I have to stop my D from pleasure reading at times during the school year, mainly because she becomes obsessed with fan fiction (curse you Attack on Titan 
).
She is reading two “real” books during Spring Break, which is fine, and she now listens to pod casts while in the car and on the bus for pleasure.
Dd has spent the entire day looking at a new list of schools. Arizona State has now moved to the top of her list for investigating. She has requested more info. Ugh!
@Gator88NE Welcome. I’m not sure about the jrs, but my kids are probably classifying me as :(( I am grumpy, tired, and frustrated and tired of college visits and it is only March. X_X
@crazym0m, I toured Bayl0r with DS14 when he went for his BS/MD interview. The campus is so beautiful and much bigger than I expected. New, expansive, and well equipped science building. Full tuition scholarship offered. They stressed during orientation that students of different religions would feel comfortable going to school there. The students were serious, very nice, and seem mostly religious (Christians). S related a conversation he had during the visit with current students who said to DS that it will be God’s will where DS will end up attending school. DS is a Christian but decided the environment was a little too serious for him.
Catching up
Re MegaBus-----it is very popular here with lots of students going to NYC and DC on it instead of the train (there’s a megabus stop on the north end of campus and a train/amtrak station on the south end of campus). My older dd has taken it both directions. It can run late because of the potentially awful traffic on 95, especially during summer Fridays and Sundays with the beach traffic.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I totally agree with the Malcolm Gladwell comment (big fish, little pond) Being at the top of a department means that you are well-known to your professors, have access to interesting opportunities, and can get very good recommendations. My ds graduated in CS from a state flagship, a school known for its College of Engineering, especially ChemE, but not as much for CS. He and his classmates all had multiple internship opportunities during sophomore and junior summers. They are now working for Facebook, Amazon, LinkedIn, major banks, and the government alphabet soup agencies.
I have a fan fic reader too! I honestly don’t care what she reads during her leisure time. She gets enough hard reading with schoolwork.
My D had kept up with reading. She finds time to read atleast 2 books every week even with her busy schedule. Cant take away a book from her. One of the books is for a reading group that she participates in
@Mom2aphysicsgeek Did anyone respond to your question on Texas’s top % law impact on OOS admissions? It’s much like you said, it makes OOS admissions more competitive (since you’re applying for a smaller piece of the overall admissions pie). Only about 7% of UT-Austin’s undergraduates are OOS (another 4% or so are international).
Your selection of major impacts your admission chances (engineering would be far more competitive than Russian, I would think…), and they use holistic admissions for OOS students (that whole “Fisher” issue).
To all commenting of the reading for pleasure - wow can I relate!! I sometimes wrestle a book or kindle away bc my S has to turn to getting homework done. 
To all those on College Tours - Really hope it is fruitful and somewhat fun – know it can be stressful & exhausting too - so much to pack into each day!! Thanks for everything you are reporting back here - very helpful.
Just wondering - do you all think the Common App is open - students can start to complete it for applications being submitted in the Fall? Wonder if any colleges are changing their supplements or how to find that out.at my S’s high school students work on draft essays after the AP exams. I am hoping if the Common App is open (I think in the past students had to wait till August but I understand the info input now through summer will be “carried over”), then getting the bulk of apps done over the summer will be a major mission.
I do see the common app essay questions are available:
https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/2784/What-are-the-2016-2017-Common-Application-essay-prompts
But no idea if the college specific supp. questions that are available on the common app are subject to change or are “set” for the Fall apps.
Also, I understand there is an alternative app available too - no idea it there is a reason to pursue that one in addition or as an alternative to the Common App: http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/
Thanks everyone!! Our GC has not engaged much yet so I appreciate your thoughts.
Our local HS is a bit different, in that it has a Cambridge AICE program, which is similar to an IB program, but a bit more flexible (Florida is big into IB, AICE and AP, all schools get additional funding from the state to support these programs, which includes paying for the test and paying a “bonus” to the teacher based on the number of test passed).
