We're doing it for my daughter, who's in the same situation. At least one of the colleges to which she's applying has a scholarship specifically for Phi Theta Kappa, but we did it primarily to give another layer of external validation, since she doesn't have a ton of awards.

The actual packet came from Catawba this week with an offer for the Presidential scholarship, which looks like the largest they give without having to compete at a scholarship day. She's filling out the honors application now to see if they invite her for the competition. Roanoke College sent her a note earlier asking for a transcript and self-reported scores to get an estimate of aid. She got a letter back offering a very substantial foundational scholarship, an encouragement to fill out the full application, and an email from the admissions counselor saying that she would be "VERY competitive" for their larger scholarships. It's a school she had on her list for a long time, but marked off when it came down to actually applying as being just too expensive, so we've scrambled this week to get things in before the early action deadline on Monday. Note: it's worth it to go out to the school's website and look at the counselor's bio if possible before responding to them. Courtney turned out to be male despite our assumption based on the name, which was a little awkward since my daughter had sent him an email addressing him as "Ms.", but she apologized in the next email after we had seen the bio. He was very gracious about it, said he got it all the time, but she didn't like starting off with awkwardness. These have both been very encouraging to her (and to me :) ), but they are still private schools and expensive even with the level of scholarship at the moment.

My daughter has a laptop (PC, I think it's a low end HP) that she uses for schoolwork, and has for several years. I think we got it for her in middle school when she started doing more outside classes and needed it to do online classes (I wasn't willing to share mine any longer :) ). She hasn't carried with her to campus in the last year and a half in DE because it would be too heavy and bulky. She takes an actual paper notebook and pen for any notes she needs, but her professors have copies of things like their powerpoints online in Blackboard. If the class requires computer work in class it's done in the computer lab and she can upload anything she does at school to her account in Blackboard that she can then access from her laptop at home. She has taken her laptop with her for study sessions at Panera or such. She does have a smartphone that she can use to access the web if necessary at school outside of the computer lab.

I kept my daughter's aikido out as an extracurricular and just kept a running list of her other physical activities (camping, hiking, ice skating, kickboxing (month of classes to try), swimming, workout dvds, etc) until I got enough for a PE half credit (actually gave a half credit in freshman and junior years). I looked on PE as a way to try out various lifelong activities, while the aikido is something she's done since she was 6 and is part of her leadership for helping with younger students.

From what can find, they are only banned in relatively few areas. From Bass Pro Shops: Notice--Gun Magazines.We cannot ship gun magazines with a capacity larger than 10 rounds to CA, DC, HI, MA, NY, CT, Oak Park, IL and Village of Westchester, IL; larger than 12 rounds to Chicago, IL; larger than 15 rounds to NJ, CO, or Aurora, IL; or larger than 16 rounds to Franklin Park, IL or Philadelphia PA. For US sale only. This item cannot be purchased by using Pay Pal. -- Even though you are able to check out with this item, it will be removed from your order if shipping to a restricted location. But is the potential cost saving a compelling enough reason not to restrict the amount of ammo that can be purchased at one time or the ways in which it can be purchased? We put all kinds of limits on buying something like Sudafed because some people have used it to cook meth https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm072423.htm(in-person, kept behind the counter in a pharmacy, show id, sign a logbook with info that has to be maintained for two years, daily and monthly limits to the number of pills, etc), but I can go online to bulkammo.com and buy multiple sets of 1000 rounds easily without even having an adult's signature required for delivery (with the exception of a few states and municipalities https://www.bulkammo.com/frequently-asked-questions#13). To go further, restrictions on ammunition purchases could help in those situations where a person may have legally purchased a firearm or otherwise come by one but their status has changed to the point that they would no longer be able to legally do so.

