Dd is over the moon today--first regular decision acceptance is IN--she has an acceptance in hand from the University of Illinois early action, but then decided to apply to more in hopes of hitting the lottery. Today, she did--Bryn Mawr. The next week is going to be tough, with all the other decisions rolling in, but even if there's no more, she's thrilled, and so am I!! Danielle

I love J'apprends a lire and J'aime Lire (harder) as supplements. They are expensive, but one of them will last you a long, long time if you are just beginning French. I also adore le Petit Nicolas, but it will require using a dictionary probably on every page (although the pictures help). There are also a number of teen fashion magazines that might appeal to a junior high girl. Lots of goodies on this site, too. http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/ My best friend brushed up her French enough to interview in Belgium by forcing herself to watch the news every night in French. There are many, many sites that offer that now and even if you listen for 5 minutes a day, it helps. For Francophile parents, the Bonjour Paris newsletter (in English) is fun for cultural stuff. http://bonjourparis.com/

Is anyone else feeling agony over the next month? I just want March to be gone while we wait for any acceptances. Dd was accepted at the Univ. of Illinois and so has some place to go that she likes, but we decided to try for really competitive places since she already has a good school in hand. Everybody reports April 1st, supposedly. I thought the process was absolutely grueling. Probably spent 30 hours writing the Common App school report and homeschooling supplement. Two schools lost it and I had to resend it (we mailed it due to length). Then, there was about another 10 hours spent on financial aid (we have very complex taxes). I only have one child, and don't know how I could go through it. Dd cranked out more than 30 essays, despite the "Common App' just about everyone had a supplement. An interesting twist--her college essay was just awarded a Gold Key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. Hope the admissions people like it that much. And then there's the hysteria and mood swings from dd while she waits. What's so upsetting for both of us is that all this tremendous effort, and you have absolutely no control over the randomness of it all. No matter how good you are, how great the grades, how excellent the test scores and extra curriculars and awards, we hear everyday about outstanding kids turned down at every competitive school to which they applied. I just don't know how we would face 8 turn downs. Words of wisdom? Danielle

My dd just survived 8 Ivy League type interviews, so fwiw here's what she reports. Interviewers showed up in hoodies (twice), and otherwise were mostly in sweaters and jeans or (for the older ones) nice pants. Based on the questions in every single interview, dd advises that you shouldn't look too conservative as at least in her interviews they were clearly trying to ferret out whether she homeschooled because of conservative beliefs (not a positive, apparently). Her conclusion was to wear a dark rose colored short sleeve fitted jacket (from Coldwater Creek, no less) and a khaki skirt (American Apparel) with a long scarf from World Market and some mid-size earrings. Several interviewers commented on how nice she looked, so I guess it was successful. Certainly it depends on the school. With one exception, all her interviewers were 20s-early 30s (one was 40s). Every single interviewer (these were local alumnae) was female. On the road shows we attended, I saw plenty of admissions counselors with no stockings. Danielle

I haven't been around the forums for a long time (we're just completing our 10th year of homeschooling, much of it as WTMers) due to family issues that were just overwhelming, so it's quite interesting to see comments on First Start French, of which I'm the author. Of course, there are people that like or dislike almost any program (including WTM!) and we definitely found plenty of recommended programs over the years that didn't work for us, either. But I do want to clear up some erroneous information in the above posts, in case First Start French would help some people. First, I just re-read my own introduction and cannot see anything in it that could possibly be construed as "intro says if you really want to learn French you can just go to France." Of course, the ideal language learning experience for any language is to be immersed in it, while having some background instruction to make it easier. However, my introduction specifcally cites reasons why it's worthwhile learning a foreign language, EVEN IF you never actually travel to that country. I developed First Start French because I had the problem many people have mentioned--that I couldn't find any good grammar based program for a very introductory level of French. I wanted to give my daughter a basic grounding, focusing on structure. She had done quite well with Latina Christiana, and that is the exact model I based First Start French on--grammar with some reading practice. Is it as good as, say, French in Action? Absolutely not, but French in Action is challenging for junior high, and even for high schools. After all, it was designed as a college course. Also, the interest level for FIA and the topics it considers are IMHO too sophisticated for young kids. My daughter went on to use FIA, so I do have first hand experience with it. Is First Start French a complete French course? No, it's just meant as an introduction. IMHO, Rosetta Stone isn't complete either, but its levels cost upwards of $300, a considerable difference from First Start French. Complete authenticity? True, I'm not a native French speaker, but the program was vetted by a native speaker and an editor with advanced degrees in the language. I would agree that the audio cd of the first volume could be improved, but I had no control over that (it's not me on the recording!). That said, I've heard some pretty bad language recordings on much more pricey programs. Because I strongly believe that language requires participation between student and teacher, First Start French is not a program you can just hand to your kid and walk out of the room. It's designed to be a teach the teacher, then the teacher teaches the student. I highly encourage the supplementing of ANY language program, but this has to be balanced with student interest and time available. I don't believe in mind numbing repetition just for busywork's sake, but of course some students will need more practice in certain topics. I tried to give a good grounding in the basics, without producing an imposing phone book that would cause a young child to be intimidated and just give up. I do suggest a schedule that spaces out the learning over a week so that the student has some time to absorb the material between lessons. First Start French is intended to be a foundation and an introduction--not a program that will take a child to fluency, which even programs such as Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur do not do. Boring? True, there aren't a lot of pictures or games--it's not meant for very young children. Like practicing scales, foreign language requires a lot of memorization and practice. It takes a while to build up enough expertise to really use a language. I make many suggestions for supplements in newsletters which are available online at www.firststartfrench.com, and of course there are tons of rhymes and songs all over the web. The program won't work for everyone, but if you're seeking a grammar based program for middle grades that is relatively inexpensive, gives a solid foundation of grammar and vocabulary (based on syllabi for the National French Exam), is easy to use for a teacher with limited French, and serves as a road map for French exploration, I think it's worth a try. Memoria Press does give a money-back guarantee. Danielle L. Schultz

