<p>Scsiguru, welcome. This thread has parents of kids with a variety of stats.</p>
<p>scsiguru - anyone with a 2014 grad is welcome on this thread. Weāre rejoice with those with high stats and rejoice with those who have other stats. ;)</p>
<p>For more probable school options, feel free to join some of us here:</p>
<p><a href=āhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/class-20xx-community/1469626-parents-hs-class-2014-3-0-3-3-gpa-25.html[/url]ā>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/class-20xx-community/1469626-parents-hs-class-2014-3-0-3-3-gpa-25.html</a></p>
<p>The GPA might differ, but scores are similar.</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcomes and the link! This site and the people here are so helpful!!</p>
<p>In my experience, life is far better when we all rejoice with each other (rather than ācompeteā) and share knowledge/experiences. 
Having your youngsters (and mine) reach their full potential at prices we (each) can afford benefits us all.</p>
<p>Junior year just ended yesterday for S. I have printed out the Common Application essay prompts and the recent essay prompts, that have not changed in years, from the schools he is going to apply to (actually a very short list). Does anyone have an opinion about when it is appropriate to start nagging about beginning on the essays?</p>
<p>I let my guys have a break from school before trying to engage their brain in college Apps. Most are pretty burned out at the end of the year and just want some ādonāt have to thinkā time. After a week or two they tend to start getting boredā¦ and being to consider their future again.</p>
<p>Trying to do something when the brain is burned out is rather futile anyway. Itās seldom their best effort.</p>
<p>If doing visits over the summer, that can be an inspiring time for many (right after the visit). Ride the wave (if it happens).</p>
<p>^ Visits would serve as a nice trigger, but we are finished with all the visits and he believes he has a final list (in Texas, it is basically just the standard list for a good student with one more thrown in). He has certain Summer activities planned, including a CC course and volunteering, and I was just a little worried that he could fall into a routine that does not include working on the essays.</p>
<p>Another novice parent question ā¦ </p>
<p>Speaking of the Common App, Iām gathering the gist of teacher recs goes like this: your child provides the CA system w/ the teachers email/contact info (whoāve agreed to write recs) and the CA contacts the teacher and prompts them to write recommondations. Yes?</p>
<p>DS this morning got an email from Chicago with their essay topics. Talk about quirky! </p>
<p>DS is not applying there but even if he were I wouldnāt start nudging him to start drafting until July. We get out so late here (finals are next week), that that gives him about two weeks to decompress before having to kick back into gear again. </p>
<p>And of course common app topics have been out for months but they are more straightforward.</p>
<p>scsiguru: Feel free to pop over to the 2014 3.0 to 3.3 GPA thread. Your daughter is just like mineā¦higher GPA (UW 3.65) and very low test scores (for CC, not US average). Itās nice to have a place to discuss colleges and concerns that arenāt on everyone elseās radar. </p>
<p>We still have another week and a half of HS here in WA so thereās plenty of drama with final tests and final essays still to come next week.</p>
<p>I always remind myself that even at Harvard, 50% of the graduating class finished in the bottom half. Itās OK. Lifeās about what you make of it, not where you graduated in HS or college. </p>
<p>Cheers.</p>
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<p>I think the teachers write one LOR each and give it to the hs counselors. Correct me if I am wrong. (First time senior parent here). However, I am not clear whether the counselors have access to the common app or do just the students? Or is this done differently at different schools?</p>
<p>momofwon: Thank you for the invite! Iāll definitely post in that thread. I just am starting to feel very overwhelmed about the whole college process, and I certainly donāt want to put any pressure on her. We went through this about five years ago with my oldest D. She spent one semester at a state school and totally bombed out. Came back and enrolled at a local school and did the same. I ended up stopping to pay for her college. Sheās now living away and going to school at a CC and seems to have her act together now. Our youngest now sees the this and is committed to doing well. Iāll get off my soapbox nowā¦sorry for the long post.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son, Creekland. Iām sure the next 4 weeks will be very busy for you!</p>
<p>Welcome, Scsiguru! Grab a drink and pull up a chair, everyone is welcome here on the SS2014 :)</p>
<p>Spygirl has next week to get through, finals end Thursday. But the seniors graduated last night so the girls in her class are all wearing special t-shirts today. They say āAll hail the Queensā on the front. On the back is: āSeniors of 2014ā with a cute pink crown. Apparently this is a long standing tradition that is only for senior girls. The school was all boys until about 25 years ago. DDās class is 65% boys 35% girls. And this is their way of saying they rule :)</p>
<p>^ Agentninetynine ā¦ THAT is awesome!! Love that!!</p>
<p>The senior class traditionally pulls some kind of prank the last week of school. Sometimes nice ā¦ sometimes REALLY not nice. (Last year they had intended to hit everyone else with water balloons as the exited on the last day ā¦ administration got wind and they had police at every exit.)</p>
<p>Two years ago (I think) every senior brought their lunch from home instead of buying it. The lunchroom staff was then left with approx. 500 food portions that went to waste. (That was horrible!)</p>
<p>This year ā¦ pretty tame! They all set their cell phone alarms to a certain time and left them in their lockers.</p>
<p>I love Spygirlās t-shirts!</p>
<p>D14 is now fighting a nasty cold - with the ACT in the morning and three days of finals next week. Ugh.</p>
<p>She also got the email from Univ of Chicago, and said āSure glad I decided not to apply there!ā The topics are fun to read, but would be so difficult to write.</p>
<p>KaMaMom ā unless thatās new this year, I donāt remember that at all from 3 years ago. At our school, S asked his teachers if they would write a LOR; they agreed and signed a form that he then gave to his GC. Teachers can either give the letter to the GC or send it directly to the colleges. Dās two letter writers sent the letters themselves. One of them asked for us to give her pre-addressed envelopes with the peel and stick strip (I guess she didnāt want to lick 10 envelopes ā canāt blame her!)</p>
<p>I donāt remember the common app asking for letter writer info at all. I hope they donāt put them on an email list.</p>
<p>LORs can be submitted electronically for the Common App. The big advantage of this for letter writers is that they submit once, and then are done for all schools that accept the Common App. No envelopes to lick!</p>
<p>School is DONE here! We do have a party to attend tonight, but school is officially over for the year. Now to think about the wedding (oldest son, not my '14), college visits and appsā¦</p>
<p>Those T shirts sound terrificā¦</p>
<p>My middle son used the Common App 2 years ago. His LOR writers submitted electronically via a link to his CA that he sent them (or maybe he put their e-mails in and CA sent it to them). No problems.</p>
<p>Here comes summer! Last day of school, son very happy with how he did and happier the junior year is done. </p>
<p>His HS gc offers little to no assistance, I wonder if things have changed since my older kids went thru this process, ('08 and '09) have to check on the LORs going to the gc, or the electronic submission with the CA</p>
<p>Going out for a celebratory dinner this evening, the heās off for a youth group event with his buddies, time for some fun</p>
<p>My son is a senior now! He is spending the weekend doing a bunch of service, having left over half of his hours until the last possible moment. He and I have both been assigned to ātransportationā for Sundayās grad ceremony. Iām driving a golf cart; I assume he is directing cars to park. I shall endeavor not to run over his feet.</p>