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Congratulations to all who have completed their apps.Good luck to all RD and EDII applicants. May you all end up in the college that best fits you!

Happy New Year to all!

By Dadx (Dadx) on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 10:54 pm: Edit

Second to Marite

This is what happens as you age. New Year's Eve and on the board!!!!

Six to the Post Office today , and three more by email. Fingers crossed and now a 14 week wait.

Good luck to all applicants, including all of the deferred souls.

By Momof3boys (Momof3boys) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 12:16 am: Edit

Ditto! Best of luck to all, and a happy new year!

By Fiza (Fiza) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 12:21 am: Edit

Thanks

Happy New Year!!

By Momcat (Momcat) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 02:15 am: Edit

Being the wild party people that we are, we went to a movie earlier this evening. We saw "The Last Samurai" which was probably one of the top two movies that I saw this year. I highly recommend it.

Happy New Year to everyone, with wishes for a peaceful and healthy 2004.

By Lvdad (Lvdad) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 11:41 am: Edit

Happy New Year to all and best of luck to everyone. D has sent out all applications, so we was able to spend an exciting New Year's Eve afternoon working on the FAFSA forms. This is what my life has come to.

By Bobmcc (Bobmcc) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 12:02 pm: Edit

Went to see our son's old piano teacher give a benefit concert for a homeless org. in Chapel Hill. Found an open diner that wasn't doing a "new years thing" and trundled on home to find reviews/commentary of RoTK (Oscar, Oscar!!). We THOUGHT we were a family of Tolkien nerds..and then the internet taught us we are rank novices. We're not worthy.
Happy New Year.
Go Ian, Go Miranda Otto!
find good matches all!
bob
FAFSA- it keeps on going..we have to do it for our son's upcoming jn year..ugh.

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 09:45 pm: Edit

Belated wishes to all the forum parents (and kids) for a really wonderful upcoming year and may it be filled with good happenings come April but no matter what, that the kids are all happy campers this time next year (they will be of course). And congrats for all getting through this application season! Yes, the financial aid stuff looms but the main kid part is finis!

My dinner date with my husband last night was at the country inn where my daughter works and waited on us for a change!

I'm off for a seven hour roundtrip to Boston tomorrow to pick up my 15 year old flying back from Florida...house sure has been quiet but that will all change when she gets here.

Happy New Year everyone. Maybe our paths will cross in real time this year on some wonderful campus!
Susan

By Over30 (Over30) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 09:55 pm: Edit

Alas, we're not quite through. Two were sent flying through cyberspace this morning; hope they have a safe landing. He's got one due the 10th, and one more with 2 scholarship essays on the 15th. But he's almost there. Now, for the financial stuff!

Went to spend New Year's Day with friends, ate black-eyed peas and cornbread, and lost numerous hands of Old Maid to a 5 year old. Great way to start the year.

Happy new year to everyone.

By Jamimom (Jamimom) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 10:38 pm: Edit

Happy New Years to all. Actually added a post of my own--my first, in a belated champagne induced haze. I'm an aunt again. I'm so happy. All seems well her. Ate black eyed peas, hosted a progressive New Years Dinner for the neighborhood. Had all home for the holidays. Saw "Cheaper By the Dozen", thought it was mild- we moved in the middle of some kids' senior years-- we had 9 to raise. Have had family scenes that made the ones in the movie look like a mild birthday party. LOL but the truth. Again best wishes to all.

By Sac (Sac) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 01:00 am: Edit

Want to add my Happy New Year and good luck to all!

Realized as we toasted the new year that this will be the year our son, youngest of our two kids, heads off to college. This year we become empty nesters. As he headed off to a party, he suddenly kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for all my help with his college applications. Man, I'm gonna miss this kid...

By Thedad (Thedad) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 02:14 am: Edit

Happy New Year to all who pass this way, whether the Apps are done or not.

We passed into the New Year while watching "Master and Commander" (disappointed in this quarter, though the *atmosphere* was terrific, imo) in one of those fab stadium-seating theaters. Got home around 2am. Then this afternoon it was DVD time: did a double feature of "Casablanca" and "Play It Again, Sam", thus introducing D to both Humphrey Bogart and Woody Allen.

Had some friends drop by and then continued the DVD's in a more contemporary vein with "Freaky Friday" and half of "Pirates of the Carribean."

By Momcat (Momcat) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 02:54 am: Edit

My S just went to bed after clicking the "Submit Application" button for the LAST time! I'm not sure who's more relieved, him or me. I think it's a draw actually.

Now to send his ACT scores, then I'm off to bed as well.

