Parents of the HS Class of 2020 (Part 1)

S20 has 2 AP tests coming up (World History and Lang)-how many does everyone else have?

@Mom2aphysicsgeek I agree whole heartedly about REUs. Sā€™s prof told him not to waste his time because he wasnā€™t an under represented minority. He got one anyway, being a totally over represented majority. LOL. Iā€™m sorry if that didnā€™t come across. Also, food was not included in Sā€™s stipend. Where he went, there was nearly no one from the home institution. I guess they are all different. I do know other kids that attended their state flagship and got REUs at their state flag ship.

@redfraggle good luck pulling that list together. Iā€™ve been running NPC. I will have 2 students in school for the first year, and only 1 after that. Messes something terrible with the numbers.

@makemesmart you only really need one safety IF itā€™s definitely affordable and your kid would be happy to go there. That said, thereā€™s something to be said for having a choice, even if it ends up being a choice between your two safety schools in the end. And if you are hoping for merit aid, then youā€™ll want to have more options as well.

As far as demonstrated interest, Iā€™ve been told that for some of the smaller schools, they track whether their email to the student has been opened. (Need to get on my own kid to make sure that happens).

My kid is taking 3 Subject tests this saturday and then 8 AP tests over the next two weeks. Gulp!

@washugrad
Thank you.
DS is getting so many college emails that I know for sure that he is NOT opening all (if any) of them. SMH. Maybe I will just ask him to open the ones that are on his list!

@Octagon
Good luck! Thatā€™s a lot of tests/exams! DS ā€œonlyā€ has one AP, two IB, two subjects (in June) to go.

Yikes! 8!?!? Our school only has 7 periods total (even with A and B days). S20 needed to back down in math after last year due to his missed school so he didnā€™t have to worry about that. He is doing PLTW, but thatā€™s not AP. Science he did Physics GT (have to do that before AP). Next year heā€™ll be doing more AP classes, actually, but I think heā€™s excited about them.

@makemesmart Iā€™m guessing (but donā€™t really know) that bigger schools wouldnā€™t care. But I guess in any case, to save time, if he just opens the ones from schools he wants to apply to that would cut it down quite a lot already.

D20ā€™s college list has about 10 schools on it but she needs to add a couple more as some of the ones currently on the list should probably drop off for various reasons.

i asked my D16 if she liked college or HS better. she said . . ā€¦ college. HS had so many HIGHS and LOWS.

and thatā€™s what s20 is going through now. a low. a foreign exchange student who everyone loved passed away this week (self inflicted.). soccer team unexpectedly lost bid to state finals. ACT went as expected; not too great cuz of not finishing. 3 AP tests coming up. and getting placed at the swim pool for work as the "EX. " Truly - there are highs and lows in HS and they are big in these kidsā€™ lives. I hope all of yours are doing well and can get through this busy season.

D20 is done with junior year as of tomorrow. She has no more work but has to go in for her last calc 2 class tomorrow to pick up her final. She only has one college on her list, which makes me a nervous wreck. Itā€™s a safety and we are going to visit at the end of the month. If she doesnā€™t like it weā€™re in big trouble.

D now thinks sheā€™d like to major in Nursing, which is throwing her whole college list out of whack. University of Alabama, her first choice, has a nursing program, but itā€™s not direct admit. Iā€™m not sure if she should take a chance on the pre-nursing program at UA. If she gets a poor grade in a UA weeder class, it could derail admission to their nursing school. So, we are kind of back to square 1.

@hgtvaddict Those programs that arenā€™t direct admit frighten me! D is looking at a few. What happens if you donā€™t get into your major? I wish you and your D the best. Its quite a nervewracking experience.

@redfraggle His AT physics course resulted in 2 AP tests - mechanics, and Electricity and Magnetism. He is taking one extra physics AP - physics 2 - since he knows the material already. He is into physics.

@washugrad
It all felt like a speed dating game to me somehow. Lol.

@bgbg4us
Sorry for such a tough period! And so so sad for the death of the exchange student. Could not imagine how the familyā€™s going to cope with it. Perspectives are so important but most kids in hs donā€™t yet have the luxury of having them. Virtual hugs to your DD. Hang in there, tomorrow will be here and will be ok.

Planning on retaking ACT in June. Funny thing is her Science is her lowest score but has taken more science classes than anything.

@MuggleMom19, yes those non direct admit programs scare me, too! I think Iā€™ll be spending some time on the CC Nursing threads for some guidance. Thanks so much for the well wishes and best wishes to you and your D, too!

@bgbg4us Iā€™m so sorry that your S is going through such a stressful time and hope things go easier for him soon.

Activity on this thread has picked upā€¦happy to see that everyone is actively engaged (and also anxious that crunch time has arrived for the HS class of 2020).

DS20 is not yet in the mood to make a list of colleges - maybe after APā€™s (he is taking 5 - two of them are physics variants for the same class). He talks about 3-4 colleges but all of them are reaches and he knows thatā€¦hope we will spend sometime over the summer to make a balanced list of 10-12.

We have a list but not a final list just yet. After a week of visiting schools DD is now deep in studying for SAT in US history and 4 APs. I told her we could talk about colleges if she wants but that itā€™s fine to take a break for now. So Iā€™m obsessing on my own for now!

@redfraggle DS has 4 APs to do ( calc BC, Apush, physics, and lang )

Still have till end of June to push through paying attention to grades so we will hold off on too much college talk till everything has mellowed out.

DS will take the ACT again in June, but no APs (not offered at his school) and no SAT subject tests (none of the colleges that he is interested in require them). His list is coming along - we need to visit a few this summer in order to edit. We are trying to focus on those that care about demonstrated interest and to narrow down some at the top. According to his GC, that middle range of schools is very tricky - they can be a match if you ED or even EA them, but if not they are a reach in RD. So we have to start thinking about that.