<p>Apollo: it is hard when kids have to start choosing among activities, but I guess that’s just life. We try so hard to expose them to lots of options in hope that they will find “their thing”. But when the EC’s start overlapping or eating into study/rest time, it turns awkward. My S attends a small school where most kids do sports and drama/music and any number of other school-sponsored activities, but trying to combine that with any kind of outside commitment is almost impossible. We gave up on having him join an outside sport for which he was being heavily recruited because it would have complicated his school commitments too much, so I feel for you. What to tell them? Choose a few things that are important to you and fit the schedule, and let the rest go. There’s nothing else to do.</p>
<p>I’m going to agree with HHead here. Our kids face similar constraints when choosing where to place their efforts. ECs such as drama, robotics, debate, band, and many sports, for example, demand so much time they can not be combined with other activities of similar commitment levels. Colleges understand this. Our advise is similar to HHeads, choose the one that rocks your world. :)</p>
<p>good advice. dd gave up a school sport this year. just wasn’t going to be enough time to do it and also do dance practices and rehearsals.</p>
<p>We’re there, too. Next month already d2 will sign up for her 12-13 classes. Our issue is band. We got a new AD this year, and he’s insisted on many mandatory pep band performances. So, d2 gets home at 9:39 or 10, finishes up the homework she didn’t get to right after school, goes to bed at midnight, and gets up at 5:15 so she can be at school for jazz band at 6. Yeah, it’s not working. Definitely won’t be auditioning for jazz band. Might give up band all together. It would still leave track, softball, cheer, a part-time job, fencing club, piano lessons, and a regular volunteer gig as an accompanist. Plenty, if you ask me. In fact, I’m gently pushing to give up something.</p>
<p>We just celebrated our D’s sweet 16 yesterday! She was selected for HOBY. I’m wondering, since she is our oldest, what are the benefits? What can she expect? Did any of your older kids attend the World Conference? We have it penciled in our 2012 calendar but would like to hear what it’s like.</p>
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<p>Apollo (and anyone else with a child near their state cutoff), if you’re going to be pursuing merit aid, I’d do more than cross fingers–I’d have the kid do some prepping for next year’s PSAT. There are some very nice scholarships available for National Merit Finalists; even for a student who’s aiming at tippy-top schools that offer no NM money, the scholarship-offering schools can be excellent financial/admissions matches or safeties. Plus the studying won’t be “wasted” on just the PSAT since it’ll benefit his SAT scores as well. D1’s school is essentially no merit aid, but they do give their NM admits $2k as NMFs–and hey, $2k, even spread over 8 semesters, is still $2k. :)</p>
<p>No scores yet for D2 but she’s not a strong test-taker so my expectations are very low.</p>
<p>I agree with SlitheyTove – My S1 ended up not getting anything from his NMF status at the school he ultimately chose, but it did provide a couple of financial safeties, one of which was rolling admissions, so that was an early admit and nice to have in his pocket. </p>
<p>He did do a bit of studying to bring his score up by 20 points – much of that came just by having more math and another year of English class, but I do think that studying directly for the PSAT was part of what put him over the magic cut-off in our state.</p>
<p>DD got back both ACT PLAN and PSAT scores this week. She was happy with both scores, but did a bit better on PLAN, which is surprising because she is nothing if not a reading/writing kid. </p>
<p>We also have a DS '12, so we’re pretty wrapped up in all that that entails, but we did make sure to make a big deal about her scores. I do have to say that while this process will be easier the second time around (experience and a super-organized child), I wouldn’t mind a bit of a break!</p>
<p>NoPSAT scores back yet for our DS’14. His school waits until exams are over. DS has 3 more exams, then Christmas break. he has been watching DD’12 go through the process, so he knows that sophomore grades matter.</p>
<p>D came home with her PSAT scores yesterday. We were pleased and it confirmed what we (and she) knew…need to work on the math. Didn’t help that she is not currently in a math class so has been out of practice since May coupled with her dislike (okay, hatred!) of math. </p>
<p>Finals next Monday and Tuesday and then she is on break. Big sis comes home for her college break tomorrow.</p>
<p>S did great on the Math PSAT. I was initially disappointed in the CR and writing scores until I pulled my older child’s sophomore year score report and saw that his CR score was only one point different and his writing score was higher than hers. She improved her scores by 21 points the next year and that was without a prep class or self study.</p>
<p>Well, we certainly aren’t the chattiest of Cathys, are we? Probably a good thing as I could never keep up with that '11 (and now college '15) thread. </p>