I guess the next hangout is the Financial Aid board. ;)

By Digmedia (Digmedia) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 12:18 pm: Edit

Momcat - still lol at your last line!!!

Everyone else: HNY to all.

I know this time of year people are looking forward, but we also all think back a lot. Especially those of us with kids that are about to leave the nest have these ambiguous forward- and backward-looking feelings.

I think we're into this so much because this is (in a very narrow way) *our* final exam. We've spent the last 18 years sort of preparing our kids for this.

Some of us have been through it before (seemed easier with my first), and I still have one more year to go. But wish me luck, as I wish all of you and your kids and family good luck as well.

And one more thing: if my son goes to a school that any of your kids get into this year (or next), I'm going to make a point of emailing you and seeing if I can get my kid to introduce himself to your kids. They sound like great people to know.


-digi

By Hautbois (Hautbois) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 12:50 pm: Edit

I wasn't struggling over apps this past year, nor will I do so for a few. But I spent a bit of yesterday assisting my favorite student with her apps ... she had to put together a list of repertoire she's played, and then I looked over a few of her essays. I'm feeling rather involved in her apps and I can't wait to see where she'll go!

Meanwhile, FAFSA looms. I was thinking about how much less I earned this year, due to a symphony collapse and all, and then I realized it won't do us ANY good because our elder son won't be in college next year. AARGH! We'll only have one, so of course they'll say we are able to pay everything easily. Ah well. Our D received a large scholarship (4 years) from her college, and so far we haven't had to take out a single loan. Thank God for all the extra work I had received these past few years. (Thank Baz, too, since that was the Big Gig of my life!)

So HAPPY FAFSA ... um ... oops ... NEW YEAR, to all!

By Digmedia (Digmedia) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 04:56 pm: Edit

TheDad -

Funny - we also watched Freaky Friday and Pirates.

My wife also gave me My Cousin Vinny for Christmas, a favorite of mine, probably because we have a North-South "mixed marriage."

- digi

By Thedad (Thedad) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 05:59 pm: Edit

Digi, the writer part of me appreciates "Freaky Friday" a lot...imo, it's put together like a Swiss watch and only one scene is flat wrong, where the "Mom" erases Stacey's test answers in the little work room. (Yeah...I analyze movies while I watch them...annoying, isn't it?)

Whereas the would-be actor in me could watch Johnny Depp in the pirate movie for hours.

I observed to D that in my younger and beardless days I bore a strong resemblance to Humphrey Bogart...I think D and TheMom have stopped laughing now. These days, of course, it's a cross between Depp and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn).

By Digmedia (Digmedia) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 06:09 pm: Edit

YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT about the erasure scene. I *don't* analyze movies, but that scene bothered me also.

Speaking of pirate actors, I think that Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) did a great job of playing Captain Hook in the new Peter Pan.

One of my favorite and most visited internet sites (besides CC): rottentomatoes.com

BTW, I just recently saw your photo online. Humphry Bogart? Maybe I'll use photoshop to erase the facial hair and then see...

- digi

By Patient (Patient) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 06:16 pm: Edit

Thedad...totally LOL.

I'm glad that a professional writer thinks Freaky Friday is good. I thought it was hilarious (also very emotionally true), and it is one of those movies that I can watch over and over and over. If I were to name the others that fall into that category, people would just roll their eyes and walk away from the Tasteless One (oh, okay, since you insist, Casablanca, Tootsie, In and Out, La Cage aux Folles (the original French version), and (now really descending into the depths) Jungle 2 Jungle.

Maybe we can start a major off-topic to rival the latkes...sorry, it is pouring where we are and I am confined inside, chained to my computer....

By Iflyjets (Iflyjets) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 06:37 pm: Edit

HAPPY NEW YEAR from sunny Florida (yawn, another boring sunny, 79 degree day outside). All apps done, but D also has the two scholarship packages (with MORE essays) due by 1/15 (maybe even the same schools, Over30.) But, with all the apps out Wednesday, we all are feeling particularly spry right now. Only drawback for D is she is busily catching up with her online, independent study of AP Calculus today while friends are at the beach.

Thedad: D gave her dad Casablanca for Christmas. It's a classic. WRT Pirates of the Carib., OK, I admit, it's not the "actor" sides of my D or I that like to watch Johnny Depp (even middle-aged women can dream, hehe).

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 07:41 pm: Edit

Wait, so where is this picture of theDad????
Oh, and should we start a thread, married 20something years, own a car with a lot of miles on it, and husbands with beards now??? Ok, I fit that profile.

