Yes, please, and thank you!! We are currently limping along through Giancoli's calculus based physics text. Great text, and ds is handling the material fine, but t's a struggle for me to figure out what to cover and what to skip. Also, we've only done 2 labs so far. Lots to do this spring!! Thank you so much!!

You are right, and my tone was out-of-line. My apologies.

Thank you! I will have ds see if this is the issue.

He actually already did this. Twice. The first time, she told him that she thought she had done everything on her end to finish submitting the recommendation, but that she would look at it again. She did, and she got back to him to say she had checked and the recommendation should be there, but it wasn't. So he talked to her a second time, and she told him that she didn't know what to do, and that if he could direct her to "support" she'd take a look at it with them. We aren't "ratting anyone out" to the administration, just trying to figure out who might be able to provide that support. The professor actually suggested we talk to the First Year Programs Counselor, who then directed us to the Advising Center. Also, he has thanked her for her time, both in an email and in a handwritten note that he mailed. In all honesty, I don't appreciate the tone of your response, suggesting that I'm subverting this woman's kindness. Ds is actually working with her to try to get the snag resolved; my frustration lies in the amount of time and effort that is involved in every little teeny tiny step of the college app process. The Common App is aggravating, in part because it isn't "common" once every school adds their own requirements to it. The schools that aren't Common App require all the same information, just on their own form. The recommendation letters sometimes have to be submitted electronically, sometimes through the common app, sometimes to an individual school, sometimes by mail. Some schools want a guidance counselor letter from homeschoolers, some don't. Some schools want extra outside validation, some want extra test scores, some want additional "evidence" of what schooling took place. Some want interviews. Some schools want lists of texts and courses accompanying the transcript. Some want a transcript and a resume. Some want a transcript, a form restating the transcript on the school's header, and a resume. It's very, very annoying. It's very, very time consuming. And it's very, very much this way for all students, parents, and school staff involved in the process, regardless of the student's educational background. The essays alone are enough to drive a person batty - I mean, some of the prompts!!! I assume the process is a headache for the college admissions staff as well, although for school staff and college staff, the annoyance is somewhat mitigated by the paycheck that comes with it. At the same time, as a professional, when the professor agreed to write the letter, she agreed to see it through to completion. She was not required to do this, nor should she have felt compelled to for any reason. His other recommenders have figured this out, and I'm not quite sure why the system is causing more trouble for her. But no one is "ratting her out," and I was in error for relaying my frustration in a way that implied that.

Just venting, but this process of applying to colleges is SO FRUSTRATING!! Ds asked two teachers to write letters of recommendation, and they both agreed. One is a professor who has led ds's math club for the past 2 years, the other is a CC professor that he took a class with this summer. The math club prof provided paper letters of recommendation (oddly, required by JMU to be submitted via USPS along with a paper copy of his transcript), as well as electronic copies to several non Common App schools and also to the Common App site. The CC prof said she would write a letter and started the process (indicated by the "incomplete" status on the Common App site), but then it stalled. Ds talked to her, she thought the thing was finished and submitted, but it isn't. Ds has already been contacted by one of the colleges that requires 2 teacher letters telling him that they only see 1 on the site. Arrgghh!! So now we've contacted the admissions/advising center at the CC to see if they can help. I know this isn't a homeschool only problem, and I've heard even more frustrating stories from friends with kids in brick-and-mortar schools. Run arounds on letters of recommendation, no assurance that transcripts are actually being sent, that sort of thing. But I'm still frustrated! And I'm thinking that if I can figure out how to jump through all the hoops and forms and submissions required to do this thing as a homeschooler, how hard can it be for this woman to click "Done" at the bottom of the page?!! Rant over. Trying to take a few deep breaths. It's not helping that we somehow have yellow jackets nesting in our siding, and now they're coming into the house. Unrelated to homeschool, college, or any of that, but it's not helping my frazzled state of mind!!

Last year, two of my kids read LOTR and worked through Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings (http://www.homescholar.org/LOTR%20Curr.htm). It was a great study for them, although I would have considered the books alone as high school level literature. At the time, they were 7th grade and 11th grade, and I did let the 7th grader skip some of the assignments. For both of them, it was the second time they had read LOTR, but I only gave "credit" for it last year. Anyway, I would say it is definitely a worthwhile read, and if you are looking for a formal structure to go along with the books, I'd strongly recommend the homescholar curriculum.

