Dear Judy.

My son, who is a senior, is about to drop out of school. He is very frustrated because the school gave him a full day schedule, and classes that he doesn’t need and that he is taking with 9, 10 and 11 graders. The school said that their policy is that seniors have to attend full day. They are not offering college classes or any other classes that students can benefit from.Is there anything I can do?

Luz

Dear Luz

Your son is not alone in experiencing “senioritis.” Students who finish their diploma requirements by the end of junior year or first semester of senior year ask: why am I still here, when I could be out in the world? Of course, mid-March is not the most convenient time to start thinking about leaving - in effect he would be dropping out. If he walks out in the middle of the year without a diploma, he will face problems down the road attending college, joining the service, and getting good jobs. If he had planned earlier, he might have been able to enliven the 12^th grade with internships and co-op work situations, and taken electives in subjects that interest him that he didn’t have time for before. But if he leaves three months before graduation, what will he do? Even though he has fallen prey to senioritis, and the tendency to laze about at loose ends, there are better ways to use 12^th grade.

You haven’t told me what school he attends, so I can’t be specific. Many large schools do give kids a short day in senior year if they have only a few courses to complete, however, since your school has a stated policy to require a full day, your son is stuck with it.

First things first, make sure he does have all the credits he needs to graduate. Check his report cards and ask the guidance counselor if there is any doubt. If necessary, he can use his remaining time to make up a missing gym or Regents requirement. Credits established, look for ways to cut through his boredom: most high schools rely on student help in the office, audio-visual squad, after school activities - a way to fill the time, maybe learn a new skill. Or, how about joining the committee to plan the senior prom, work on the yearbook, or raise money for the class trip, and other senior activities. (more…)

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Q: I will be applying to universities in the U.S. from France. My English is fluent and I lived in the U.S. as a child. My father is American, my mom is Colombian, and I have an American passport. We have been living in France for the past four years. Will this allow me to apply as an “international student” or would I be considered an American applicant? If I stress my international side, could my application be rejected as an “international student” when colleges see that I am an American citizen?

A: Being an “international student” is, strictly speaking, a matter of citizenship rather than residency. In other words, what counts is the legal citizenship of the applicant and not where he or she lives or goes to school. As an American citizen, you are an American wherever you live, whether it’s in France, Colombia, England, or the U.S. On the other hand, a student who is German — for example — a German citizen whose parents work for an German company with an office in Chicago, and who has lived in the U.S. and attends an American high school, must apply as an international student.

But there is more to consider. You will bring a real international perspective to the U.S. college you attend. Your life as a dual citizen and your experiences abroad count for something! Your viewpoint will enrich your classroom life in the U.S. While the German student living in Chicago will also bring an international viewpoint to the college he attends, so will you! Your combined experiences have created the person you are, and it’s the whole person you are who will be considered for admission. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

My client wants to withdraw her child from kindergarten because of child care problems. Is this allowed?

Social Worker

Dear Social Worker,

Withdrawing a child from kindergarten has no legal obstacles, but it does have other consequences for the child. It’s hard to believe, but in New York State, like most other states, kindergarten is not mandatory. In fact, only 13 states have legislated mandatory kindergarten. Compulsory school age in New York State begins at six, but elsewhere in the US, many states start requiring school attendance at age seven, or even as old as eight ( in Pennsylvania.)

I do not recommend doing without kindergarten or withdrawing in the middle of the year. These days, most kids in New York City schools have been in day care or pre-kindergarten (which in 2010 is the equivalent of what kindergarten used to be). Today’s kindergartners learn what 1st-graders used to - how to read and write and do arithmetic. Generally kindergarten teachers pay more attention to academics and less to play than they used to.

Good kindergartens do not eliminate play, because that’s the way for young children to solidify their understanding of the world and the social relationships they encounter in school. If the child is out of school, she not only misses out academics, but on important interactions with other kids. (more…)

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Dear Judy - I have been reading about the [schools that are closing] and I am wondering: what happens to students at those schools? Are they allowed to transfer? Also, if they have not accumulated enough credits to graduate by the time the school is closed, what do they do?

—Worried about the kids

Dear Worried about the kids:

According to Liz Sciabarra, director of enrollment at the Department of Education, 9th- graders in phasing out schools will be offered the opportunity to apply for another school. Kids should speak to their guidance counselor about how to proceed. Another option: visit the local enrollment office.

