<p>“honestly, I think she’ll be selected out of the application process”</p>
<p>Bossymommy - Other than Oxford and Cambridge, I don’t feel it is very hard to get into many of the schools in UK for undergrad. They are like state schools in US collecting more money from OOS and admitting them. They like the higher revenue. If the student has the credentials to get into a top 20-30 school in US, they can make the cut at Edinburgh (I am guessing 2100+ and a few APs).</p>
<p>BossyMommy- My daughter would probably love to go to school in the UK. Over the past year, all she discusses is her desire to live there. It’s funny, because she also wanted to do a Vet program, but she doesn’t think that she could handle a sick animal. She would be distraught. However, she hasn’t completely ruled it out though.</p>
<p>My son’s school offers the PLAN test instead of the PSAT. PLAN is the sophomore version of the ACT. All the Juniors take the PSAT. </p>
<p>Most kids at his school take the SAT, only a few kids take the ACT. So, I’m not clear on the logic of offering the PLAN sophomore year instead of the PSAT. </p>
<p>Does anyone else’s school do this?</p>
<p>Our school system does the PLAN in 8th grade and again in 10th grade. Both are taken during school hours.</p>
<p>But sophomores and juniors are also encouraged to take the PSAT. Juniors get a bit of prep time for the PSAT (I think 3 sessions) in class in the weeks leading up to the exam and there is also an optional after school tutoring session for juniors I believe.</p>
<p>In our district it seems like most people take both ACT and the SAT and then figure out which one they like better to re-take.</p>
<p>Of those that only take one type of test, I think they are evenly split between ACT and SAT.</p>
<p>Even though we are Midwest, the school has historically sent many kids to highly selective colleges so the SAT has a long tradition in the district.</p>
<p>Can we talk sleep?</p>
<p>Do you guys have bedtimes for your 16ers? Or do you let them do whatever? </p>
<p>I feel like so many kids are walking around sleep-deprived. One of my son’s friends takes a nap after school and then stays up until 1 or 2 every day doing work. My son can’t function past 10pm. He sometimes stays up a little later than that, but usually not, because there’s a lot of diminishing returns after 10 and we’re pretty adamant about going to bed. I think kids perform so much better at school when they’ve had enough sleep…but it seems like most kids just don’t. And some nights there just is too much due, so I get it. One of his teachers has a no-Thursday night homework policy for which I"m grateful – that’s usually the bad night.</p>
<p>We don’t have a set bedtime but my S16 would be thrilled to get to bed by 10. Most days it’s more like 11 or 11:30 p.m. I don’t think he has stayed up this year on a school night past 12:30 or 1 p.m. But S is currently playing a sport so doesn’t get home until 6 p.m. and he is taking AP Bio and APUSH this year which are both a ton of work. </p>
<p>I am hoping that he’ll have a little more time without the sport which ends in a week or two (although he will pick up a club sport that is less of a time commitment for the winter).</p>
<p>My D13 spent all of high school sleep deprived. She got up at 5:15 a.m. every day for skating before school and was also involved in theatre with rehearsals after school and/or in the evenings probably 6 of the 9 months of the academic year. </p>
<p>Looking back it was kind of insane but somehow she managed.</p>
<p>My Son seems to make his own bedtime around 10pm most nights—whether or not he has more work he could be doing. I’m beginning to think that he will be mentally healthier for it…but he may not be going to as “high-powered-a-college” as those that stay up till 2pm…my DS’13 did that (kind of like momofzag’s D13)----and you know what, for her…it was a burn out…she’s now thinking she wants to take time off from college…and she’s only been there 6 weeks!</p>
<p>My son is currently doing cross country, which means he gets home at 6:00 or so, gets going on homework around 7 and I expect him to be in bed between and 11. I think sleep is too important at this stage for them to stint on it, and he is not taking AP classes and such that would generally require staying up 'til all hours. Once XC is over next month, I expect a more consistent, early bed time since he will be able to get an earlier start on the home work.</p>
<p>My daughter needs to leave the house at 6:30 to catch her bus to school…she usually is out cold by 9:30! It’s my elementary kids who sleep in until 7:30 who want to stay up late…</p>
<p>@drmom – I do think burnout can be a problem. I’m glad my D is taking a gap year. We just got back from visiting her and she seems to be enjoying being on a busy but completely different kind of schedule. She seems happy and has connected with at least a few other people. Although she was looking forward to college, I think this break may end up being really good for her and that she will be ready to go next Fall.</p>
<p>I am really going to try not to push DS16 too much. Although he is pretty driven about academics himself. So we shall see.</p>
<p>My DS does fairly well with setting his own bedtime now but we pushed hard on establishing bedtime when he was younger. I think that has helped him know how much better he functions when he gets sleep. My question is, how do these kids do the homework, ECs, anything social, and EVER find time for a PT job? They will all graduate with so little knowledge of how to do anything but follow specific instructions given by a teacher, coach, etc. When I was in school students ran the game concessions, had PT jobs, helped in family businesses, etc. but there is clearly no time. My DS plays three sports (as I did) and I am just hoping to get him through the school year without another bout with pneumonia He was diagnosed after spiking a 104 degree fever the same week the coach lectured the boys about not missing school/practice for “every little sniffle” I might add and the week of exams!</p>
<p>momofzag…I wish she’d done a gap year…but, she was so “driven” to do what she thought she’d set out to do…I even said she could do something now…but, we’ll see.