Iflyjets...your daughter is taking an online AP Calc class independently? Mine is doing the same...AP CalculusBC. She took AP Calculus as a junior cause she had accelerated in math through school so had finished all the courses offered by end of junior year but wanted to continue in math so now is taking second year Calculus online. Hers is through Johns Hopkins CTY. Is your Ds as well?

Susan

By Iflyjets (Iflyjets) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 08:08 pm: Edit

No. The VERY small, VERY new private HS she goes to here in Florida could not offer her Calculus this year. She realized she needed it to stay competitive in the admissions process (at least that's what every admin rep told her)and it was the natural progression in math for her, so she's taking it through the online education system here in Florida, called Florida Virtual schools. We looked at taking it through Stanford online, but this (Florida Virtual) online program was free to our school, so also free to us. She's doing OK with it, she just misses the enrichment of a classroom and the information she gains through that type of interaction. One more reason she would prefer a private college with smaller instructor:student ratios.

Glad you are back from Boston safely. Sent you an email earlier.

By Momcat (Momcat) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 08:11 pm: Edit

I'll swim in the even shallower end of the pool. Johnny Depp *and* Orlando (youngenoughIcouldhavegivenbirthtohim) Bloom both kept me smiling during Pirates. But that's just between you and I.

By Over30 (Over30) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 08:33 pm: Edit

Susan - this is getting kind of "freaky friday" in real life. Married 28 years, old car, and husband's had a beard since the day he left the army 23 years ago. (There was one brief interlude when he shaved it off and our then 2 year old cried at the stranger trying to pick him up. He stopped shaving again that day.) Shall we let the dads (bearded and unbearded) join the new thread?


Can anyone talk to me about Rice? Several kids here (as well as S) are interested in finding out more, especially science/math/computer classes. Thanks!

By Patient (Patient) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 08:37 pm: Edit

Hmm Soozievt and Iflyjets...maybe we could start a thread on kids doing online AP courses in addition to their already punishing academic and EC loads.

My son is doing AP Physics C online through Stanford's EPGY because his school, after enticing the kids through 3 years of promising that the academic cream of the crop would make it into AP Physics their senior year, canceled the class this year because "only" 14 qualified. I don't fault them really, given California's budget horrors, but I did get angry because they were completely unsupportive of many offers by parents (not even of students in the class) to teach the class, to assist with a group online course at school, etc. But, that's all in the past....

Several others at his school are also doing the AP Physics. In my son's case, he is taking 8 classes at school (one that meets before school and in the evenings), plus doing a sport at a very high level, and being an editor on the school paper (thus one week a month of working at school until 8 p.m.) I don't know how they do it. But to him the physics and math seem to come naturally and so it is not that difficult, but just hard to find 25 hours in the day.....

Any thoughts, suggestions, feedback on your daughters' experiences?

By Sac (Sac) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 08:38 pm: Edit

Add me to the having a husband with beard column (as well as owning a Subaru, being long-married, and having a latkes recipe). And, we watched Pirates of the Caribbean for the second time over Christmas.

Jeez, if we all applied to college now, how would we make ourselves stand out from the pile?

We, too watched Pirates for the second time over Christmas. However, I've never heard of Freaky Friday. Must run out and rent...

By Patient (Patient) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 08:41 pm: Edit

Sac---you probably didn't hear of it because you don't have a teenage daughter (anymore). I'll tell you, watching it with my twin-13-going-on-17s was quite the cathartic experience....

By Patient (Patient) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 08:42 pm: Edit

Oh, and you can add me to the long-married, husband-doctor with the old modest car column. No beard though.

By Massdad (Massdad) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 09:02 pm: Edit

So back to the origin of the thread:

Happy New Year! Just watched Litte Dieter Needs to Fly. A great Werner Herzog docu that brings back a few too memories of another era.

Now to get started on taxes to do the FAFSA to do the...

By Thedad (Thedad) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 09:23 pm: Edit

Susan, Digi cheated...he knows my True Name and from there tracking down my photo is relatively easy given today's !@#$%^&*! technology...it's buried on at least two websites.

Speaking of which, those participating in this Parents' Forum should really track down Vernor Vinge's TRUE NAMES. A short novel, written about on-line communities...more than 20 years ago. I know it was reissued a while back, Amazon should have it, I would think.

Sac, the "teen" in Freaky Friday is the same girl who played the twins in the re-make of THE PARENT TRAP...and she's pretty good at playing the mom trapped in the daughter's body. But Jamie Lee Curtis is astonishingly good at playing the teen trapped in the mom's body. Ordinarily, I wouldn't be caught dead watching most of the teen-oriented movies--the TV ads for AMERICAN WEDDING made me almost toss my cookies--but this one's a keeper.

