[Tiger's Mom]

Originally Posted by yorkiesmiles

Hi, I'm in the midst of helping my 16 yr old daughter narrow down her college search. We're going in a few weeks - for spring break - to visit colleges in the south. Problem is my daughter also has a midwest list and an east coast list!! Trying to get her to narrow it down - I'm a single mom and overwhelmed with all that lays ahead before she graduates.

She is extremely bright - waiting to get her latest ACT scores - she last took the ACT as a freshman and scored 29 - so we figure she'll be in the 30s this time around. She also last took the SAT as a frosh but I can't remember the scores - high, though. Last yr, she took the PSAT for practice as a soph and would have been named a National Merit Scholar if she'd been a jr. - while we have her PSAT scores for this yr, we won't know for some time whether she is a scholar or not.

So perhaps she could go to an Ivy league school - but don't know if I would even want her to. She thinks it might be fun - but she has so many other interests

Maybe somewhere would she could either twirl the baton, cheer or be on a dance team - all things she does now. Or maybe be a sorority girl like her mom.

Or maybe go to a Christian school - as she has done so since preschool . She also spends more than half-the day in an advanced placement high school program offered through the public system - so she is used to the real world,

She wants to study biology or some form of bio - ultimately be a researcher or doctor.

So many decisions and trying to figure out how much time it is going to take to drive from college to college in different states.

I've been reading books, websites and been to a couple of meetings - but still wondering .....
Anyone been thru this college hunt? Or have any experience with Ivy league or select colleges?

This is a daunting task that both parents and kid go through . . .I know we both did. My daughter too was a stellar student in HS and she went to private all the way. Because every application requires a fee I told her to limit to 5, making sure that she picks one safety school to ensure she ends up in one.

She had one back east, one midwest, and 3 in the northwest. 3 were private, one out of state and one in-state. As much as I would prefer for her to go to a private school, she ultimately chose to be close but not close enough. She ended up going to the U of WA. At the time, she told herself she wanted to go private and the only reason she will consider a state school is if she got accepted to the Honors program. It must have been fate as she did get it and that is where she is right now . . . Ultimately, they know deep down which school they want to go to . . . all we can do is guide and advise. She says college (at least state) is so hard because no one really teaches you . . you are practically on your own. She cried the first quarter and told me it was so hard and felt so dumb . . . now she is in her sophomore year and doinq quite well (in the dean's list). She has no regrets on her choice and loves her school and the city of Seattle.

Good luck on this short temporary journey . . . the hardest part is when they take off. I only have one child and we are very close so I was truly hearbroken when she left.