I'm partial to pretty much any kind with nuts. :) I've learned a lot, thanks. Maybe if we did paint all guns hot pink with green polka dots and bedazzle them it would deter folks who are looking primarily for the intimidation factor? Can we move on to my question about high capacity magazines, then? What purpose do they serve that makes a compelling argument to allow them to be readily available to the general public rather than, say, available for use only on the premises of a legal shooting range for target practice? I have to admit I've suggested that maybe we should glue a pseudoephedrine tablet to every bullet so that then there might be some interest in limiting purchase amounts at any given time.

You mentioned leather seats in your vehicle. I would consider putting some sort of plastic barrier over them (large trash bags, maybe, one over the back and one over the bottom of the seat) so that the scent doesn't permeate the leather while you try to figure this out.

If they do not "shoot farther, faster, or more powerfully than any other gun" then why are they bought over other types of firearms? What is the advantage over other types of firearms? It is my assumption, correct me if I'm wrong, that the reason to prefer semiautomatic over manual is that the semi-automatic does indeed have the potential to shoot "faster" and therefore do more damage in a shorter period of time, particularly when it can be fitted with a high capacity magazine, just as an automatic has the potential to shoot faster than a semi-automatic. What compelling reason is there that the line should not be drawn below high capacity magazines and semiautomatic weapons (rifles or handguns), as it was at one time? I will admit that I do not have an extensive knowledge of all varieties of guns, which is why I said "start with" a definition that has already been established. I have no doubt many other guns would and probably should fall into the same category as those listed. The ones you show are both semi-automatics and I would not argue that one is not an assault weapon. From what I can read from afficianados, however, it does appear that an AR-15 is cheaper to buy, lighter, has cheaper ammo, less recoil, more easily modifiable than the M1A so perhaps it is easier to afford and to use with less effort and less practice or easier to modify into something even more quickly or widely lethal? https://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309846. My question has nothing to do with whether one looks "scarier." I don't suppose the purpose of a pink AR-15 or pistol is to be scarier https://www.gungoddess.com/magpul-ar-15-pink-furniture-3-piece-set/ and https://www.pinterest.com/tzarmory/guns-for-the-ladies-pink-purple-tiffany-blue-and-m/?lp=true. I don't think cosmetics make a weapon designed to kill things more or less dangerous, though I will allow that the people who feel compelled to carry them to the grocery store and to torchlit rallies for the purposes of intimidation may indeed think so.

Are you limited to only that particular cc for DE? In our state, a student can take DE classes at any of the ccs in the state. If an online option would be good, perhaps another cc would have that available? That might be a more affordable option if the state subsidizes DE. Her current trig professor may even know of a colleague at another school that he might recommend. I would triple check to verify that the class would be completely online, not having to come in for finals or to hand in projects, especially if it's far away.

I was editing my initial response, so you didn't see what I posted about calculus classes in our DE situation. The classes aren't 2 hours of lecture, they are an hour and 15 min of lecture followed by a short break and then an hour of lab each day. I wonder how the OP's DE calculus classes are set up? As to tired, on the part of the student that would depend on the rest of the schedule and how that student works best. My daughter would be much more likely to be tired and have more difficulty performing as well in an 8 am class than in a 5:30 one. All of this is why I don't think there can be a blanket statement that the 8 am one is automatically the only viable educational choice (which is how I'm seeing many posters frame it).

Can she take the CLEP test for calculus to show mastery? At our community college, the CLEP calculus exam with a 50 or better gives credit for calculus 1. To me, nothing that you've described about the 5:30 class automatically screams "bad educational option." Unless I totally misread the OP, the professor at 5:30 has great reviews, just not a lot of them and is not as familiar to the student since she hasn't had that particular professor before. It's the professor at 9:30 that's bad. So it's not a choice between great prof at 8 and horrible prof at 5:30, it's between known great prof and probably great but unfamiliar prof. As to the length, a long class in a random subject or one that isn't of interest is a different proposition than a long class in a subject in which the student is interested and gifted (I would count a 15 yo going into DE calculus to likely be both gifted in and interested in math). My daughter's 2.5 hr English class gets a 20 min break and her 2 hour statistics class gets a 10 min break. Half of the math class is also a lab on one of the two days, so it isn't 2 hours of lecture. The calculus classes here that are 2 hours twice a week are an hour class and an hour lab each day. This is also not a student who has no experience with DE, which would be a different matter. She has a better feel for the kind of workload a DE math class entails. Did I miss that there isn't an online option for DE calculus this coming semester? If she's had good experiences with online math at that college, it would seem to be a potential option.