MassDad, the FAFSA worksheets are sitting on the dining table even as I type and TheMom is trying to figure out where she put her December paycheck stub with all the year-to-date info. All this is forcing me to do something I should have done years ago...setting up Intuit to track expenses by tax category. This really should make taxes much easier to do in the future. One of D's schools wants the FASFA by 1/15. Joy, oh joy.

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 09:53 pm: Edit

Over30, my hubby shaved it off once too....for the wedding. He arrived in my hometown for the event and I barely recognized him but that was 26 1/2 years ago and it has not come off since. I wonder if all of our kids should add this common profile the parents on this forum all have...the married real long time, old car, hubby (possibly doctor) with beard, latkes?, to their applications. Then again, it would not be unique and let us not forget they want unique!

Iflyjets and Patient....as far as the online course......Iflyjets, my daughter actually enjoys independent studies and has done several of them over the years (though this is the only online one she has done but my other daughter did one online once too). Of course she enjoys classroom interaction and it is not like independent studies are the main thing she does but she happens to do well learning at her own pace with very little assistance. Both my kids needed more math challenge in seventh grade. They came out of an elementary school where a lot was individualized and kids worked at their own level of appropriate work and then entered a middle school where the classes were undifferentiated. There was, however, an accelerated math class in seventh that then led to Algebra in 8th for the top kids. While my oldest started in that she was bored to death doing material she had mastered in elementary school (where they allowed her to do advanced work). So, we broke new ground and she was able to do Algebra I as an independent study during her math block. She was given all the Algebra assignments and tests and worked on her own and then took the high school final exam for credit. She then did this same type of thing in 8th grade for Geometry. Then in 9th, she took the honors Algebra 2/Trig class. Frankly, while she did great, she did not like the pace of the class and having to sit through homework corrections when she had the problems all right and the pace and all was just a bore. So, in tenth grade, she requested to do PreCalculus Honors as an indep. study under the math dept. head. She sat in his office each day for math and worked on the assignments on her own at her own pace, took all the exams, etc. She happens to excel at math. In 11th, she took Calculus AP which was with all the top seniors in math. So, she finished the math we have so that is why she chose to take the Johns Hopkins Calc AP BC course. She wanted to continue in math cause she is good at it and felt she should not skip math for a year (even if done the high school sequence) cause the field she is going into in college also involves math. An ideal thing (well, besides our school offering this!) would be to take the course at a college but being that we live in a rural area where most colleges are 45-60 min. away from us and my daughter's afternoons, nights and weekends are chockful of ECs, this is just not passible. So the JHU CTY course fits the bill. Unfortunately for us, we have to PAY the bill and I really think it would be nice if the school did since they have no math for my daughter but I never went in about this one cause it would have likely been a losing battle. Anyway, so this really is not the first indep. study for her. She also did indep. study with a teacher in French 2, which went so great that she skipped French 3, thus finishing French 5 as a junior. This year she is in indep. study French 6 with her best friend who also skipped like she did and they work with the teacher two on one, which is great. They did not want to give up French this year. She also did a yearlong indep. study last year that she created to learn architectural skills and set that up with an industrial arts teacher. So, she really enjoys the indep. mode of learning, though truly enjoys the group experience as well so has some of each I suppose. Independent studies have been a way to challenge herself and /or go beyond the curriculum here. As far as the online type of course, I guess she finds it is not that hard so has not even done contact with the tutor/mentor from what she tells me.

To Patient....asking how she handles it all.....the online course itself is not really the kicker. Actually she arranged her schedule this year so as to schedule a math time each day during the school day. She set up the program for the JHU math course on the assistant principals computer and he lets her sit in his office and do her math each day so actually this course is kinda easy cause she really does not have homework each night for it like she has SOOOO much of for everything else. Instead of sitting through a class of explanations of the math concepts or correcting the previous night's homework, she can just move along at her own pace. She tends to understand it readily I suppose. The issue on time, however, I CAN RELATE TO totally! Like your child, mine has a very rigorous courseload with lots of homework. She also is in ECs that are every afternoon and evening and weekend day. She even works some weekend nights as well. I do not know how she does it, nope. My other kid has a similar lifestyle. I guess there is no time to get in much trouble, lol. And they sure do learn time management. She used to work a lot in the car on her laptop to and from her activities which in a rural state can be quite long rides but now she drives herself to all her stuff so lost the homework time in the car. She simply has to stay up quite late which I hate. Believe me, she wishes she had a bedtime like she used to have! She never cuts corners and there are some very late nights which bother me as her days are not only long but involve strenuous physical activity. I guess it is good to be young. Then of course add in the college apps/essays and college visits and out of town trips cause of dying grandparent and it has been quite the fall. She never complains and that is cause she truly loves what she does or would not do it.