Great question to post! So many of these things seem obvious when you've been doing them for decades, but teens just haven't always had the chance to learn them. It's very helpful, in my opinion, for them to have been at least exposed to these practical things before they are facing all the changes that come with moving on to a more independent stage. Personal Finance Health course that includes a section on nutrition. Basic car maintenance - how to check and change a tire, how to check the oil and other fluids, how to jump start a car, etc. Study/Time Management Skills Basic Cooking (scramble an egg, boil water for pasta, simple one-dish meals) Basic Sewing (tack up a hem, sew on a missing button, sew on a patch for all those fun future scout/martial arts uniforms!) Laundry Skills - include hand washing, what you can and cannot dry with heat, stain treatment

That's a good idea that I had not even considered. Thank you!

Sets I, II and IV. That has worked well for us - strong math skills while not being an overwhelming number of problems to complete!

Thank you, everyone! Cleaning up the transcript to show year-long courses the year they were completed. It looks much better! I may make a second transcript by subject as well. I sincerely appreciate the help!

I am not sure what to do about some of ds's math courses on his transcript. He started to work independently on math when he got to high school, which resulted in starting some year-long courses in the spring of one year and finishing them in the fall of the following year. His transcript is split up into sections for Fr/Soph/Jr/Sr year, so at the moment, I am showing the classes the way he "took" them. But will it look too strange to see 0.5 credits in the spring of one year for a class, with the other 0.5 credit the following fall? I'm not sure if I should just put them on there starting the year he began the work, or leave them split. If I put them in the year he started them, though, he ends up with two complete courses his freshman year (Algebra II and Geometry), which is not really accurate. The classes are all in math, and he does have strong test scores (ACT, SAT, SAT Math II) to back up his math work, but I don't want to cause unnecessary confusion on the transcript. Any opinions? Am I stressing over something unimportant? I. HATE. TRANSCRIPTS. :crying: Thank you!!!

We recently had the 'opportunity' to pay a young locksmith $120 to cut us a new key when our keys were stolen at a waterpark! The locksmith was friendly and professional, but we waited 4 hours for him to arrive because, apparently, there are very few people in the locksmithing trade these days, so he was quite busy on a Saturday. Based on that single experience, I would say there is a need for more trained locksmiths!

My 13yo dd is a very intense, focused person, and I know I can't "change" that about her. Not sure that I would want to, b/c that does have it's strengths! However, her anxiety seems over-the-top at times, and I can't seem to figure out a way to get her to find a balance. I've tried to get her to see balance through her extracurriculars - i.e. telling her to imagine the intensity of a karate belt test vs. the intensity of a regular class in order to recognize that the extra physical and mental toll of a belt test day is not what is required at a regular class. I'm not sure she is completely making the connection. So, yesterday, I asked her to rank her stress on a scale of 1-10 for various activities - school, karate class, church activities, bike riding, etc. She ranked school as a daily 5-7, with the only higher stress being a karate belt test which she rated an 8 (she has recently earned her black belt, btw, after 5 years of training -- good intensity, I thought... Haha). Afterschool activities, summer, etc. she rated a 2-3, which seems like a good level for daily things. When I pressed her more on the school stress, she got very upset and said that she feels like she has to push herself really hard (and she does push herself even more than I push her) because "people" think that homeschoolers don't really do school, so she feels like she needs to show them how academically capable she is. Help!! What do I do/say/try? We talked about how she can't do things to try to please other people, we talked about why people might say those things, and we talked about how you can't change the attitudes of others intentionally (ironic). So now what? I sort of feel like we should totally relax school for awhile, but that would probably stress her out more. She did say that she (mostly) likes her schoolwork when she's doing it, but that she never feels like it's enough. On that front, she is working at or above grade level across the board, so I know she's doing more than enough, even if she doesn't. I'm worried and at a total loss. I do push my kids, but I don't think I push too hard. Their neuroses, though, seem to say otherwise. :crying: How do you judge the line between instilling a good work ethic and balancing work with fun and relaxation? And what do I do with my 8th grader who is going to give herself an ulcer before she is 16?!! Thank you!!

