Barbara H
-
Posts
1,659 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by Barbara H
-
-
Yes, different peers for different part interests. When his intellectual needs are met other places (community chess club, library group. astronomy club. family friends who want to mentor or talk about interests) it might be easier to enjoy co-op as a social only experience. Or, maybe he will always do better with kids his own age with activities like sports or dance where they have more in common.
-
they are both louder and more demanding that DD10. She is quiet, and I am afraid that is why I didn't realize that her needs weren't being met. She is not assertive at all, and would sooner break down into tears than request more of what she wanted (if she felt it would inconvenience anyone else). And maybe the frazzled state I have been in this year has made it even harder for her to assert herself. :sad:
Right now do you have any set time to discuss learning with her? Maybe a little ritual where the two of you sit down once a week with some cocoa and have a little business meeting to discuss plans for the week. As she's timid it may take quite structure and practice to get her better at voicing her needs. It can start with little stuff - planning a baking project or movie, selecting a loose unit study, etc.
Another thing I found helpful with a more timid child is to have a notebook where we exchanged notes back and forth. It can be anything from the silly (jokes and puns), to words of encouragement ("I noticed yesterday that you were really frustrated but you kept your cool") to a place to talk about write out feelings that may be tough to discuss aloud. For some quiet kids this really helps them feel safe to open up.
Profoundly Gifted Guilt is a good article that may be helpful to you right now. Can you relate to anything in this article?
-
I agree - that's totally unacceptable nonsense. And, I bet if we could do a survey of the kids in the group they'd say they enjoy your daughter's presentations. Also, just eliminating the presentations is not going to prevent an awareness that's she's especially smart. Kids are quite good at figuring out the best qualities of their peers and they tend to feel comfortable with them.
-
But... back in 1990 there weren't as many international applicants. Now, each year, the number of internationals goes up, up, up at many schools (esp those ranked in the Top 50, but even others).
I agree this is a huge factor. And, also highly selective schools are drawing from a broader applicant pool (in terms of geography and also socioeconomic factors including income) than they once did. Many of us in the middle parts of the country can see a huge change from when we graduated from high school to now. Even most of the very top graduates of my high school only applied in state and now many look much more broadly at out of state colleges.
-
So my question is, does this have anything to do with the girls at all, or is it entirely financial? Our families are very similarly situated financially.
Also, -- Dd's #1 school - really competitive 100%EFC meeting school. Dd's #2 school - not as competitive, not 100%EFC meeting school. Financial Aid/ Merit Offers: almost identical.
Lots of interesting observations and thoughts in your post and I wanted to comment on just this part... As a person who sees the range of offers of many students I don't think they are all identical, often they are widely ranging even for the same student. Here's an example from last week... A student applied to nine colleges and was accepted to seven of them. The school that ended up being the least expensive for him will run about $5,000 a year including room and board. The most expensive school gave him no merit aid and will be about $50,000 a year including room and board. And, then there was the whole middle of the list. His list included several different types of school (in state public, out of state public, private). This student does not have high financial need but had high merit potential so it is a wider range than some students see, but it is not at all uncommon for students to have a $20,000 difference between options. That's why it is important to put some research and effort into putting together a balanced college list.
-
Some may enjoy this response: http://gawker.com/5993140/ Attention Students: 'Just Being Yourself' Isn't a Skill That Should Earn You a Place in College
-
I see requiring math all four years for public school to be a mixed bag. We had a problem before the law that some rural districts did not offer calculus so bright kids who had been tracked earlier in math were left without options. So, the idea that any student who wants math for all four years if guarenteed access is a positive. But, at the same time I think the idea that every student can or should get through algebra 2 is problematic - some kids just really struggle at that point.
While it is more and more the expectation at selective schools that students will have calculus, another option to consider for senior year is statistics. There is a lot of lifelong value in understanding statistics.
-
It is now the law in my state that all public school students have math every year high school and that's true even for students who started algebra 1 in 7th grade. I do advise most students that they have math every year in high school, even if they aren't aiming at highly selective colleges it has become more the norm.
-
If he wants to transfer yes he needs a high school transcript. It is up to you what graduation date you put down and whether you list the dates for every semester - either way is fine. If he's planning to transfer to a state school you may want to check now and see what the requirements will be. In some states once a student has a certain number of hours (can be as low as 12) they don't need ACT or SAT scores any more. At many other schools even with an associate's degree he would need scores. If he's thinking about a private college he will most likely need scores as well.