Tenth graders will also be helped to transfer, if they wish, but by and large, the DOE expects students, especially in the upper grades in phase-out schools, to stay put and graduate. Be aware that many schools do not accept kids after 10th grade and sometimes the new placement will be no better than the current situation. It would be wise to contact the guidance counselor or the enrollment office 212-374-2363 as soon as you can to start the process. (more…)

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Q: My son is a junior and I thought that later this spring, and over the summer, we’d start driving to see some college campuses. Now he is saying, why bother, no one gets in anyway. He is friends with a number of seniors, and some of them have already gotten rejection letters from colleges. Their disappointment is affecting him and making him think very negatively. How do I build up his interest?

A: You can’t prevent your son from hearing negative information from some of his friends, but you also need to get him to hear the positive as well. He needs to see the big picture, and the big picture shows us that pretty much every high school student who takes academics seriously and plans his/her college applications carefully will indeed get in. They may not get into their #1 choice, but they will find a college, in many cases more than one, which will accept them.

Of course, if your son’s friends are talking about Ivy League schools, where the acceptance rate is usually less than 10%, most applicants are going to be disappointed. But freshman places at Ivy league institutions account for a very small percentage of freshman places nationally. The vast majority of admissions decisions for this year’s seniors have yet to be made. I am confident that by the end of this academic year, all of your son’s friends will have been accepted to colleges where they will be happy. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

My mother told me that I should write to you about the fact that that I forgot all my math facts when the teacher gave us two minutes to solve 32 multiplication problems. Do you think two minute tests should be allowed?

Jake (4t^h grader)

Dear Jake,

Short, timed tests are tough, but they do have a purpose. Before we discuss that, I want to assure you that you are not alone — many kids lose it when they first meet a timed test, even in places where test prep pressure is not as strong as it is in NYC schools.

Fortunately, what you describe is not the situation you will face when you take the New York State math test in May. Then you will have an hour and a half — plenty of time to pace yourself. You can tackle the easy problems first, and then go back to those you have trouble with.

Nevertheless, you will be given short two-minute test prep exercises all along the way to graduation and to do well on them, you have to keep your cool and you have to practice. Just as you will before every test, tell yourself, this test will help me find out what I still have to work on. Then tell yourself, I am going to do the best I can. Then take a deep breath and start. (more…)

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Dear Judy,
What can I do if a teacher intentionally lowers my son’s grades? He is in the 2nd grade of the gifted and talented class. At the parent teacher conference the teacher said that my son was doing very well - reading on a 3^rd grade level, But she did mention some issues with his behavior. When we got the report card, it had only 1’s and 2’s! We think she intentionally lowered his grades because of his behavior. What should we do?  Please advise.

Elena

Dear Elena,

The simplest solution is to make an appointment to discuss the report card with the teacher. Most schools use a uniform report card and use specific standards to decide on grades. That is hard in 2^nd grade because there are no state standardized tests on which to base a grade. In 2nd grade, however, there are progress assessments to help the teacher form a judgment.

Some teachers and some schools give low grades in the first marking period to give the kids an incentive to work harder. You should find out if that is the policy in your school, or if that was the teacher’s intention. And, ask more specifically about what progress measures the teacher used to give him his grades. Bring the issue to the principal if you get no satisfaction. (more…)

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Q: My daughter applied Early Decision to an Ivy League school and just found out she was “deferred.” Her college counselor told her the school was a “reach,” but my daughter chose to apply anyway because she really loves this college and felt she had a good chance. Her grades and scores are very high and, frankly, she is one of the top achievers at her school. Now she is devastated. A “no” might have been easier to deal with — but “deferred”? Is this just a nicer way of saying “no”? It seems to me a kind of admissions limbo. Why do they do this?

A: A deferral is not a denial, but you are right — it is a type of limbo, where your daughter’s application is hovering, neither accepted nor rejected. It’s not a comfortable place to be, but not entirely hopeless. Your daughter is obviously an excellent student, as this Ivy League school is still interested in her — they want to keep her in the running. Her college counselor was right, though, in telling her that this college was a “reach.” Because competition for admission to Ivies is so keen, and because their acceptance rates are extremely low (many under 10%), they are all “reach” schools no matter how strongly qualified the applicants.

