Do people want more info than just where people are going? Recap of the financial aid stuff and stats?
NYT: “As College Deadlines Near, Families Wonder What They Can Pay”–https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/your-money/paying-for-college/as-college-deadlines-near-families-wonder-what-they-can-pay.html?module=WatchingPortal®ion=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=5&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F04%2F28%2Fyour-money%2Fpaying-for-college%2Fas-college-deadlines-near-families-wonder-what-they-can-pay.html&eventName=Watching-article-click&_r=0&referer=https://www.nytimes.com/
@Motiv8tedmom23 School of Mines isn’t cheep for OOS. My nephew got in and it was in his top 2 but ended up choosing a in state CA school partly because of the price. I was surprised it’s even more expensive than Boulder. It’s also might be a bit hard to get into for our kids. My nephew has a higher GPA.
@techmom99 Same… There were a few schools I would have liked my son to try that we didn’t even look at that @93pilots kid got into. But it doesn’t matter he’s going to a good place he should love.
@NolaCAR Someone needs to teach that GC about how to calculate GPA on a 4.0 scale. That is really important and they way she was doing it was just wrong.
Plus… in our school and CA schools… pluses or minus’s don’t count at all. So that 90.89 is just as good as the 99 and gets you an A. And that 79.35 gets you a C. You can’t just take your percentage and compare it to a scale like you did. Although that may be what many colleges do.
Weighted is even more tricky since different schools weight different classes. And different schools have way more weighted class available. I boggle when someone mentions their kid getting a 4.7 because that’s just not possible at our school. Our weighted caps about a bit under a 4.4.
@curiositycat333 - I did it to Techson17 twice. There were schools I didn’t let him (or encourage him) to apply to because I wasn’t sure he could get in academically, like Tisch, even if he might have somehow made it in on his tech portfolio and audition. There were other schools I didn’t encourage, like CMU, because I didn’t think he could get in artistically even though he might have made in academically because CMU takes lower GPAs for performing arts than for other classes. Like you, however, I agree that he is going to a good place that I hope he will succeed at. He told me this morning that another friend of his is probably committing to his school. That makes 4 boys from this class alone (SUNY’s are notoriously female heavy) compared with 1 student in the last 5 years.
How many of our kids are gearing up for AP classes.
My S17 told me he was pulled into the office yesterday to talk about his AP exams. He has two AP CS & AP Physics I on Tuesday. He gets extra time from College Board. Thus they wanted to talk on FRIDAY for how to accommodate him on Tuesday. They offered to let him take the Physics I on the makeup date. AP CS is going to be super easy for him, so he just told them that it wasn’t an issue & he wouldn’t need the extra time. But I better make sure he packs a lunch because it’s going to be a long day. He should take the extra time for Physics.
I’m a little miffed by their not thinking about this till the last minute. While our school was great at getting him the College Board accommodation. They haven’t been great at administering it… He didn’t get his extra time for the PSAT. (Long story… partly my son’s fault.) When he took the SAT last year, they scheduled it in the middle of his AP tests because yet again they didn’t think about it till the last minute. He was given 6 hours to take the SAT, but not given any lunch break. And he didn’t bring any food.
But it turns out the Physics AP’s don’t really matter. (I’m not telling him though… he’s busy studying.). Seems he only needs to get a 3 for it to count at UCSC, and it only counts as a GE science requirement. He’s also taking Physics II the next day. And it seems only gets credit for up to 8 credits of physics which he will get from one test. Its actually pointless for him to take both but that depended on school… I’m not telling him this… he can keep studying.
Techson17 also gets accommodations. His school is pretty good about administering them. He is taking APES on Monday and US Govt later in the week. I do not believe that he is studying. I begged him to get 3’s so he can get some gen eds or electives.
S17 has IB exams next week. He said Bio HL, English HL, and the 1st part of Psych SL. Then the next week is the rest of Psych, History HL and AP Calc AB. I’m not sure when French SL is…
And mock trial competition is over. It’s honestly my favorite of his EC’s because it’s just SO HIM–thinking on his feet, arguing his point, using evidence… They didn’t “win” which annoys his geek/jock mentality, but even like his sports, it’s a team activity, and the key is that all the kids showed their poise, eloquence, and ability to THINK. S was the most senior member on the team, and the lawyer-coach said the he could basically run the program by this point.
Here in Western NY, grades are by %, too. I convert by class–I use 93+=A, 90-92=A-, 87-90=B+, 83-85=B, 80-83=B-, 77-80=C+, 73-77=C, 70-73=C-, and thankfully, I haven’t had to use anything lower than that… I did notice that different schools use different methods, some weight, some don’t, some use only core classes in GPA calculations, others use everything. Its confusing, but I’m sure they’ve all come up with ways to compare kids for different grading scales.
@MSU88CHEng - None of my kids every did mock trial, which disappointed me because I am a trial lawyer by profession. Congrats to your son on his performance.