Ds is applying to colleges this fall, and he has asked a few people to write letters of recommendation for him. My question is for how many copies should he ask? I am guessing he will apply to ~5 schools, and certainly he could always ask for another copy if he needed it, but it seems more respectful of the letter writers' time to ask for them all at once. We just did this 2 years ago with my oldest daughter... you would think I could remember... Thank you!

Good point. We had a few students from our small homeschool math club take the AMC 10/12 last year, and when we called around to find a location, we had several schools who were willing to let our students sit for the test during their sessions. There was one day when just 2 of our group went to the local ps for the test, and another day when 6 of the kids took the test at a private school in the area. One of the schools even offered to let our students return for a review session with a math teacher after the test results were received. It was nice to be able to participate!

Us too. :crying: Just paid $425 for one 3-hour class, plus books (~$100). No deals, no free dual enrollment. But still not bad, in the grand scheme of things, I guess.... OK, so I'm jealous, too! B)

Thanks for the replies! I'm feeling, if not better, at least more accepting of where we are. ;) My older kids (one going into her sophomore year at a 4-year university in the fall, and the other a rising senior in the middle of his college search) maybe just have me stuck in the academic-academic-academic mindset where I've been ever since we started the college search process a few years ago with my oldest! Haha. I need to breathe and remember that they all doing fine and that it's all good. Maybe I just wish that *I* had a TIP/CTY program to attend, because they sound like fun to me! Thank you all.

Does anyone create their own at home "summer enrichment" program for gifted kids? We can't afford the price tag that comes with the various gifted-talented-youth programs, and I'm feeling incredibly guilty about not being able to send our older kids to any of them. Hoping to create some academically enriching experiences for my younger two. I probably shouldn't worry about it, and I should just keep doing what we're doing, but every summer I go through this phase of really, really wishing that I could send my kids because I think they'd love it! We do lots of art over the summer, and reading, and various sports that we don't participate in during the school year, so it isn't as if the kids aren't occupied. I just wonder if I should be doing more! Looking at having them do some coding, maybe, or some "assigned" reading in a genre they haven't explored much. Also, the child I'm looking at in particular this summer is a rising 8th grade dd. Thanks! Now out the door to ferry kids to activities. :)

Thanks for posting this! I just ordered; I've looked at a few of those ebooks in the past, but mostly just used her site. Now I'm stocked up on ebooks! :)

Same issue here! Try again with more shoulder. :)

Ds is using Thinkwell's chemistry course. If he skips the chapters that are omitted in the AP version (ch. 23, 25 and 26), does anyone know if the final exam is "smart" enough to substitute questions from those chapters with other material he has done, or does he have to do all of the chapters in order for the final to be relevant? I've sent the same question to Thinkwell; I'll post here if I hear back from them. Just trying to plot out the last few weeks of the year! Thank you!

Got it! Thank you for the input; I feel clear about it now. I sincerely appreciate the feedback.

Ds is taking Thinkwell Chemistry this year - the regular college level class, not the AP class, since he is not taking the AP exam and also because, looking at the topics covered, the regular course covers more than the AP course. I know that without taking the AP exam score he won't be able to get AP credit at college, but I am wondering what to call the course on his transcript. Can I still call it AP Chemistry, since it covers the same topics, or should I call it Honors Chemistry or something else? The table from the Thinkwell FAQ page (http://www.thinkwellhomeschool.com/how-it-works) seems to indicate that AP high school chemistry is equivalent to the regular (college level) Thinkwell chemistry course. Thank you for helping me with my confusion!

We used the red "The Real ACT" book (http://www.amazon.com/The-Real-Edition-Prep-Guide/dp/0768934400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399301580&sr=8-1&keywords=act+prep) and the advice in this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/507150-how-much-prep-for-act/?hl=%2Bact+%2Bprep&do=findComment&comment=5607905

Stone Fox by John Gardiner Floors by Patrick Carman (first in a 3-book series) Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood (first in a 3-book series) These have been well received here!