area of “passion,” it can provide a more detailed look at their commitment than can adequately be described in the limited characters available in the Common App. I don’t think it will necessarily be held against an applicant if they don’t submit one, but if you’ve got one shot to tell your story, why not include it?</p>
<p>I think it will be telling come 138 days to see which schools keep them as part of their admissions package.</p>
<p>How many pages is the Common App? How long in general does it take to complete?</p>