The longest thread ever

[-jk]

I don’t have a child yet, but I also plan to push for State U., along with the distinct hope that said offspring decides that they find their inspiration in the notion of being a plumber or an electrician.

Good money there, but rough on the knees and back...

-jk

[mattman91]

Mine too.

Let's blame allergies.

I think you are right...

[Bostondevil]

Thanks for sharing. Maybe I'll pick up where you left off. Based on the financial wisdom of Mrs. Turk and my own encounters with some recent college grads, I am also becoming a believer in the value proposition of Big State U. My middle Turks, Felix and Oscar, are happy and successful at Pitt. I went to their first-year engineering conference (designed to simulate industry conferences, with research, papers, and suit-and-tie presentations), and was absolutely blown away. It blew the doors off of anything I would have been able to do in any subject my freshman year, even giving an allowance for the chisels and stone tablets we had to use back in the day.

We are starting the process again with the baby Turk, Sunshine, who is finishing her junior year. She has no clue what she wants to study or where she wants to go. She doesn't even know what she DOESN"T want to study, or where she DOESN'T want to go - we are usually able to at least start there...

I made a rough estimate of how much money I've spent just on applying to college for my 3 sons. By the time you factor in taking the SAT, take AP exams, sending the SAT scores, sending the AP scores, and the application fees themselves, plus one that has done the process twice, I've spent over $7000. I've got one more kid. Poor thing - I'm not going to let him apply to any "reaches". If he's got straight A's and top tier SATs, I'll let him apply to Duke and Harvard because of the family connections. In fact, that's his application list right there, Duke, Harvard, and UVM. He can add one or two more schools that look better than 50-50 in Naviance, maybe. I'm not spending a boat load of money chasing an impossible dream anymore. And if he doesn't have the straight A's/top tier SAT scores, he's not even applying to Duke.

I've been told by insiders who know such things that the hardest declared major in terms of acceptance rates is undecided. Tell your daughter to pick something, even 2 somethings. She doesn't have to stick with it, but it's a lot harder to get accepted without picking something. Also, sounds like college visits are a must. Has she gone with you to Pitt? Does she like Pitt? Maybe start with that - schools like Pitt if she likes it, schools not like Pitt if she doesn't.

[weezie]

My throat is getting sore and I'm not too happy about it.

At least try a warm salt water gargle. I always bellow at my doctor husband to give it a shot when he feels a sore throat coming on and he usually laughs and agrees.

And to all you parents of soon-to-be-entering-college offspring, take a bow. I guarantee that you have passed a major milestone and it will, yes, get better from here on.
The bigger the kid, the bigger the worry but these little darlings do actually start taking the reins of their lives and they will surprise you!

So, well done parents!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I think you are right...

Pisgah Pale Ale helped mine.

Sent you a referral this morning.

[brevity]

I hate firing people more than I hate raw sewage.

Finally, raw sewage in a positive light. I never thought I would get to post this.

[YmoBeThere]

At least try a warm salt water gargle. I always bellow at my doctor husband to give it a shot when he feels a sore throat coming on and he usually laughs and agrees.

He agrees with the prescription, but does he take his medicine?

[weezie]

He agrees with the prescription, but does he take his medicine?

He's a very well trained husband. Many years of intensive, consistent reinforcement have resulted in one of the finest husbands in the land.

Except for his hoarding thing...

[duke79]

I don’t have a child yet, but I also plan to push for State U., along with the distinct hope that said offspring decides that they find their inspiration in the notion of being a plumber or an electrician.

LOL, as someone who has recently suffered a large number of "household problems", including a malfunctioning septic system, a leaking hot water heater, various electrical problems, rodent (large and small) infestations and who has subsequently had to write large checks to the plumber, electrician, excavation "guy", exterminator, etc., I'm not sure that for some kids, at least, learning a trade may not be a better life route than spending enormous amounts of money on college with no guarantee of a high-paying career when done with the fancy education.

[duke79]

I made a rough estimate of how much money I've spent just on applying to college for my 3 sons. By the time you factor in taking the SAT, take AP exams, sending the SAT scores, sending the AP scores, and the application fees themselves, plus one that has done the process twice, I've spent over $7000. I've got one more kid. Poor thing - I'm not going to let him apply to any "reaches". If he's got straight A's and top tier SATs, I'll let him apply to Duke and Harvard because of the family connections. In fact, that's his application list right there, Duke, Harvard, and UVM. He can add one or two more schools that look better than 50-50 in Naviance, maybe. I'm not spending a boat load of money chasing an impossible dream anymore. And if he doesn't have the straight A's/top tier SAT scores, he's not even applying to Duke.

I've been told by insiders who know such things that the hardest declared major in terms of acceptance rates is undecided. Tell your daughter to pick something, even 2 somethings. She doesn't have to stick with it, but it's a lot harder to get accepted without picking something. Also, sounds like college visits are a must. Has she gone with you to Pitt? Does she like Pitt? Maybe start with that - schools like Pitt if she likes it, schools not like Pitt if she doesn't.