Going into the application process with this understanding should ward off optimism, but it’s hard not be hopeful. So of course your daughter feels tremendously let down. She might feel a bit better if she realizes that, having had the courage to take herself into a hugely competitive arena, she survived the first cut. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

The December holidays are approaching, and I am wondering how to broach the topic of other religious celebrations to our son. He has already come home from school talking excitedly about an upcoming Kwanzaa parade and chatting away about Santa Claus. While I think it’s great that my young son is being exposed to other cultures in his public school, how can I be sure that the school will know where to draw the line? What are the guidelines about holiday celebrations in school? In this day and age, where it seems Christmas is everywhere, how can I make sure to help him distinguish between our family’s traditions and those that others celebrate?

Thanks very much,
Menorah mom

Dear MM,

For years, parents in a multi-cultural city like NYC have been facing the “December Dilemma”—the desire to maintain personal practices and traditions in a context of competing holidays and symbols. New York City families celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Eid al-Adha (which sometimes falls in December), the winter solstice, Kwanzaa and more. And some do not recognize any religion.

Of course, parents have the responsibility of teaching their own beliefs and principles to their kids but schools have long been the locus of this dilemma, because that is where kids encounter competing cultures. The subject has been deliberated in lower courts across the land, yet there is no definitive Supreme Court ruling. However there are guidelines, weighing in on the side of keeping in-school holiday celebrations secular, and inclusive. You can find a summary of guidelines and court opinions about appropriate practice, endorsed by 17 educational and religious organizations, at First Amendment Center.

More to the point of your own concerns, a recent “reminder” (below) to principals from the Department of Education, does set boundaries on holiday displays and appropriate celebrations. The key is to help your school maintain an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect for the diversity of the city, even if your own school does not have a widely diverse student body.

• The display of holiday symbol decorations with secular dimensions is permitted. Displays that depict images of deities, other religious figures, or religious texts are prohibited. Permitted symbols include, but are not limited to, Christmas trees, kinaras, dreidels, Menorahs, and the Star and Crescent.
• Holiday displays must not appear to promote or celebrate any single religion or holiday. Therefore, any permitted symbol or decoration must be displayed simultaneously with other symbols or decorations reflecting different beliefs or customs.
• All holiday displays should be temporary in nature.
• The primary purpose of all displays should be to promote the goal of fostering understanding and respect for the rights of all individuals regarding their beliefs, values, and customs.

Judy

P.S.  Also puzzled about holiday gift giving to teachers?  Check out an Ask Judy on that subject.

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Dear Judy,

Kindly let me know where I could find information about rules or regulations pertaining to the amount of time school children, especially in the lower grades, must spend out of doors.

Sincerely,
Jaime

Dear Jaime,

Two weeks ago my column on a similar subject raised a lot of comment and I started to look more closely into the city and state rules.

Unfortunately, I can’t report anything definitive. New York State standards on physical education and health do not mention the out of doors! And there is no Chancellor’s Regulation on the subject either. Department of Education spokesman Will Havemann pointed to the department’s Wellness policy which, he said, encourages elementary schools to have 20 minutes of recess every day, preferably outdoors. But basically the decision of how much time children spend out of doors is a judgment call made at the school level. (more…)

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Q: How can I possibly make my application special when colleges are getting thousands of them? How can mine be different and get their attention?

A: How can you make your application stand out? It’s a challenge, especially when you are using the Common Application, which makes every application look the same — neat, yes, but also visually uniform and therefore potentially boring for admissions officers facing stacks of identical applications.

Of course, the contents of your application, rather than its appearance, ought to be its most outstanding aspect. Still, adding some visual spice can have the effect of making the people reading your application slow down a bit and really notice the contents.

But be careful. (more…)

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Dear Judy: 

 My daughter just started kindergarten in a public school with a very big school yard.  Her schedule is robust with no play and all academics, mostly spent in a very warm classroom.  At lunchtime, the kindergartners stay in the cafeteria watching the others play and then are lined up outside in the yard for the last five minutes (again watching the other kids play) until their teachers come to get them so they can begin the next three hours in the warm classroom.

I have spoken to the teachers, the parent  coordinator, and the principal about the “why” behind this physically unhealthy and “mean” policy.  No straight answers yet, I’m still hoping.

Am I allowed to get my child during the lunch hour and bring her back to school after lunch? When I was a kid this was allowed. I want my young child to have some physical activity during the school day.

