<p>ognopgod, wow, I could only guess what your college admission blinder/notebook would look like! :)</p>
<p>2018 Dadā
Yes, 110 points on Math II is quite a leapā¦ From 630 to 740. Perhaps a couple of reasons. 1st try was a jump into the unknown world of high stakes tests ( other than PSAT.) Didnāt really prep- just finished Algebra Honors II. Half heartedly used Barronās. This go round had SAT and an AP test under his belt. Also took an online Kaplan Edge class for Math II the Sunday before. I think he was more confident. Perhaps Kaplan gave him some strategies. Anyway, while not an 800, it is a good score- we will take it.</p>
<p>ognogpod - Wow! Thatās some thorough catching up you did! :)</p>
<p>FogFog - iām so sorry about your momā¦ Have you ever visited the āParent Caring for Parentā thread? It is very supportive. I was on there a lot last fall while my dad was ill and when he passed away. I feel very bad for your dad as well as your momā¦ And I really hope the āpopā doesnāt derail things as much as you thoughtā¦</p>
<p>Loved the recap Ognogpod - weāll be looking for that each week from now on. ;)</p>
<p>Fogfog - keeping you and your mom in our prayers.</p>
<p>Promās now history here and weāre on a much needed 3 day weekend! Then 9 more school daysā¦ (not that Iām counting!).</p>
<p>Iām already ready for this school year to be overā¦ my focus is changing to college apps - my final year(!). My guy will take the SAT for his last time June 1st. Heās done next to no prep (sigh). I hope his score doesnāt go down. Mean ole me is planning on making him do some this weekend once he gets up around noon (prom last night). Iām really glad we donāt need SAT 2 scores as wellā¦ His GPA is nice, but trying to get him to do standardized tests isā¦ ugh!</p>
<p>S14 has some sort of upper respiratory nastiness going on. Just allergy meds didnāt help a whole lot so heās doing the neti pot and sleeping a lot. I guess it was inevitable with the AP tests, the trip to Florida for BPA and everything else going on. Hoping it is all clear by next weekend when he takes the SAT IIs.</p>
<p>@Minnymom Thanks. Weāll definitely check out Kaplan Edge.</p>
<p>Hey everyone! I like the shiny new digs and Iām sorry I missed the cocktail party last night. How are yāall feeling this morning? :)</p>
<p>Canāt tell you how relieved I am that itās a three day weekend and we might actually get some much needed family & down time. This past few week was nuts for Spygirl-- 2 nights of drama performance, scholarship night and after school SAT prep. But it was a fruitful week, she was chosen to be a school ambassador and NHS Treasurer. </p>
<p>Now if I can just get her to start packing for her tripā¦</p>
<p>Havenāt posted in a while as itās been crazy here with all the end of year activities! In the past week and a half weāve had school concert (singing and band which she played in even though she and the other two top musicians couldnāt fit it into their schedules this past year), awards ceremony (academic awards for math and science along with the top award for a junior :)), two proms (home town high school for her boyfriend and will all her close friends along with a party for the parents that night after we did all the pictures and then her own prom where we got all the pictures done right before the downpours came) and auditions/callback for a show this summer! The best part is that now that the APs are done and the seniors are gone, her work load has significantly diminished and her former AP Spanish class seems to have turned into a study period so she can get some homework done in school.</p>
<p>Saw the GC this week and weāre on the right track with the schools on our list - given her grades, class rank and many leadership activities, she should be able to get into all on our current list. The big question is whether sheād be able to get the merit aid weāre looking for. GC was going to try to see if she could find out the criteria for some of the schools. Her scores are okay but donāt really reflect her as a student so she will study for both ACT and SAT this summer and take both again. And weāll add some mega reaches to her list to visit this summer - Brown, Yale, Princeton along with Bryn Mawr, Drew and maybe Villanova. Who knows! I know her recommendations will be wonderful and if the schools look at the whole picture, then one may be possible.</p>
<p>Sheās still looking for a summer job though with no luck. Our town has one of the highest percentages of kids to total population in our state and many are in high school now so there really arenāt enough jobs to go around. Hopefully something will pan out. She did pick up a bit of a job for a few hours in mid June so thatās something - helping three sisters out with quick costume changes during a dance recital.</p>
<p>Oh, and she won the scratch ticket tree at our theater fundraiser and actually won almost $100 from the scratch tickets (which I had to cash in). She was hoping for $20 for gas money so now she has LOTS of gas money - which is good for me too!</p>
<p>Cookout (in) tonight at her bfās house for all of us and their group of friends. Just wish the weather would cooperate. Itās cold and damp here! Sheās upstairs cleaning up her room after weeks of craziness - and singing! Boy am I going to miss that when she leaves!</p>
<p>Winter seems to have returned here to Northern Virginia and I spent the morning freezing at DSās club soccer tournament. This afternoon I am with younger DD and it is a tad warmer while DH gets in a round of golf. </p>
<p>I asked DS about seniors getting a waiver for finals and he kind of chuckled and said no. Seniors do however take their finals early so all are done with class work . Next week seniors will present their research project at a school wide event so I assume they are still working on that, or at least putting on the finishing touches. </p>
<p>DS is definitely looking forward to senior year. He told me that he and his friends are already planning their Beach Week!</p>
<p>It is nice to read that the rising seniors are able to have some down time this weekend! They need it! I think if kids today survive junior year, they can handle anything! </p>