-
Serenade - There is more competition for the top colleges, but all the rest are fine. Look at the acceptance rates. Many, many colleges accept 70-80% of the students that apply. They look at gpa and test scores and see if the student is doing something, anything, with their spare time. If they think the student can handle the classes they offer, they accept them. This applies to both private colleges and state schools. Our state flagship accepts 63% of their applicants. Then there are a whole slew of places like Boston University that accept about 50% of their applicants. When you hear people panicking, it is because they are considering small, highly competative LACs like Williams College and specialized places like Harvey Mudd who accept more like 15% or 20% of their appliants, or ivy league which accepts less than that. Most colleges are much easier to get into.
Nan
A lot of this reflects the fact that most our media that writes about college is on the East Coast - just reading the New York Times, Washington Post, etc. it is easy to get a very skewed idea about the competitiveness of this process. It is true most colleges accept most people who apply. Scholarships and paying for college is the more pressing issue for most families.
That said, we need to acknowledge there are huge variations from state to state. Some state flagships are very difficult to get into and out of state public colleges can be one of the more expensive options for many students. The recession has driven up stats many more mid-tier public schools as more students find their in state public a better financial option. So, we are are all a bit at the mercy of where we live. I have seen some very strong students not get into their state flagships this year (or get accepted but not get into the Honors College or not get any merit aid) while they were quite successful in admissions at other types of schools. These were kids with strong academic records and strong test scores. I just don't want anyone who to assume the state flagship is a slam dunk for admissions or affordability. It isn't always.
-
I'm so clueless on this new process, and the things that seem to matter for admission, that I'm beginning to feel I should put my older son back in school so that he could have the help of a guidance counselor.
I wouldn't count on help from a school guidance counselor. There are great ones out there who work really hard, but the odds are stacked against them. The average counselor is helping over 400 students with a wide range of concerns everything from kicked out of the house, failing math class, to don't have enough credits for graduation. This doesn't leave much for college counseling.
-
Have you already used the Ellen McHenry curriculum? They aren't colorful but they are kid-like and feature a lot of fun kiddish activities (plays, hands on craft activites, songs) but they have some pretty high level content included. There's some college level stuff in the chemistry curriculum but it is mixed in with making trading cards and other very elementary school friendly kind of activities.
I'm also wondering if she might like some of the kid's Shakespeare materials. She might appreciate the colorful versions and it might transition into helping her feel more comfortable with slightly more mature themes - eventually transitioning to watching and reading full length versions. We too had a kid who wasd very committed to and clinged to animal stories (it sounds like the exact same ones too) and Shakespeare and mythology were the things that helped with broadening interests and comfort level a bit. Of course start with the gentlest stories first.
-
My belief is that for some kids it is just much, much more addictive than it is for others. So, you know your kid and what you are seeing - listen to your gut.
One idea might be to see if you can find any in real life type game activities in your community such as board game group, chess club, Magic the Gathering, etc. That offers the possibility of getting some of the good of games - such as strategic thinking, entertainment, challenge, and decision making without the addiction and isolation potential of video games. An in real life group also provides good social experience and sense of community which is really important especially as kids get older.
-
Glad he is doing well!
I've never heard of a community college that requires essays - a lot of state universities no longer even have the requirement becausde it is too staff intensive to read the ssays. Many, if not most, students entering community college do NOT do so the fall immediately following high school graduation. That's part of what community colleges are about. So, I would not worry about the dates at all. It is widely variable but the majority of community colleges do not require the SAT or ACT rather they use on campus testing such as the COMPASS. Often this is less for admissions purposes than to determine if students need remedial coursework.
-
[/size]
Wouldn't count on it. The article never does say she was accepted anywhere. It sounds more like a last ditch effort to get off someone's wait-list.
I can't imagine anyone in admissions reading this and being inspired to let her in. Bitter, and perhaps entitled, doesn't make a very good impression.
I guess part of what rubs me the wrong way about the essay is that it seems to snipe at kids who have found meaning in activities or volunteering in high school. I'm thinking of a young man I worked with last year who on paper could sound a lot like someone she's mocking. He interned a massive number of hours with a community organization... and yes, it did result in some pretty significant scholarship awards. His reason for volunteering wasn't a plot to get into the Ivy League (he didn't apply to those schools at all) He volunteeered becuase he's a great kid - likes to be busy, challenged, and contributing. Admissions officers are looking for kids who are going to contribute to the college community. The hard working intern is more appealing than a kid who spends a lot of time watching Real Housewives or playing video games. And I say that is as it should be.
-
It is interesting she was able to identify that many people reading it may think she is taking for granted the wonderful gifts she has been afforded. I bet there is a pretty good chance her situation next year (both the college she will be attending and the financial situation she finds herself in) is something the majority of students would envy.