 Kindergarten parent

Dear Kindergarten parent,

Lunch in or out?  There is no city regulation governing this question; it is the school principal who determines the policy at each school. However a principal can’t keep individual parents from taking their child out to lunch.

For years and years many children went home for lunch, escorted by their mothers. That was in the “olden days” when women did not work and kids walked back and forth from school. Today it is rare, but not unheard of. There are logistics to work out:  You will have to sign your daughter in and out of school every lunchtime.  You and the school will have to decide where you will pick her up, what happens if you are late, who will  be responsible for her until you show up, and how will you inform the staff of exceptions. Besides adding a layer of supervision, these are understandable concerns for the safety of your daughter. You must work out suitable procedures with the principal and stick to them. (more…)

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Q:  My son is a junior at a high school in Queens.  He is an excellent student and would like to go to a prestigious college.  But his high school is huge and the college counselors don’t have much time for each student.  On the other hand, my cousin’s son goes to a prep school near Washington DC, and my cousin says their college counselors are known for getting kids into the best colleges.  What chance does my son have competing against applicants like that?

A:  I went to a very large high school myself, in Queens, many years ago.  There were about 1500 students in my graduating class.  Now I work at a private school, and yes, there is a vast difference in the amount of individual attention teachers and counselors are able to give to students.  But statistics confirm that students in each setting are successful in the college admissions process.

Going to a private school in itself does not guarantee acceptance to any college; nor does attending a large urban public school in itself, assure rejection.  Applicants are looked at in the context of their school environment, so your son will not be competing against his cousin.

I recently attended an admissions information session at an Ivy league university.  The admissions rep pointed out that if they accepted students who were all exactly the same in background and qualifications, the freshman class would be pretty boring.  To keep their school vigorous and stimulating, they admit students who come from a wide variety of schools, communities, and ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who bring an array of interests and talents to campus.  To do this, they recruit widely at both public and private schools.  Colleges really do reach out, some more effectively than others. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

How many classes are teachers supposed to teach in a day? My daughter’s class was merged with another. Now she is in a cramped room, with no desks, just chairs, and more than 30 kids. I attended curriculum night and when I asked why they went from three classes to two on her grade level, the teachers said the principal decided on it. Teachers are only teaching five periods a day.

Concerned mother

Dear Concerned mother:

It sounds like your daughter’s principal is faced with a familiar situation these days — not enough money to keep class size low. Evidently, the principal found that he could maintain the number of kids allowed in a class according to the teachers’ contract by combining two classes into one. That way, only two teachers, not three, would have to be budgeted. (more…)

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Dear Judy

What is the best way to find out about high school open houses and tours? Is there an updated list on Insideschools.org? How many schools should we visit? Are open houses really helpful?

8th-grade parent

Dear 8th-grade parent:

Attending an open house or tour should be a priority for kids and parents looking for a high school but, try to narrow your list to a manageable number, based on your schedule. Your daughter may be excused from class to tour a school, but can you get a note for your boss?

The high school application allows you to apply to up to 12 schools, not counting the specialized high schools and charter schools. Our advice to families: don’t apply to a school you wouldn’t attend. Likewise, I can’t imagine sending a child to school without first checking it out in a visit. Students frequently venture out of their neighborhoods, and even their boroughs, for high school, so going on a school tour is a great way to test out the travel time and to check out the subway and bus connections. (more…)

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What advice can you give me for my 8th-grade son to prepare for Ivy League schools? His reply is “I’m only in 8th grade.” But I worry as he is not in honors classes and I think he should be. He did well last year in 7th grade but all of his teachers said he could do much better as he is very bright. He is focusing on his social life and he thinks school is for social activity. How can I change his mindset? Am I worrying too soon?”

Well, yes and no. First, there is a social component to school — if your son were studying all the time and had no friends at all, that would be a source of worry. But if his friends are responsible good students, who do not lure him into dangerous activities, that’s great. Make sure he knows that his friends are always welcome in your home, because if they get together at your house, you’ll know where he is! Now back to academics. You have raised a number of issues.

