LAC = liberal arts college But I'm scratching my head over RUF??? Gwen, did your DD join a sorority? There was a thread at College Confidential last spring (when we were making our decision ... sounds like my DD and yours could have been classmates) that made it sound as if Greek life was very important there ... I was worried about how rushing might affect my DD's self-confidence (which is not too high to begin with re: her social life). I saw that W & L was getting a bunch of money for scholarships and I think that's wonderful ... you're right, they're bound to get more diversity when more can afford to get in.

Perhaps the location makes a difference??? Washington & Lee is pretty rural, isn't it? Is he more attracted to the idea of being in a big city? Also, could diversity be an issue? I have encouraged my DS to think about W&L, but he has the impression (which could be mistaken, as we've never visited and our impressions are formed by kids we know who've gone there, college guides, and threads at College Confidential) that the student body is primarily Southern, upper-middle class, and well-heeled. My DD goes to a very small LAC, and I think it has been ideal for her. But I know kids who want a big-college, big-city atmosphere, and they thrive in it. In any case, I agree with the other posters ... we won't waste much pity for your having to choose between two such tempting offers :) :) Congrats to your DS!

This information has been very helpful ... thanks! I've registered my to-be-ninth grader in Veritas Geometry, and plan to register him in Biology with Scholars Online (he's very strong in science) and Latin 1 (Wheelocks) with Regina Coeli. I'd prefer Henle but the class conflicts with Geometry. He's done a lot of French so maybe he'll be okay. I might try to bribe him into doing some easy Latin this summer :) My to-be-twelfth grader does NOT want an online class in addition to the three APs he's planning to do with PA Homeschoolers, so I'm considering Indiana University Physics 1 and 2. Anyone had experience with IU? At least the book they're using looks good, and if he doesn't get into the state-funded scholastic program he's applied for this summer, he could start Physics this summer (needless to say, he's now absolutely LONGING to get into the state program :) )

Thanks for the link! I actually did read this thread and it's what motivated me to research this option. I don't see any mention about Veritas in this thread, though ... anyone have experiences with it? I want to make sure it'll be worth the money ... which is not inconsiderable.

I'm considering the following online classes: For my ninth grader: Veritas Geometry (because I like Jacobs Geometry text) Scholars Online Biology (because I want to use a non-Christian text, not Wiles) Regina Coeli Latin 1 (Henle? Wheelocks? Not sure which) For my twelfth grader: Scholars Online Physics (because I have BJU Physics on tape, but now-in-college kid could not get through this class, and I assume 12th grader will have similar trouble) Anyone have any feedback on these classes? We've only done online classes through PA Homeschoolers, so this will be a big change for us.

I guess it's important to distinguish between the regular adult classes and those that are intended for high school. My response concerned the adult classes; we don't have any high school classes. Sounds like they're different from what I described.

It varies a bit from class to class, but they all have outlines of the lectures ... some are more extensive than others. As far as I know, each lecture outline ends with suggested additional reading and a few "questions to consider." I think they all have bibliographies as well, and other materials can include timelines, glossaries, biographical notes, and maps.

