in which we attend our first meeting concerning College
With only a few scant hours until the premiere of Cloverfield, Middle and I dashed out to the very first school meeting for parents concerning applications to higher education.
The weather was bad and Middle was apprehensive as he was looking forward to the movie and had been roped into attendance at the school. By me.
The whole point of the meeting was to give parents the special access code to a computer program with which all applications/research/data could be stored during the university research process.
Middle called bullshit and predicted that the meeting would be little more than the addressing of parent concerns, a power point presentation, and the closely guarded code.
And he was right. The power point presentation, touting the program, greeted us on a large screen and administrators were present to address over-anxious parents with humorous comments about taking standardized tests in kindergarten and going through early admission procedures in third grade.
I took notes. And embellished at will.
There are important things to remember during the college application process. I am listing them here in case you have a junior and haven't been lucky enough to attend a meeting like ours:
1. DNA. Each and every student must have DNA to complete the application at his or her chosen university.
2. Chlorine. Usually there is some in our drinking water.
3. The Administration finds it helpful to start A File for all college information. Middle feels it's important to remember to Throw Things Out.
4. Keeping a calendar can be helpful.
5. Try to visit some colleges.
6. Get some suggestions from friends.
7. Ask your school counselor for help before considering hiring a private counselor.
8. Use the summer to do applications.
9. Get your child's transcript from the secretary of the guidance department.
10. Don't forgo quality for speed of application. Everyone wants to be First In Line.
After these salient points were presented and the guidance team began working to put out fires ("Early application is not key!") and cover their asses ("Early application is not key!"), Middle and I realized that we were not going to be given the coveted Family Code for the computer program for quite a while.
As a counselor launched into, um, counseling ("We ALL share responsibility for the process. There is much inherent tension during application time."), I told Middle to call me on my cell phone.
He did.
I answered it and, in a hushed tone, told him to follow two minutes after I left the auditorium --
which would have been the perfect escape had he not laughed out loud and said, "OH THAT WAS SMOOTH," upon meeting me in the lobby.
I'll pay money for that code later today, in the school parking lot.
The weather was bad and Middle was apprehensive as he was looking forward to the movie and had been roped into attendance at the school. By me.
The whole point of the meeting was to give parents the special access code to a computer program with which all applications/research/data could be stored during the university research process.
Middle called bullshit and predicted that the meeting would be little more than the addressing of parent concerns, a power point presentation, and the closely guarded code.
And he was right. The power point presentation, touting the program, greeted us on a large screen and administrators were present to address over-anxious parents with humorous comments about taking standardized tests in kindergarten and going through early admission procedures in third grade.
I took notes. And embellished at will.
There are important things to remember during the college application process. I am listing them here in case you have a junior and haven't been lucky enough to attend a meeting like ours:
1. DNA. Each and every student must have DNA to complete the application at his or her chosen university.
2. Chlorine. Usually there is some in our drinking water.
3. The Administration finds it helpful to start A File for all college information. Middle feels it's important to remember to Throw Things Out.
4. Keeping a calendar can be helpful.
5. Try to visit some colleges.
6. Get some suggestions from friends.
7. Ask your school counselor for help before considering hiring a private counselor.
8. Use the summer to do applications.
9. Get your child's transcript from the secretary of the guidance department.
10. Don't forgo quality for speed of application. Everyone wants to be First In Line.
After these salient points were presented and the guidance team began working to put out fires ("Early application is not key!") and cover their asses ("Early application is not key!"), Middle and I realized that we were not going to be given the coveted Family Code for the computer program for quite a while.
As a counselor launched into, um, counseling ("We ALL share responsibility for the process. There is much inherent tension during application time."), I told Middle to call me on my cell phone.
He did.
I answered it and, in a hushed tone, told him to follow two minutes after I left the auditorium --
which would have been the perfect escape had he not laughed out loud and said, "OH THAT WAS SMOOTH," upon meeting me in the lobby.
I'll pay money for that code later today, in the school parking lot.
Comments
Dying to know what Middle thought of Cloverfield. I can't see it until next week but I'm reading spoilers like crazy.
If she ends up going to this particular university (and its our alma mater), I'll be freaking amazed. Not because she's not smart, but because it's so damn competitive now. So by the time we get to the middle of her junior year, I suspect we will have already gone on several college tours and started making lists of schools.
But I'm quite certain we won't have obtained the Secret Code from our school's guidance department.
I'm no where near ready to even think such things. I'm probably not going to be able to talk this one into beauty school so it looks like I'm going to face it, ready or not.
This was a hoot to read.
We did get the coveted school code. They gave it out to the kids several weeks ago and my daughter has actually used it to begin looking at schools. ** shudder , shudder***
may the force be with you...
mom2
Middle reviews Cloverfield and lets Jenny know whether her ten year old son will be scarred for life if she takes him to see this movie
But instead you appeared to get all responsible and parenty on us and then wham! You pull the cell phone escape. Love it.
1. College visit-where Sorority Girl decides "this is where I'm going and I'm not even applying anywhere else" She got in. Whew!
2. Don't wait until Jan. to apply.Guidance counselor will be armpit deep in applications and get VERY stressed out.
3.Don't wait until Jan. to apply because then Sorority Girl won't hear from 1 and only school until March and will cry whenever a friend gets an acceptance letter.
4. Install a bigger mailbox. Your
current box will overflow with obscene amounts of letters from undesirable colleges, college loan companies, companies who want to sell you stuff your child will NEED, I tell you, NEED to bring to college.
Unless child chooses a college 45 minutes from home and calls to say I'm coming home to get a) food
b) laundry detergent c)a few more towels d)a few more picture frames
e) more money
GOOD LUCK
Good luck with Middle and the college stuff.
-J.
Also, my son is kicking my ass at Guitar Hero.
I'm heading to the 18th Century to ask whether they have any openings.
Ask me how I know...