Let’s start with the one in your first sentence. Please substitute “a high quality collegiate experience” for “Ivy League schools!” The Ivies do not have a monopoly on providing excellent education (nor does an Ivy League degree guarantee happiness, or even a job). There are hundreds of fine colleges and universities. In addition, the Ivy League schools have an acceptance rate that averages less than 10%. Because of intense competition, it’s very, very hard to get in. If you convey to your son that only an Ivy League is acceptable, he may become demoralized and won’t even try — or he may try and not be accepted, and then feel like a failure. Please don’t set him up for that. (more…)

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Welcome back to school! Seniors will be starting to work on their college applications in a few weeks, and while this should not dominate the most important business of the day — doing well in senior year — it should not be left to the last moment. Here’s the first question of the 2009-2010 school year.

My son is starting his senior year and I am concerned about how to start applying for scholarships. He plays soccer and I would like to know how to approach coaches so they can see him play. Also, my son’s school will not have a college counselor this year. So who in the school can I contact about helping my son with his applications?

Even though your son’s high school may not have a designated college counselor, every high school should have guidance counselors whose job it is to assist him. They can answer questions about colleges, help with application questions, and advise about scholarships — and not just athletic scholarships. Scholarship organizations send out information each fall to high school guidance offices, and this information should be posted for students to read. Your son should make an appointment with his guidance counselor early! This is especially important if there are a lot of students who are going to approach them for help — don’t wait until the application deadlines are near. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

My son is just starting kindergarten in a K-8 school. If he is unhappy in a K-8 school can he apply to middle school elsewhere? Or if you are unhappy in a 6-12 school can you apply to high school elsewhere?

- Apprehensive Mom

Dear Apprehensive Mom:

The beauty of schools that combine elementary and middle school grades, or middle and high school grades, is that families may not have to go through the tedious middle and high school admissions process and can continue at the same school. However, the answer to your question- are you able to switch schools if you are not happy at a K-8 or 6-12 school? — is yes, you always have the option of going through the application process at normal school entry points, including 6th or 9th grade. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

We just moved to New York City this summer. Do you have any ideas for free summer activities?

New to NYC

Judy answers:

Dear New to NYC,

Welcome to summer in New York City! Lots of families may be at loose ends now that summer school is ending and early camp sessions are over. A good way to meet other families in your neighborhood is to check out your neighborhood public school playground. A city initiative called “Schoolyards to Playgrounds” is working to renovate and open school playgrounds to the public. Many are now open even if school is not.

Department of Parks and Recreation playgrounds are also open from 8 am to dusk. Their website has  a list of playgrounds and other indoor and outdoor recreation programs. They also have a list of wheelchair accessible playgrounds, fields, pools and beaches. And, if you find a favorite playground, the Department is even inviting folks to pick their favorite playground, so you can see what other families recommend. (more…)

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Q: I am on Facebook a lot with my friends, just to, like, stay in touch, share photos, nothing serious. Sometimes we use four-letter words in our conversation, it doesn’t really mean anything. My mom saw my page and really got on my case for this. She says college admissions people read applicants’ Facebook pages and judge them on that. I think she’s over-reacting. First of all, those people probably don’t have time to search for every applicant on Facebook. But also, most of the people using Facebook are teenagers and you have to expect that language. I mean, it’s just for fun, no big deal, right?

A: Using Facebook to “stay in touch” is not wrong, of course, and it is fun. In fact, it’s so much fun that thousands of people who are far beyond their teenage years use it. (Go ahead, look me up.) But it is wrong to assume that admissions people do not take the time to check applicants’ entries on social networking sites. They do. They don’t have the time to check every applicant; but they check many. Silly, frivolous things don’t turn them off. But entries that reflect bigotry, racism, homophobia, intolerance, or a violent nature definitely set off alarms. The admissions people aren’t trying to spy; they are trying to gather any additional information that could help them decide if a person should be admitted to their academic community. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

In the fall, my son will be starting kindergarten in a school where he does not know anyone and where the classes are much larger than he is used to. All his pre-K friends will be in different schools, and I fear we will lose touch. I am wondering how to ease his transition to this new experience.

Anxious mother

Judy answers:

Dear Anxious Mother,

Ah, kindergarten is a new experience for all children, whether or not they know each other on the first day. As a parent, you know it’s important to keep your concerns to yourself. Instead, talk up the positive aspects of going to a new grown-up school where your son will learn lots of new things and find new friends. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

My son is entering 7th grade this fall. Should I be thinking about high school admissions already? What can I do to get prepared?