She is about to add another thing she wants to do and that is twice a week drive over to the elementary school she went to during the school day (has some flexibility due to the two indep. studies and moving things around) and assist teach in her old gr. 5/6 class, in both math and French. I think she will have a great time. But like you say, there are not enough hours in the day. Both my kids are like this and I don't know but they got involved in certain activities when very little and never wanted to give them up and the committments as you get older as you know, are greater. It makes for a full life, that I know. Anyway her indep. studies are worked into the school day. My other daughter once did a college level essay writing course through JHU CTY distance learning in 8th grade and I was impressed with it but yeah, it was extra work, but what she needed. We try to get what they need academically at school but these other things have had to augment that. That year in 8th gr., she did that college writing course but also took two 12th grade English courses in the high school which is attached to the middle school. I am sorry to hear that your school did not offer the AP Physics and even after parents trying to help out to make it happen. Our small school is offering it. My D might have said that maybe just 12 kids are in it or so. It is a very tough class at our school. Last year, from what I heard, the very top seniors who were used to getting As and such in school, were getting Cs and Ds and really hurt their record. I guess my D has been lucky to get As in it but it is her forte and she also has more advanced math skills than is typical for her grade so that likely helps, not sure. Does your son like the online course? I am glad you found a way for him to take it. Sounds like he is one busy guy. What is his winter sport? My Ds winter one is alpine ski racing.

Susan

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 09:57 pm: Edit

PS, I actually really liked Freaky Friday too. We saw it as a family in Cape Cod this past summer but my kids recently rented it again on a snow day from school. It is well done and funny. And yes, Jamie Lee Curtis really got that part down.
Susan
(who rarely goes to the movies but in the past week actually saw THREE.....Peter Pan, Somethings Gotta Give, and Cold Mountain)

By Emeraldkity4 (Emeraldkity4) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:08 pm: Edit

I haven't seen Freaky Friday Jamie lee Curtis version but I liked the one with Jamie Foster. I love Jamie lee Curtis though, Fish called Wanda is one of my favorite movies.

I have seen in the last couple weeks Cold Mountain with one daughter and ROTK with the other. (My husband can't sit still that long so he doesn't usually go)

I want to go see something else, but since I rarely go, I am pretty picky.
I want to go see House of Sand and Fog, I liked the book and I love Ben Kingsley, but it sounds like they sapped it up a bit.

By Iflyjets (Iflyjets) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:09 pm: Edit

Momcat: Orlando (yumyum) Bloom; an elf or a pirate? I know, both. OK, back to more academic topics.

Patient, I just asked my D for feedback on her online course. Overall, while she likes the concepts in calculus, she is very frustrated by having to effectively teach herself. The online instructor is very nice, but is not always available (she usually has to email him for an online "appointment" which can require 2 days ahead). So, she'll be doing a problem, trying to relate the concept (which she readily gets) to a specific applicant/problem (which she does NOT readily get), and then she will have to halt until she can get clarification later. And, while the instructor responds as quickly as he can (and, again, he is such a very nice person; daughter says he is terrific and patient), in terms of learning, this delay interrupts the smooth transition from concept to application of the concept in solving problems. Hope that made sense, but that's how she described it to me. She definitely has an OK aptitude for math (800 on SAT I), so it's not aptitude that causes her frustration; it's just not her way of learning. Needless to say, there have been a few elevated volume discussions in our house about how "unfair" having to take calculus online is. She wanted to take it with Stanford EPGY, but our school (the same one who over the past couple of years promised challenging AP courses would be available...blah, blah, blah...sounding familiar?) didn't want to cough up the bucks, as I mentioned earlier. Don't know that it (Stanford EPGY) would have worked any better. Just for feedback to the school for any future students, how has the Stanford course worked out? Has anyone tried AP coursework through APEX?

Thedad: We want the picture (hehe)! I like Bogey.

Along with many of you, I, too, am starting the CSS and FAFSA process, not because we have a snowball's chance of getting any financial aid, but because some of the schools to which D has applied for merit aid scholarships require us to file these forms/profiles as part of the scholarship process. As I mentioned on another thread, I suspect they are trying to use federal money or "outside" money first, then turn to their internal resources to offer merit aid. And it really is a reasonable thing for a school to do; just lots of paperwork for me. So, please be patient with me as I post absolutely dumb questions over the next few weeks asking those of you with experience "how to."