<p>D2s grades have rolled in for the semester, and I swear that kid couldn’t pull an A in English to save her life. She’s just not a writer. Papers leave her curled up in the fetal position, screaming. There’s a really awesome local scholarship awarded solely on class rank (large and renewable for 4 years as long as the student goes to an in- state private). Thinking she’d have a shot if she dropped back to regular English as honors courses are not weighted. I doubt she’ll be looking at schools anyone around here has heard of (so, no, nothing nationally ranked by USNWR). I doubt any would ask the school about “rigorous curriculum”. So, thoughts? </p>
<p>And while you’re thinking, thoughts on band vs. AP Chem? Chem means physics, chem, and calc in the same school year. Band would mean a bit of a break. Friends are in band, but d2 won’t be doing anything with music post high school, except maybe with piano.</p>
<p>Ordinary, what does your d want to study? If she’s interested in science or engineering, I’d say to take the chemistry; otherwise I’d say it’s probably not necessary. My S1 did take chem, phys and calc (all AP) senior year, and it was a fair bit of work, but doable – but he wanted to study engineering and it was clear that he ought to have them all.</p>
<p>Popping in to say hello. I’ve been camped out in the class of 2012 with my oldest s, but I have a d in this grade. I was just thinking, after we get him settled I can take a breath before plunging in with dd!</p>
<p>The poor older child has been our guinea pig, so with the younger one I will fix the mistakes we made the first time around.</p>
<p>D is normally not a great test taker, but I was pleasantly surprised at the psat scores, but her writing definitely needs some work. Anyone know how you work on writing? I figure the math will fix itself as she progresses through, though she scored well, but did a lot better in the cr. </p>
<p>She switched schools this year as a 10th grader and has made the transition from a tiny private to a bigger catholic school. Unfortunately she fell off her horse trail riding at camp, broke her elbow and really badly hurt her wrist and neck/shoulder. It meant no field hockey for the fall. Since that is her sport, I’m wondering how it’s going to look to have not played in sophomore year. She’s contemplating lacrosse for the spring, which starts in feb, and though the elbow is no longer broken, she still doesn’t have full mobility and she still has some pain. It’s also meant no horse back riding, no drums, ukele, piano, mandolin, guitar - lol (she likes a lot of instruments). For the first time in her life she’s had no outside activities. </p>
<p>She’s got summer planned, she travels with a teen service organization, she’s also going to be a cit for her summer camp and my sil has asked hubby to be her baby’s godfather, and the ceremony is going to be in ireland next summer. Plus field hockey goes on several nights a week all summer, and starts in earnest a few weeks before school starts.</p>
<p>Nice to “meet” you all, looks like lots of artsy kids. Glad everyone isn’t a supergenius ivy wannabe, the cc board can make you feel like your kids don’t have a shot sometimes!</p>
<p>Mathmom - Right now, d2 thinks she’d like to be a math teacher, hence the reason we’re probably not going to look at big name schools with big price tags. She is two gades ahead in math and likes chemistry because “Come on, Mom, it’s just a different kind of math.” At our school, there are no AP science courses that can be taken except as a second year course, so she’s in honors chem now. The state dept of ed here also prohibits a high school from offering AP if it offers dual credit, so Physics II and Calc I and II are dual credit. Schools favor dual enrollment because the state Us, where many students wind up, will accept the credit. Students who go to the cc have a head start. D2’s GPA for the year will probably remain where it is now, 3.9+ uw (stupid English, says the English teacher, who also has darn few students earning As). We only have a dozen or so weighted courses offered, so there’s often very little spread between weighted and unweighted GPA. Honors courses are not weighted. Plan predicted ACT in the 30s.</p>
<p>ordinary, dual enrollment is great. I would say that she would enjoy taking AP Chem, so if she wants to, let her do it. If she’d rather take band, I don’t think it will hurt her. </p>
<p>eyemamom, I wouldn’t worry about no field hockey sophomore year. She can add a note to her application explaining why (there’s a spot for “anything else you want to tell us”).</p>
<p>eyemamom - i’m on the 2012 parents thread too. my ds is a 2012…more academic, more math, music, sports. my d is 2014…she is artsy, dance, less academic. so it’s interesting to be involved in the two threads with two very different kids going through the search process. i think because she has older siblings, my 2014 d has already been researching options for after high school. she is looking at options for art schools.</p>
<p>no ap classes at our h.s., most kids take dual credit classes through comm. colleges. they seem to transfer to the state u’s.</p>
<p>Looks like my 2014 kid will come out with a 3.8 UW for the semester. That’s about what I have been guessing even though he kicked it in at the end. Now if I can just get him to finish his online Chinese class before the new semester begins in January… So glad the first semester is over! Enjoy the holidays!</p>
<p>Coming on quick to wish everyone a happy holiday! I don’t post too often but do subscribe to this thread!</p>
<p>DD’14 is really looking forward to this break. Seems like there was a big test in every class the week before the holidays and she was very stressted out.</p>
<p>Hope everyone has a healthy and happy break before midterms kick in for January!</p>
<p>Merry Christmas to all!</p>