We can start with the definition used in the 1994 assault weapons ban: (b) Definition of Semiautomatic Assault Weapon.--Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(30) The term `semiautomatic assault weapon' means-- ``(A) any of the firearms, or copies or duplicates of the firearms in any caliber, known as-- ``(i) Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models); ``(ii) Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil; ``(iii) Beretta Ar70 (SC-70); ``(iv) Colt AR-15; ``(v) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, and FNC; ``(vi) SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12; ``(vii) Steyr AUG; ``(viii) INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and TEC-22; and ``(ix) revolving cylinder shotguns, such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12; ``(B) a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of-- ``(i) a folding or telescoping stock; ``(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon; ``(iii) a bayonet mount; ``(iv) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and ``(v) a grenade launcher; ``© a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of-- ``(i) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip; ``(ii) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer; ``(iii) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned; ``(iv) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and ``(v) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and ``(D) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of-- ``(i) a folding or telescoping stock; ``(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon; ``(iii) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; and ``(iv) an ability to accept a detachable magazine.''. So, why should "regular old semiautomatic guns" like AR-15s or Kalashnikovs and high capacity magazines be available to the general public?

My perspective is as an insecure driver when it's at all snowy or icy, and someone who has spent years ferrying a child to times/events that were often very inconvenient to me, including a now a year and a half of DE. I've been in the resentful position and it doesn't do anyone any good, but I don't think this is really primarily about the run. I wouldn't be willing to do the 8 am class in winter even here where we have little chance of snow as often we get morning black ice situations that affect some areas but wouldn't necessarily close classes for the college. Weather is huge for me, especially as I get older and driving in the dark or in less than optimal conditions (heavy rain, for instance) becomes more challenging. At that time of the morning, you will also possibly be dealing with rush hour traffic which will complicate things even further and make the drive that much longer. I've had to come to the point where I have to say, "These are the limits in which I can help you do this, so what options do we have within those limits?" For me, this isn't an issue of selfishness but of practicality and resources. I would look at it in the same light as if the student wanted to take a class or go to a camp that is way outside of the family budget. Yes, it may be a great opportunity, but I'm sorry we can't pull the resources from other needed areas for this. This is outside the "budget" of the resources you have--safety, availability of other parent to help drive, resources of gas and time, etc. My daughter has chosen this semester to take a once a week long class in English to get the better professor and it has worked out. I would either look at the 5:30 class or at waiting until next semester and doing something at home/online in the meantime to keep her skills up, even Khan Academy or the like if needed. From what I gather, it's not at all uncommon for high school students on a semester block schedule to have both long classes and a semester or even a semester and a summer break between classes in a subject. I agree that isn't ideal in math. Would she have access to tutoring if she runs into issues with the 5:30 class? I wouldn't be willing to do the 8 am class in winter even here where we have little chance of snow as often we get morning black ice situations that affect some areas but wouldn't necessarily close classes for the college. Weather is huge for me, especially as I get older and driving in the dark or in less than optimal conditions (heavy rain, for instance) becomes more challenging. At that time of the morning, you will also possibly be dealing with rush hour traffic which will complicate things even further and make the drive that much longer.

