Some free or nearly free things to help with college admissions and life. Be a good writer... being able to express yourself in essays and tell your own story is huge. Academic style writing is a plus, too. (They Say, I Say, free at your public library.) Enter lots of writing competitions. Try to get published in a magazine. Start a blog. Be good at math.... Use the free Alcumus Website, Kahn Academy, and the many years of freely available AMC Exams to prepare for and take the (usually freely offered) AMC and AIME exams. If you do really well, you can go to amazing free math camps! Be good at standardized testing. Yeah, I know it sucks. But it's also something that doesn't cost a lot. Library has free test prep books and sometimes test prep classes. Bonus. Go to your local university and get interested in something. Pick a topic and go to all the free lectures you can. Our local has a few professors that will let people sit in all semester, free. Just ask. Profs usually love to talk to people that are interested in their stuff. Join your local science association... like this one. $35 bucks a year for a family membership (to the astronomy section for us) here buys you 2 lectures a month, free access to a dark sky site with a many telescopes, and regular paper presentations, not to mention friendships with many of the smartest, most interesting people in your town. (DD#2 got to be a camp counselor there for a summer program. Leadership points!) If you live in or near any sized city you probably have one. Try and get an internship in something in which you are interested. My dd#1 managed to squeak into one and it was full time, paid, for two summers. Bonus! And it was on the way to dad's office, so she got a ride everyday that didn't cost anything extra. Get a part time job. Read the paper and know what's going on in the world. Learn to Code. Too many free places to list. Read, a lot.

This link seems to distinguish between a few categories. It matches our experience thus far. How about yours? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission

So sorry this happened to you. This is the polar opposite of our experience with dd#1. :(

I am not arguing about the application charge.... they do collect a serious chunk of change for applications. But it's my understanding that at most of the top schools admissions is need blind.... am I wrong? (Not that there aren't other factors regarding admission that we could debate.... such as colleges trying to create a more gender balanced class of engineers... etc.... etc....)

I was thinking the same thing.... quite an endeavor! I am sure someone out in cyberspace will want to interview Purple's daughter for a sensational article about college applications gone wild, lol. (If you post on facebook, Purple, I guarantee it will go at least a little viral pretty quickly! Let me know and I will do my part of the liking and sharing, lol!) DD's final acceptance wrap up/choices: Rochester Institute of Technology - Merit Aid University of Rochester - Merit Aid Clarkson University - Merit Aid, Honors College SUNY University at Buffalo - Provost Scholarship, Honors College Cornell University Local Community College - continue? Quite the range in size, aid, flavor, and feel. All good choices, so it will be hard. She's lucky in that she believes that she can be successful at any of them, but that doesn't help her narrow anything down. The money *will* help her narrow things down, though... and one more official campus visit, and sitting in on a class or two at both of the locals.

It wasn't a surprise because dd had received a Likely Letter, but maybe a bit of a relief to get the final, official acceptance to Cornell today at 5p. No problems at all signing in. Now, to choose.

I was just reading about her in my Facebook feed..... six degrees of separation, and all..... Anyway. No thoughts about the cause, but lots of positive thoughts for Emerson.

:party:

Sparkly, just to reassure you a little bit, we know a large number of families that have had kids matriculate directly into the SUNY system with little to no problem. Most had the super letter, but some went the 24 credit route because their kids wanted to take CC courses and it was their first choice option for high school. There are a couple of districts out my way that can be prickly regarding the letter, but they are in the minority by far. Only two come to mind out of many.

Lol... Me, too.

I can't comment on those options, but we have been using Strayer this year and find it very well organized and interesting. Also my son dearly loved the Big History Project. Good Luck!

WWII: Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society might make a fun summer read. I can't vouch for the historical veracity, but I remember it being very enjoyable.

Interesting thoughts on Math I vs II in the first paragraph here.

I would second AoPS.... my dd#1 used a traditional algebra program in 8th grade and *hated* it with all of the passion a 13 year old can muster... which is a lot. She switched to AoPS that summer and was never happier. Fast forward a few years and she is an engineering major. It may be a good fit for your son, too.