I notice that a lot of people posting here don't name specific colleges, and I don't know if that's to protect their privacy or what. I'm going to buck the trend because I would love to hear more about what specific colleges HSers are applying and being accepted/rejected at. We're going to be going through the college application process again this fall with my older son, and I'm always interested in where people are applying and why. Last year, my DD was rejected at one school, Duke. She was wait-listed at Kenyon, Davidson, and Wash U in St. Louis. She was accepted at the UK Honors program, Washington & Lee, Centre and Transylvania. She decided first off that she didn't want to wait on the waiting list schools, even though Wash U was probably her top choice. I don't blame her. By the time she had heard from these schools, it was the end of March, and she really wanted to have her future settled after months of waiting. UK is a big state university and five minutes from our house. We go to the campus all the time for doctor and orthodontist visits and NONE of my kids are very interested in attending. I think the size and anonymity of the place intimidates them. Even the Honors program didn't excite my daughter much and, frankly, they didn't do anything to "sell themselves" to her. Washington & Lee didn't offer any scholarship (my DD didn't want to bother applying for their merit scholarships because the application was due in early December and she was feeling overwhelmed by all her other deadlines). Centre and Transy offered nice scholarships paying for about half of the total cost (and they are relatively inexpensive for private schools as it is), so her choice came down to those two. Bottom line for my DD was that she had already taken French courses at Transy and felt very comfortable at the college. She'd had a good experience during the scholarship weekend there. They had definitely done the best job in making her feel as if they WANTED her there. Also, Transy is in a larger city, whereas Centre is very small-town. I was thrilled that she was going to stay in-town and it's been very convenient for all of us. It took us all of 15 minutes to pick her up and take her back at spring break :) OTOH, I told her that if she went there, I would give her as much space as she needed. She lives on-campus and will be doing so for four years. The first couple of months, I followed a very hands-off policy and let her do all the calling home. She came to visit us only when SHE wanted to. Knowing what I know now ... specifically, that even if your family doesn't qualify for financial aid (which ours doesn't) you can find plenty of schools offering good merit scholarships ... that's the direction I'm going to steer my older son. His test scores are higher than his sister's and he's also very, very gifted in music. But I think, like his sister, he'll probably do better at a smaller, less competitive school. I went to an Ivy League school as did my brother, and I think both of us felt as if we "drifted" a lot while in college. A small school really seems to look out for its students, and I think this suits my children, who have been fairly sheltered and aren't used to an anonymous, fend-for-yourself atmosphere. One example of how nicely Transy has treated us ... my son is taking Music Theory there this year. In January, my DH had surgery out of town and he and I and my youngest were gone for several days, leaving my older son alone in the house. He had mentioned this to his music theory professor, and this guy gave my son his work, home, and cell phone numbers just in case he needed help. I just thought that was so caring!

My DD was interested in Italian after doing many years of French. She took a summer one-semester class in Italian at Wash U in St. Louis and they used the "Prego" textbook, which I think is pretty standard for college-level intro Italian. After the summer, she continued by using Rosetta Stone, which is more of an immersion-type program (whole to parts, I guess you'd say). Having already had an introduction to Italian grammar as well as her knowledge of French, I think she was able to go through Rosetta Stone more easily. In addition to this, thanks to the fact that we live within a mile of our state's major public university, we were able to find an Italian tutor for her and he was delightful (in fact, I think she fell a little bit in love with him :) ). The college she's attending now is too small to offer Italian, but she is doing private lessons with a professor there who speaks Italian, and taking classes at the state university is also an option.

Not to mention Penthouse or Playboy photo spread! Maybe they'll track down some of the other call girls and have a whole group, like they do (or did) with college girls.

I read it in high school, although I don't think it was part of a class. I was a huge reader in high school and was trying to work through a list of the "100 Books You Should Read Before College." In any case, I think I *understood* it ... but I sure did find it depressing (almost as bad as In Cold Blood ... another recommended book).

I second the vote for Staci's recommendation .. The Real ACT Prep Guide. My son used this to prepare for the ACT as a sophomore and did really well. I'm not sure they can be totally relied on, but I often use the reviews at Amazon to guide my test prep book purchases (we seem to have accumulated a ton from all the AP tests we have done/will do). There seems to be a pretty big variation among the quality of test prep books and I figure the people who actually use them (teachers as well as students) are probably the best judges.