about DS’16–completely different kettle-of-fish! I’ll be lucky if he gets to apply to a school my DH would think 'acceptable"…but, we’ll see! its still just sophmore year. and, as I’m learning, a happy kid/student will be most successful! :)</p>
<p>My daughter does not have a set bedtime, however, she is not usually up past 11:30pm because she has to wake up no later than 6:30am. On the days she has her classes at the museum she doesn’t get home until almost 8pm, so those are her late days. On the days that she has nothing to do after school, she is knocked out by 9:30pm.</p>
<p>My DD is completely booked with sports and ECs after school until 7-7:30 p.m. and then she arrives home around 7:30-8. My big question: What do kids who are in after-school activities do for dinner at a decent hour? Do they just starve from lunchtime to when they get home? Do they pack a dinner or snack? Any advice??</p>
<p>The kids in one of my son’s ecs take turn bringing snacks. For my younger one, I pack a snack – he likes kind bars (dried fruit and nuts) or a home made trail mix of cereal, chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit. I’ve been known to send beef jerky or peanut butter crackers as well. He has to have something to eat after school (preferably with protein) or he gets tired.</p>
<p>Son has evening sports practice from 6:30-8:30 several nights a week. He can’t eat a full dinner on those nights or he gets sick. So he eats ham, cheese, crackers and grapes or something similarly lighter around 5:30. Then he eats dinner when he gets home. On some particularly crazy nights, I leave turkey and hummus wraps or something in the fridge, and kids and parents eat when they get a chance.</p>
<p>It can impinge on family time. We sit down to Sunday breakfast together and usually Monday and Wednesday nights. I wish it were more.</p>
<p>Long ago, someone in our district PTO established a “snack shack” at both the JH and HS. I know it has gotten harder and harder for them to staff since fewer parents are available, but some grandparents have stepped in and assisted at times. My son can buy a healthy (or not so) healthy snack and cold drink after school for less than $2. It really helps since they are already carrying so much to school.</p>
<p>S loves his sleep. At his school, all activities are between the hours of 4 and 6pm. They are required to be in their rooms or the library studying/doing home work between 8 and 10pm. I know he has had to stay later than that a few days - they can do so with permission. He mentioned having stayed up until midnight or 1am to finish up work the week before parents’ weekend - but I think that’s the exception, not the norm.</p>
<p>My D on the other hand went to the local public school. Was in so many activities/sports etc that dinner was quite often at 9/9.30 at night after we got home. She was very good at managing her time though - she very rarely stayed up past 11. I can remember her staying up past midnight only a couple of times and that too, only in her senior year. Since she was always so short on time, she was very very efficient with her time - absolutely no procrastinating. S on the other hand, had to stay up longer to finish homework even when in middle school - mainly because he would put things off till the last minute and he’s a perfectionist on top of that!</p>
<p>Our D has been up late every night for the last 2-3 weeks. It’s killing me! She has been going to bed somewhere between 12:30pm - 1:00am every night. She is taking 3 AP classes which amount to a TON of homework each night, plus her other classes. She is currently in the school play, which gets her home around 5:30-6:00 each night, plus show choir one night a week until 10:00pm. She is not a person that can do with such little sleep…she could very well sleep for 10 hours a night. I have no idea how she is functioning!</p>
<p>Mandy - I so sympathize! S is the same way - I think they pull through for a little while at least, purely on adrenaline. But they will crash after a few weeks of this routine. I am most worried about him falling sick (he’s on medication that lowers his immune system) - that would be really bad.</p>
<p>my older D was like that, Mandy. She is now struggling (a little burned out, I think) in freshman year at college. Too much “work” and not learning how to have some appropriate “down” time.
DS’16---- complete oppossite. Perhaps because he saw how his sister was doing (or not doing) her life…in anycase…now, he hovers between C+'s and A’s… that’s a pretty big range…not sure where it realy will all fall out…he’s just as smart…but, not as competetive with the other kids in school…and not wanting to burn the candel on either end, forget about BOTH ends! :)</p>