In my neck of downstate NY, we have letter grades but there are no minuses. It’s very bizarre. Weighting is one grade up for AP or honors. Our school doesn’t count gym in the GPA and I thought it didn’t count in any NY school. It didn’t count when I was in HS, either, or I’d have never gotten into college as I had straight D’s in gym. I seem to recall art and music not counting when I was in HS but I don’t remember entirely. They do count in our HS.
Thanks to everyone for sharing my joy (and twinge of sadness) at CoyoteSon’s decision to pick Beloit (in spite my rah-rahing excitement over Carleton!). A special shout out to @MinnesotaDadof3 - who shared a whole baggie of incredibly delicious Monster Cookies that he baked at the Dacie Moses Cookie House right before CoyoteSon and I had to board the bus to come home from the Carleton accepted students day (So the cookies were warm! And the offered friendship was warm too!) - even though MinnesotaDad is a Carleton alum with 1 of his three kids attending Carleton right now, he too has congratulated CoyoteSon on making his own decision to attend Beloit. I am finding the incredibly helpful and welcoming CC community has been the best part of this journey for me! Plus it is really fun to have “friends in the ether” to appreciate the whole turtle sock story!
@MomStudent2017 - Yes on parent-itis! Can’t wait to be done with all the little things that drive me crazy about CoyoteSon’s high school.
On mascots/avatars:
@curiositycat333 - I love the BananaSlug mascot and your avatar - congrats! So glad for you that your Son picked his most rigorous option and that you and he think it fits!
@cameo43 - I love your Gimpy Goat with the WPI sweater! @eandesmom - I think the revised version of your avatar looks great - both kid’s mascots really pop out now!
I don’t mean to leave anyone out - I’m a visual learner, so using the macots helps me to keep track of all the great parents on this thread. I made my new avatar in PowerPoint - I wanted to reflect Beloit, but also it’s my “CoyoteMom” avatar - hence I threw in a clip art coyote as well as a clip art turtle, both howling at the moon together from the Beloit “B” - and then saved it as a “jpeg” file. (And after making my own custom logo, I wonder why my kid won’t wear the Beloit shirts from the bookstore but will wear turtle or pirate/buccaneer shirts that show his (individual) spirit?? :))
@Klinska - Congrats on UVM!!! So glad your whole family figured out the change of heart before May 1. Kudos for being the Mom who can “hear” a problem and let your kid fix it! #:-S <:-P. Plus you and @eandesmom will get to meet up in person next year - Yay!!
@Hankster1361 and @93pilots - we are all waiting with your as your kids think and think right up to the deadline. Fingers crossed that your kids feel truly happy once they’ve decided. And congrats to HanksterSon on ROTC and inspirational player award.
@morningside95 - I am bummed that we won’t get to meet up as both St Olaf’s and Carleton are located in Northfield MN. Do you know what - I am reassured after our visit to Carleton that I could actually picture CoyoteSon attending - it would have been rigourous and challenging, of course, but I think he could realistically succeed, even though he was clearly in the middle of the pack (so my reassurance came from deciding that he wasn’t at the bottom either - he really did “fit” in the middle academically, though not socially.) So I am incredibly proud that he did have a reasonable choice, and glad that he told me he was considering Carleton seriously, even though he opted for the “safer” road.
My 18-year old self never even knew about LACs; coming from New Jersey, I picked UVa because it was a prestigous public school at a bargain price for OOS (waaay back then, anyway). I am satisfied with what I learned, my career trajectory, and my friends, but as someone who probably has undiagnosed ADHD, I came very close to failing out until I found myself as an Environmental Science major – I did take advantage of some of the extra things UVa offered, though I was not nearly as engaged in my education as I could have been. If I were an 18-year old today, Carleton would be my best fit, because even then I was both more mature and bolder than CoyoteSon is now.
But CoyoteSon is not me! (Thank goodness!!)
I think that CoyoteSon will have a better, more well rounded education at Beloit than I did at UVA. (Not knocking UVa - but where, during the first 2 years when I got a little lost in 300-person lectures, CoyoteSon will have small discussion based classes and professors who know his name). I’m grateful that he has picked the best fit for where he is emotionally as well as academically! Many kids grow wherever they are planted, but some of our kids, CoyoteSon in particular, need just the right soil, right sunshine levels, and the right amount of water.
I’m sure there’s more I left out - thanks to all of you for being here!
I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, @CoyoteMom, but I live in Wisconsin and occasionally see coyotes in the neighborhood.
<------ OK, @CoyoteMom and @eandesmom – you inspired me! (It probably will be temporary as I miss the TacoCat.)
TacoSon had his first IB exam on Friday and has 2 or 3 more this week. We are slowly sending in “no” answers to the schools he didn’t choose, though I still can’t bring myself to cut the cord with Case or Pitt (Pitt was his very first acceptance so it will always be dear to me). Two schools sent him to surveys that were like bitter girlfriends: “Which school did you choose? OK, now why DID you choose X University? In terms of communication, was X or Y University better? How about the campus? Was ours better than X University? If so, how? If not, why not? Rank the 3 things X University did that were better than us.”
