Happy 1st Birthday, Dr. StrangeCollege!

A year ago today I launched this blog with Counting Down to College.

I’m sure Katie Couric would call with birthday wishes if only she weren’t busy giving a speech today. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After a full year of following Mod Squad Pete through writing essays, asking for recommendations, working through applications, and waiting for news, today we know where he will attend college. (As it turns out, today is also the day his college, the University of Virginia, is holding the 2012 Final Exercises with one very famous alum, Katie Couric, giving the commencement address.)

Next week Pete will graduate from high school; his work there is done. He has already shifted his focus mostly to summer, but also, in response to correspondence from UVa, to applying for housing, registering for summer orientation, scanning the course catalog, and tagging some courses for his SIS-based academic planner.

I’ll expand the focus of this blog to learning and writing about having an adult child in college. Since, as I’ve said all along: this is about our journey.

Next week M.S. Linc will become a rising 8th grader. A number of his 8th grade courses will show up on his HS transcript. The first week of June M.S. Julie becomes a rising 11th grader, with the added emphasis on college prep and academic rigor the junior year brings. Fortunately for both of them, they have about ten weeks of summer first.

Finally, I’ve updated the website and blog links in the right-hand column. These changes reflect connections I pay attention to as well as the new college student focus. (Hello, College Parent Central!) I’ve also added a few college-prep sites I think are helpful, that is, if I can ever get the Mod Squad to check them out:  DIY College Prep, SAT Dude, and Khan Academy (though I have seen Julie use Khan videos for test prep).

Thank you to the visitors, viewers, and subscribers who’ve come along for the ride. I truly appreciate your readership and your comments. I have learned so much by writing DrStrangeCollege; your response has made it even more fun for me. Thanks!

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• High school freshman: Getting ready for college (cbsnews.com)

Want to fly to Mars? [Or, get into an Ivy league school?]

In case you missed it in Sunday’s paper, Stephan Pastis illustrates the dilemma high school students face.

See the full strip here.

[Hat/tip to Mod Squad Julie and Mod Squad Linc for their strong endorsement of Pearls Before Swine.]

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How high school parents talk: Pearls Before Swine weighs in

National College Decision Day: Pete’s going to college.

Mod Squad Pete and his chosen college.

Sunday afternoon Mod Squad Pete moved from being a prospective student to a member of the University of Virginia class of 2016.

That final step didn’t seem to take very long, given all that had gone into the undertaking.

Six and a half months after submitting his first Common App, after refereeing a soccer game and before heading out to bus tables, Pete took five minutes to sign on to the SIS and click on the accept button.

Then one minute to post it on Facebook, natch.

Later he sent notes to the other colleges that had invited him to attend. He still has a few things on the to do list: thank yous to his recommendation letter writers, sign-up for orientation days, etc. None of the items on that list, however, carry the emotional weight of the ‘trying to get into college’ to do list.

In fact, after four AP exams over the next two weeks, he may have arrived at the fun, do-almost-nothing part of senior year.

Congratulations, Pete, on working your way through this decision. And congratulations to all the high school seniors:  best of luck at your new schools!

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• How’s the mood in your house, HS seniors and families? (drstrangecollege.wordpress.com)
• College decision month: 13 things we learned at an admitted-student event. (drstrangecollege.wordpress.com)
• College decision month: how to choose THE college? (drstrangecollege.wordpress.com)