<p>Having just read a thread about when people stop reading/posting on cc after their kids finish applying to college, I decided to ask about the START of the process. When did all of you begin researching college admissions? I don't remember how I found cc, but I quickly became addicted. My kids don't know about the site yet - my oldest is a 9th grader. From reading cc, however, I can see that a lot has changed since I was in high school, and my kids will need more guidance than I did. At this point, however, college is not real to them, so I would need to steer them in appropriate directions (while trying to make sure they follow their true interests, since what would be the point otherwise?). To give you an idea of where I'm coming from, my oldest was shocked to find out that he wouldn't be able to bum around the house all summer. He felt entitled to the time off, without realizing that after 1-2 weeks max he'd be bored out of his mind.</p>
<p>We had already set up summer programs for all my kids that we hoped would improve their skills and get them excited about learning, but they are "paid for" programs, not programs the kids had to compete to get into. I don't want to make my kids into "ideal" applicants for the ivy league, since I'm not sure any of them would be happy at those schools, but I want to make sure that once they have reached the point where they know what their interests are and what paths they might want to pursue that they have options available to them. </p>
<p>From my own experiences, I believe that top schools with top faculty and top students DO provide better learning experiences. I had less than inspiring experiences with classes taken at a large state school, which were a stiking contrast to the classes I had as an undergrad at a highly selective school. I will recommend that my kids visit all the schools they apply to and sit in on classes while they are there. I will also tell them to pay attention to how they "feel" about a school, even if they can't put what they are feeling into words. I had thought I'd have 2 years or so to go before I really needed to start thinking about college with my kids, but the posts on cc have made me feel that starting to research earlier might be better.</p>
<p>Well....I remember clearly how I "found" CC. I was a defector from the old PR site that was difficult to deal with and became very "odd" in the end. Is it still in existence. Someone (I don't remember who) invited me to come here...my son was already in college but we hadn't begun the search for my daughter. For our son...the college search began quite early. He had ideas his freshman year in high school (he's a music major). We began visits and sample lessons when he was in 10th grade. For DD we began visits in 10th grade as well. For both kids, we finished the "visiting" in April of their junior years of high school. Both were involved in summer activities. And both had their applications in the mail by October 15. And both did one "last minute" application at the end of November. The way we "started" our visits was informally during family vacations. If we saw a college gate, we drove in. The kids got a sense of what a campus was like (that happened a lot during 9th grade and beginning 10th). The first formal trip included big/small/rural/urban/public/private so that they could see what was what. Interestingly, both applied to schools from that first trip in 10th grade. Then the 11th grade trip was a little more specific. DS's college hunt was very different because he was looking for an instrument teacher and a school. DD was looking for a school. Both ended up in urban schools...but VERY different ones.</p>
<p>I like the idea of visiting colleges informally. I think I will do that with my kids. I understand that 3 years seems much longer to them than it does to me. But with applications in the mail by mid-October, it's really closer to 2 years away, which is no time at all. Did you go on campus tours and speak to admissions people? If you did, did they show interest in your kids even when the kids were only 9th or 10th graders?</p>
<p>I came to CC through a dance message board, when I started asking about colleges with dance programs specializing in jazz. Someone there suggested I come here.</p>
<p>I really started talking to my d about college when it came time to think about 9th grade classes. She had an idea of what she wanted to do (which of course has changed twelve times since then), and the question was what science sequence she should take. And of course we just talked about taking the hardest courses she felt that she could do well in (so by 10th grad she had dropped accelerated math).</p>
<p>D refused to do college tours in 10th grade, and I had to drag her in February of 11th grade. She ultimately visited about 10 schools, applied to 8 (3 sight unseen) and had pretty good results.</p>
