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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
| Posts: | 595 |
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 04:41 pm |
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hijinkssue, Well, at least you were awake! I woke up at 8:30 and DD was long gone. I have no idea if she ate anything or took a snack. I guess I am an even worse Mommy then you.
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HijinksAndSue
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 04:49 pm |
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Outwest, I had trouble sleeping all night. You'd have thought I was the one taking the test ... she clearly had no trouble sleeping. Just waking up 
I think it just comes down to different mommy-styles. I can't tell you how hard it's been for me to try to ease up on the nagging. I REALLY need a jumbo case of duct tape ...
I make lists of things I need to be sure she's done, and sometimes lists OF the lists, and now with the college application process coming up (which for her also includes having to create a CD for submission of music AND prepare her audition material on top of everything else) I am SO torn between what I SHOULD do ... letting her do it herself ... but also gently reminding her of time frames, etc. I'm not so good with the gentle. It comes out at NAGNAGNAG.
Beyond her first choice school, her list is morphing a lot as she determines her priorities and what does and doesn't fit them (two of the schools which had probably been her 2/3 are now on the bubble because she's decided that she REALLY doesn't want to go to a school larger than 5000 people and they're both MUCH MUCH bigger).
Sorry to ramble .. but it's 12:45 and shouldn't she be done by now? Did they start at 8:30 or 9?
Double oy.
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Consolation
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| Joined: | Mon Apr 9th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 488 |
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 06:51 pm |
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jocelynDAD wrote: Consolation:
I know nothing of the individual child's family situation but I can state that in some families, there is only one parent, others the child is with Grandparents or other adult family members, often one parent families work odd hours, even saturday mornings, or late shifts friday night.
There are a host of circumstances that one could imagine besides a lack of desire to support the child.
I'm fully aware that there are all kinds of family situation. But whether there is the desire to support the child or not, some kids simply don't get support. And it's too bad.
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Consolation
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| Joined: | Mon Apr 9th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 488 |
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 08:47 pm |
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HijinksAndSue wrote: This just boggles my mind. I can't imagine not getting up on the morning of the SAT just to offer moral support and make sure your kid has at least the 2 sharpened pencils and his ticket--let alone the "acceptable calculator"--especially if your kid is not the organized, academic type, which this kid clearly wasn't.
It's clear why they are feeding them. Apparently for some people getting up and pouring cereal into a bowl would be too much effort.
Is there a blushy-face emoticon for me to use here? Consolation, in my post from about a half-hour ago on the "Support group for May 5 test-takers" thread, I explain exactly why I DIDN'T (technically) get up with my daughter ... she didn't want me to. It would have "stressed her out" too much ... I laid her ticket out for her the night before, made sure she had the sharpened pencils (asked about 8 times if she'd sharpened them), made sure she knew where her calculator was, and suggested we stop off at the supermarket for the healthy snacks etc. She answered that she'd leave early and stop for drinks and snacks. Then I double checked when she'd set her alarm.
And then, as requested, left her to her own devices.
That's completely different from the situation of the kid I was talking about, of course.
Believe me, if you had seen and heard the kid in question you would agree.
Of course, my kid accepted my offer to make him ham and eggs for breakfast--usually I don't get up and make his breakfast, either..my husband does the early morning thing--and only on the way to school informed me that they were providing breakfast. Oh.
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Consolation
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| Joined: | Mon Apr 9th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 488 |
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 08:53 pm |
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On a completely different topic, what are people's kids planning to do this summer?
Mine has always gone to CTY, but he's aged out. He blew off the invitation to apply to TASP. He has applied for a 1-week string quartet camp, but doesn't know if he's in yet. He says he wants to get a job and make some money, and then go to Guatemala for a few weeks to volunteer again, but I just found out that they are no longer allowing kids under 18 to go without a chaperone, and he hasn't started looking for a job yet.
ARGH!
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atlantamom
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| Joined: | Tue Mar 7th, 2006 |
| Location: | Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 112 |
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 09:06 pm |
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| My D is hoping to have a job for the first month and then is going to Aix-en-Provence to study French and cooking.
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HijinksAndSue
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 09:21 pm |
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My D is in a band (three high school kids, two currently juniors and one a sophomore) that has been together for almost three years and has just released a new EP. The last two years, my D has taken a few weeks during the summer to attend a performing arts camp but this summer the three members all agreed (along with their mentor/producer) to NOT make any commitments that would take them out of town or unavailable for possible travel, gigs, recording etc. So she has stuck to that promise (although we would have been willing to send her to a five-week music program she really wanted to attend).