-
Interesting. Thank you for posting. I wonder if this new product will end up driving the price of epi-pens down a bit. We had a much lower co-pay on a twin pack this last time than we have in the past.
-
I understand the desire to have the sense of control that comes from long range planning. But, and I say this gently, it is really just a false sense of control. You can't really predict how she is going to learn and you are probably going to need to take it semester by semester, year by year, and just see how it goes. As you do that I would encourage you to let go of the fear. I don't understand exactly why but there does seem to be a lot of gloom and doom fear mongering around young gifted kids and math. There are all these warnings kids don't really understand what they are doing or they will "hit the wall" or that there is some kind of magical "developmentally ready" brain for algebra. Yes, that maybe is all a concern if your child had to proceed on a set schedule in school lockstep to the beat of a curriculum that doesn't fit. But, at home you don't have that problem because you can always adapt to where your child is. For what it is worth, I know a number of gifted kids who started algebra younger than 10 and none of them had a problem with it nor did they have trouble later. Try not to be scared!
-
I agree it is important to look ahead when making this decision. There are many ways to make this decision and college doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposal. Some students opt for some part time courses and working with mentors as a means to extend college a bit. Earning a double major or dual degree can also make it take longer. Graduating at age 18 may allow for a different set of options than graduating at 15.
Some options:
Get a second bachelors degree (downside - it can be expensive)
Start graduate school at a younger age
Volunteer or travel abroad
Work for a few years before grad school (work isn't typically an accessible option at 12 but it can be at 17 or 18)
Earn an additional graduate degree. So, for a student interested in medicine an MD/PHD may be of interest. That's a very long path so it can be helpful to start early.
Develop strength in another related area of interest - so the student interested in biology might also earn a master's degree in computer science. People who can gain a high degree of competence in more than one field can sometimes make really valuable contributions.
-
Students should be advised it is important to keep a copy of their syllabus. If they are taking dual enrollment courses or if they transfer later, the registrar at the new college may request to see a copy of the syllabus to use in determination of credits. Also, students who are considering graduate school may be required in the application process to submit a list of texts used in their major courses. So, my suggestion would be that students keep a working copy of their syllabus in their notebook, but they also make an extra copy at the beginning of the semester and file that away.
-
Totally appropriate - lots of families make visits sophomore year if they happen to be by a college.
-
Yes, I would let him go ahead and start learning to program now. Scratch is a great place to start.
You may want to also consider the ACT or SAT as part of a Talent Search program in 7th grade.
Many high schools students are prepared to do at least some work on the college level. This is especially true when you look at lower level college courses, particularly at community colleges, which can have some overlap with high school work. Just being at this point, doesn't dictate that a child go to college early. Early college can be a great fit for some students, but I would look to it as more of a last resort for kids who have really exhausted the other options available. Keep in mind that colleges don't want to see "great for a 13 year old" - they want "great for an entering college freshman." There aren't points for entering early - if anything students should be expected to be held to a higher standard.
-
Would it be possible to start Geometry next year but still keep working some on Algebra or is that too much to cover?
I think it really just depends on her interest level and what else you are doing. For our family it has worked to sometimes do more of a subject in one year and less another year, but some kids like to keep it more the same every year. For sure you don't want to rush algebra or geometry though.
The main thing I'd take away from her testing is that it seems like she's a good solid tester. Many kids who score in that range in 7th grade end up scoring well into the 30s in high school. It will be good idea to plan her high school testing to make sure she takes the PSAT in 11th grade for National Merit and allows a little time for prep because she may be a good candidate for merit aid.
-
That's a very strong score and I expect she will receive some awards and recognition for it. . The composite actually meets qualification for Davidson Young Scholars as a 7th grader (though they also have to have two qualifying subtest scores). That score probably puts a 7th grader around the 95% of the students taking the test. Keep in mind that is already a selected sample of students that are in the top 5% who are taking the test - so it is a very good score.
These scores do suggest she's done well with the education she has so far. So, instead of thinking of reworking everything take time to note what you are doing has been working! How far are you through the algebra book for this year. It isn't a race of course, but it is also true that the strongest students are not starting geometry in 9th grade. Even for nonmath students it has become much more common to take some calculus in high school. If she's thinking about selective colleges, or merit scholarships, it is good to think about four years of academics in core subjects. Here's an outline of high school requirements that might be helpful.
Great essay in WSJ - "To all the Colleges that Rejected me"
in The College Board
Posted
It is a 25%tile score at Princeton last year - in other words 3 of every 4 applicants who were accepted had a higher score. Given they accept about 8% of applicants and reject many perfect scorers, someone should have advised her 2120 is not great odds.