My older son and I have been listening to "Great Authors" since the beginning of the school year and we're up to Goethe (the last lecture by Susan Sage Heinzelman) ... so I can comment on the whole series exxcept for James Heffernan. Overall, this has been an excellent series, although with only one lecture per author (Dante and Chaucer being the exceptions), the professor can't do much except skim the surface. Elizabeth Vandiver is one of our favorite profs. We've done The Iliad and Odyssey with her as well as Classical Mythology (really top-notch!). We had Thomas Noble for Western Civilization 1, and he's also an excellent lecturer, I think. I've done Dante and Confessions of St. Augustine with Ron Herzman and he is good ... although I think I like it better when he does the team-teaching approach. Susan Sage Heinzelman is very erudite and speaks without notes (this always impresses me ... Dr. Noble does it too) ... however, I've discovered that the neoclassical writers are not particularly my cup of tea. Maybe it's because we often watch these in the late afternoon, but I find myself dozing off toward the end of the lecture :001_smile: I guess the problem with any survey course is that you don't get into much depth on any particular work. One lecture on The Iliad is naturally going to be less illuminating than a series of twelve. I think the greatest value it's had for my son is the systematic examination of the whole Western literary tradition. He's familiar with some of these authors, but hasn't ever had such a comprehensive view. And although I haven't required him to read any of the books discussed, he just finished reading the Inferno on his own, so I guess the course has whetted his appetite for at least some of these works. And, conversely, I don't think either of us is going to be reading Romance of the Rose anytime in the near future. :lol: (Although I must say that Dr. Noble's lecture on this work was one of the funniest we've heard in quite some time.)

Are you the central KY Lisa?? If you are considering AP US History, I would highly recommend the online class through PA Homeschoolers. My older son is doing it this year with Mrs. Richman, and he is learning a ton! She's a fantastic and encouraging teacher. There's a lot of online interaction among students in the class and we've discovered that this is very motivating and enjoyable for him ... he loves the camaraderi of the class. Mrs. Richman also encourages them to have a "study buddy" and in my son's case, this has turned out to be me. We do multiple choice questions together and watch videos on US History, like Ken Burns' Civil War, and I must say that I'm learning a fair amount myself :001_smile:

South Ashland, I bet. That's literally three blocks away from us! You're right ... the houses are absolutely gorgeous! My DH's BF lives in one, and it is huge! Let me know if you are coming to visit ... we can get together at the Starbucks that's at the end of the street! My DS was in piano. The program had 226 kids with over 1,300 applicants, so he was thrilled when he got in! They spent three weeks on the campus of Transylvania U. here in Lexington, but we weren't allowed to see him until the final performance day! The Governor's Scholars Program is five weeks at three different campuses (Bellarmine, Centre, and Morehead State) and is academic. He gave them three interest areas, and they determine which area he'd do and at which campus. The wonderful thing about GSA and GSP is that they're FREE (!!!) and all graduates get a free-ride four-year scholarship to any Kentucky public university. Unfortunately, DS has absolutely NO interest in any Kentucky public university. When DD didn't get in GSP, she choose the Wash U (St. Louis) Summer Scholars Program instead. This was also a five-week academic program which was a great experience for her. She loved Wash U, but ended up being wait-listed there, and since Transylvania was offering a nice scholarship, she decided to attend there instead, and so far, she's very happy with her decision (getting to the end of her freshman year now). So, in our experience, things all seem to work out for the best. If DS doesn't get in GSP, at least he had a good experience at GSA. We're not offering Wash U as an alternative for him because we're already spending so much money on him for other classes and lessons. If he doesn't get in, he'll hopefully get a job instead :001_smile: We should hear in mid-April .... it's a long time to wait since January!

I read in another article that she was taking some photos of the girls putting their money in the kettle. I seem to remember that she had picked up some of the girls' friends to donate money at the same time. I think that the girls had been collecting money for a while, and this was their grand moment. It was also sleeting, and her toddler had been asleep even before the mom put her in the car. I wouldn't have taken my toddler out either. I feel really sorry for this family!

My daughter had an overnight visit at Vandy last year and didn't have a good experience. I, OTOH, thought the campus was gorgeous and the city wonderful. I'm still going to encourage my older son to visit. We were there in January for my DH's cancer surgery, but older son was home taking care of the house and pets. My daughter has a friend who got a free-ride merit scholarship to Vanderbilt, but I think those are few and far between. It's a REALLY expensive school! One aside, when my daughter did her overnight stays at Vanderbilt and Centre, both student hosts (freshmen) had alcohol in their rooms! My DH and I were pretty shocked. I'm not so naive to think there's no underage drinking on campuses, but wouldn't you think the student hosts would be a little more discrete? I guess at least I should be thankful that my DD wasn't actually OFFERED alcohol. I have a friend who says her son was offered alcohol at virtually every overnight stay he made.