SO ... with that being said ...
It will be pretty much music boot camp (I mean that in a good way). Rehearsing a lot, collaborating with the others on writing new songs, some recording, hopefully some more gigs outside of our immediate area etc.
In addition, she's studying with a new voice teacher weekly and will also be continuing her bass lessons ... PLUS working on her sight-singing skills and music theory.
Plus (deep breath here) ... working on her college applications and recording/self-producing her audition CDs (probably one with three original songs for songwriting scholarships and another with a few originals, a few standards and one musical theatre performance for performance/audition submissions). Oh, and hopefully making a few college visits AND hopefully one visit/interview/audition towards the middle of August.
And going to the beach the last week before school starts which will no doubt be here before we know it
Wow, that summer sounds shorter every minute.
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atlantamom
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| Joined: | Tue Mar 7th, 2006 |
| Location: | Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 112 |
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 09:25 pm |
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She's going to be a very busy girl!
One of my son's friends did something similar the summer between his Jr and Sr years. (Jazz drummer). He is now at the New England Conservatory and Tufts. Loves it.
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hummingbird
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 09:52 pm |
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The day after school gets out, we are going to Washington DC to visit some schools for a week. A week after we get back, H and S will go to Missouri and Indiana to visit a couple of schools and drop off S at Indiana University at a summer Journalism program for a couple of weeks. He just got an invitation to be in a 2-day honors symposium for our school district; this takes place at the beginning of August. And he is signed up for a weeklong acting class here in town the last week of August.
At some point he wants to get his drivers license (he's just now 16 because he skipped a grade) and find a job. Not sure when he will actually have time to work! 
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CarolynLawrence
Administrator
| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 3319 |
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 09:59 pm |
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HiJinks,
That sounds like a terrific summer to me! 
My son will also be spending a lot of time with his band this summer - they've finally lined up some paying gigs! - but they're no where near your daughter's band's accomplishments!
He'll also spend three weeks at the CTY program for "older" students (16 and up) at Princeton this summer, and he's looking forward to that. We'll probably squeeze in some college visits throughout the summer, although I'm not counting on him starting his applications until the fall.
I am SO looking forward to every moment that both of my kids will be home together - my daughter gets home next Wednesday! YAY!
Last edited on Sat May 5th, 2007 10:01 pm by CarolynLawrence
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bumpyroad
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 10:09 pm |
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My D will be a counselor at a science camp for the second year in a row. They're actually paying her - and she certainly grew up a lot last year doing it. There's nothing like dealing with younger kids to put things in perspective.
The only problem is that she's gone all summer, so if we want to do any college visits/planning it has to happen in the fall, along with cross-country, piano, rock-climbing, etc.
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outwest
Member
| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
| Posts: | 595 |
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Posted: Sat May 5th, 2007 11:18 pm |
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This summer she wants to get a job that pays money. She will be taking PE in the summer, too.
Last edited on Sun May 6th, 2007 12:09 am by outwest
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Alumother
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| Joined: | Fri Mar 24th, 2006 |
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| Posts: | 201 |
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Posted: Mon May 7th, 2007 03:47 am |
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1. I called S Friday afternoon and said, "Are you taking the SATIIs this weekend?" He said yes. I said, where are they? He named a local high school. I said, " Will you drive yourself?" He said dad might drive me.
Bad mom. However, turns out dad did drive him.
S tells me now the SAT literature test was "fundamentally flawed."
2. For the summer, S is doing two weeks of Duke TIP in Costa Rica - Topical Biology - and two weeks of community service/soccer with Rustic Pathways, since he wanted to spend at least a month in the country. Then he will go with his dad to the family vacation on the New Jersey shore. Maybe do a soccer camp somewhere in the middle of all that.
Since we visited UMiami mom here is way less in need of duct tape....
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hummingbird
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Posted: Thu May 17th, 2007 03:32 pm |
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My S received a phone call last night from a college (Clark University in MA). He's received lots of mail, but that was his first phone call. They asked him if he would like some information mailed to him, and he politely said no thanks. He's still in the mindset that if he hasn't heard of the school, it must not be any good.
Anyhow, I was a little surprised that a school would just call him up like that. I didn't realize our phone number was "out there" for prospective colleges to see. Should we be expecting more phone calls?