The Wall Street Journal ran a bunch of articles this morning on employers' recruiting at various colleges. Worth a look.. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703597204575483730506372718.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEFTTopStories

Jana, She used the MacGregor Burns textbook, and the readings book by Peter Walsh. Hippocampus has these as suggested books and she just followed along with the readings. BTW, on the College Board lists it seems that both the teachers and students HATE the James Q. Wilson text--not because of the politics, but because of the readability factor. When I looked into it, that was the one PA homeschoolers site used, so we ruled out that possibility--turned out not to be necessary--NROC/Hippocampus did the job. Danielle

I've followed a number of the College Board AP lists over the last 3 years, and I'm astonished at all the projects teachers cook up for AP classes. The first time around I was very intimidated and bought all the suggested books. Half way thru, dd chucked them all, stuck to one book, read it and did a review and got a 5 (Human Geo). Next, she tackled USGov, used the free program at the National Repository of Online courses along with reading a text. Another 5. This year she basically "read the book" for APComp Gov and used Thinkwell for Macroecon. We're keeping our fingers crossed, but she thought AP Compgov was a breeze and tomorrow is the Macro test. What I'm wondering is whether school kids get distracted by too much, and if they could just focus and study, it might work better. Yes, I know about learning styles and multiple streams of input, but sometimes, maybe supergluing your pants to the seat is what it takes to pass AP. Danielle

Has anyone here used Ben Kaplan's Scholarship Boot camp program? I'm familiar with his book, but I'd like to know what you thought of the DVD program--was it worth the $$? TIA Danielle

I'm currently studying to become a certified financial planner. One guy in the class is apparently already making a ton of money as a trader--history degree from Princeton. IMHO, undergrad is for buidling your mind and exploring possibilities, graduate work is where you hone in on making yourself employable, with maybe a year or two stop at some sort of job to try out ideas. Recently the Study Hacks blog had some advice which I thought was great--http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/02/18/want-a-job-dont-major-in-business/ He's suggesting you major in something interesting, but make sure you get some interesting skills that someone might actuall hire you for--to his list I'd add accounting or statistics or some type of computer stuff. Accounting, especially, will be useful even if you go into the arts. Also, I wouldn't let a kid get out of college (or high school, imho) without understanding the basics of investing. History is really valuable here. Jobs in econ or investments can really interest a humanities/social studies type. I know, I majored in sociology undergrad:001_smile: Danielle

I'd pile in the car and go visit. The best way to negotiate the financial aid is in-person. We've really found that even the canned tour tells us a lot about the school. I would not select as a final choice any school my dc had not visited in person--we've had some real surprises at places that looked great from afar. Also, Michelle, not sure I absolutely agree with your dh about being at the same school undergrad improves chances of getting accepted as a grad. In fact, at some places I think it hurts--many top schools want "breadth" of experience. Most undergrad profs have contacts at other schools for recommendations. Danielle

We were in New York at the end of January and toured Columbia. If anyone might be interested, I just posted a summary on my blog: http://mindscale.blogspot.com/2010/03/columbia-university-college-tour.html

