It's all done by 2 year olds :)

:iagree: Sometimes things get lost in translation between the college and the common app.:001_huh:

I used to think this way. Then my dd's dreams made me realize she could go places I had never considered. She has done so well in her studies, in her test scores, in every way. Now I see putting together the course descriptions is my part of helping her dreams come true. Just wish I had considered this earlier. :glare: I had a skeleton of a book list but have just recently added the descriptions, etc. I'm still not happy with it but I will come to terms with it within the next month or so.

Visit the tkts booth - here's a list of what they had last week.

Buy a very nice card and put a penny in it.:glare:

Has you dd done a Worldview camp? My dd leaves Sunday for her 4th year :)

Thanks for the update, Sharon! Wow what a lot of changes in your life all at once. Please do check in when you can - I know you won't be checking for advice but we'd still love to "see" you around here. :)

Try this thread. Just so you know, McKinney is pretty far north of downtown Dallas.

I don't think we have a limit. I currently have 71 books. Our library also has 99 renewals at 3 weeks each, unless the book has a hold on it. We've had some books for over a year. :)

I'm a lefty as well. I've definitely learned to live in a right handed world, from opening car doors to sharpening pencils ;) My only suggestion is to make sure she "tilts" her paper correctly when she writes, with the top left hand corner at the top of her desk. My mom always made sure my teachers knew I was left handed so they would understand about my paper (she would have been a good homechooler or at least a helicopter mom;))

I think this is a sample of the form you'll have to complete on the airplane before arrival. You'll have to answer whether you're bringing: a. fruits, plants, food, or insects? b. meats, animals, or animal/wildlife products? c. disease agents, cell cultures, or snails? d. soil or have you visited a farm/ranch/pasture outside the United States? also whether you have touched or handled livestock. I think you'll be fine :) We lived in Australia for a bit and they were WAY stricter - I brought an apple all the way from TX in my backpack and it got confiscated. I totally understand though as Australia is an island :) Are you bringing wooden marsupials? :)

Thanks for posting this - dd and I plan to watch it this evening. :)

She's doing a book tour - and she'll be in my town in December :)

Currently on my couch are Fiske's guide and the Parents Guide to Colleges.

We lived in Australia 10 years ago, so my memory may not be right - but there's a book called Sunburnt Country or In a Sunburnt Country - something like that. Are you living in Australia or elsewhere? If elsewhere, you may find it a challenge to get your hands on a copy of the book. There's a yahoo group for Aussies and Kiwis, if you go to Yahoo groups and search for Charlotte Mason Australia I'm sure you'll find it.

For the PSAT' date=' it depends on your state. You can find the state codes for homeschoolers by clicking on the link here. How nice they've added a link to find schools administering the PSAT in your area! :)

:lol: Actually this is VERY helpful, thanks Gwen!

I would rather see a display than you press a card/flyer in my hand. That would have a small chance of making it home with me :) I looked at your website - you have some very cute items! But as you said, if I were on my way to the fair, that would be the wrong time to try to get my attention on something else. Is there some way you could set up a display closer to the sidewalk or street? Otherwise maybe tie some balloons to the display to get people's attention.

I'm glad you got some answers and from a live and helpful person!! :) Just a clarification on the tape issue - we actually googled "non-glare tape" and the first hit was a discussion on College Confidential - people there said to use Scotch Magic tape - I think non-glossy or non-shiny is a better description than "non-glare" :glare: We're thinking they'll either scan or photocopy the forms, and "shiny" tape (or staples for that matter) would hinder the final product.

I don't know any of those colleges (sorry!) but you're wise to start with what's local - being able to sleep in your own bed makes it a "free" college visit - it only costs you some gas and your time :) We've learned something from every college visit, even the ones my dd was adamant she didn't want to attend (still doesn't, it just helped her identify in her own mind what's important to her). She takes a notebook and writes down her observations in the car afterwards.

This is probably what keeps my dd from being more motivated to get a job. She's just not motivated material-wise - but then I know we provide more for her than our parents did in terms of extracurriculars - but my sibs and I weren't as interested in outside activities either. She did try to get a job this summer, the manager of a frame shop still says he will hire her "when he gets his summer budget approved":lol: Our family joke is that he meant summer 2010. When we lived in Houston I remember being aghast that the high school started at 7:30 after middle school started at 9:00 (what an adjustment). I get they have to stagger the bus schedule, but another explanation I heard for the early start time was so the high schoolers could go to their after school jobs. I know my high school academic schedule wasn't nearly as rigorous as my dd's is. I'm not sure where she would fit in a p/t job but dh wants her to work before going to college so she'll probably push harder to get something next summer. Just musing along with you.

His hotel might be able to provide him with a small size as well :) My dh just uses soap if he's only gone for a few days.

It appears homeschoolers received the packet before bricks and mortar schools, so your umbrella school may not have received the details yet. This list is a bit more "official" than the one Kathy posted from College Confidential, and shows the last two years' cutoffs. For California, the cutoff for 2008 seniors was 218 and for 2009 seniors, it was 217... so I would say your son is in very good standing to be a semi-finalist. I've never heard of a 3 point increase in one year for any state. :001_smile::001_smile:

:iagree: College Confidential can be a bit over the top, particularly the students who have an "Ivy or bust" attitude. I've enjoyed "chatting" with the parents on the "2010" thread - they're more down to earth - though none of the regulars homeschools. At the moment they're in the throes of senior schedule mishaps. :glare:

This is true. The founder of SL has scoffed at studying Great Books. :( Having said that, I can only tell you my experience. :) We started with Sonlight in K and used it through 4th grade, I had 5 on the shelf when we started with WTM so we read some of those books (Eastern Hemisphere) over the course of the next few years. I love the path we've taken. I kind of think had we started with WTM in the early years, I would have burned out before we got to high school. We all loved reading the books you mentioned - 9th grade was a fabulous, rich year. I'm not sure I would use Sonlight today, there are so many other great literature based options now.