Wow! That’s fabulous!!
On the topic of letters of Rec.
D is planning on applying as a History major on a pre-med track.
Her HS is on a block schedule, with each class for just one semester. Her only history class last year was spring so 1/2 online, and frankly she didn’t do that well with the transition (first half grade was fine, but her motivation fell off of a cliff when they went online and ungraded for the second half). I think the teacher likes her, but she didn’t leave her best impression, and he only actually had her in class for 9 weeks. Her sophomore year, she took both AP World and AP HG with the same teacher who I am guessing will be a great letter writer and who really likes D. Even though it was soph year, it seems like he would be a good one to use. Am I wrong?
Her second one will be from her junior Chem teacher, who has also had her for some version of homeroom the last 3 years, so there is a longer relationship than the one class. I don’t know that she will be as good frankly, but that’s pretty much the best choice to have a junior year science/math teacher. Calc had a long term sub for more than 1/2 of the class.
@dadof4kids I would definitely go with the teacher who knows your D best. Our D is using her English teacher from soph year who was her yearbook advisor last year and chose her for editor in chief for this year. Her other rec is her chem teacher from soph year. They have kept in touch. D visits her often before or after school. This teacher asked D if she could write her rec - said it would be the easiest rec she’s ever had to write. D is taking her up on that even though she’s not going to major in science and that teacher is from soph year.
She had really good options from junior year and could have used her Earth Science H teacher or her APUSH teacher for sure. We might have the APUSH teacher write a third one for schools that will accept it.
I think the key is how well the teacher knows the student! And, hopefully, they are from one of the five main subjects.
@dadof4kids Especially this year, LORs from sophomore teachers should be completely understandable and, in some cases, preferable. I tried to convince D to do just that because her sophomore English teacher LOVED her. Still, D refused, saying it would be “weird” to ask because they hadn’t stayed in touch.
D is interested in Psychology and Education, but her AP Lang teacher this year was both not great and out on a family emergency for the entire month of December, not to mention far from the best online teacher. And her AP Gov teacher just didn’t know her well. So somehow she is ending up with LORs from math and science teachers, which doesn’t seem ideal, but I think (hope!) this year, some grace will be given for situations like this.
Agree to go with the teachers that know your teen the best.
Our S is having one LOR be his math teacher who moved along with the kids for 3 years even though he definitely won’t be pursuing STEM, but rather History or PolSci in college.
Like @aguadecoco and @TXStuMom 's kids, mine is all over the map regarding campus size - everything from small LACs to large publics. I like this because what she thinks she wants now may look very differently than what she wants by May 1, 2021.
We are also unlikely to be able to visit anywhere due to a host of logistical reasons, including quarantine restrictions. So for now, online sessions and YouTube videos will have to suffice. I hope that we will be able to tour finalist campuses in the Spring.
We are still trying to figure out recommender #2. There is a teacher from sophomore year who would be terrific but the guidance counselor is pushing for a teacher who had her in class more recently.
Hi parents. Given the unusual circumstances for the Class of 2021, I’m offering free resume reviews for any students interested in getting another pair of eyes on their resume. Just doing this to help out during a time of uncertainty and anxiety for students. I’m a Harvard grad, have worked with the admissions office, and current alumni interviewer. Feel free to DM me and leave out address / last name / other personal information that student may feel uncomfortable sharing.
I also agree, go with the teacher who knows your child best. S21 is planning to major in statistics but his first choice for a recommendation is the French teachers whose class he has been in for three years. I insisted that he also pick a STEM teacher so he asked his physics teacher too. Not sure what he has against his calculus teacher, but that will have to do.
Wow, you guys were busy today! Lol
As for the big school…D went to our local, rural school here until 5th grade. 45 kids in her grade. It was miserable for her. She just never found her place in a small school where she got made fun of for being a cheerleader and loving Sims while literally everyone else played soccer and lacrosse.
We moved her out of district starting in 6th grade to a school (much better academically) where she now has 450 in her class. She loves it - easy to find a group, and a new group when that group changes! She has black friends, a friend from Russia, a Pakistani friend. She just can’t see herself going back to a small school, even though she loves getting to know her teachers. But I think that can happen at big schools, maybe with more work. And by the time she’s an upperclassman the classes get smaller. My son is at Rowan, which has close to 20k kids now, and there’s not a lecture hall on campus. He’s never had a class with more than 30 kids.
Well, in latest twist, got an email this evening that our schools will now be online for the whole 1st semester – until Jan 15! They were trying to implement two tracks – one for families that wanted to be remote all semester and a hybrid track that would start online for 1st quarter and then switch to 2 days in person. I think it got too complicated to match students and teachers and schedules.
This is hitting hard – what an odd senior year. If he goes back Jan 15 that will be 10 months w/o physically being in a classroom!
@AlmostThere2018 that stinks!! D will be miserable if that happens, but with NJ numbers ticking up it won’t shock me. 2 of S17’s 5 classes have moved to online so far.