- Thinking Ahead Mom

Judy answers:

Dear Thinking Mom,

It’s never too soon for a middle school family to start thinking about high school. There are new choices every year as well as the popular tried-and-true schools to consider.

A smart move is to attend the high school admission process workshops that the Department of Education is holding for middle school families over the summer.The workshops are held Tuesday evenings at either Brooklyn Tech High School or Stuyvesant High School. The first session, an overview of options, is being held at Brooklyn Tech on June 30. The other sessions at Brooklyn Tech, on July 7 and 14, cover how to prepare for the specialized high school exam and how to prepare for auditions and portfolios for arts high schools. The sessions at Stuyvesant, starting on July 21 and going through August 11, will discuss large high schools, career and technical schools, new small schools, and charter schools.

You can also pick up a copy of the Directory of Public High Schools that the DOE publishes every year. It should be available at most middle schools and at the borough enrollment offices. The directory is getting fatter and fatter each year, and just browsing through the listings of more than 500 schools can be daunting. To help you narrow your search, check the Insideschools’ reviews in the Find a School section and purchase NYC’s Best Public High Schools by Clara Hemphill and the Insideschools staff.

Consider attending the citywide high school fair next October 3 and 4. At the fair, you and your son will have the opportunity to meet with representatives and often students from many high schools. It’s a hectic and crowded event, but it will help you to jumpstart your school search. Typically around February there are fairs to introduce new schools that will open the following September.

Whether or not you attend the DOE workshops, if your son plans to take the test or audition for one of the city’s nine specialized high schools you should get a copy of the Department of Education’s Specialized High Schools Student Handbook. The handbook should be available at one of the borough enrollment offices or from your guidance counselor in the fall (although most school copies will be reserved for 8th graders.) The handbooks have a sample Specialized High School Achievement Test (SHSAT) so your 7th grader can find out what he’s up against. You can get reasonably inexpensive prep books at our bookstore. I’ve also heard about students getting together in study groups to use these prep books instead of investing in expensive tutoring courses; some middle schools hold free prep courses for 7th graders.

Bottom line: The high school application, although filed in 8th grade, shows 7th grade scores, making 7th grade a very important school year. So while you and your son take some time to attend high school fairs and open houses, don’t forget about homework and attendance! With some advance knowledge, and good grades, you’ll be ready to go through the process for real next year!

You’ve got the whole summer to enjoy. Try not to let admissions anxiety get in the way!

Judy

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Q: My son is finishing his junior year, and so far he has not done that well in high school — his average is not quite an 80. He wants to study pharmacy. I don’t want him to go to a community college — I prefer that he attend a college with dorms so that he has the full campus experience. Where do we start?

A: Your question actually has many parts. You are concerned because going into his senior year, your son does not have a strong academic record, yet he is expressing interest in a field that is very difficult to enter. While it might be relatively easy for him to start at a community college, where he could build up his academic profile, you want him to have a residential college experience.

I can understand this — part of the excitement of college is living away from home, learning how to get along with a roommate, and enjoying those philosophical discussions at 2 a.m. Yet — without knowing anything about your home situation — I am concerned that if your son is struggling academically now, while living at home, how is he going to handle his studies while surrounded by all the distractions of campus life?

My suggestion for him, and you, is to take small steps. First, he has to make academics his #1 priority if he is going to have a successful senior year. Senior year grades do count! Let’s see if he can get that GPA above 80. You do not mention his other credentials, but he needs solid SAT or ACT scores, and Regents scores. He should be involved in some extra-curricular activities, too, so that he is a well-rounded college applicant. And that’s the next step, gaining admission to a school where he can develop his academic skills and explore various choices of majors.

As for pharmacy, it is a graduate program. Students work for six years, going beyond the regular time span for a BA or BS degree, until they earn a PharmD degree. Admission to pharmacy school is extremely competitive. Students need high grades, particularly in science and math, and also have to score well on a national exam. Does this mean that I think your son can never become a pharmacist? No, it could happen — but I think that aiming for it right now is premature.

Your son may well be one of those students who is “a late bloomer” — he will be successful, but it hasn’t quite happened yet. He ought to apply to schools where he has a good chance of acceptance and where he can build up his academic skills. Do you know that dorms are available at two CUNY schools? CCNY has a dorm, and a dorm is scheduled to open this coming fall at Queens College. Your son might also consider one of the smaller SUNY branches, such as New Paltz or Old Westbury. Of course, I cannot predict that he will be admitted to any of these schools, but they are suggestions of where to apply if he can get his GPA to a B average. If he adjusts well to college and proves that he can take on a challenging program, he might apply to transfer to a school offering pharmacy.

