Good morning Spy Car, one word-- menudo.

I come across really nice tuxs regularly on my thrift excursions. Seems like you will come across several over the next six months.

2 out 3, but we need to wait til April 1st before he decides.

nuff said.

My son has always attended one of those schools. But, I have no suggestions for you. The choice is so student and family specific. Though, I do note that I have been on this board since he was in the fourth grade. In order to get the most out of our situation, I still had to afterschool what is considered to be a top rate education,

Sad, but true. Glad Cal holds the Axe.

That reminds me that there is one more coming April 1st.

Well, that confirms everything I ever heard about not trusting CollegeConfidential.

I like the countdown clock in the link.

I don't know anything about registration for new SAT. But, If at all possible, I suggest she takes the old SAT in the Fall. Tons of prep material for the old test. She can later take the new SAT, and then choose which score to submit. I expect things to be screwy with the new SAT for a while.

One way the UC and Cal State systems are preparing for the cliff is by easing cc transfer: https://news.yahoo.com/uc-proposes-first-time-systemwide-020858562.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall.

My son's school.has an honor track.and an AP track Only AP track is weighted.

I don't about the merit aid aspect, but a school in most parts of S. Cal. would put him within a couple of hours drive of the ocean, mountains, snow, desert, etc, and easily such diversity as snow and the ocean in the same day.

I had to look up Calvet. I was not aware of this benefit for those who sacrificed greatly in service.

As I recall from your postings, your son is a heavy weight in math. Has he considered the San Diego Math Circle. https://www.sdmathcircle.org/ It could be another activity for his app. My son's circle always has one or two admits to MIT.

Announced that it will be 7:00 pm e.s.t.

No real hook, but he is a top student at a well known feeder school. Probably helped more that he has 10 years in a top tier math circle, and a slightly possible golf walk-on. But he did nothing to be recruited (no ncaa clearance) and did not suggest he would play college ball.

My kid had grades and scores, but very weak on competitive awards. He listed it as an award, along with AP Scholar with Distinction. He has outstanding college results. He did not apply to any UC, or any test blind school, because he was relying on test scores. But, I understand that NMSF on app is an indication to schools that are test blind, that the student most likely did very well on the SAT. As to NM scholarship , he had no interest in going to those regions where schools give big money, and free rides, for finalist. eta that AP scholar award is another signal to test blinds schools that the SAT scores are probably high.

My local solidly middle class high school occasionally produces one NM. The kids don't prep at all for the exam. The rare student who does earn NM is typically the valedictorian and heads to some outstanding college. But within 4 miles of this school are 3 outstanding public school districts in solidly upper middle class, to low upper class neighborhoods (In So. Cal, some very rich zip codes actually abut some very much lower income zip codes). The kids at the wealthy public H.Ss. kids start taking the psat in eighth grade. At 11th grade, the schools each have around 20 NMSF. The $2500 finalist money means nothing to them. most don't complete the finalist process. But it is seems to be a required bump for their highly selective college application. So, you would think that my local middle class h.s. would put more-or even some- effort into the NM competition considering the output is far more consequential for them.

The kids not aiming for the top Ucs don't worry about the AP exams because the scores have nothing to with overall class rank. A few 'A's from any AP weighted classe gives them more than a 4.0 overall gpa and places them in that magical 9% mandate. The kids have been gaming this for a long time.

This is my experience as well. Over the last 20 years, I have been involved with college admission for over 100 kids graduating from our local well regarded, but solidly middle class, public high school. All are children of relatives, friends, and parents who know my backgorund that have asked for me help with applications. For this group UC Irvine is their number one choice-- close to home and cheap. All of these kid get "A' in Ap Chem, Ap Calc AB, and APUSH. They are not the ones taking 10 AP classess--those kids are aiming for Berkeley. They get "A"s because teacher include homework, class participation, and attendance in the overall grade. Not one that I am aware of has gotten better than a 3 on an AP exam. But they all get into UC Irvine because of California's top 9% mandate. (https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/freshman-requirements/california-residents/local-guarantee-elc.html) They alll go to Irvine premed. But, after freshman year they all changed to liberal arts. . Not one MD out of a hundred students.

Looks like college sports will go also go away: https://www.aol.com/st-francis-brooklyn-cuts-college-211635111.html

I am not knocking your generosity, but I would not be surprised if all three are operating under the same umbrella, and sharing database.

Hey Comrade, now "marginalized"? Convince me that you are not reading from the Red Book. But , before you accuse me of belittling marginalized folks, tell me what in my post suggested which group my kid is in at that school?

Heck, I am just joking around. The only time I would expect to read meritocratic ideal, scrap/holes, and lesser cadre/classes in a sentence is in a socialist/communist manisfesto.