The class of 2009 is done ... long live the class of 2010 and 2011

Parents Forum
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<p>I know that the season of extra-long sheets, soft pillows, and egg crate is upon us. I do not want to deprive the graduating class of any deserved pleasure, but I'd like to start discussing the class of ... 2011. I've seen a recruiting call from Carolyn for the rising senior class and I'd like to do the same for the class of 2011. While I am not a parent, I have a keen interest in helping my younger sister and exchange ideas about the particular issues related to rising juniors. </p>

<p>I believe that the junior carries an enormous importance. A well-planned year -starting with the two bookends' summers- should go a long way to smooth issues during the senior. In particular, the period between the PSAT and the AP tests is very important. </p>

<p>Oh well, you get the idea. Let's see how many poor souls are among us!</p>

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<p>Xiggi -- At least you said "done" rather than "dead". I hope your sister has a very successful journey -- I assume she has inherited all of your SAT prep stuff? </p>

<p>Anyway, to conform to Carolyn's format (and adding a few), the particulars for me are: </p>

<p>Screen name: lderochi (and it's a lower case L by the way, not I)</p>

<p>Is your Sophomore male or female: Male</p>

<p>Home state: Delaware</p>

<p>Preferred geographic location for college: As far north as Virginia, as far west as the Mississippi (with one exception -- Muhlenberg) </p>

<p>Any specific things looking for in a college (large, small, urban, etc.): Started out wanting big city, now wants nothing to do with any hustle or bustle. Sooo, small to mid-size (under 10,000), rural or suburban, scenic environment. </p>

<p>Child's possible academic interests: Chemistry, History, possibly Pre-med</p>

<p>Schools currently on child's list of possibilities: Pull up a chair, it's early yet. And honestly in most cases I've done most of the "advance work" on these based on his general comments -- though he has told me to specifically add a few: VMI (top of the hit list right now), Lynchburg, Lenoir-Rhyne, Bridgewater, UNC-W, UNC-A, Winthrop, The Citadel, Guilford (and how often do you see The Citadel and Guilford in the same list?), College of Charleston, Roanoke, Elon, Mary Washington, Muhlenberg, St. Mary's (MD), Centre (tentative), Furman, Wake, Davidson, William and Mary. </p>

<p>Schools we've visited (whether or not child is still interested in going there): Mary Washington, James Madison, VMI, Muhlenberg</p>

<p>Junior Year Courseload: AP English 11 (AP English is a two-year track at S' school), AP "Problems of Democracy" (1 semester of economics and one semester of U.S. Government), Spanish III, Advanced Algebra and Trig, Chemistry and an elective that is still undecided (AP Euro, or a PE, or a business class or ROTC). </p>

<p>Study Plans for PSAT/SAT/ACT: The Xiggi method + Grammatix (if I can bribe him enough to open the books). </p>

<p>EC's of Note: Volunteer firefighter, School newspaper, Baseball (not HS team)</p>

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<p>I agree with Xiggi: it's not too early for the parents of rising juniors to start thinking and planning for college. In fact, one of the best things we did was go on a few "trial visits" to colleges over LAST summer. To be honest, I just picked a few colleges at random near where we would be on vacation but even visiting a few local campuses would have worked.</p>

<p>These trial visits worked out very well --- there was no pressure on daughter as I told her these were just trial visits, and that these probably were not the schools she would end up applying to. Those early "just looking visits" helped her realize that "hey, college really is going to happen!" and helped her start thinking about what she was looking for and what she didn't want - by Christmas she had a pretty good sense of the types of colleges she was looking for. More important, sitting in on those three admissions presentations last summer reinforced the message that she had better keep her nose to the grindstone in junior year! A side benefit, we were able to talk with two admissions officers and ask some questions we had about her junior and senior year curriculums --- that was VERY helpful.</p>

<p>So, even if your sophomore child doesn't yet know how to SPELL college :), I would highly recommend just a few trial visits this summer!</p>

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<p>The Citadel, Guilford (and how often do you see The Citadel and Guilford in the same list?), >></p>

<p>What a hoot. That's the nice thing about starting early, you can play with possibilities!!! :)</p>

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<p>X - </p>

<p>Have long admired your posts. Have a rising junior D and she will be spending part of her summer on Xiggi-prep for the PSAT.</p>

<p>A particular issue for this rising junior class is the scheduling of next spring's exams (yes, I've already checked them out). SAT I/AP's/SATII's/ACT are collapsed into a 10 week window. Too bad they have to go to school as well...</p>

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<p>Screen name (of parent): Mstee</p>

<p>Gender of Sophomore: Female</p>

<p>Home State: CA</p>

<p>Preferred Location: Far enough away that parents have to take a plane to visit</p>

<p>Possiblie interests: science (? hasn't taken chemistry or physics yet)/math or ???</p>