By Iflyjets (Iflyjets) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:25 pm: Edit

Susan, Patient, my daughter plays varsity volleyball in the fall and varsity ennis in the spring. With our weather, it really is the "winter sport," starting in about 2 weeks. In 7th grade, it was clear my daughter was ready for more challenging courses, so the school advanced her to 8th. That's why she's recently turned 16 and is just now driving. It really limited the options for independent research opportunities when I had to be available to drive her everywhere. She has recently been invited to work on a research team at our local university that will allow her to be the fourth author on a major research project/journal submission, but none of this was in time for her college apps. If work begins in earnest in the next couple of weeks, we'll ask the professor/grad team to write a note to accompany her mid-year grade report (does that sound like the best way to mention it?). Otherwise, she spends her time between her sports (2-3 hours each day), acting in our school's theater productions, and soloist in the muscial productions. When we add up the hours, it's no wonder that she has developed serious insomnia---I think it's the stress of this whole process. I was hoping that she would get a breather once the applications were in (11 schools in total), but now it's the tension of "will I get accepted?"

Ah. motherhood, God's little sense of humor.

By Emeraldkity4 (Emeraldkity4) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:47 pm: Edit

My 13 yr old daughter would absolutely d.i.e if I thought outloud that Orlando Bloom was goodlooking.
However, it is apparently acceptable to lust after Johhny Depp and to play "The unmaking of Don Quioxte" over and over especially the interviews( JK)
Afterall he isn't even that much younger than me, although since he seems to like those Kate Moss types, we probably wouldn't last long.......

I am looking forward to TROY however, which is wrapping up I think, with Bloom as Paris. ( and Brad Pitt as Achilles with Diane Kruger as Helen)
My older daughter doesn't see how they can write a story based on the Illiad without Gods, but a big group from her school including humanities professors are planning on going anyway.

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:49 pm: Edit

Iflyjets, I owe you a letter, but am too fried at the moment and too many things going on here at the moment, including setting up new computer and this one ain't it.

Just want to say that our D's have alot in common.....excel at math, varsity tennis, theater/music (and lack of sleep).

I think your idea of the research update included with the mid year report is appropriate and a good idea. She sounds like a promising candidate.

And the being young in the grade is another commonality. Skipping another year has come up along the line for both my kids. Did not take that option as they are already the youngest for their grade and one even is a year ahead already. Instead, we have just had to have accomodations made in school the best we can. However, now my younger one who we chose not to skip a few years back (as I said already had early entrance into school and is youngest), now wants to graduate a year early anyway and will have to cross that bridge, but am trying to just deal with one looking at colleges at a time and do not like the idea of the younger one graduating at sixteen but I can talk to you more about it (Marite, another poster, and I think Perry also have this in their family too).

Susan

By Sac (Sac) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 11:09 pm: Edit

Soozievt,

My husband, too, shaved off his beard once -- for the wedding. However, I have never seen his upper lip, except in a photo of him at 15.

We also investigated online math courses. Stanford EPGY has more interaction, but is incredibly expensive. University of Texas courses are much cheaper, but seem to involve self-learning. We were just about to sign up for it, when I discovered that one local community college offered an evening class in linear algebra. That gave a structure, though my son didn't get there every time. And it was free.

By Iflyjets (Iflyjets) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 11:15 pm: Edit

She was the youngest in her grade, too, before they advanced her. There was talk about her graduating last year, but that was absurd (this was more because, as a new school, it had a very limited curriculum). She is struggling now (in terms of what schools see on her application) to stay competitive for the schools she wants; she would have been toast if she had graduated at 15 last year (enough graduating at 16) with fewer APs, etc...And then there is the REAL reason to not leave HS so young---MATURITY. We have suggested she take a year off and work as part of this research team on a more fulltime basis, but she really is excited about the idea of heading off to college. THIS is why you see me writing so much about finding a good match, etc... I know it will all work out, that she'll arrive at the "right" school for her. It's just the process that slays me.

By Marite (Marite) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 11:15 pm: Edit

SACL

On Hoagiesgifted, I read about coastal EPGY or something like that. It/s a group based in the Bay Area that tries to provide tutors for EPGY more cheaply. It may not interest your S anymore, but others might want to look into it.

By Iflyjets (Iflyjets) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 11:17 pm: Edit

Marite, do you know of any groups that might exist in the Florida area? Anyone?

By Marite (Marite) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 07:15 am: Edit

Iflyjets:

Sorry, I don't know of groups in Florida. In Florida, however, there is a program called IMACS, which has an electronic version called eIMACS. Its' based in Plantation, FL. If you go to Hoagiesgifted.org and search math programs, you will find links to various programs.

I have not tried any of those, so cannot vouch for them. I do not know either whether Coastal EPGY is limited to the Bay Area or can be accessed via the internet and email by others further away.