Angela (and anyone else): It's been different for each class. AP Human Geo she read the De Blij book and watched some of the videos available on line at www.learner.org, then used a review book. Don't do what I did and buy Rubenstein or the projects book. Too much--De Blij is enough and the most engaging. Dd loved this class, and wouldn't give up the book. Scored a 5. AP US Gov she worked through the Edwards book Government in America and the Wohl book of readings, following the syllabus and watching the videos at NROC www.courserepository.org. Scored a 5 This year, for AP comparative government she is just reading two books from the College Board sample syllabi, Intro to Contemp Politics, O'Neill et al, and the Kesselman book of readings, plus a review book. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Next semester she is going to tackle Macroeconomics. So far I plan to use Thinkwell, and bought a subscription via Homeschool Buyers coop. If this isn't enough, there's more at www.learner.org, and we have an ancient copy of Samuelson around. I might have her read a couple of pop works, too, like Freakonomics. And, zzzzz, a review book. HTH Danielle

Dd has done her 2 APs with no specific background except the solid foundation WTM provided up until 8th grade. She did AP Human Geo in 8th grade, AP US Gov in 9th (no intro but watching the news and family discussions; we'd never done civics) and this year is doing AP Comp Gov and AP Macroeconomics. Just be prepared that these are A LOT of reading. I think the student has to be able to handle that more than actually knowing the subject. Which is interesting, because the kids I've talked to in college tours all say the biggest surprise about college was the amount of reading. So maybe AP IS a good prep! Danielle

I have for many years, and have just restarted my business after this hiatus of homeschooling. Tell her to go to college if she has any serious intention of making a living from writing! The way to make a living as a writer is to write for corporations, non-profits, etc. The average in my writers' organization for this type of work is near $100K. However, without a degree in something (science, business, healthcare, whatever) or an extensive portfolio of non-fiction writing, forget it. You have to actually KNOW something to write about. If she wants to go the creative writing route, and has solid evidence from outside evaluators that she is good at it (like prizes, mentors, etc.), then the route to making a living is a BA in English or Creative writing, followed by an MFA. This gives you the connections (via professors) to agents, publishers, and exposure in all the little magazines that establish a resume. Also, you get a gig somewhere teaching English/writing so you can stay alive while you're writing. Either way requires college. Or plan on waiting tables forever. The average advance for a book lately is $15,000, with plenty of "art" novels making more like $5,000. The advance is probably all you will ever make. Can you sell 3 $15,000 books a YEAR? And do it year after year after year? Not unless you're Isaac Asimov. Someone just told me that you have a better chance to play in the NFL than to have a best selling novel. I don't know where she got her stats, but sounds right to me. Not that I'm suggesting she give up writing. But planning to make a living writing best selling books is not a career plan, any more than starting a business without capital or expertise is a business plan. I see so many talented artists (musicians, painters, writers) forced to give up after a couple of years, because they don't get the breaks they're convinced their talent should produce. It's not that they're not good enough, it's that they had a bad business plan. I'm working on a book proposal on this right now, tentatively titled "What It Takes". Goes out to the first round of agents this week. Wish me luck. If she's interested, tell her to take a look at my writing website: www.gdwrtr.com. She can see my online portfolio for the type of writing that pays the bills. Also, she might like to look into NaNoWriMo--it started last Sunday, and there is a great teen program within NaNoWriMo, complete with discussion boards, etc. Danielle

AP may not be for everyone, but some kids DO want a challenging course. I'm not convinced CC's are that great (at least around here, they don't attract either the best & brightest teachers or students) and one admissions counselor told me that they prefer AP, in fact, if dd takes Chem at the CC, I'll probably still have her take the AP test. But said admissions counselor also told me that some APs are great (history, lit, French lit which is being eliminated) because they may be the only chance a kid gets to have an old fashioned survey course. In this era of specialization, overviews are not as popular on college campuses, and APs are one way of getting the "big picture", according to him. Re score distributions: if the tests are correctly scaled, the average score SHOULD be a 3. If everyone got 4s and 5s, the test is too easy. Unless it's Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average.:001_smile: Danielle

In what seems now like long ago, I bought the 5th grade series and the teacher guide. Couldn't get anyone to sign up at my local library to do a group (librarian said that after 5th grade, ps kids are too busy and don't read anyway!! Her comment, not mine) I thought the stories were very good, but no where near enough for a complete English program. My advice is to pick up the books at a used book sale (there's always stacks of them at our library sale) and use them for free-reading or a supplement. Danielle