<p>Junior year courses planned: AP US History (although is already thinking of dropping as she is freaking out about AP Bio test next week), Calc BC, Chemistry (honors? not sure), Honors English, French II, Religion, Computer Science (half year), Drawing (half year)</p>

<p>EC's: some clubs like ecology club and Junior States, swimming (unless she is cast in school musical), mathletes, and possibly voice lessons</p>

<p>College list: nothing yet, though mom is suggesting taking a look at St. Olaf, Grinnell, Pacific Lutheran, Whitman</p>

<p>Plans to take a year off before college and live in Germany. (Subject to change, or course, but has been thinking about doing this for over a year so far).</p>

<p>gpa: so far so good, don't actually no what it is, but is in A-/B+ range (3.9 weighted?/3.8 unweighted? something like that)--should go higher if next year goes well, since she has not taken very many weighted classes so far.</p>

<p>Colleges visited: Humboldt State (brother goes there), UChicago (other brother goes there), UCSanDiego (grampa lives there), Berkeley (we live close by). </p>

<p>Study plans for PSAT/SAT--I don't know how to approach this, but she probably should do something. Neither of her brothers did any test prep. PLAN test results ranged from 21 English to 31 math.</p>

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<p>Xiggi, thanks for starting this thread. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't post on Carolyn's rising seniors thread and thought I was going to have to wait another whole year for the fun to begin! :(</p>

<p>I discovered CC 2 years ago when starting the college search process for my older S, who was a NMS with a 1600 SAT and top 5%. My younger S, a sophomore, is also a good student, though not quite top 5% yet. His practice SATs indicate that he will score in the 2050-2100 range when he takes his first real SAT this weekend. He hasn't yet had Algebra II so I think he will do much better when he takes it again as a junior.</p>

<p>He attends a parochial school, is interested in becoming a lawyer and loves politics. I think he might combine those interests with his facility with languages and maybe go into international law. He's in Model UN, Forensics, National Spanish Honor Society and a religious youth group. He is a peer tutor in NHS and is in the process of starting a club at his HS that will tutor the kids in the neighboring elementary/middle school.</p>

<p>We haven't visited any colleges yet except for Vanderbilt a couple of years ago (and UF, of course). He wants to stay on the east coast and we are looking primarily at schools with good merit aid. I think a LAC would be great for him but there are some terrific universities on the radar screen, too. I'd like for him to look at UVa, Davidson, American and Emory, maybe Rice. He's only just beginning to show any interest in thinking about colleges but has expressed interest in U of Miami. Once he takes PSAT, SAT and ACT(his school makes the kids take the ACT), we will have a better idea of what his match schools are. </p>

<p>I'm looking forward to getting to know the other class of 2011 parents here on CC as we go through this process together.</p>

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<p>SAT I/AP's/SATII's/ACT are collapsed into a 10 week window. Too bad they have to go to school as well...>></p>

<p>It was the same this year. I don't know why the college board can't have at least ONE sitting for the SAT during the summer. It sure would make life easier, especially with AP's and SAT II's.</p>

<p>By the way, one word of warning: D.'s march scores came in a week after the CB said they would be released. As a result, we ended up having to sign her up for the May test just in case. She was satisfied with her March scores when we finally got them and may have chosen not to sit for the test again. (Well, I probably would have made her take it a second time anyhow:) )</p>

<p>But, in planning for next year, just wanted to let folks know that the college board can sometimes be late with processing tests. This is especially important if you want to get results from one test before taking the next test --- with only a month window between the May and June sittings, you could potentially not know the results of the May test until the week before the June test. Ugh.</p>

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<p>OK, what does it mean to be a "rising junior?"</p>

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<p>Peacenik, it means that your kid will be a Junior in the fall. A rising Senior will be a Senior in the fall, etc.</p>

<p>Whatever they will be in the fall is what they are "rising" to.</p>

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<p>currently a sophmore going into junior year in the fall.</p>

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<p>I recomend taking a visit to Harvard / Yale your freshman year.</p>

<p>That way you always have a goal to look forward too even if the odds are against you.</p>

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<p>I have a rising junior D - interested in fashion design, although I'm sure that will change.</p>

<p>Not an AP kid - more of an honors- (next level down)</p>

<p>XIGGI - what is the XIGGI PSAT method? I am so curious</p>

<p>Colleges - State schools probably although that could change if she really gets excited about something. She's lived in her older sister's shadow since starting high school and I think as much as she adores sister she's ready to break out and make her own way.</p>

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<p>Well, I came to this forum to assist with my D who will be 2010. Her younger sister will be in class of 2013. Is it to early to post her stats? Oh, wait, she has no stats yet ;)</p>

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<p>Thanks Xiggi. I too was feeling a little left out of Carolyn's thread.</p>