Maybe you are thinking of the expiration on the 1994 ban on selling assault weapons? Congress let that expire in 2004. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5946127/ns/politics/t/congress-lets-assault-weapons-ban-expire/#.Wdb6iGhSzDc It also limited the capacity of magazines to 10 rounds. As the article (from 2004) states, "Now, some gun manufacturers are planning to give away high-capacity magazines as bonuses for buying their weapons. Sales of formerly banned gun accessories, such as flash suppressors and folding stocks, are also expected to take off." It's my understanding that the bumpstock was put through under the claim that it would help those with disabilities, as was stated before, much like the current attempt to make suppressors (silencers) easier to get is being pushed under claims to protect hearing. http://www.npr.org/2017/03/21/520953793/debate-over-silencers-hearing-protection-or-public-safety-threat. It looks to me like it's a situation of unintended consequences, though those consequences should have been pretty easily predicted IMO. Can someone explain why assault weapons and high capacity magazines should be available to the general public?

Check these: https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/16-reasons-why-instant-pot-not-sealing/

We had an issue with shoes. The AG dolls had wide feet and other shoes didn't fit, but that was several years ago.

We used H&R Block's Budget Challenge https://hrblock.budgetchallenge.com/

We did (though it was on individual applications since her schools don't use the common app). In addition to youth group activities, our director of religious education is one of her recommenders and her work experience is her new paid job in the church nursery. ETA: In our case, it is also a bit of a screening process in whether the school will be a good fit, since we specifically list that it's Unitarian Universalist, which is not a Christian church. It goes along with my daughter listing her involvement in LGBT groups and, at least in some essays, mentioning being Neopagan. Better to get that out of the way if it's going to be a major issue. Of course, we've also already done as much vetting as we can to be sure the school is welcoming and diverse. It wouldn't work to have to try to fly under the radar and pretend to be something she isn't for four years.

We've had specific requests for a resume from schools, sometimes for admissions, sometimes for scholarships. It's also helpful to provide to recommenders and in applying for jobs/volunteer positions.

My go-to stores for unusual decorations are IKEA, World Market, maybe Pier 1.

Search on "calendar candle" and you might find more options. I saw several come up from Etsy.com. This shop seems to have the closest match. https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheGardenRoom1?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=19659299

That's how my relatives on my dad's side from a rural area on the border of NC/SC and my dad say my daughter's name (well, he does half the time, half the time it's a more regular pronunciation). Similarly, I'm "Kay-wren" to them. At home and in my husband's family, it's "Serr-ah." My grandmother on the other side always said an "er" for an ending "a" ("Almer" for her friend Alma, "High-war-yer" for Hawaii, "Acklanter" for Atlanta, etc), so I wonder how she'd've (is that a legit contraction for writing? Hmm, I say it all the time) said it. "Say-rer," maybe? We're all in about the same 100 square miles of the border of NC/SC. I think the difference is more urban vs rural, with the urban having a much, much higher concentration of transplants from other areas to help modify the accent somewhat. We're also in the Piedmont rather than the mountains, as the mountains definitely have a different accent. I have an aunt from the NC mountains, but I can't remember at the moment how she has said Sarah. Probably more like the "Say-ruh," since she's my dad's brother's wife, so there's a mixing there of the two accents (NC mountain and rural Piedmont NC/SC).

My daughter is one of three Sarahs (though one doesn't use the h) in her high school level Girl Scout troop. She was named after her great-grandmother.

We're in a house in the town limits, so we get two large roll-out cans, one for trash and one for recycle (different colored lid, all recyclables go in together). We roll them out to the curb for pick-up. Trash is once a week, recycle once every other week on the same day. Bulky item pickup has to be scheduled and is once a week on a different day, like furniture, lawn mowers, appliances, etc. Brush and yard waste are done once a week---leaves piled and not bagged, limbs no more than 6 foot long are to be stacked together with cut ends parallel to the street and at least 8 feet from any landscaping or stationary object and not under low-hanging power lines.

My daughter has received an acceptance to Catawba College in NC via email, packet to arrive shortly but no info yet on financial aid. Scholarship competitions for the larger scholarships are by invitation and happen later, so we'll see what happens. She has five other applications out, with some needing additional info. There's at least one that will not likely send out any acceptances until January.