<p>Thanks, kelbee, about the joint email address idea. Another suggestion we’ve never followed up on that will be very helpful. It’s going to the top of the agenda for our next meeting!</p>
<p>As my D1’s college graduation approaches, I am wondering where all the time went. It seems like just yesterday, I discovered CC and was asking all sorts of questions regarding SAT’s , admissions, comparing schools. I am glad I pushed her to apply to this very good school because when she was accepted and visited for the first time (she refused to visit before that) she was in love. She has had a great education, been challenged and has made some wonderful friends. </p>
<p>Things I would now ask when visiting a school for D2:</p>
<p>I would ask more about the policy on accepting AP credits? Not all schools do. Thankfully, D1 figured it out and is graduating in 3 years.</p>
<p>As somebody previosuly mentioned, I would want to know who staff’s your career center? I have sadly found that many schools are using students to help other students. There should be experienced professionals with industry contacts helping students get internships and jobs and help with mock interviews. She is still looking.</p>
<p>Where do the graduates go from here? Where are they employed? Where are they going to graduate school?</p>
<p>Do the majority of kids go home during short breaks? My D who was OOS at a state school found herself alone and a bit scared during the first short fall break when everyone went home for a 4 day weekend. Also, the dining halls were not open. Second year, she found friends to go home with.</p>
<p>How late and how often does the public transportation run? They always tell you that the kids will always find someone with a car but that is not always true and you cannot expect people to be free to give you rides when you need them. </p>
<p>Other things:
When they get sick, it is very stressful. There were a couple of times, DH had to stop me from getting on the next plane.</p>
<p>Teach them how to do banking. write a check, how your health insurance works, etc…</p>
<p>Finally, if your child goes to a school far away, book that flight home for the holidays as soon as you know the calendar. July is not too soon for Thanksgiving. </p>
<p>I think I might want D2 closer to home. I am getting too old for this</p>
<p>Absolutely nothing. We were not status-conscious (or rankings-conscious) in our search and chose exclusively on opportunity and fit. Surprised that our son chose a school so far away, but it has worked out fine. He is home now for the week and it’s great, but he is looking forward to going back too. :)</p>
<p>Lessons learned:</p>
<p>Apply EA - we were not prepared to do any early apps because my DD school requires 30 days notice for recs and transcripts - we dropped the ball requesting on time.</p>
<p>Visit more schools - DD applied to 8 schools. Visited 2 schools that she didn’t apply to after visiting. Visited 3 of the 8 schools that she applied to. Rejected to 1 of the schools she visited. So far, accepted to 2 schools that she didn’t visit. Wow…</p>
<p>Set the “profile criteria” for the schools you are interested in - and then test the theory. For example, DD wanted small LAC. After visiting 2 small LAC - decided she really needed more of a middle sized school. Doesn’t want big schools based on visiting the state flagship. </p>
<p>Definitely share an email address for college apps. For my DD she just gave me her password to her existing gmail - since she doesn’t do email (she prefers texts).</p>
<p>Do not try to wordsmith essays - definitely not appreciated. OK to correct grammer and challenge concepts.</p>
<p>Schedule 30 minute weekly meetings - we met every Sunday. Such a privilege for me, hahaha.</p>
<p>Don’t push your kid’s buttons - meaning don’t restate the obvious (so hard to resist).</p>
<p>Do as much legwork as you can to help support the process - this is what my DD appreciated more than anything. I researched and we discussed during weekly meetings.</p>
<p>Pay attention to deadlines. We almost missed an important scholarship deadline for one school which was a full month ahead of RD.</p>
<p>For merit scholarships - make sure you fully understand the requirement if an application is needed. Last minute running around to collect recommendations is no fun.</p>
<p>Be a task master!</p>
<p>Relax - laugh - enjoy.</p>
<p>Note to OP–not all colleges have an EA option. only 2 of my son’s 10 colleges did.</p>
<p>Yes, it just depends on the school. 4 of the 8 schools for DD had EA. But we didn’t apply to any. That was a mistake.</p>