<p>My son was unique. He would have gone on visits in nineth grade complete with tours and info sessions. We didn't go that until April vacation of 10th grade. My son was VERY interested at that time. My daughter was only moderately interested. Then the summer between 10th and 11th grade we went on more outings. DS was still very interested...DD not so much. By 11th grade DD was interested. We didn't do info sessions and tours until the kids showed interest. But the informal walk arounds were fun. Neither of my kids applied to ANY of those schools (the informal visit ones) BTW. We did NO visits during senior year. Both kids had at least two acceptances by Christmas (and that included three that DS had which included auditions). DD attended her EA school. DS didn't.</p>
<p>We started the process for my guy pretty early - being a traveling athlete - we did some informal visits if competing nearby - starting around sophmore year - but things got pretty serious beginning of the junior year - with the final list done by August of the senior year and official visits done - decision in hand (only school he applied to - eek - tho had several others ready to go - just in case) - ED - in December. It's funny tho - he actually now works at his second choice school :D which had been his first choice for a long time - til he actually ''saw'' the school he ended up attending - so it ended up leap frogging the other one :)</p>
<p>With my gal - we started early junior year - again informal visits - again a traveling athlete - and arranged a whirling durbish/fast and furious formal trip to the top 6 (which ended up to be 8 LOL) in the very early fall of senior year - well it was delayed due to a family tragedy til later fall - but applications to her top three were in before Nov 1st and EA in hand by mid November.</p>
<p>In both cases - we got organized pretty early in the game - at least in generalities - which made it a more comfotable journey for all involved. Both really enjoyed their senior years of high school with the pressure off - it was nice :)</p>
<p>I started a couple of months ago. Son is a junior, daughter is in 8th grade. The past 3 years I've been in college myself; I graduated in December. So now I'm working part-time, and not studying all the time ;) , and I have a lot more free time - it came at a really good point in our lives because I suddenly realized we needed to get going on this new chapter!</p>
<p>thumper -
Your daughter's interest level seems more typical to me. By 11th grade, however, a kid who had not thought of college at all in 9th and 10th grade could have ruined his/her chances at quite a number of schools. Hopefully, the informal visits at least get them to start thinking.</p>
<p>we started the summer before their senior year. We took a west coast tour of 11 college campuses and let them meet with professors and take guided tours. It seemed to get them thinking a little about the differences in colleges (and the similarities frankly)</p>
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<p>By 11th grade, however, a kid who had not thought of college at all in 9th and 10th grade could have ruined his/her chances at quite a number of schools.>></p>
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<p>You've been reading CC too much. This is absolutely NOT true....unless it is in the course selection area. Just because a kid doesn't show much interest until the end of junior year does NOT mean that they have closed the door on schools. My nephew didn't care at all about college searches until the summer before his senior year. He goes to an Ivy.</p>
<p>Son's high school has a lot going for it, but a large world view regarding colleges isn't one of those things. The GC have their hands full with underachieving and troubled kids.</p>
<p>The opportunities for a good education were there, but were not always supported by the infrastructure or the culture.</p>
<p>SO...I actually started researching various colleges and their requirements/expectations prior to Son's freshman year, so I could educate myself and put together a couple versions of 4 year plans for his HS courses that would keep as many options open for him as possible. Didn't make a big deal out of it with him at the time, but the research paid off. Some choices made early resulted in greater flexibility and more options later.</p>
<p>We took our first trips to visit colleges over Presidents' day his junior year: just a variety of types of schools within a reasonable drive, so he could get the feel of urban, rural, large, small, etc. Then a more serious trip over spring break that year. By summer before Sr. year, he pretty much knew what he wanted, which was very helpful, as he was participating in a fall sport, which would have made a lot of travel at that time difficult.</p>
<p>I didn't discover CC until after his applications were in! I definitely wish I had.</p>
<p>There are many different ways of "thinking about college."