<p>Male in a large public high school, middle of the country. Somewhere near the top of his class, high PSAT score (he's always been a good tester). No major awards or world-class EC's, mostly science/math activities. One AP, 3 or 4 next year (I discouraged this, but he's determined and should be okay if he'll study). Has taken one SAT II. </p>

<p>Will probably study either engineering or science (biology or physics). Has no clue if he wants big or small, urban or isolated, near or far, research uni or LAC, and hasn't shown much interest in the whole process. This will be an entirely different experience and I feel like I'm starting over. </p>

<p>I wonder how the college's will look at the new SAT. Xiggi, any words of wisdom here?</p>

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<p>I noticed several of you commenting on SAT prep, and I am currently teaching an SAT prep class. We use the materials provided by College Board. As of right now I'm teaching the Critical Reading section, but when our next session starts in June I will be switching to Math. If anyone has any questions about the material feel free to ask.</p>

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<p>Speaking of the Xiggy SAT tips.</p>

<p>Is there a single publication posted? <em>hint, hint mods</em></p>

<p>Any thoughts of putting up a website Xiggi-meister? Bet you could earn some advert dollars on that one......</p>

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<p>As usual, I am humbled by your kind words. </p>

<p>As soon as I am finished with school, I plan to dig up some of the past information and reorganize in the Class of 2010 and 2011 threads on CC. Because of the inherent limitations of using this format, I am thinking about developing an email distribution list of relevant files or arranging for a downloading site. I do not want to get too fancy because I am not sure how much time I would have to update information with great regularity. </p>

<p>Also I do not want to step on anyone's toes, especially the ones of the persons who have been very generous in hosting this site.</p>

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<p>For the parents who have kids just starting the process, please read TaraMom's thread about conflicts between parents. Those are the types of things that parents of sophomores should discuss NOW. What are the geographical limitations? What will you pay for, in terms of quality of school, size, prestige, and major? What is the maximum you can pay? You will pay? Whose job will it be to make up any difference between planned expenditures and required? Will S or D pay for books? If D gets a full scholarship, will you pay for grad school? Will you pay for grad school at all? What happens if the kid wants to take a gap year or wants to do a 5-year programme? Do you want to see a minimum GPA in college? Will S or D get spending money while at school? </p>

<p>Please have this discussion early. A lot of angst will be avoided when both parents (or all parents, in the case of divorce & remarriage) are on the same page. Then, sit down with the kid and discuss. Most kids want to know what the bounds are and WHY they are there. Be honest and upfront. There's nothing wrong with pointing out that you only have (for example) $80,000 to spend on each child's education, and that it is up to the S or D to make it work based on that. Start talking about loans, work-study, merit aid, good state schools, or the like. </p>

<p>Please, whatever you do, don't be those parents who drop things on their kids - "Great that you got into Yale, but we aren't paying for it." These conversations are best had BEFORE the first application is filled out, but, unfortunately, it seems as if parents wait for the acceptances to roll in before talking. </p>

<p>(Rant over.)</p>

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<p>Screen name: Chedva</p>

<p>Is your Sophomore male or female: Female
Home state: Massachusetts</p>

<p>Preferred geographic location for college: Like most kids around here, Northeast through mid-Atlantic; may be willing to look at Chicago, but hates to fly. </p>

<p>Any specific things looking for in a college (large, small, urban, etc.): Urban or suburban; loves city life. Nurturing, participatory environment - hates lectures. A place where she can continue to dance, either with college courses or close enough to a studio with open classes. Possibly near a ski slope.</p>

<p>Child's possible academic interests: Psychology, sociology, history, poli sci</p>

<p>Schools currently on child's list of possibilities: Columbia (dad's alma mater), NYU, Pace or virtually any other school in New York; Muhlenberg; Goucher; Northwestern; GW; Georgetown; UMass Amherst (just because it's our state flagship); Amherst; Swathmore</p>

<p>Schools we've visited (whether or not child is still interested in going there): Columbia</p>

<p>Rank/GPA: school doesn't rank (competitive public HS). GPA about 3.6 unweighted, 5.4 (out of 6) weighted.</p>

<p>Junior Year Courseload: AP US History; Honors Physics; Honors French IV; Standard Trig/Pre-Calc; Honors English (AP not offered); Honors Media Awareness: Lies You've Been Told (1/2 year); Honors American Political System (1/2 year)</p>

<p>Study Plans for PSAT/SAT/ACT: Haven't gotten there yet; trying to get her to study for June's SATII in Chemistry!</p>

<p>EC's of Note: Dance (ballet, including pointe, tap, jazz, hiphop); assistant dance teacher; school musical group; ski instructor (paid); junior drama - teaching drama to elementary school students. No awards or "national" recognition - not into those kind of activities.</p>

<p>Plans this summer: Cornell for 3 week course in Film Studies (3 credits) ("We're paying this much for her to watch MOVIES??"); 3 week urban dance program in NY</p>