My friend’s D went to Beloit; she’s in her early 30’s so it was awhile ago. My friend and his wife are both Ivy grads and could afford full pay anywhere but they chose Beloit and she enjoyed it and did very well for herself. I think that your son will do very well. Beloit seems like a wonderful school.
I think it’s interesting that the schools are asking you to do a survey on what they could do better. I declined 3 schools for Techson17. One asked him to send his other offers in but we didn’t because there was no way they could double the offer to him and without it, it would still be more than the school he is going to. One responded that it would withdraw his app and the third, which had shown him some love at the beginning, never even acknowledged the decline. Nobody sent us a survey.
@tacocat333 --the taco in the claws made me laugh out loud. Well done!
Here–APs are the next two weeks. S17 is taking 4–Comp Sci, Calc AB, Physic: M&E, and Physics: Mechanics.
The school does a nice job scheduling for extra time, but every now and then the room is mixed with the ADHD (inattentive) and the ADHD (hyperactive) in a small room that makes it even harder for the easily distracted.
@techmom99 , I thought the surveys were VERY weird. No one wants to devote that much time to a school that’s out of consideration!
@Hankster1361 , I hope the testing goes well; it’s good to hear about the accommodations; TacoDaughter will be getting them when it’s her turn for the college craziness, though I’m already anticipating a much different journey for her due to Asperger’s. What are they thinking mixing the inattentive and hyperactives?! I’m kind of hoping for trampoline testing for my very bouncy, hyper girl. (Taco in the talons!)
@MSU88CHEng Sounds like a busy week for your son! It is great to watch the kids take on something they love and excel at it!
@CoyoteMom Love the new avatar! I had the same struggles as you in college with un-diagnosed ADHD. Wish I knew then about it what I know now! Since I’ve learned it’s hereditary, I do hope my daughter’s recent lack of focus is just simply “burn out”!! What part of Jersey were you from? I was from up north, Union county.
No surveys for us here, although I think when my daughter declined on a few of the portals, there were some survey questions there… I don’t think she came right out and said what school she was going to though. I’m not sure.
My son hasn’t declined any school that I know of. He didn’t officially accept till last Wed. He just figured if he doesn’t accept, it’s the same as declining. I don’t have any of the portals info, and he’s too busy studying to care. (Yes he is studying physics)
@Hankster1361 Your son’s AP’s are very similar to mine. Only my son took Calc last year. The AP CS in Tuesday Am, and the Physics I (Mechanics) Tuesday afternoon. That’s where the conflict is. IF he takes the entire time he is offered for CS it overlaps with the start of Physics.
Congrats, @Hankster1361 on the “most inspirational” award!
Love the new, very creative and fun avatars, @tacocat333 and @CoyoteMom!
Best wishes to your students, @93pilots and @Hankster1361 !!
@rosered55 - I will definitely take coyote-sightings in Wisconsin as a good sign!
@tacocat333 - love the taco clutched in the talons of the UMW eagle - very creative, though I like your Tacocat avatar too!
Yes, CoyoteSon got the same “bitter girlfriend” (ha-ha - you really find the funny in this whole process) survey from two of the LAC portals - of course the Mason portal doesn’t even have a place to decline. Given that they still haven’t replied to the continuing email and portal SNAFU over having two accounts, one for CoyoteSon full-first-name versus another for CoyoteSon nickname - I don’t think there’s much hope they’ll get the fact that he’s declining from an email, but my conscience is clear that the reply has been sent.
@techmom99 - thanks for sharing the success story of a Beloiter whose own parents went to Ivy League schools. I do think Beloit has enough academic rigor - and hopefully CoyoteSon won’t stumble academically as much as I did as he adjusts to college life - cause now that he’s really going to Beloit, my next worry is to make sure he doesn’t fail out!
@Fishnlines29 - hey there - as a fellow person who hails from Jersey, do you still say “you guys” when referring to a group? Not very PC when there are women in said group, but I will not ever switch to “y’all” despite the fact that I’ve lived longer in Virginia than in NJ. I spent younger years in mid-Jersey, but moved in 7th grade to Essex County - about 40-minutes west of Manhattan.
@curiositycat333 - wohoo on the actual studying for AP Physics. =D> I am bummed on your behalf that the HS can’t figure out accommodations - but hopefully it will all work out. (Maybe he can take Physics on make up day after all if he needs more time on Calc, or just is burned out from too much testing on 1 day).
I firmly believe that practicing the habit of studying is far more valuable than the actual AP score or even the potential credits. Not that my belief has any influence on CoyoteSon, who is playing video games instead of studying for AP Calculus. :-??
yes, the AP shirts are filled with a pithy saying of some type and usually the teacher’s name and maybe a class roster
E.G, AP Bio 2016 (Teacher’s name): WTP
“What the phosphofructokinase?”
They are optional and usually around 10 bucks. Sometimes the teacher buys them and gives them away.