<p>cpeltz, thanks for the heads up. Cal State would be back up for my D. I wonder if residential or commuter schools make a difference for the academic strenght of the campus? We're looking for the Cal States that are stronger in regard to academics. thanks, again.</p>
<p>Yes, my S is applying to a couple of CSU's as back-ups as well, but they need to be a place he might actually be happy attending, and a school out of town where everybody left in the evenings and weekends wouldn't work, even IF academics were stronger.</p>
<p>I understand your point of view. At least on my case, I rather my D attends a Cal State which has a higher quality of education, and I don't worry much about if D would be happy or not. It would provide her with a kick in the butt to get better grades and transfer to a college that is more academic. She's sharp, but it didn't help to be in a private HS that with a unwgpa 3.5 she's in the bottom 50% of the class rank. Of course, she didn't study much either. So it think it would be a very hard and sad reality for her to be in a college with students who are not as strong as her. And, again my own personal opinion. Everybody is different.</p>
<p>Many CSUs have a deadline of Nov. 30. It would depend on the major which schools were better academically.</p>
<p>csleslie51, oh well, DD doesn't know about her major yet. Thanks for letting me know about a little detail that I missed to think about. I know deadline is almost here.</p>
<p>My son has taken 11 AP classes and has gotten Bs in most of them. I've second guessed his/our choice of such a difficult course load many times. Would he be better off in the admissions process with more As in easier classes?</p>
<p>Yesterday Son received a handwritten note from the admissions counselor at a school that has admitted him (and offered tidy merit aid.) One of the things she said was that she was impressed by the difficulty of the courses he had taken. Glad to know that these people actually take the time to read and decipher the difficult to read, obscure abbreviation filled transcripts!</p>
<p>Missypie, that's very good to hear. I like the fact that admissions took the time to personalize the acceptance process. Is your son thinking about that school? I can't wait for him to (fingers crossed) have a couple of choices in acceptances.</p>
<p>Congrats!</p>
<p>Congrats to your son, missypie!
We had a WONDERFUL GC at our HS (had, because he has since retired :(), and he made it very clear that colleges want to see students challenge themselves. He said they would much rather see you working for OK grades in honors and AP classes than coasting through the regular/Regents classes with straight A's. Our HS has pretty strict grade requirements for taking AP's now, because in the past some parents were pushing their kids into them with admissions in mind. They couldn't keep up with the workload, and would end up dropping out mid-semester.</p>
<p>Over the years, I've learned that the guidance we receive at our HS on AP classes is untrustworthy. The school is obsessed with being in the Newsweek Top 100, so they push AP classes like crazy.There a couple of AP classes that Son flat out shouldn't have taken, but he was advised to by teachers who purportedly knew him well. But I've got two other kids and I'll have a different philosophy for them. Maybe they'll end up with 6 or 7 APs instead of 11 and will avoid school years where we're all sweating whether they will pass.</p>
<p>True. I think they need to think carefully before signing up for any AP and go with their strengths. S2 is in honors chem this year, and had planned to go for AP next/sr year. It's a very tough class, though - science is not one of his strong points. I think in this case honors should be enough. I don't want him in over his head.</p>
<p>hey missypie - </p>
<p>what school was it that sent your son a handwritten note.</p>
<p>i am looking into some of the same schools tht your son is applying to.</p>
<p>good job.</p>
<p>my D takes all AP and HONORS classes. her choice. she makes about half As and half Bs. so i think she is a solid b+er or an A-er.</p>
<p>I'm sorry if this is seen as rude, but I can't bear to go through 35 pages of this thread to find the information.</p>
<p>I'm a B+ student and have a strong interest in International Relations/Politics. What schools would you recommend? 31 ACT. Top 20%, should improve.</p>
<p>CIA, I'm not an expert, but American comes to mind.</p>
<p>^ Do you think I would receive a substantial FA/Merit package there?</p>
<p>interested in this thread since it looks like this is where my son will end up and parents here feel my pain ....i hate 89%!!</p>
<p>No idea what sort of financial aid American has. I just know that I've seen it come up as a recommendation for Int. Rel and Politics and I checked it's scattergram for my B+ student and it looked like a good match - perhaps even an almost safety if his SAT scores are high enough.</p>
<p>Fullerton, Long Beach, and SanDiego are supposed to be the top Cal States along with the two Polys.</p>
<p>American is my top choice, right now. I'm just a bit concerned about my SATs (will take them for the first time in March). Is American a good match for a B+ student?</p>
<p>On Wednesday Son was accepted to a school that was not in his top 3, but they offered a lot more merit aid than the other schools have. Thankfully, Son is willing to reconsier this school.</p>
<p>I guess I don't look at an 89% as "pain". Why not see it as a glass that's almost 90% full? If my D has worked diligently in a class and gotten a B+, I'm not disappointed. If it's an easy class, she probably gets A's anyway, but if she's really putting in a good effort, I don't want her to feel as if I'm disappointed in her. I've seen this thread as a good, constructive place to be not a place I've "ended up" due to some misfortune. I don't mean to pick on you, but I'm just trying to be encouraging. Please note that you're seeing a bunch of recent posts of success here: acceptances (my D's included)!</p>