In These Hills: College

Showing posts with label College. Show all posts

Found on Facebook

>> Sunday, November 30, 2014 – College

Our college student is so, so happy. She loves her classes. Her professors like her work. She has made friends. She has gotten involved in a bunch of activities. It is fun to get these photos texted or to discover them on Facebook.

Here she is with friends at the county fair.

She got to come home for a week in October.

Helen and Liz had so much fun together.

It was a treat to see them enjoying each other so much.

Here they are heading off to the Homecoming dance.

Here she is rigging lights at the theatre.

She has been Assistant Stage Manager for a play and lighting designer for a dance performance.

She has also had a paying job in the scene shop.

The best? Finding this photo on Facebook, just before Thanksgiving.

"Off to the airport. #Imcominghome!"

And today? Today she is making her first 11-hour drive back across New York to get to school. Happily, one of her old Waldorf classmates happens to go to college nearby so they are sharing the driving. I can't wait to know she's back safe and sound!

Bittersweet Times

>> Wednesday, September 10, 2014 – autumn, College

We sent our first-born off to college last month and it has taken me all this time to feel ready to write about it. It has been a bittersweet time.

We all made the drive. We all settled her in. Nelson built her a set of portable drawers. Liz unpacked her desk. I made her bed. We left her for the night, relieved we didn't have to say "goodbye" just then.

The next day was filled with ceremony--bagpipers, processions, photographs, and speeches.

It was a lovely welcome for the class of 2018.

It had to end, however, and it was so hard.

It was so hard to watch these two sisters say their farewells.

We let her go.

She walked toward her dorm. We walked to the car and began the journey home.

We were OK though. We knew she was in the right place. We knew she was ready.

And we really knew all would be well when we received the text that she had baked cookies--slice and bake on foil--but nevertheless a treat for her entire hall.

Since then, we've learned a lot.

We've learned how to Skype. And, wow, do we live for those moments of seeing our HAPPY girl.

We've learned how to mail all sorts of crazy things....like these stilts.

We've rearranged the table which is now set for three.

And, we've learned that we're still a family, growing up just the way we're supposed to be.

We have one girl spreading her wings and one girl nestled in and getting more attention from her parents. It is just as it should be.

We miss our girl, but we are all GOOD.

Bittersweet.

Final days before college

>> Thursday, August 14, 2014 – College, cooking, Crafts

Helen has a bucket list of things she wants to do before leaving for college. They included going out to a movie with her Dad, eating at her two favorite restaurants, and getting in some mountain time. Last weekend fulfilled one item on her list...

Lots to think about before leaving.

It is now down to the final couple of days. We're packing and packing.

I sewed her a new sleepsack/blanket for her bed. I found in my sewing basket a scrap of the trim I had put on the blanket I sewed her for first grade naptime.

She has been baking away her anxiety.

She has baked something every single day ...and sometimes at night.

This is what I smelled at 1 a.m. and found when I got up this morning.

I'm taking them to my interns at work. We are all tired of cookies.

The mountains, some crafting, a lot of baking...not bad ways to keep busy before such a big moment.

College Decision!

>> Monday, April 28, 2014 – College

It has been a long time coming, but the decision has been made....Helen will be attending the College of Wooster in the fall.

This is the main academic building for English, History, Philosophy, etc.

Here's one of the dorms.

We visited Wooster for a second time in February and Helen met with a number of students and faculty from the Theatre department. She brought a portfolio of her work which resulted in their most generous 4-year theatre scholarship. She really liked the people she met and finds the campus gorgeous. It's one of the Colleges that Change Lives schools which is something I like.

We are all so happy the decision has been made. We are so proud of her!

The College Search Continues

>> Sunday, February 23, 2014 – College, winter

The college search has continued throughout the winter. Helen has heard from almost all the schools and has been accepted with merit at all of them. She was named a Schubert Scholar at Ohio Wesleyan and invited to compete for additional funding so we took a trip to Ohio in January. It was quite a lot of work to prepare as she had to create a portfolio of her work.

Here she is just before going to the essay and discussion portions of the competition.

I was so incredibly proud of her. It took a lot of guts to do what she did and some of the examining professors came up to me to say how much they enjoyed meeting her. She was rewarded with additional scholarship money. Here's a photo of Ohio Wesleyan in the snow. It was cold--polar votex cold.

She also took her portfolio to the College of Wooster and met with the Theatre Department and a number of students. They also have given her substantial funding.

So now we wait for all the final offers to come in so she can begin to weigh all the various factors. She almost has too many choices!

Fall Happenings

>> Tuesday, November 5, 2013 – College

The time has flown by again, the seasons have turned from summer to autumn to that quiet time when the leaves have fallen and the world, as May Sarton says, is "honed down to structure." We've been busy with so many new experiences.

The college hunt has continued. We visited Wheaton College which has rapidly risen to the top of the list. This college was originally a women's college and, because of this, has many old traditions which the students seem to venerate. The curriculum and offerings seem well-matched to our girl as well. Helen has visited twice and interviewed.

Plus, after the tour, they provide you with Wheaton m&m's. What more could you want?

We also toured Bennington College. Helen truly loved this small, non-traditional school. The dorms were some of the homiest we have seen. Bennington is one of the 10 most expensive colleges in the country--we shall see what the financial aid department has to say on this one.

I thought we had successfully navigated through the Common Application process/problems until we received a letter from a college today saying that an application was incomplete....the website says all is in order. Next we have one more evening of uploading applications and then on to the financial aid apps. It's a huge project.