Chiming in late here, but I'm a big advocate for testing. We, too, knew our dd was bright but were stunned when we got the actual results (profoundly gifted level). We really had no idea, and it really changed our idea of what level to pitch academics. by the time dd was tested (second grade) the tester told us that no really reliable measure could be obtained, because even on "adult" tests, she ceilinged out of so many measures. I say, test early. Depending on the results of the test, you might want to look into Davidson Young Scholars. The support they give can be useful, and they have great email groups. Danielle

FWIW, my dd has had some struggles for about a year now over my impending divorce. She's done okay, but not up to previous years or capabilities. The therapist had some really good advice (at least I found it comforting). His daughter is a therapist with a university health service. She sees many students who have some sort of emotional difficulty or physical illness during college, and says it's much easier when these things can be dealt with during high school--when the child is at home and has a parent on the case. When they're alone at university, they're pretty much on their own. Plus, he commented, every college application has a line for what challenges you've had to face and how you coped with them. So now you know what the essay topic will be!:001_smile: In the scheme of life, or even in high school/college, a down year doesn't really matter that much. It's tough to get through that year, but I think it will all "average out". We all hope to do the optimum, but sometimes we have to make peace with the best that's actually available. Danielle

Every competitive college catalog I've looked at says the student should take the most challenging classes available to them. For most kids, this may be AP. No question that school APs (and other classes) can be poorly taught--that's why some of us homeschool:001_smile: If you read the AP email lists, you'll mostly hear complaints by teachers about how their school systems are screwing up their classes. also intimidating for me was how many projects these teachers cook up as "supplementary" learning. Both APs that my dd has taken have required over 1,000 pages of reading, which seems to me already enough. As I've said before, it's a lot of work, but so far hasn't actually been that HARD. (She hasn't taken any science or math APs yet). Hard would be heavy duty reasoning. What she's had is just memorizing A LOT of terms and facts, and being able to string principles together in fairly short essays. In fact, on the AP Human Geo, she's sure she missed one of the three essays entirely, but still scored a 5. I can't speak about courses requiring labs (yet) but for AP Human Geo & AP US Gov, it was sufficient to read the book, watch videos from Annenburg & NROC, respectively, and take a practice test and several practice short essays. If she gets into the college of her dreams, they will give hardly any credit for any AP. Nevertheless, I think it validates my grades very well, and ups the bar for her a bit in amount of reading. Looks good on apps, too. IMHO, well worth doing. Danielle

Elisabeth Wissner-Gross has two books--What High Schools Don't Tell You and What Colleges...-- and they give a lot of information and opinions about preparing the best possible transcript and portfolio. They're not specifically directed at homeschoolers, and no one could possibly do everything she suggests. However, it may be the detail you're looking for. She's very focused on top colleges admission, but the books did prompt me into some hard thinking. Danielle

the real issue in true education is learning, not testing or assignments! Some things just have to be learned on paper/computer--math, some aspects of language. Other than that, what we primarily do is read (and talk about the readings). Her SATs/ACTs/APs have been great, she can link ideas from what she read. Think about what you remember--I remember what I read in high school and college, but I can't remember a single paper topic! And now I'm a professional writer! Danielle

Forgot--the same info is probably available elsewhere--Mortimer Adler's how to read a book, for example. But the ability to "time-shift" or make use of otherwise mindless time, like driving in the car, makes the Teaching Company audios valuable for me. As to the videos, we've used those as "lectures" and a way to learn to take notes. Both versions have their uses. Danielle

Maybe your library would buy it? It's a new series, so maybe a bit hard to get from libraries. We like it a lot. Probably you could sell it or even donate it to your library after you're done? Danielle

I've had best results with my dd when I try to work with her, not in opposition to something she really wants. Has he had a chance to do a shadow day--where he follows someone around all day? My dd did this at 3 high schools (1 public, 2 private) and had a good time at the public. Nevertheless, the impact on personal freedom, the lack of interest in the Odyssey class she attended, the noise, and the time she would have had to get up all cemented her initial desire to continue homeschooling. That said, if she had really wanted to go, I would have made some sort of agreement with her--such and such GPA, time spent on IM, time spent on weekends, etc. And I'd only agree on a semester by semester basis--not a whole school year. If you agree to it, it should be a privilege (as is homeschooling), since you are not in favor of it. Better to address your concerns ahead of time, with consequences attached, so the child is on board about what will be expected. I do agree that the parent's judgment is the important thing. Danielle