Since last I posted, the following has happened in what has turned out to be a full on marathon to college (really I was expecting only a half!).
1) The final three applications were submitted. None at totally the last minute, but each brushing up against the deadline with in 2 - 3 days. And I was hoping he'd get them all done over Christmas break!
2) First semester grades. The Senior earned a 79.6% in Calculus which did . . . NOT get rounded up to a B-. That C+ kept him off even the regular Honor Roll. B's in the other academic classes, A's thankfully in Band and Gym. He took a grueling schedule which will carry weight, but the most competitive schools he is applying for (one of which is a favorite of his) are not likely to be impressed. Perhaps good ACTs will save the day.
3) I have been doing the financial aid paperwork, which I think is now finished. It was probably a waste of time, but with two kids in college next year, it seemed worth a shot. Completing financial aid means getting the taxes done and completing a mound of (online) paperwork. All schools require the FAFSA (which is easy); three of his schools also want the CSS-Profile, which requires two years worth of lots of financial data, punishes you for saving for retirement and having equity in your house, AND costs money to file. The other schools all have in-house forms, which mostly duplicate the CSS-Profile forms, so require the same information entered over and over again.
4) He was not invited to audition on-campus at First Choice School. This was disappointing, but maybe not surprising. This means that he cannot be a music major or receive scholarships for playing. Still, 75% of students in music ensembles at that school are NOT music majors, so it is still high on his list. Playing, and not majoring, in music is probably what he wants anyway.
5) I have been chaperoning all the jazz events, which will rate a separate post. I learned from the director that the Senior is a very good lead trumpet player (which means something in jazz ensembles though I am not sure what), that this ability cannot be taught, that he routinely hits 2 or 3 notes higher than the lead trumpet player who graduated two years ago, known for his Dizzy Gillespe cheeks, and that the director of a Top Ten college jazz program who comes to their school every year wanted to give him a scholarship. Which he never told us. Perhaps he is not going down the right path, but I truly cannot see himself studying jazz. Neither does he, apparently.
6) The last event is traveling later today to College with a Real Conservatory for an audition tomorrow. The drive is about 4 hours and the biggest snowstorm of the year (which this year is not saying much) has hit. It turned out not too bad around here but we will see heading north.
Then, it is all over but the waiting.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Working Holiday
The Senior went back to school today (yes, he is already out the door over an hour). He is NOT where I hoped he'd be be in the application process, which would be done. With the one acceptance in the bag, some pressure is off, but still, it would nice to be finished instead of this process continuing to drag on.
He was the only family member who stayed healthy throughout the break, but he spent almost all day every day working on either homework or the applications. The homework load is just ridiculous. All four of his academic classes gave piles of work over the break. Final exams start Wednesday, and he needs to bring it on these to make up for the triage system he has applied out of necessity to homework submission. There is an article in the local paper today focusing on our district and one other in the area that switched this year back to traditional scheduling, and how that has resulted in a dramatic increase in homework as kids (and teachers) learn to juggle more classes in fewer minutes per day. Now as a college professor, I have limited sympathy for whining about homework loads. My students are woefully unprepared to manage college-level intensity. But as a parent on the ground, I do agree, this has been ridiculous this year. The BC Calculus class that my oldest took when he was a senior, was blocked, 90 minutes a day for the entire year. This child is taking the same class, not blocked, 45 minutes a day for the entire year. The teacher is still trying to cover the same amount of material in half the time.
Anyway, except for Christmas and the one day we went to see Book of Mormon, the Senior has worked constantly. The current count is 4 of 7 applications submitted. The Common App was supposed to make this easier, and perhaps it does, but each school that he is applying to requires one or two additional essays. I feel like that back in the pen and paper days, it was easier to say done, even if it wasn't perfect. In the computer era, it is really easy to worry each essay to death. First Choice College had the most difficult essays, and he got it in on New Year's Eve. Two more submitted this weekend, including last night. (I had to miss the premier of Downton Abbey in order to be available for last minute proofreading, computer troubleshooting, and credit card submission). I am hoping he can get the next one done in the next day or two. All but one has a deadline of January 15th, so that is the end in sight. I couldn't care less about the final two on his list, but I think he does. The last one, which doesn't have a deadline until Feb 1 / March 1 (conflicting information) also has difficult essays. I also don't want this hanging out there this long. It is time to move on to summer job searches, etc.
Getting there, getting there . . .
He was the only family member who stayed healthy throughout the break, but he spent almost all day every day working on either homework or the applications. The homework load is just ridiculous. All four of his academic classes gave piles of work over the break. Final exams start Wednesday, and he needs to bring it on these to make up for the triage system he has applied out of necessity to homework submission. There is an article in the local paper today focusing on our district and one other in the area that switched this year back to traditional scheduling, and how that has resulted in a dramatic increase in homework as kids (and teachers) learn to juggle more classes in fewer minutes per day. Now as a college professor, I have limited sympathy for whining about homework loads. My students are woefully unprepared to manage college-level intensity. But as a parent on the ground, I do agree, this has been ridiculous this year. The BC Calculus class that my oldest took when he was a senior, was blocked, 90 minutes a day for the entire year. This child is taking the same class, not blocked, 45 minutes a day for the entire year. The teacher is still trying to cover the same amount of material in half the time.
Anyway, except for Christmas and the one day we went to see Book of Mormon, the Senior has worked constantly. The current count is 4 of 7 applications submitted. The Common App was supposed to make this easier, and perhaps it does, but each school that he is applying to requires one or two additional essays. I feel like that back in the pen and paper days, it was easier to say done, even if it wasn't perfect. In the computer era, it is really easy to worry each essay to death. First Choice College had the most difficult essays, and he got it in on New Year's Eve. Two more submitted this weekend, including last night. (I had to miss the premier of Downton Abbey in order to be available for last minute proofreading, computer troubleshooting, and credit card submission). I am hoping he can get the next one done in the next day or two. All but one has a deadline of January 15th, so that is the end in sight. I couldn't care less about the final two on his list, but I think he does. The last one, which doesn't have a deadline until Feb 1 / March 1 (conflicting information) also has difficult essays. I also don't want this hanging out there this long. It is time to move on to summer job searches, etc.
Getting there, getting there . . .
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