Writing and more writing

>> Sunday, June 9, 2013 – College, High School

Helen attended the Young Writers' Conference in Burlington, VT, for a second year. It is three days of speakers, writing workshops, poetry slams, moth storytelling, and other writerly activities.

She absolutely loved it and said that she felt like her writing had matured while she was there. We have since met with her guidance counselor for next year and found out that she got into Advanced Prose Writing. Her counselor says that it means she's one of the top writers in the high school and it will go into her college letters. Nice! She's hoping to be a writing mentor at the conference next year.

I have to say that I really love being the parent of a teen--it is just so much fun to watch them begin to spread their wings!

Godspell

>> Saturday, June 1, 2013 – College

Helen has become very involved in theater this year. This spring her school performed Godspell. It was an incredible show.

They even did a flashmob.

Helen has been training to become stage manager for the theater department and got to "run" the show all on her own. It was a pretty cool experience for her.

Now she's officially stage manager and it seems like she is never home. The late nights with her driving is a bit nerve-wracking. She's spending a lot of time right now trying to convince all the various people who need to be convinced that she can take a theater course at Dartmouth. A lot of people have to sign off on it, but I think it might actually happen. Lucky her. (and Dartmouth PAYS for it--lucky us).

Hopefully the final college tour

>> Friday, May 31, 2013 – College

Spring break found us in Ohio and New York visiting family and touring colleges. Here's where we went:

We toured Denison College--we were interested because it is test optional, has club crew, and offers a strong theater and arts program. The College offers a focused first-year program with a strong writing focus.

We couldn't get a tour that day due to a big open house so we toured on our own. It isn't the most optimal way to visit a college, but it gave us an idea of the school. I think Helen will apply.

We then went on to Ohio Wesleyan. We had a tour and Helen had an interview at this school. We were surprised to learn that, because my step-mother went there, Helen was eligible for at least $18,000/year just because she's a legacy. That was happy news.

Ohio Wesleyan also has a strong first-year seminar program. It also has a "Theory to Practice" program which provides students with grants to go abroad, apprenticeships, and access to internships. They have housing in New York City so students have a place to live while taking semester courses or internships in the city. The school has strong alumni support and they are renovating and growing like crazy.

This is one of the kitchens in the basement of the dorms. Quite posh!

The College of Wooster was my favorite. If I could go back to college, I'd go there. The campus is gorgeous.

The classrooms and study spaces are like a modern Hogwarts.

Wooster also has a first-year writing seminar. The English department has its own study abroad program in the UK, and there is a big theater and art program. They urge all students to complete independent study capstone experiences and support the students carefully through all four years as they work to define the final projects. Can you tell that Helen is an English/Theater girl? Helen also had an interview here and I think will apply.

Finally, we stopped at Ithaca College. Ithaca sits high on a hill over the finger lakes. It was built in the 1960s and is the biggest school we looked at. It is also test-optional.

Ithaca has a huge theater department and a conservatory. It is without a doubt Helen's top choice to go to school. One of the things I liked about Ithaca was what seemed to be a strong alumni network that connects students to jobs and internships. They also have New York City housing and share courses and activities with Cornell. Crew is an additional bonus here:

Now it's time to get down to business. She has SAT tests tomorrow, ACT tests next weekend, and has identified which teachers she needs to ask for letters of recommendation. She's also in the process of registering to take a class at Dartmouth next year. Super-busy times for her.

Our First College Tour

>> Monday, November 26, 2012 – College

Helen and I visited Canada over Thanksgiving on our first college tour. This is the year for touring colleges and, with only limited vacation times, decided to use our Thanksgiving break to tour in Canada since they weren't on Thanksgiving.

We began at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Helen wants to attend a small liberal arts school in a rural area, preferably in the north--the colder the better for her! St. Thomas has around 2500 students and has a first-year student program called the Aquinas Program which is a year-long interdisciplinary course based on Great Books. Helen was very excited about combining her interests in English, Philosophy, and Political Science and working with a team of teachers and students for an entire year.

The campus is gorgeous. It sits high on a hill overlooking Fredericton and shares some facilities with the University of New Brunswick. The classroom buildings have numerous hang-out and study spaces like this one below. There was a fun "buzz" of students congregating everywhere working and chatting.

We took a tour, met with the admissions counselor for international students, ate in the dining hall, and ended our visit by attending a poetry slam (which was perfect for Helen). Helen also took an American Lit class. She was over the moon when she discovered they had just started a rowing program.

Helen left St. Thomas feeling like she could see herself comfortably at college. It was a great way to begin. We then moved eastward to visit Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick.

Mount Allison also has around 2500 students. We also began this visit with a tour after which Helen attended a political science class. We enjoyed lunch and learned how the chef would make your Mom's secret recipes and add them to his rotation if they were a hit. At Mount Allison, we found the Owens Art Gallery and discovered a vibrant studio art program and a community with many artists. This was very appealing to Helen.

Our visit with the Admissions Counselor answered many questions about applying to Canadian schools and how to get scholarships. It was very helpful. She was quite interested in Helen's high school pursuits and told her she would be a good fit. Mount Allison is rated as the number 1 undergraduate university in Canada, so that was nice.

The campus had beautiful ivy-covered older buildings and then a new dormitory quad.

After two universities, Helen began to see what she liked and didn't like at these schools and figured out how to ask questions and sell herself at the same time. She became good at stating something about herself and then weaving it into a question for the admissions counselor.

Our final visit was to Acadia University in Nova Scotia. We also began this visit with a tour. Acadia is the largest of the three schools with around 3,000 undergraduates. By now we knew what we wanted to look for.