This discussion has been moved.
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Moved: Chance my daughter - NYUAD
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Binghamton v. Rutgers
Hi all,
I recently got accepted to both Binghamton University and Rutgers. I like both of them for different reasons, so it makes it hard to nail down a definitive decision of which one I prefer more. Rutgers would be cheaper for me as a NJ resident, but I think the higher cost of Binghamton could be justified if it provides more bang for my buck. I want to major in political science and go on to law school. If anyone has any input, it would be much appreciated!
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Need advice on school choices
First time poster here. I've been lingering CC for quite a while now as I navigate this quamire of college selection with DS, a senior.
Son has recently decided he would prefer a smaller school. He is very bright, non-partying; introverted; not super outdoorsy though he loves to ski, loves to travel; is liberal; nonjudgmental; not into sports; VERY into current events/politics; wants a collaborative not competitive environment. He would never discuss grades or test scores with others. He is open to anywhere in the country. He wants to be surrounded by smart and committed students. He does not want a cliquey school- so no school with big greek presence. He is a bit 'quirky' in the sense that he isn't your stereotypical sports-playing, music listening kid. He has no social media presence. He is someone who would prefer a small group of good friends and is pretty exhausted after being around people all day. Dorms with 3 to a room would be a nightmare for him. Pot and cigarette smoke give him horrendous headaches.
DS believes he would like to study IR or public policy, PPE or the like. However, he enjoys science as well and could possiby consider a combination of policy and health science or chemistry.
His first choices right now (all reaches due to selectivity) are Haverford, Carleton (though he hasn't visited), Georgetown and Pomona. He would prefer a smaller LAC, however he is extremely interested in the Georgetown SFS so this is his one exception. He will apply to our state flagship as a likely/safety.
He has a 33 ACT (single sitting) and he is not interested in taking it again. He did not take the SAT. This is fitting to his personality....I would have probably taken each test several times.
Can you please suggest some good fit schools for interest/personality you think my son should research? If you have comments on any schools mentioned given his personality and interest it would be greatly appreciated.
Some schools he is considering: Grinnell; CMC (but I hear it has a partying atmosphere); Oberlin, Occidental (though he's not crazy about it); Whitman, and Tufts (though again he'd prefer a LAC).
Thanks for your input!
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Request from College Coach... should we?
My daughter plays HS lacrosse-- it is very competitive here (South Jersey) and she would like to play in college. We have no delusion about some giant scholarship or something-- honestly she just wants to play and go to a nice school with her desired major that we can afford. If she gets a little bit of $$ for LAX that is a bonus. She is a junior right now.
So she started looking and has gotten in contact with several coaches. Her top school is Grand Valley (D2) in Michigan. It has a great merit scholarship program which we expect she will be able to achieve (still doing SAT and ACT thing as she is a junior but her GPA is well within range for decent merit). The coach has told her there are still a few spots for her year on the LAX team and would she come to a 5 vs 5 tournament in February so they can see her play, she can take a campus tour and then speak with the coach about the program.
The school is an awesome fit for her, and even has a direct flight from our home airport-- my step daughter has an all day travel thing with her school, which is fine as it is a great school for her too-- but a 2 hour direct flight is pretty sweet.
Now, the coach isn't allowed to have her do official (paid) visit until senior year so this would be unofficial. It would be nice to wait so we wouldn't have to pay but it seems that some offers are already being made to juniors so it may be time to get on the bus-- or she may not have the chance.
Would you take the trip if you were me? There are only so many LAX programs out there and it whittles down to less when we are talking schools we can afford and schools where her play level may be a match-- she isn't a D1 big name school player but would hold her own I think in a school like this.
HELP!
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Have any colleges or high schools been able to moderate dangerous levels of alcohol/drug use?
It appears that every college and high school has programs aimed at moderating dangerous levels of alchohol/drug use. Have any schools been successful in creating meaningful decreases of use/abuse? If so, what are the names of the schools and what are the tactics that produced a change?
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Penn State diploma wording from a 4 year branch campus
I keep hearing conflicting answers so I thought I would ask. If you graduate from a 4 year penn state branch campus does the wording state only "the Pennsylvania State University ". Or "the Pennsylvania State University " the behrend college or something like that?
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Dear parents: How can I let dad know that I might not go to the school he wants me to go to
Hello!
I am a current senior. I have been accepted into a school that my dad REALLY wants me to go to (McGill) and a few other schools. I have a top 5 (Kenyon, Midd, Bowdoin, McGill, and College of William and Mary), and I need to wait for RD to here back from the others. A downside of McGill is the class size. I already tried to let him know how I feel, and he keeps on letting me know that's a horrible idea. Advice?
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Am I crazy to suggest that DS skip campus tours?