Our district is still planning a full day schedule in the classroom and remote classroom. Any UIL ECs such as orchestra , sports will require the online kids to comes to school for that class if they want to participate.
The teachers in the AP and IB classes will teach those classes with headsets on and the classes will be streamed live to the online kids. Each kid in the school classroom much bring their school Chrome book or personal laptop. Sounds like they will too watch the streaming but sitting in the classroom. Not sure about this.
Got her unofficial transcript today.
D remains solidly in #3 of 480. Has been there since the second 1/2 of 9th grade.
@AlmostThere2018 - I’m so sorry!
Here HS is set for 2 five hour days in person (no lunch - they are out at 12:30pm), 2 livestreamed days (A/B groups, so you’re either in class physically or following the other group via livestream from home) and one remote day for everyone. Allegedly there will be an asynchronous component that will make up the missing minutes each week, but who knows?
I’m trying to remain optimistic, but the pessimistic among us have a saying - schools will start in one of two ways: completely online, or in person for two weeks and then completely online. Sigh.
Our school had a few mini graduation ceremonies earlier this week - all very hush hush because they didn’t want random people coming to celebrate. I didn’t even know it was happening until I saw a girl in a cap and gown when I happened to be driving by (I think it was over at that point). A local Catholic school had a socially distant graduation ceremony set for today, but the health department shut it down due to rising case positivity. Literally a difference of about 2 days.
@3kids2dogs we basically have the same plan but remote days aren’t synchronous for the 50 percent of kids not in class that day. The district just put out a lengthy list of reasons why live broadcasting class isn’t ideal for kids in the class that day or for the kids at home. I really don’t like the shortened days with no lunch. I do not get how the teachers will get through the curriculum with so little instruction time. It makes no sense. If we only need 35 minute periods four times a week, then why is normal school 50 minute periods five days a week? This isn’t going to be good.
If we switch to all remote, I believe we revert back to 50 min periods
@AlmostThere2018 i am so sorry. I have a feeling that a lot of us are going to have kids in all remote classes by mid Sept. 
We are starting pretty much full time in person for everyone. Many safety changes. There is a lengthy well thought out plan for how everything is going to be handled. There are different color levels, and safety changes at each level. They truly put a ton of time into trying to figure this out and plan for every contingency. The plan that they have distributed to parents and everyone else is a book. Again, lots of time and effort went into this.
D asked last night how long I though it would be before the book ends up in the garbage and they just go 100% online. I said end of September, she thinks I am being unrealistically optimistic.
Thanks btw for everyone chiming in on the LOR’s. Most of you have CC’s you are working with that are much more in tune with what selective schools are looking for than I have access to. I really appreciate you passing on what is probably common knowledge in your circles but certainly is not in mine.
Sorry for the third rapid fire post, but this is another thought completely unrelated to the other 2.
D has been trying really hard to keep this whole process at arms length to a certain extent, because she knows everywhere she wants to go has low acceptance numbers, so it isn’t really smart to get too attached to any particular school. Amherst has risen to the top of her list, and she did an online tour/info session with them today. She has fallen for them hard, which she did not really want to do but said that it has happened.
On the one hand, I feel better about her wanting to ED there. She said that she is now positive it is her first choice. On the other, I feel like that is like me declaring that I want to marry Taylor Swift. Great to have aspirations, but you better have a backup plan.
When I talked to her about doing an info session somewhere else tomorrow she said “I know I probably won’t get in, I know I need to keep doing these to show interest elsewhere and to figure out a backup plan. But I’m having a great day, don’t ruin it. We can start again on Monday.”
I can respect that.
Thanks, all. The news was a bit of a shock, but on the positive side I do think focusing all resources on one mode of instruction may be higher quality than the original two track system. My S’s high school is small (< 1000 students) so it wasn’t clear how they would divide up teachers for two tracks. There’s one AP Lit teacher, for instance, and one AP Physics – both of which my S is taking. I think realized they would need to do a lot of combining students and teachers across schools and it just was too complex, esp. though they knew both tracks were online the first quarter anyway.
On another note, my S safely got back from a 3 day hiking/camping trip with a buddy last night that included a close encounter with a timber rattlesnake and fording a pretty significant river (they had to attach their packs to zip line to pull them across.)! He’s always been outdoorsy b/c of the mountain summer camp where he went and then worked (cancelled this year). They hiked 9 strenuous miles one of the days! It took a lot of planning and one slightly nervous call to his older sister (who’s a certified outdoor leader) from a summit one morning, but they really accomplished something! Great to see him pushing himself considering most of his summer has been so low key. He was pumped when he got home.
@dadof4kids – great to hear your D so excited!
Thanks all for the LOR input – agree this year there’s more flex re: choosing teachers b/c of all the disruptions!
Btw, Wisconsin and NC State are now both test optional, so that’s good news! The language they use is a bit mixed message --sort of like, if you have a score you should submit it. Need to re-read. Still hard to know what to do there.
@AlmostThere2018 what a fantastic and hair raising trip.