By Marite (Marite) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 09:53 am: Edit

Compared to the kids who are or will be graduating early, my S will be positively ancient by the time he graduates from h.s. after 11th grade. He'll have just turned 17, never having been grade-skipped and not having entered school early. Even so, his GC expressed some concern that in college, he'd be with competing against 18 and 19 year olds. I personally think he will be just fine (I began college at 17 myself). Colleges do express concern about the maturity of students younger than 17, so if your kids intend to enter at 16 or even younger, evidence of maturity and ability to handle the workload will be important.

By Patient (Patient) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 05:08 pm: Edit

Iflyjets...My son has just begun the EPGY course so I don't have a lot of feedback on it for you, except that he has specifically asked if he can also do the next physics unit when he finishes this one. He is just extremely interested in the concepts. From an organizational standpoint, I am impressed so far.

I have a friend whose son, now in 8th grade, has done EPGY through BC Calculus already. I will ask her for her feedback and provide it to you when I hear back from her.

By Marite (Marite) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 06:30 pm: Edit

Iflyjets and Patient:

Thouhg my S did BC-Calculus on his own, I sent him to CTY for Fast-Paced High School Physics during the summer and arranged for him to take AP-Physics at our high school(he was then in 8th grade) because I did not want him to miss out on labs. It would be worth your while finding out how EPGY handles the labs.

By Patient (Patient) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 11:42 pm: Edit

Yes, that is why the parents of the kids organized and tried to get the school to let them all have one period together so that there could be labs to supplement the online material. It's kind of a situation of, something is better than nothing, which was the only alternative. (other than community college courses, but none of the kids had the time to take them, they were all busy with after-school activities that conflicted with the class times)

By Iflyjets (Iflyjets) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 02:07 am: Edit

Thanks to all for their input concerning AP online. I'm hoping to collect some ideas and resources together for my Ds school, since it is still young, developing its curriculum, and inexperienced with these things (my D is the "guinea pig" --ugh!) and give them a list of suggested guidelines/resources/ideas. What I really would like to do is help lessen the problems (and accompanying frustration) for students who will need to use these resources in the future. Guess it's the only constructive way I can think to vent my Ds frustration---keep it from happening to the next student! Again, any more feedback, ideas, or resources about AP online or other structured independent study formats please let me know. My email address is posted in my profile. Appreciate this and thanks to all.

By Patient (Patient) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 11:48 am: Edit

I spoke to the friend who I thought had done EPGY math, but what happened was that her son did that only through fifth grade, then in middle school was in a 6-12 school which let him do the entire high school math curriculum while he was in middle school.

Now she is trying to figure out what will work best for him in high school. She is leaning toward the public high schools, going straight into the AP sciences there since he has already finished BC Calculus, and arranging for him to take college math at the nearby university, with which the local high school has a good math department relationship. The high school also offers other courses that he will be able to take right away, like AP stats and AP computer science, plus an active robotics group. Still it takes a lot of research and a fair amount of flexibility on both the school's and the student's part to make this kind of acceleration work (obviously).

She found EPGY math to be "dry and buggy" (her words). However, I do know that one of my son's classmates successfully used it through middle school, and finished BC Calculus his junior year, and is now taking college math at the same university mentioned above, with several other seniors. It has seemed to work fairly well. Our school district also offers an intensive summer program that is basically math independent study under the supervision of a teacher, that allows students to bridge into a higher lane of math, thus permitting them to complete BC calculus in their junior year and go on to the aforementioned next level.

So perhaps one of the avenues for your daughter's school would be to start cultivating a relationship with any nearby community college or university--if there is one?

By Marite (Marite) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 12:11 pm: Edit

Patient and Iflyjets:

The experience of Patient's friend mirrors our own. My S took BC-Calculus in 8th grade, so skipped all of high school math. We consider sending him to private school but realized that most private schools would not be able to offer him the advanced math courses he would need. The exception, BU Academy, could do so through its relationship with BU. Our public high school was willing to let students take courses through the Extension School at Harvard. That worked fine for the first year, but there are no higher level of math offered that interest my S. So we had to figure out how he could audit daytime classes for high school credit. This led to major shuffling of his schedule. The fact that classes rotate at the high school but not at Harvard, that classes do not start or stop at the same time created major headaches, even though the high school is a 3 minutes' walk away. It's worked out so far, but next year will produce another round of negotiations and headaches. Both Harvard and the high school are happy to try to accommodate advanced students. It's the practicalities of adjusting two sets of schedules that cause the difficulties. All things considered, however, my S prefers being in class to doing distance learning. I,too have read that EPGY can be buggy.