<p>My D had a unique situation, but it could be extrapolated to other interests. She wanted to pursue acting and singing. Ended up going to an in-state school because they have a good theater/music program. But, to break into Hollywood, she should have gone to UCLA, and spent those 4 years auditioning and getting parts in TV shows and movies. If a gig delayed her studies, the show/movie experience is infinitely more valuable. Also, Hollywood is looking for a lot of teenage kids (just look at who is on all the shows).</p>
<p>Takeaway: Think about the next step after college. Where are the jobs, and what is the best way to get them? Should a Computer Science major go to the University of IL? Sure, it is a great school for CS. But, if they can go to school in CA, it will be much easier to get internships in Silicone Valley and be way more valuable in the long-term.</p>
<p>BTW: D2 applied to two schools EA (all the others were EA single choice, or ED). Her top school choice was EA single choice. She regretted not applying to that school EA. 2 EA vs 1, probably not that much difference, especially if the 1 is the top choice. 5 to 1, and it is a harder call to justify the 1. I would say that her essays got better over time, so maybe her RD application is better. We will find out in a week if it all turns out ok in the end.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I totally agree with you Operadad. Having lived in L.A. (I was born there), every other person is a hollywood wanna be so I don’t think a person has any more of an opportunity to standout than anyone else. Those people who are “stars” did not go to UCLA, they went to schools all over the country and lucked into opportunities to grow their career.</p>
<p>And having lived in Silicon Valley, I can tell you that it does not have the market on computer entrepreneurship. There are opportunities in other places such as Seattle and NYC and other places that have carved out a niche for a particular need in the field. </p>
<p>If anything, the competition for internships has got to be fierce in Silicon Valley. I don’t think Google is only looking at students from Bay area schools since they actually came for a visit to my son’s school here in the Northeast to recruit. Companies, like colleges, want new and mixed blood from a variety of places.</p>
<p>-I would have bugged D less. She’s Type A enough, just not as much as her dad and I. We should have chilled out.
-We had to do all tours in summer because of her sport, and we did them all her senior year. I probably would have done more junior year (but disagree with above, not soph or freshman year!)
-I would not visit more than one school a day. Two was too many for us. </p>
<p>Things we did right:
-All EA apps. BAM. We were done by Nov 1.
-Got an idea right away about size fit. I think that’s important.
-My D didn’t want to reach so we didn’t. Much more relaxed. I suppose some people would say she overmatched her choices, but she knew herself enough to know that a high reach would mean misery for her. Kids-- know thyselves. Parents-- know your kids.</p>
<p>@kennedy2010 I laughed at your wordsmith comment. Early on, I tried to change a phrase in one of my son’s essays. It was definitely NOT appreciated. He basically told me to butt out in his very own respectful way. :D</p>
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<p>The competition may be fierce, but at least there are opportunities. Can’t remember the last Movie or TV show made in Wyoming. The issue with LA is not the school, but being able to do a lot of auditions and get in front of a lot of directors. If you want to wait for them to come to your home town, be my guest. You would be lucky to get one audition a year. Not very productive.</p>
<p>Ditto with Silicon Valley. The competition may be fierce, but they are tripping over themselves on ways to recruit female interns. Not many intern opportunities in Nome, AK. Google may have the resource to recruit nation wide. Smaller companies don’t.</p>
<p>Would you rather be at a school that attracts hundreds of companies to recruit, or a few dozen? Would you rather be in an area where you can contact hundreds of companies and possibly go for an interview, or a handful? Sure, if you go to school in KY, you can send a resume to a company in TX, but, what are you going to do when you get the interview? Pay to fly there yourself? Gets expensive after a while.</p>
<p>The employment situation being what it is right now, no companies are even interviewing kids from long distances. Will do a phone screen interview, ask where you live, and the response over and over is, “We are looking to hire locally, thanks but no thanks”.</p>
<p>My D was told after a phone interview for a position in California, they would not put the $$ cost on her to fly in for an interview, that they had enough applicants within driving/commuting distance to fill the job.</p>
<p>I would have returned to work earlier than I did to start saving earlier. we’re okay but the budget is tight.</p>
<p>Agree with KELBEE! Set up a separate email account for all of the junk mail!</p>