He’s taking AICE physics, which is double blocked, this year, and he’ll take AICE Chemistry (double blocked) as a senior. Since AICE is fairly new, they will also be taking the AP test, as well as the AICE test for college credit (all Florida schools accept AICE credits, but many of the OOS schools still do not). He’ll have a choice of taking AP Calc AB or Calc BC (double blocked), much like CaucAsianDad’s D. This year he’s taking AICE Math, and AP Statistics (standard for kids in the AICE program).
Re my post at 2529 above – I just found this on the Common App - re rollover -
http://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/college-counseling/common-app-account-rollover
s there any information that will not carry over?
Yes. The following information will NOT carry over BUT I AM NOT SURE IF SUPPS WILL CHANGE OR NOT]:
@CA1543 you found the answer to your own question before I could respond. I saw that link too. That makes sense. Now I’m just wondering whether the actual supplement questions from schools will change? I understand that you lose the essay in the common app. But will the supplement prompt for most schools actually change? To people see them changing from year-to-year for those of you who’ve done this before?
@2muchquan – I am going to ask someone who might know about that (whether the college writing supp prompts will change), but I suspect we might need to contact colleges and inquire directly. I am happy to report back what I find out & it would be great if others do too. Glad the Common App Essay & lots of the basic app info can rollover - but we’ll save it in a separate doc too just in case there is any issue.
I see these are the common app essays prompts – wonder if anyone has any thoughts about these: (We have our first college bound student!)
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
Well, FWIW, I have heard that it is more important to show your ability to write, and put together a coherent few paragraphs. They don’t so much look for an ‘answer’ to the prompt. It’s just to get you to start writing, and if you drift off topic to make something you want to say ‘fit’, it’s OK.
That’s just what I heard somewhere, and it makes sense to me, so I’m hoping it’s accurate… 
@4beardolls thanks for the info on Baylor - sounds like we might need to make a visit this summer
Regarding the common app - I heard that the supplemental stuff from colleges will reset at some point so only expect to be able to “roll over” the main common app information past August 1. I remember last year several schools released their supplemental questions by June 1 so I would keep an eye out on the college blogs or admissions websites if you are super proactive.
@ca1543 I agree with @2muchquan. For example, looking at prompt #1, I could see my dd having a lot of fun describing her life as a homeschooled student in middle of 8 children with siblings who are married with kids but a little sister only in K and in a family who has moved internationally as well as around the country. She could have fun with it simply bc her life experiences are very different from your typical teen applicant. Is it profound? nope! But it is authentically her and what has shaped her as a person.
I usually hear them referred to as essay ‘prompts’, not essay ‘questions’.
Yes, prompt. I thought of another example. Our current college student wrote about being the younger sibling of an autistic brother. Those 2 have a unique relationship and even though he is younger by 4 yrs, his brother turns to him constantly and puts him in the older sibling sort of role. His brother struggles with all kinds of issues and he wrote about how helping his brother has given him a greater perspective on the individual struggles everyone faces and even having to confront his own more directly.
@crazym0m – Thanks for the tips – I think colleges are supposed to put out supp questions by Aug 1 but it would be helpful if some go up earlier - suppose as you suggest need to follow individual college admission sites, blogs etc.
Our GC said to be careful on the common app before 8/1, as things will roll over and reset and she has seen kids lose work as they’ve saved it into the incorrect years app accidentally. Which makes me nervous to even try it before 8/1 but I would love to have all writing done over the summer. We can do the common app prompts and ones that aren’t common app but would certainly like to view the others that ask for supplements. Question, if it is supplemental through the common app does that mean that you can only see the supplemental by starting the application process?
On that note though, as this is my first rodeo… (skids mom did theirs), for those doing early applications, how early is “early?” I think the earliest date I’ve seen on anything we are looking at for ED/EA is 11/15. I understand earlier is better for merit considerations but given that the FAFSA doesn’t open until 10/1 (which is significantly earlier than in the past) how early do kids really get some of these in? Just curious what everyone’s plans are.
Oct 15 and Nov 1 are not unknown deadlines for scholarships. GaTech’s Oct 15th deadline catches a lot of kids unaware.