Students can have attending college as a general goal and expectation, without actually "thinking about college." For many, perhaps most, middle class families, that is the default position. But not many kids begin thinking actively about college before junior year, and many do not even really focus until senior year.</p>
<p>The one thing to focus on before the end of sophomore year is taking challenging classes and making sure that there is a plan to fulfill graduation requirements. Often the classes taken in 9th grade set the level of subsequent classes. Students should also get involved in some extra curricular activities. But that should really be it until the end of sophomore year.</p>
<p>Someone I post with on some AOL message boards sent me here. I'd been on the PR boards a few times, but at the time it was still a little early for colleges. I got serious about it spring of my son's junior year.</p>
<p>We started casual visits with an older nephew when my son was in 8th or 9th grade. Just 2 or 3. Just to see a few beautiful campuses and start thinking about how great it might be to be away from Mom--just kidding!!</p>
<p>December of junior year we got some college guides and started visiting Fe. and April breaks. Fit in some more in the summer. Enough that he could figure out where to apply. We're going to re-visit a few after acceptances. I know most people can't do so much travel and that's ok too. What the info sessions did do was have someone other than parents talking about the "most rigorous curriculum", ad nauseum, sure, but he did listen.</p>
<p>I hope you can enjoy the process as much as we have (except the waiting period after apps were in)--and also I had a brief period of putting too much pressure on my son to complete apps--but other than that it was fun. My advice--help your kid figure out what fits and go for that. Those schools will want your kid as much as your kid wants them. It's a great learning experience and, in our case, a cross-country treasure hunt!</p>
<p>D#1's sophomore yr, high school. Had a LOT of research to do. Lots of variables to consider. Also, this was first one in half a generation in our family to be applying to college: a whole different world from the previous relative's experience. However, since we did the research beforehand, we were able to continually reduce the list based on new kinds of information learned between soph yr & senior year. We feel the "homework" saved us time after that April 1st date, made the decisions clearer, & the list more particular. We also feel that all that research had a positive affect on the quality of her applications. Just our perception. </p>
<p>I actually used search engines to find message boards, in fact. (By D's junior yr. in h.school.) And this was the only really comprehensive one.</p>
<p>I came to CC the summer before S1's senior year. I had been doing a websearch for a info on a particular college and CC popped up.</p>
<p>We are some of those middle class people who always assumed S1 would go to college and didn't worry about it too much. He always took honors and AP classes of his choice and did well. So at application time it wasn't hard because his focus was very narrow and he knew he wanted to go to big state u. He applied to two others in case for some weird reason he hadn't gotten in big state u, The acceptance came in the mail a few weks later and we were done.</p>
<p>I came in '02, when DD was a first semester junior in HS. I googled "national merit scholar" and this website popped up. Been here ever since... then came DS, now a high school senior and heading off to college. I'll probably stick around to share experiences and explore grad school issues for DD and DS. That puts me here 'til 2011 at least. ;)
(The join date below my name says 2004, but I believe that's the date CC switched to this new format. The old format didn't have all these search functions and bells and whistles, and was organized differently that these forums are today.)</p>
<p>I only found CCs by accident in February I think. For a particular reason I had a couple month window that allowed time to read it. Anxiousmom nailed me for my first comment about Rice scholarships questioning me because I was a newby but she has been really nice since then. Maybe knowing I lived in Texas a long time helped make her become my CC soulmate! This was years after D had gone to college, and well after S had applied. A post retirement career in teaching kind of caused college to be in our minds a while. I was writing lots of recommends, getting to know kids and keeping up with them after they went off to different places. My kids were in 4-6 grade when they were meeting HS seniors and lots of college students. Summer programs like CTD and other programs such as EPGY along with big dreams ment the kids were probably thinking about colleges from a young age. We traveled a lot when they were young taking them to DW and my college and stopping at a lot of other colleges just because we like the architecture and the art collections especially at some of the schools out east.
The whole final college thing for D was realatively painless. A trip with W after sophomre year, I think, and a family trip after junior year. She applied ED ,was accepted, and never looked back.
For S, there was a bonding trip with dad at spring break 10th grade, and a summer in Cambridge that allowed him to see a few other places. Process has been more of a hassle because he likes everywhere and decided to apply to a bunch. Put on more fall stres than we would have liked but it was his choice.</p>
<p>I will say this having come to this site late. I think the danger for kids and parents is that a site like this can cause one to over analyze and add to the stress of the process. People also forget that many on this site are HYPSM oriented and often do not represent the norm. It might be best for kids to just apply and go back to work awhile. Reading the college threads and looking at the blog on MIT I feel bad for the kids that get so worked up about one school and end up obsessed seemingly setting themselves up for a lot of pain if things do not work out. My two cents. The problem with the internet is that we now have almost too much info. and it often complicates rather than simplifies decision making.</p>
<p>The first time that word "college" passed between parents and D was September of ninth grade when we explained that D would have to get a scholarship in order to attend most of the colleges that would appeal to her (academic nature). The high school she attended began formal college planning early in tenth grade and we were doing informal college visits by springtime. If I remember correctly I came to CC about that time from the old PR site.</p>