I've often wondered ...does it really matter in terms of admission to the highly-selective colleges and universities what a prospective student tells them they are thinking about about majoring in? Is it really a factor in who gets admitted or doesn't get admitted? I realize schools don't necessarily want their entire student body to be Economics or Sociology majors and they want students with different intellectual interests but, given how many kids change their minds about majors once they get to college (more than 50%, I believe), it would be a somewhat futile effort to try balance out the admissions process based on predicted majors.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I'm so checked out.

I physically leave for vacation on Friday, but I've been mentally gone since yesterday.

Have a phenomenal trip!

[OldPhiKap]

Have a phenomenal trip!

+ 1. May it be what you hope it will be, and more.

[Bostondevil]

I've often wondered ...does it really matter in terms of admission to the highly-selective colleges and universities what a prospective student tells them they are thinking about about majoring in? Is it really a factor in who gets admitted or doesn't get admitted? I realize schools don't necessarily want their entire student body to be Economics or Sociology majors and they want students with different intellectual interests but, given how many kids change their minds about majors once they get to college (more than 50%, I believe), it would be a somewhat futile effort to try balance out the admissions process based on predicted majors.

Hey, it's what I've been told by friends who would know. Yes, kids change their majors and colleges know this - they know roughly how many are going to change their minds and they know roughly from what to what. Very few kids start out wanting to major in English and wind up in physics, for example. Colleges do try to balance their classes. As my friend who used to work in admissions at a highly selective school once told me, they roughly divided everybody into "techies" or "fuzzies", their nicknames, not mine. This friend also told me that my oldest absolutely should list a first choice major even if he hadn't quite made up his mind between physics, chemistry, or another science. He said that his interest in science would be obvious from his activities and high school courses but it would not serve him well in the application process to say he was undecided about a major. His advice was to pick one. That's my advice too.

Also - I don't know about all other state schools, but at both UMass and UVM where Number 3 son was accepted this year - you do have to apply to a specific major. Granted, neither UVM or UMass counts as highly selective so, I'm not really answering your question. I forget the exact wording, but UMass even told us something along the lines that there were limited slots for undecided students. It is also true at UMass that you cannot just switch into certain majors. I know that if you want to study computer science there, you have to apply as a computer science major. For computer science in particular, UMass strongly suggests that you list a 2nd choice and I have heard of kids who are accepted to UMass but not as computer science majors. They can apply to switch into computer science after their freshman year but it's competitive. Now - is that a big state school thing? I don't know. It's a UMass thing though. It did seem less restrictive at UVM. Number 3 listed classical civilizations as his 1st choice and linguistics as his 2nd choice. He was accepted as a classical civilizations major, but, I think that has more to do with who will be assigned as his adviser at the summer orientation program. That does seem to be a state school thing, incoming freshman are required to attend one of several 2 days orientation sessions over the summer where they get registered for classes among other things. Number 2 did that at Michigan State prior to his freshman year too. UMass has it as well.

One place that I know having a declared intended major really matters - the wait list. Selective schools pick students off the wait list based on perceived holes in their incoming classes once all the deposits are in.

[wilson]

LOL, as someone who has recently suffered a large number of "household problems", including a malfunctioning septic system, a leaking hot water heater, various electrical problems, rodent (large and small) infestations and who has subsequently had to write large checks to the plumber, electrician, excavation "guy", exterminator, etc., I'm not sure that for some kids, at least, learning a trade may not be a better life route than spending enormous amounts of money on college with no guarantee of a high-paying career when done with the fancy education.

Yeah, I’m not joking at all. These are necessary vocations, potentially lucrative businesses, and we have a documented shortage of tradespeople right now.

[weezie]

...does it really matter in terms of admission to the highly-selective colleges and universities what a prospective student tells them they are thinking about about majoring in?

Since the admissions offices all seem to want to plumb what an applicant's passion is, I imagine that's why it still helps to label a kid.

So utterly ridiculous, the word passion. Ugh passion.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Since the admissions offices all seem to want to plumb what an applicant's passion is, I imagine that's why it still helps to label a kid.

So utterly ridiculous, the word passion. Ugh passion.

My passion at 17 was nothing like where I ended up in life.

[OldPhiKap]

My passion at 17 was nothing like where I ended up in life.

My passions at 17 were sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. Now at 52 it’s Viagra, single malt, and a nap.





(For all the LurkingPK’s, I guess I need to say — j/k)

[YmoBeThere]

Ugh passion.

To really understand the word we need to break it down into its component parts, pass and ion.

Pass - to move in a specified direction

Ion - a compact car produced by the now defunct Saturn division of General Motors

So, really what the admissions departments want to know is if you see a small car while you are out walking, what would you do?

[DukieInKansas]

Yeah, I’m not joking at all. These are necessary vocations, potentially lucrative businesses, and we have a documented shortage of tradespeople right now.

Very true. Not everyone needs, or should, go to college. Learn to weld and be willing to work on the highest floors and there is a lot of money heading your way. My favorite person is the garbageman. He comes to my house and hauls off my trash. In my city, starting pay is just over $56K. Not too shabby. (Wouldn't do much in NYC but is adequate in KC metro area.)

[YmoBeThere]

The big welding demand here in South Central Texas is for pipelines. The starting pay is usually around 60k but with all the overtime they usually get, they are more likely getting 100+.