<p>DS went to grandparents last night after finishing the school year - 30 miles out in the country - and plans to stay there until he works umping on Sunday. Just some sleep, TLC, and Netflix. Nice!</p>
<p>Winter has returned here in Missouri, too. In the FIFTIES today and some cold rain. We enjoyed our coworkerās wedding today, but the weather did NOT cooperate! We did manage to entertain the reception as the teachers of the math department (ranging in age from 25-65) performed the Wobble (which we learned to entertain our students in the spring Faculty Show)</p>
<p>2016BarnardMom: Hereās hoping your son feel better soon. It took three trips to the doctor before he finally got a prescription (everything else had been over the counter meds) and got well. All I heard was the word, allergies. Well, the barking from the cough finally subsided with the last dose of meds. Heās sleeping much better, and so am I.</p>
<p>Beautiful but cool morning in Virginia. Loving the three-day weekend. Took my guys out to shop yesterday. They needed more shorts ā should it get warm again soon.</p>
<p>Iāve been reading along on Digest from my phone and composing this letter in my head for weeks now, but this is the first time Iām getting to post in too long a time.</p>
<p>((hugs)) to all who are needing them.</p>
<p>((Yippee)) for all the wonderful achievements and all the work that went into them, and frankly to all those who kept their heads above water during this, the spin cycle of Junior year!</p>
<p>First: SparkleSon called me in the middle of AP weeks, after taking May SAT Subject tests in Math 2 and Physics the week before and said - āMom, I donāt want to take SAT 1 again in June, there are just so many tests, itās too much, I just canāt, etcā</p>
<p>At first I was worried, because he almost never goes down the whining path. Heās just not that verbal (to us anyway!)
I took a deep breath, called on you all, and said, confidently:
You have JUNIORITIS!</p>
<p>āOh, thatās right!ā he answered. āWhat a relief. Of course I have Junioritits. Itās the end of the year and I donāt feel like working anymore and there are so many other cool things to do around here. Thatās it Junioritis.ā</p>
<p>I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. I had never heard of Junioritis before you all started talking about it. Knowing that the most academically able kids here were feeling the burn really helped give me confidence, and that helped me help him. It was so out of character that it could have misled me into making more out of it than it was.</p>
<p>The subject SATs are back, and heās delighted with his results, so that will help him stay on course another few weeks. Glad that the Subject tests are behind him. His results went up on 4:45 pm! That was a really long day. Refresh, refresh, refresh.</p>
<p>Counting down the days to end of school, Bonnaroo, and getting him back home!</p>
<p>Smiles,
PS</p>
<p>I went shopping last night for our first college purchase! DS is now the proud owner of twin size sheets! :)</p>
<p>I dropped DS off at Boys State today. It is being held at a college campus in the middle of the state. Not a college that has seen much renovations in the dorm area! Another mom and I were in the room while the boys ran downstairs for a minute. I scooted the bed over to give them a little more room on one side, and a roach ran across the floor! EEK!!! Didnāt say a word to the boys!! Glad Iām not staying there! Iāll go back for him Friday.</p>
<p>I hope those that are sick begin feeling better soon! I had a nasty bug last week, but feeling much better now.</p>
<p>And another round of tests this weekend. Good luck to the SAT testers!</p>
<p>Happy Memorial Day, prayers for all those with family to sacrificed so much for us.</p>
<p>Happy Memorial Day. It is cool and rainy and we are enjoying a quiet day. The weekend was busy with grad parties and summer kick-off fun. </p>
<p>S is trying to figure out waystomake next year more manageable. He is thinking he wants to quit working. He has a pretty nice job but has missed some school things mostly club activities. He has banked most of his checks so he would live off his savings.</p>
<p>Is anybody starting to think of resumes or brag sheets? I saved one from a friends son when he asked me for a reference. Eagle Scout, valedictorian, elite sport kid. He listed activities and awards back to middle school. Is this typical? I know the common app is high school only, right? </p>
<p>There are even a few freshman only things that he would leave off (a sport, a music group and a little job) but I wonder if it should be included to give the total high school picture and not just recent accomplishments? </p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
<p>As I have discussed in the other thread, DD decided to apply for Peace Corps positions upon graduation.</p>
<p>What are your thoughts?</p>
<p>"Is anybody starting to think of resumes or brag sheets? "</p>
<p>DSā14ās GC emailed parents to ask for brag sheets. (She asked some specific questions too.) We havenāt done it yet, but thanks for the reminder. The GCs use them to write the recommendations.</p>
<p>The brag sheet is something required for the GC letter and is due, along with the rest of the junior packet, on due June 7. The teachers who will be writing his recommendations also asked for a similar document. Weāve got one in the works and almost finished.</p>
<p>D1 went to school early today for the traditional juniors-running-through-the-halls-screaming-because-the-seniors-are-gone. What are the odd traditions at your kidsā schools?</p>
<p>I may be out of it, but Iāve never heard of the GCās questionnaire referred to as a ābrag sheet.ā Describe your kidās learning style. Describe your kid in 3 adjectives, give examples. How has your kid grown in the last 3 years, give examples. What are your kidās strongest attributes, give examples. What non-academic activities is your kid involved in, give examples. What makes your kid unique, give examples. There were more along the same lines. The answers and examples got quite repetitive. Ds have a new GC this year, but she seems to have decent notes from the previous GC.</p>