Ask him to think about why he is interested in pharmacy. Perhaps his desire to help people achieve better health — if that is what inspires him — will make him look at other fields, including social work, psychology, nursing, and health education. I would encourage him to keep his options open. Good luck!

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Dear Judy,

My child is eligible for the gifted and talented program in NYC, and I have a question regarding his future. If he does not perform well or meet the criteria for the program in several years, would he be forced to change schools, or would he receive extra support/tutoring, etc.?

~ Christina

Dear Christina,

These days, the watchword at the Department of Education is “data”. All schools keep track of their students’ academic achievement. This applies to kids in the gifted and talented programs, as well as the general classes. If your child is struggling, the teacher should let you know and discuss with you what kind of help the school can provide. It may be tutoring or, if appropriate, counseling. If the strategies don’t work, the school may suggest placing the child in a general education class in the same school, or, in extreme cases, if he is attending out of district, transferring him back to his zoned school. Chancellor’s Regulations A-101 and A-450 establish a chain of events, including parent conferences and extra help before a transfer is put on the table.

At the start of your child’s career in G&T, if the school has not already shared its policy with you, ask what their expectations are, what kind of help will be available to a student who falls behind, and how they will handle a child who seems to be mismatched with the program. You should also keep in touch with your son’s teachers so you can be aware of any difficulties right away.

Remember, in addition to personal observations and teacher conferences, you can keep abreast of your child’s progress by logging on to ARIS (Achievement Reporting and Innovation System ) from third grade on, to view state exam results. You can log on to Acuity for interim assessment results. The principal should provide you with an ID and instructions for using these databases, which have only recently become available to parents.

During the early grades, kindergarten through third grade, you will find that the best way to keep in touch is by participating in your son’s school, through the Parents Association or, if you have the time, by volunteering in his classroom.

Meanwhile, enjoy the summer while looking forward to the new term.

Judy

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Dear Judy,

We just got the results of my daughter’s middle school choice process and ended up with a school we did not choose. Is there any way to appeal this placement? Could it be a mistake?

5th grade parent

Dear 5th grade parent:

You are not alone, we have heard from many parents with the same problem. Mistakes happen. We know a parent whose daughter was matched with a school she didn’t apply to out of her district, yet she was not “accepted” at any of the district schools she applied to. This was clearly an error. My advice? If you think this could be a mistake, check with your elementary school guidance counselor now; ask her to contact the school that “accepted” your daughter to see if her name is on their list. When in doubt, double check with the local enrollment office and finally, with the middle school enrollment office at Tweed, headed by Sandy Ferguson.

If it is not a mistake, but just bad luck, you have until June 10 to appeal the placement, according to Department of Education spokesperson Andy Jacob. This goes for schools in districts that have middle school choice. Ask your guidance counselor for an appeal form. She can review your daughter’s situation and help fill out the appeal application. You might have a guidance counselor who knows your child well enough to go to bat for her. She may know middle school guidance counselors; she may know which schools are still open to applicants. Jacob said that “Appeals are granted based on seat availability and the selection criteria of the schools listed on the application.” He cautioned that ” Submitting an appeal does not guarantee admittance to a specific school, or even that a new placement will be offered.” You’ll be notified about appeals decisions by the end of June, according to Jacob.

Also consider checking out the few new schools that are opening next fall – they may still have openings.

Be as patient as you can. Late in summer there will be special enrollment offices to deal with unsettled admissions problems, and often the schools do not have an accurate count of who is actually attending until September. If you have applied and been endorsed by the guidance counselor, you might get an open spot.

Meanwhile, another piece of advice: don’t deride the school to which your daughter has been assigned. Do look for bright spots and emphasize them. She might just end up there!

Judy

Correction: Previously we reported, as per Jimmy Bueschen of the Manhattan enrollment office, that children  could only appeal  to schools that they had already applied to. According to parents who have copies of the appeal form, and Andy Jacob of the DOE’s press office,  children can apply to any choice program or school to which they are eligible and whose admissions are handled by the Office of Student Enrollment. That includes schools to which a child may have previously applied and new middle schools opening in September. 