Does she play guitar or piano? That really makes a difference. I have the junkiest junker of a 3/4 sized guitar that I can leave around (so it's right at hand when I have an idea) and not care if it gets busted. 20 years, and so far, so good. I have written every song I ever wrote on it, and I am NOT a guitar player. I just taught myself enough chords to get by. (Granted... I do know music theory.... but truthfully do not really use it when I am writing.) Seriously, she could get by with strumming 5 or 6 chords and write A LOT of the songs that have been the biggest hits ever. Just strumming along with all those Carole King and/or James Taylor songs we all know and love will get her the chords she needs... she can branch out after that. ETA: There is sometimes a free songwriting course on Coursera that is interesting. And your idea about using Karaoke tracks is actually a trick some songwriters use to get the juices flowing... picking up a chord progression from existing songs. Just don't copy it too closely... or the Blurred Lines of Copyright law will come back to haunt you when her song hits the charts, lol.

Hmmm...... So tired... can barely think .... had rehearsal until 11 and then cleaned an office until 2am.... (ahhh, the luxurious life of an Ivy League family.....) I am not sure about all these millionaires she's talking about. The *average* financial aid package at Harvard for freshmen is like $50,000. If they were *all* millionaires, then.....? I get the complaint about arbitrary admissions..... but what else would happen when 35,000 people apply for maybe 2,000 spots (at Harvard)? Is she really upset that people are trying to make a good impression at an interview? What would she have them do? Come in unshowered and with their fly down because that's how they look on a normal school day? Really trying to sort exactly what her complaint is, but my brain is bordering on the nonfunctional. Is it that a lot of rich kids apply? Cuz, yes. But 33,000/35,000 kids get rejected, and lots of them are probably rich. I come back to the finaid awards. So at least *some* people (lots of people?) getting into Harvard and other Ivy Leagues aren't rich. Hence the office cleaning in the middle of the night. I'll try and come back to it tomorrow after I get some time to sleep.... maybe tonight after rehearsal? Or at 2pm when I hopefully get back from the garage after having my 13 year old car with 211000 miles on that smells like gas at the moment repaired. Again. The Ivy League has been kind to us in a lot of ways. It doesn't feel like a sham at the moment.

So many hairs. I am practically bald now. Yes. This. :) Seriously though... deep down I know that these are good 'problems' to have. I just want everyone to be happy, all the time. It may or may not be a problem for me. :)

This, mostly. I am thinking specifically of Huge U vs. a place like Hometown U or Teeny Tiny Private U. In truth, I think all three will be challenging. She's going for engineering... right now has a developing interest in materials science. Large, well known U. affordable for us. Very. Lots of opportunities... large population... very high achieving students. It can be a challenge emotionally for some kids to swim in this large pond. I am looking through already tinted glasses. This is part of going to college... learning to use what you've got to deal with what comes at you... no matter where you end up. But.... it is definitely a unique situation. Hometown U. Much smaller. Also rigorous. Here. here. Here. No info on the money yet, but there's a chance it will be slightly more expensive than that other place. (a few thousand a year, at least.) Private U: Teeny Tiny program. Will cost a Lot more money. Lots of hand-holding. Admitted to the honors program, so research opportunities and intense mentoring right off the bat. Did I say Teeny tiny? Going by stats, not as competitive. But I don't believe stats = fit. :) Polar opposite of Huge U. I am having a hard time weighing the options. Deleted some identifying info - Thanks. I know you all can't help her make this decision... I can't even help her!! Just thinking out loud. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Your thoughts? Experiences?

Frank Bruni on the radio: link to interview

What about having something made? http://simplicity.com/p-8576-burda-style-formal-dress-jacket.aspx

This yield discussion is very interesting ... on the case western college confidential thread there are many, many waitlisted kids with amazing stats. Speculation is that Case is trying to up it's yield... last year it was ~15%. My dd was waitlisted, and I think it's because she didn't visit and didn't show a whole lot of interest (by visiting the website while signed into her applicant account.... she didn't sign in at all!) We had visited when dd#1 was looking a couple of years ago, so dd#2 already knew that she liked the campus. I can see why Case would think it wasn't likely that she would go there, though. I think if many of those waitlisted kids prove that they are genuinely interested in Case they will probably be accepted, and Case will raise it's yield numbers. I hope I remember to check their numbers next year to prove my theory. :)

:party: :party: :party:

Yes. Love this article.

DD had some 'lateral thinking' questions at an interview last weekend. That was a new development. :) Stuff like this: http://www.increasebrainpower.com/lateral-thinking-examples.html