Speaking of Kids

[LJ3]

Bailey is growing up much faster than I would like. Just turned 18 last month. She's held steady jobs since she turned 16. Has her own car that she pays for some of the expenses for. She's Editor in Chief of her yearbook and has knocked that out of the park. She may qualify for state champs in swimming again which will make her the first athlete in her school to be all state all four years.

We applied to some colleges in Va and THAT is proving very stressful. Holy crap. Hopefully her grades and other accomplishments can get her in where she wants to go. Competition among Northern Virginia HS students borders on ridiculous.

She's about ready to bust free and fly on her own and I have no doubt she can do it. I'm just not quite prepared for that part.

Damn kids...

[Buckrub]

18................................................ ..............................................

[BarryBobPosthole]

That's one of the best ages to be that there is. Freedom......FINALLY. Or at least a bunch more of it.

She'll do fine, Len. And for those times when she doesn't (they all make some mistakes) just try to keep your mouth shut, or semi shut. As much as you have enjoyed raising her, when she's your daughter AND your friend its about as good as it gets. I told my boys once when we were fishing that I had been looking forward to them reaching this age for many many years. They just laughed and told me I was old fucker. See what you have to look forward to?

BKB

[Chicken Dinner]

I'm freaked out enough about going to academie planning night at the high school for my oldest tonight. I can't imagien how you're feeling with a senior in the house. I also feel you on getting into the state schools out of NVa. I'm hearing some crazy-assed shit from friends with holder kids.

[jb]

Been there, it's all part of being a parent. You'll do just fine.
My oldest applied to a number of in state schools, picked his second choice, was happy with it but took 5 years to graduate.
Middle son only applied to one school (Michigan) was placed on a waiting list and accepted at the last minute. Graduated in 4 years and one summer school
(Don't let your daughter do this)
#3 was recruited by a number of Division II schools in state and out side the state. Chose the one that offered him the best deal and had a program he was interested in. 4 1/2 years to graduate.
Look for all the $$$ help that's available, there is ton's of it available, but you have to do the research.
Stay away from student loans if possible, we know a lot of kids who graduate and owe 50K and more, one friends daughter got out of dental school with a $125,00 loan due.
Each of my boys took out a student loan in their senior year to cover travel abroad, only about $3K, but that was still a pain to payback.

[Bwana]

Going through the same thing here Len. My oldest has already been accepted to 3 colleges but hasn't decided on which one will be THE one. Given his area of interest, all of the colleges are out of state which is something I am not happy about but guess they need to do what they need to do.

As for any insight into how to avoid student loans, I AM ALL EARS!

[Sunshine]

Already having gone through that, and its tough the first year.

[Niner]

If your kid can't get into the college of their choice as a freshman, try this.
Go to another school in the university system where all the credits are transferable for their freshman year. Then transfer into the school-of-choice at the beginning of their sophomore year.
A LOT of students drop out (or flunk out) in the freshman year, leaving slots open for the sophomore class.

Also, a huge money saver is to buy their text books on half.com. You can usually find them for 1/2 $$$ or less than what the school book store wants for the same book.

Drill into their head to stay away from getting a credit card. A lot of those "nice friendly" credit card companies LOVE to lure in those college kids. And they have SUCH attractive interest rates for the students....NOT!

[Niner]

Oh.....Len, is there any interest in collegiate swimming? If so, there might be some scholarship monies available along that line.

One of my nieces got a full ride for playing college softball.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Birddog's daughter went all four years on swimming scholarships I think. Not sure if they were full ride but I think it sure helped out a great deal. It also gave her a lifelong passion that she is still involved with as coach and mentor I think.

BKB

[LJ3]

So... now we're reduced to sitting at our bedroom window after school and waiting to see when the mailman comes and whether or not a letter from CNU will be there and whether or not she will be accepted. And by we I mean Bailey. Hard to watch your kid go thru this! Other kids have gotten their letters!

[LJ3]

This was my text today... she's perched in her bedroom at her Moms house...

2361

[jb]

Len, here's wishing her the best, when I went to college the choice was not which one I wanted, but which one would just let me in.
#2 applied to only Michigan, along with about a dozen of his friends. He took the ACT twice to get higher than the min. score Michigan wanted.
Acceptance letters came to all his friends, then he got a letter that said he's on a waiting list as the quota from his HS had been filled.
A few days before Christmas the acceptance letter came but we wrapped it up and put it under the tree, lucky it was only those few days for him to wait, it was really hard those days we saw him waiting for the mail.
That year his HS set a Michigan record for the number of students selected.
He moved to Chicago without a job in the fall of his graduation year after bumming around Europe for 6 weeks.
He applied to a number of companies and got interviews within two weeks.
He took a job with a French bank that hired him after his first interview, they told him they only hire graduates from Michigan and Notre Dame. Good job, worked the night sift as that's when the trading was going on in France.
He had to travel over there a few times each year and really found out what a bunch of assholes the French really are.
Moved on to other jobs soon after, but always found a new one fairly easily.
Tell your daughter she is looking at the best 4 years of her life, that's when they change from young ladies to women.
They will be the best and fastest years and to enjoy every day.
We all remember our college years, I hope her's are as rewarding and fun as ours were.

[LJ3]

Her "safety school" is George Mason University. Worst case is she goes there (pending acceptance) and it's a damn good school. A little too close to home but still a damn fine school :)

[jb]

Not into Eastern schools, but is CNU, Christopher Newport University??
Fairly new school but it must offer something she wants.
Heard a lot more about George Mason.

[LJ3]

Yeah, Christopher Newport. IT's been around a while but really started investing in itself and campus over the last few years. Small campus, near beaches, real nice. Class sizes are outstanding. None of the "300 in an auditorium getting lectures from TAs and rarely even seeing an instructor" sort of crap you get with most larger schools in VA.

[Niner]

DUDE! Chris Newport?? That's, like, just down the street from Newport News Shipyard...I lived there for the last few years of my enlistment. And just across the bridge from Norfolk Naval Base. SAILORS EVERYWHERE!!! I wonder how much that area's changed since the 80's.....

:biggrin

[jb]

Niner, we did amphibious training out of Norfolk in the 60's, back then it was know as "Shit City"
Surrounding areas were nice.

[hotshot]

I have a former student that attends Highpoint down that way. He loves it. They have so many things to make a kid's college experience incredible.
Its a long way from your home, but my Alma Mater: University of Indianapolis has a good swimming program.

[Thumper]

University of Indianapolis has a good swimming program.

.... when the water is liquid. :D

[LJ3]

Yeah, one in the same CNU. The Tidewater area has really cleaned up over the years. There's still pockets of decay resulting from the crash of the US steel and shipping industry trade down that way but overall, way better than it used to be. I'm not worried about Bailey and sailors, or any potential suitor. Any dude looking for a quick score will have identified the incorrect target in her :)

[hotshot]

.... when the water is liquid. :D

true, but the pool is indoors!