Thank you for the info re: Stanley Park! We don't necessarily like people. Well, lots of people! :lol: I tried to find places in Coal Harbour and Yaletown during our dates, with no luck. Frances, thanks for the English Bay Inn name!

I mentioned we are foodies and that is one of the reasons for our trip. Dh's cousin, a well-traveled and opinionated man :), has said that the best Asian food he has ever had was in Vancouver. I think he included Vietnamese, Thai, possibly Indian etc. Keep sharing. Indian food is my favorite!

I cannot thank you enough - Wheaton is officially off the list. I just don't think there is anything compelling enough to warrant a visit. I am excited to hear about your Lafayette and Muhlenberg visits! They're practically in my back yard!

No conflict of interest. :)

We weren't planning on driving anywhere. Is Coal Harbor or Yaletown better known for its food? We are total foodies. :)

So, I have been a homeschool evaluator in PA for the last few years. It is going wonderfully and many of my families would like consulting in various forms. Some have asked for help designing curricula. Some have asked for regular check-ins throughout the year, just to keep them motivated. Some only want a beginning of the year consultation. Some want guidance for high schoolers regarding transcripts and essays and SAT prep. I am at a loss as to how to proceed. More than anything, I just need to figure out the logistics on how to begin this kind of small business. How do I begin? What are my options in collecting basic info on these families and accepting payment? How much should I charge? What kinds of questions do I ask a parent before starting to help with designing curricula? Should I have them fill out forms first - if so, what should I ask? What other services should I offer? I have a meeting scheduled with a local (and very busy) college counselor (who happened to homeschool this year and was one of my clients). She would like to see how we can work together. What can I offer her? What can she offer me? So many questions. So many different avenues. If you have any advice, whether specific or general, please let me know. I have been static about this for several months.

Ooooh. Is that good or bad that PNE is going on while we are there.

Frances, thank you! If you'd like to share details, let me know! Dh just bought the plane tickets yesterday; we hadn't done any researching into the trip, so I feel like I'm scrambling.

Oh good! Keep us updated and let me know if you need help with the area surrounding the school. I am not sure where you are located, but I am happy to share what I know.

Thank you, thank you!

Dh and I just made last minute plans to go to Vancouver at the end of the month. We would like to use vrbo, air b and b etc. We always have luck with them. Are there certain neighborhoods/sections we should be staying? Restaurants? Things not to be missed? We are not really museum people. We love to walk through awesome neighborhoods, hike, visit parks and gardens and cook and eat. :)

Wow! McDaniel's Educator Scholarship is awesome. Who knew? I have been to Ursinus a handful of times over the years. I know quite a few kids who attend on athletic scholarships. Around here (it is only 30 mins from me), it is considered fairly rigorous and very athletic. Plenty of the local kids who attend on athletic scholarships transfer, because they just cannot handle juggling both sport and school. It is a nice campus in suburbia. Other than that, it is known for good merit and their sciences.

I didn't. Hmmmm. Never even thought about it!

That's just totally awesome. :lol:

Not sure if this was for me or Tiramasu - Lehigh is a bit too Greek and athletic for dd. Awesome school, though! Nice to hear that it recently became 100% need! My Susquehanna ds applied to similar schools. He and I got weird vibes from Lebanon Valley immediately. Can't explain it - old, conservative, twilight zoney. Lycoming (and I'll throw in McDaniel in MD) might be nice additions. Elizabethtown was awesome and a close second. Well, I wanted it to be. :) When I look at our district's Naviance, I notice that Muhlenberg tends NOT to prefer local kids. And they are stingier with merit. But your dd has great stats! I guess it just depends on what kind of f/a you think you might get. Denison gave oldest ds tons of merit. Merit is always better than f/a that might switch from year to year. You are smart to consider FAFSA only schools for the most part. And make sure you know which ones offer 100% need. Susquehanna used CSS Profile in the first year, but in the subsequent years, only FAFSA. Penguin, thank you! This thread and its contributors have been amazing! DD started the common app yesterday; her mind is more confused - yet more flexible - than ever. Instead of feeling like she is "stupid" for not having higher SAT scores or for not applying to top-tier schools, she is thinking how nice it might be to be at a school where she is wanted as a top student. I think this a good segue into a quote I often share here. It was said at my oldest son's first college visit ever - Swarthmore. The admissions director said, "If this (college search) process doesn't change you, then you are doing it wrong." It is my favorite part of going through this with all of my kids. The evolution from beginning to end - watching them decide what they are willing to compromise and what they are not willing to compromise - enchants me. Every single time.

Thanks all. With his sizable merit scholarship, two grants and our yearly contribution, he does not need to take anything more than the Stafford. I do NOT want my kids taking more than the Stafford. It was that yearly contribution that would have been nice to cut down. What the grant did was erase the need for an additional loan, which I could never co-sign for and THAT is much appreciated. :)

Yup. That's the one I usually bring up in conversation. Is it a good thing that I drive (and own) a 2006 Honda Odyssey? If I drove a new BMW, would they give more f/a because I need it to pay for the car payments or less because I can sell my car for tuition? These are the things I ponder. :lol:

This. I agree with everything about this.

I didn't receive an email and figured dd was in a different section than your kids. Nope. ALL sections are with the new teacher. I, too, am dismayed, as I signed up and paid that amount because of the teacher. I do not have money to gamble. Sigh.

Final Update; ONLY the Pell Grant. Other than that and a state grant, we got 0 in f/a from the school (other than the original merit scholarship). Sigh.

Best wishes in crafting that story within the letter, OP. I would weave it in subtly, as a way of demonstrating your son's character. The guidance counselor is the perfect opportunity to reveal what only a mother can. For me, balancing an air of professionalism with the right amount of "Mom" was important. I wanted admissions officers to see, without a doubt, that I was qualified to teach and design my son's education, but I also made no excuses for being Mom and highlighting what only a Mom can see. Seize that opportunity to give admissions a clearer picture of your real son. It can be quite the emotional experience for any of us when finishing up that letter. Hugs and so very sorry for your loss.

This. It was a full time job for a few weeks. I recall one of my favorite quotes from this board: Being guidance counselor is NOT for the faint of heart.

Update so far: Office emailed to say that I qualified for a PELL grant of $4, 270. Tomorrow, the entire f/a package will be emailed. I hope it includes something more than loans. I am very thankful for the grant, but still crossing fingers.

Oak Meadow has Environmental Science also - they use Pearson.

Oops. Glad you caught that!