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bumpyroad
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Posted: Thu May 17th, 2007 04:34 pm |
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My D got a phone call at around 6:00 PM a few weeks ago about applying, from Pacific University in Forest Grove (OR) - my main reaction was "Oh no, another set of people who call at dinnertime". The girl who called was very polite so I didn't get mad at her, just said no thanks.
This was a local call for them, so maybe they're calling everybody who took the PSAT in the area.
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HijinksAndSue
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Posted: Thu May 17th, 2007 04:52 pm |
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OK, not sure if this is specifically a 2008 question/observation but I'll throw it out there anyway since you're talking about calls ...
And I hope I can say this without sounding snobby or delusional ...
Haven't gotten any calls but D noticed that she started getting a lot of e-mail from what she termed "cr*ppy schools" that she had never inquired into or shown any interest in and said she just figured out why yesterday ... because her PSATs were ... well ... not very good. (She has also been bombarded with snail mail from schools she would never be interested in).
Could that be right? Do some schools get a student's PSAT scores through CB or whatever and contact them based on those? Or is it just coincidence?
She said she has not heard from any "good schools" via e-mail ... though she's gotten maybe one or two via snail mail from "good schools" that she had not contacted on her own ...
And by the way, we're not just talking smaller lesser-known schools ... honestly, yes, we're talking pretty much low-level schools. I hate to sound ... snotty or whatever ... but it's true.
If her SAT scores are significantly better (we'll know in a week, right????), will that change the "level" of schools that may start contacting her? (If her last two sets of practice tests are any indication, her index should have gone up about 300 points or 30, depending if you're using the four- or three-digit reference)
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entomom
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| Joined: | Mon Mar 6th, 2006 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 362 |
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Posted: Thu May 17th, 2007 05:18 pm |
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| As a 2007 parent, I wouldn't give much thought to contacts from schools, one way or the other. My D scored well on the PSAT and SAT and received mail from a very wide range of schools. I think it had more to do with the marketing policy of the school than the merits of the student. Even though she signed up on their websites and made an effort to 'show interest', some top schools virtually ignored her as far as phone contacts and mailings, only to end up accepting her . You just never know what their intention is, so I wouldn't let the mailings or lack of, influence what schools your kid applies to. Last edited on Thu May 17th, 2007 05:27 pm by entomom
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-allmusic-
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| Joined: | Mon Jan 8th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 27 |
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Posted: Thu May 17th, 2007 05:22 pm |
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My son has gotten a stack of college correspondence two feet high (maybe three feet...haven't measured and I am not a great eyeballer) with everything from Yale to Kenyon to Southern CT University. He doesn't even open any of the letters or glossy viewbooks... but I do, because I am curious.
I know for a fact that these letters mean absolutey nothing. The colleges target kids of a certain score level, but know that they are offering nothing more than a letter or brochure.
So, I wouldn't let the fact that your child gets or doesn't get letters, or the quality of the schools sending them, impact you in any way. It' all marketing.
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bumpyroad
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Posted: Thu May 17th, 2007 05:49 pm |
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I don't think you can judge too much from the marketing materials. My D did well on the PSAT, and she's gotten material from a few Ivies, but she's also gotten stuff from schools all over the map, including places that I can't imagine anyone from around here ever attending.
I suggested she hang onto the piles of stuff but her response was that for any school she's interested in she'll go to their website. Think of all the trees (and money) they could save if they stopped sending all of this material to a wired generation.
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hummingbird
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Posted: Thu May 17th, 2007 06:21 pm |
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bumpyroad wrote:
My D got a phone call at around 6:00 PM a few weeks ago about applying, from Pacific University in Forest Grove (OR) - my main reaction was "Oh no, another set of people who call at dinnertime". The girl who called was very polite so I didn't get mad at her, just said no thanks.
This was a local call for them, so maybe they're calling everybody who took the PSAT in the area.
We're local and they haven't called my S, who took the PSAT in October and the SAT in January. He's received snail mail from them, though.
Funny thing (kinda), when he took the PSAT he mistakingly wrote down .com instead of .net on his email address. So he never gets any college-related email! Collegeboard has his correct address, though.
He refuses to even look at most of the mail he receives, unless it's a school he is already interested in. I kept a big stack for awhile, and asked him to go through it over spring break. He threw most of it in the recycling bin.
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