My DS is a Junior and early next year we start checking out campuses in a serious way. After reading about the experiences of others, it seems that informal, self-directed activities on campus (e.g., having lunch in cafeteria, asking students you meet questions, checking out the school paper and bulletin boards, etc) tend to be more insightful than taking a group tour with a student guide. Is this a crazy notion? How many of you have found group tours to be a good use of time?
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Parents of Applying Seniors, Be Honest About Finances Now
If you didn't have a frank talk with your student about finances when he or she was a junior (see http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1638399-parents-of-high-school-juniors-talk-finances-now-p1.html), you really need to do it now. I wrote this in the other thread: If you are the parent of a high school junior who will be applying to colleges next year, now is the time to take a close look at what you will be willing and able to pay toward your kid's college education--and to make sure your kid understands it. You may never have told your kid about your family's finances--now, you must do so, even if you'd rather not. Don't be the subject of a thread next year when your kid says, "My parents told me I could apply to any college I wanted and they'd make it work, but now they're saying I have to go to the relatively undesirable college that's giving me a scholarship."
So, look at some price calculators on college websites, get financial advice, think about whether your kid will have to have scholarships, what you feel comfortable borrowing (if anything), what you will expect your kid to contribute, whether you will expect your kid to pay back any of the money you spend on education, etc. And share the result with your kid. There should be no unpleasant surprises when acceptances come in next year--at least, there should be no surprising changes in your position.
This is even more important now, when they are actually applying.
Another point from the old thread, and relevant for a lot of CC families: Essentially every student who has the stats for a highly selective college will have much, much cheaper options--probably even virtually free options. This should not come as a surprise to anybody, and you should have a discussion NOW about what you will do if your kid is admitted to Selective College at a high cost and Good State College for much less cost.
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Feedback/Help on Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter
Hello! So as the title says I'm looking for input on an appeal letter. It's actually my boyfriend's, not mine, although I did help edit it already. However as I've never exactly done this before I wanted some more feedback, and got his permission to post it here. Here it is:
-Appeals person-:
I completely understand that my GPA wasn't sufficient to meet the standards of Champlain, however I do want to ask you to reconsider.
Near the beginning of the semester I had a very difficult time adjusting to both college life and being so far from home. I also had problems receiving sufficient medication for my ADHD and buying the books and supplies I needed for my courses on time, setting me far back compared to my peers. I have since adjusted and have figured out the arrangements I need to attain the things that I need to be successful at Champlain, so these problems should no longer be a factor.
I also realize that my study habits were in dire need of improvement. Throughout high school I was able to do well without working very hard, and came to Champlain with the same mindset. I have now learned that that will not be the case, and have begun to change my ways to focus more on my academics and meet the challenges that come with the rigor of a college course. I met with my counselor twice throughout the semester and also met with all of my teachers to discuss how I could improve. Looking at my grades, you can see that I did indeed manage to pick up my slack, even pulling as far as to bring my Statistics grade from a failing mark to a B. However, it seemed that for most of my other classes I had taken too long to realize my mistakes and ran out of time to correct them.
If you agree to allow me back into Champlain, I promise I will improve my academic standing. I will continue to meet with my counselor on a regular basis to make sure I stay on top of my work, even writing up a complete schedule if that's what's needed. I will talk to my teachers when I need aid and find tutors when I'm struggling with a course, and I will continue to improve my study habits by spending more time in the library to avoid distractions and in study groups to obtain help, putting all of my focus on my academics.
With these actions I believe I will be able to succeed at Champlain, so I ask that you please give me a second chance to prove it to you.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
-name-
Besides this I was wondering what else he should send in? It seems people say you should have evidence, but what exactly does that entail? I believe so far we have emails between him and his counselor and proof of his improvement in statistics. Would that be sufficient or am I on the completely wrong track?
Thanks for any input :3
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Social Justice at Oxford - "my turn, my turn !"
Reminds me of that line from Glen Close in Fatal Attraction " I won't be ignored "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12060780/Oxford-student-who-wants-Rhodes-statue-down-branded-hypocrite-for-taking-money-from-trust.html
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New provisions to 529 Plans
On December 18, President Obama signed the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act (PATH). The changes to 529 Plans include:
Computers, laptops and other related technology are now a Qualified Education Expense, as long as they are used primarily by the beneficiary while enrolled in school. The school does not have to require the computer equipment. This would include costs for Internet access. Retroactive to January 1, 2015, so you have a couple of days to make a withdrawal from a 529 plan this year for any 2015 expenses.
You now have a 60 day window to return 529 Plan withdrawals to a Plan if a student has to withdraw from school due to illness or for other reasons, also retroactive for 2015 (for withdrawals made up to December 18, you actually have until February 16, 2016 to return the 2015 withdrawals). There would be no taxes or penalties for withdrawals returned to the 529 Plan in the 60 day window.
http://www.savingforcollege.com/529_news/index.php?page=plan_news_by_type&plan_news_type_id=2
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Are you all giving your kid an allowance for college? If so, how much?