By Iflyjets (Iflyjets) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 03:07 pm: Edit

Marite and Patient, thanks for the feedback.

Marite, my D is in agreemetn with you S: would much rather be in a class room and get istant response to questions as well as real-time visual instruction.

We have both a very cooperative CC right near the school as well as a univesity 30 minutes away. The problem is getting their courses to mesh in with the HS classes. There are a limited number of of evening classes, but these usually interfer with any of the ECs at school as well as vatsity sports. One of my daughter's class mates took 2 courses at the local university, but then, effectively, didn't have any time for AM classess/activities at school. I'm hoping to leave behind a list of online resources and independent study-type programs that the students can use at their time convenience to fill in the courses they need. I only discovered EPGY this last fall while looking for options. Not familiar with how it worked, I was concerned with interface and student/instructor contact opportunities, particularly considering we are east coast time. I'm guessing by "buggy" you mean there are lots of irritating little problems in interfacing with online course material or getting the explanations/teaching of the material that the students would like to have. I saw one other company, a commercial versus university resource, that I know nothing about. Anyway, thanks for all the inputs. I'll summarize what you all have told me and pass it along. Thanks.

By Marite (Marite) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 03:36 pm: Edit

I flyjets:

There is a possible alternative, if the CC is cooperative: organize an in-school EPGY but use CC faculty for tutoring. EPGY has different packages and prices for students and schools. For the latter, I believe it expects schools to provide the human interaction.
The bugginess I read about is several years old. It is very possible that EPGY has updated its software and gotten rid of the bugs.
Other possibilities for high school math: APEX, ALEKS, and the Gelfand Algebra program available through Rutgers and U Toronto. Israel Gelfand was involved in setting up the Russian math circles that provided math instruction to remote russian communities. The Russian math circles in turn have inspired American math circles. Gelfand is emeritus at Rutgers.

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 04:09 pm: Edit

I am not sure if JHU CTY Math Tutorials are exactly like EPGY or not. But that is what my daughter is doing for AP Calc BC and my other daughter did one for a college level writing course and we think they have worked well. You may want to also look into those.
Susan

Also, I might add, my D has done math indep. studies right at school where she has gotten a faculty member or department head to supervise her study. You may want to see if a faculty person is willing to do such a thing where you are. She could have done that this year for Calc. BC like she did for several other math courses. She decided against that cause this course was not one the teachers had taught before nor had materials like exams for, as in the other courses she did independently. She felt it was better this time to take the course through Johns Hopkins and not with the math dept. head this time around. Just suggesting that such a thing can be done with teachers on staff.

By Patient (Patient) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 04:43 pm: Edit

I don't know first-hand, but this same friend said the Johns Hopkins sequence just uses EPGY.

The idea of using CC profs to augment the EPGY stuff is a great one. That is kind of what we as parents were trying to get the school to buy in to when we tried to hobble together the AP Physics at school. Since EPGY is near us, they were really accommodating and were even all ready to send us an instructor to do onsite instruction and labs. In this case, for whatever reason, the school seemed to think it not possible. It wouldn't be fair for me to speculate as to why: either real scheduling problems, or territorial issues with non-staff coming onto the campus, or other issues. It just unfortunately died through attrition.

If you have a supportive school, I would bet that you could wade through all of the logistical issues and come up with a good solution.

By Hautbois (Hautbois) on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 10:14 pm: Edit

Just back from Napa, celebrating our 28th anniversary. Husband has had a beard since about 1 year after we married. Haven't seen him without since then.

I've informed my dear sweet man that when (not if!) Johnny Depp shows up at the door I'm sorry, but I'm outa here. Somehow he wasn't threatened. Go figure.

Back to the serious posts ...

By Sluggbugg (Sluggbugg) on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 11:09 pm: Edit

Happy New Year on this thread, too! ::confetti:: Resolution time. I've decided to take a break from message boards for a while. I got started on CC when my dd was applying to colleges in 2002-03. What a great support group of parents, and good luck to everyone. My son will be a junior next year, and because of what we've learned here, we are more prepared to deal with the process a second time.

Last year, sharing experiences with other parents helped me navigate an unpredictable outcome. The senior/college app year consumed us, partly because she was our first to graduate, and partly because Zeus, the Big Eyeball of Middle Earth, or something seemed to have it out for us. For those of you going through it this year, it will get better. Your blood pressure will return to normal, and divorce won't seem like such an appealing way to go. My dh & I have decompressed sufficiently enough to talk about something other than college(s).

I left my email in my profile, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about UCSC, where my dd now attends. Good luck to Rowan, the best student writer in CC. And, slugghuggs to Sandy, who got into Rice with that good Memoni essay.