Thank you for your comments! It has been an "interesting" journey, to say the least. Hearing that others have had similar issues is comforting, and I'm still pondering whether the underlying anxiety has affected my son's schoolwork more than I realized. Because he has been so easily frustrated, I think I have always set lower expectations for him than my other two ... and I'm hoping that maybe now that he is managing his symptoms better, he may be able to accomplish more than I had hoped. I should say that we are pursuing cognitive behavior therapy with a LCSW as well as seeing a psychiatrist. From what I've read and heard, if the symptoms are not too disabling, talk therapy alone can make significant changes ... but I think in my son's case, the meds were necessary to get him to the point where he even *could* talk about what he was feeling.

Sharon, when do you hear? We are in a similar situation. My son, 17, is applying to the Governor's Scholars Program in Kentucky. His application had to be submitted in mid-January. I know exactly what you mean about that big sigh of relief when it finally goes in the mail :001_smile: His older sister didn't get in two years ago, and that was a big disappointment. He has higher test scores and better extracurriculars, so we are hopeful maybe he'll make it. He was fortunate enough to get into the Governor's School for the Arts last summer and it was the best experience in his life (he says), so he really, really wants this! The mentorship experience sounds super, and if this is his first-choice college ... what a foot in the door!! Keep us posted!

My youngest has been struggling with OCD on and off for years but we finally got to the point in January where things were out of control. He would be washing his hands 25 times a day, taking a minimum of two hours every morning to get showered and dressed, and unable to touch virtually anything. Needless to say, school was a nightmare and the stress level in our family was over the roof! He's now been on generic Prozac (fluoxetine) for over a month and the change has been dramatic. He still has to push himself to limit hand-washing and to touch "unclean" things ... but at least he's willing to try and not paralyzed by anxiety. What I'm wondering is ... if anyone else has been through something similiar, did treating the OCD have positive benefits on your child's ability to do schoolwork as well? My son has always had difficulty handling frustration ... if he couldn't "get" things immediately (especially math problems) or do things "perfectly" he would become inordinately upset, often to the point of tears. Now that his condition has been diagnosed, I'm looking back and realizing that maybe a lot of this frustration stemmed from his anxiety disorder and that with treatment, maybe his schoolwork will become less of a struggle. Any thoughts from those who've been through this?

My daughter was accepted there last year and was offered a generous scholarship (12K per year for four years). She was tempted, but eventually decided to go to Transylvania, which also offered a good scholarship. Centre and Transy are both excellent, small liberal arts colleges, IMO. Living in central Kentucky, I know many Centre alumni as well as professors and current students. The main disadvantage that my DD saw with Centre is its location in a small town. Danville is a gorgeous, friendly small town, but my DD wanted to go to school in a larger city. Transy is in Lexington (which is our hometown), but she lives in a dorm and has more access to all that the city has to offer as well as the University of Kentucky, which is also in Lexington. My DD was also concerned that the social life at Centre might be dominated by frats/sororities. This is what we've heard. Transy is about 50% Greek, but it's been her experience that you don't HAVE to be in a sorority to have a social life. This may sound a bit negative about Centre, since I'm giving the reasons why she didn't choose to go ... but I do think it's an excellent college, and the small size and relaxed atmosphere would probably be ideal for a homeschooler. I almost felt as if my DD was tossing a coin between Centre and Transy. I should add that although Danville is small, if the student has a car, Lexington is only 45 minutes away. And the Norton Center for the Arts in Danville brings in fantastic, world-renowned musicians, actors, etc. I think Yo-Yo Ma was there last week. It definitely gives the students exposure to "higher culture" ... and I believe they get in free to all the performances :) If you have any other questions, let me know. We have professors, students, and alumni from Centre attending my church, and I'd be glad to pass your questions along to anyone who might help.