Surely this is one of those topics that's covered over & over here but i"m not seeing a thread that's really clear about it.
I'm wondering how much - if any - that you all are giving your kid once they're in college. In our situation, D has always had paying jobs and I haven't given her an allowance since 9th grade...she pays her own way. But I do buy some things...her prom dress...or I pay for dinner when we all go out....or backpacks for school, etc.
Now i'm wondering what we should do here...she won't be working at college (maybe starting 2nd semester but she's new to the city and would have to find a job first) and will have savings but no income. She'll be in the dorms, on a meal plan, no car.
So I had been thinking $25 a week....$100 a month. But my colleague (his D is now a sophomore) said, "no way! We do $100 a week and that's pretty common."
What do you all do? And do you break it down or just a lump sum?
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Gap Year: Get off the conveyor belt!
I've been pro-Gap for years, but it solidified after I read "College Unbound," "Paying for the Party," "In the Basement of the Ivory Tower," and "Debt-free U." We have too few gappers to have good stats, but consider the dismal 4- and 6-year-graduation rates. I think taking a year to simply work -- yes, even at a minimum wage job -- will lead to less major-switching. Freshman women are at higher risk for assault. Women who are a year older may have more street smarts. I think going straight to a 4-yr college should be the exception rather than the rule. Opinions?
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Could this be a problem???
Hi,
I was diagnosed with pneumonia a week before my final exams so I unfortunately couldn't give them; hence instead of wasting a year, I decided to give Cambridge A level Examinations.
SAT 1 :- 2300(Math - 800, W - 750, CR - 750)
SAT 2 :- M2 - 790, Phy - 790
APs:-
AP Calculus AB : 5
AP Calculus BC : 5
AP Computer Science A : 5
AP Computer Science Principles : 5
AP Statistics : 5
AP Macroeconomics : 5
AP Microeconomics : 5
GRADES : -
9th : 9 CGPA(Out of a Possible 10)
10th : 9.2 CGPA(Out of a Possible 10)
11th : 86%
12th: 10 A*
Could this be a problem? Will one year of homeschooling ruin my chances at Ivy league schools??
IMO my grades are pretty good.
Would it help if I ask my counselor to mention that I couldn't give the exams due to medical reasons on my transcripts?
Best.
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Graduate School
I'm tempted to subtitle this "And you thought undergrad was expensive!"
Our plan has always been that we'd put DS though undergrad and grad school is up to him. That is basically still the plan (he graduated undergrad last year) but out of curiosity I looked up some MBA programs near where he lives now and holy cow! My BIL attended a top MBA program and I knew that was out-of-this-world expensive but I had no idea that even "middle of the road" programs could come in near 100K!
DH and I paid for grad school on our own (combination of paying ourselves, military paying with resulting obligation for service, GI Bill and scholarships) but I wonder how others did it? Did your company pay for any of it? If so, did you have an obligation to that company afterwards? Are you planning on/are you helping your children pay for grad school?
Also, how do/did you decide that grad school was worth the investment? DH had to get a masters to get to the level of promotion he desired in the military and I switched careers making a new degree basically mandatory but how do you know if you need a, for example, MBA?
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One Wrong Move -- a teacher's essay about student stress
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/12/one-wrong-move.html
About parent and student stress in a system that is perpetually trying to evaluate for flaw, not encourage for success.
This was sent to me by a teaching friend --- it's kinda long, but at the end this teacher describes talking to his students about their value and worth and I hope we all find teachers like this for,our students.
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Transfer college or continue at NCSU
I am currently attending North Carolina State Univerisrty. I have 90 credit hours toward my science degree, I am also minor in accounting. However I am very unhappy with this major. Looking back on my life I realize I have no idea what I wanted to major in. I am also the first in my family to attend college, so it was rough. Over the years, I realize I should have major in economics, finance, math or accounting. My goal now in life is to become a financial analyst or data analyst. Also, my gpa is a C average become I work full time while in school, which I am working on improving. My questions is should I transfer colleges to major in one of the following degree above? Or graduate and maybe got a masters degree in one of the following above? I can't change my major become most programs want you to have a 3.2 in order change major at NCSU.
Thanks,
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Billionaires show that going to a top college isn’t very important
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/27/why-top-journalists-are-better-educated-than-billionaires/?tid=sm_fb
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Wheaton (IL) suspends Christian professor who wore a hijab
As a private college I suppose it is their right..but the thought police are apparently alive and well at the conservative colleges. It seems she was suspended not for wearing the hijab but for a facebook post she made:
I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God
If this were a public school one thinks it would be protected speech either way, no?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-wheaton-college-professor-larycia-hawkins-20151216-story.html
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