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Q: Some of my friends want to visit college campuses over the summer. But what’s the point of visiting a school when it’s not in session?

A: While it would be ideal to visit a college on a weekday during the regular academic year, for practical purposes this is not always possible, particularly if the campus is some distance from your home. So summer is a fine alternative, and you can still gain valuable information from campus visits. In the last 20 years or so, college admission offices, as well, have realized that summer is the only time when some families can travel, and they are not only prepared for but welcome prospective students. If you go to the admissions page of any campus website, you will see tour times listed and either a phone number or online form to arrange your visit. Admission offices are open year-round (though rarely on weekends). This schedule allows you to meet staff members, regardless of the time of year you visit the school. Also, tour guides are usually enrolled students, so you can get their perspective about the school.

There are two major goals you can achieve with summer campus visits. First, if you stop at the admissions office and sign in there, the college will have a record of your visit. Later, if you decide to apply for admission, this will be evidence of your “demonstrated interest” in the school (this doesn’t guarantee acceptance, of course, but it can be a plus factor). Remember to obtain the business card of the admissions officer who speaks with you. If you have further questions you will have someone specific to contact. (more…)

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Dear Judy,

How are ELA scores typically given to parents and students? Do they come over the Acuity site or are they handed out in paper? And are they really released school by school or only at the end of the year?

Impatient Parents

Dear Impatient Parents,

Standardized test scores are produced by the New York State Education Department and are in a state database called nySTART. It is separate from the Acuity system, which deals with New York City interim assessments. The DOE has an overarching database called ARIS, which includes information from Acuity and other sources. According to DOE spokesperson Andy Jacob, schools will be distributing login information to ARIS Parent Link over the next several weeks. “By the end of school year,” he said, “parents will be able to log on to ARIS to view information about their child’s academic progress.” Meanwhile, you can log into Acuity for interim assessment results, but it won’t include the results of the state tests. If you are unsure how to log in, check with your school.

According to Grace Pepe, Director of Assessment Operations at the Department of Education, principals can access scores about a week before their official release date but the information is embargoed until after a press conference to announce the results. This year’s scores were announced May 7.

What happens next is up to your principal. Some principals will respond to individual parents’ requests for their children’s scores before the whole school gets to know. Other principals release all the scores immediately, by letter home, while some others save the information until final report cards are given out at the end of the term. Obviously, for kids whose promotion is in doubt or have a very low score, the principal should share the score with parents right away. By the way, the New York State Education Department says that results of the state math test will not be released until mid to late June.

If you want to find out why your child did not perform up to expectations, you can ask to see the “item analysis” for your child’s test. The principal has that information and can go over it with you. But if what you really want is to find out whether there was a mistake in the scoring, or if you wish to take a look at your child’s tests, you should ask the school principal for a parent request form to see a copy of the test and the answer sheet. You’ll need proof that you are the student’s parents, so you may either get the principal to attest to that or you can have the form notarized. In either case, the form goes to the Office of Accountability-Scan Center, 44-36 Vernon Boulevard, Room #206, L.I.C., N.Y. 11101, Attention: Grace Pepe. It will take some time, but the process should result in an appointment to see the tests.

Judy

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Q: My daughter had a very stressful first two years of high school, and her grades suffered. She transferred to a terrific school which, however, did not take all the credits she earned at her previous school. While she can graduate from this second high school in two years, it’s been suggested that she take another semester and use this to improve her GPA. Her SAT scores are good, and she is planning to take several SAT Subject Tests to prove her ability in these areas. Aside from my daughter not liking the idea of staying in high school longer than four years, what do colleges think of this? If she were to wait until the following September to start college, it would be five years from the start of her school career. What are her options?

A: Many students have a rocky start to their high school years. Colleges see that all the time — and what they like to see is improvement. An upward grade trend lets them see that a student has adjusted, re-grouped, and moved on. So it’s great that your daughter has found a better situation and given herself a fresh start.

At this point, there are several things she can do to prove that she can be successful academically. Getting higher grades at this second school will be a significant factor. I hope she is also getting involved in the life of her new school by joining in extra-curricular activities. And while high test scores are desirable, of more significance will be her ability to indicate that she can handle academic challenges over a sustained period.

Is spending an additional half-year in high school the best way to do this? A number of private schools — boarding schools in particular — offer something called a “post-graduate program” or PG, through which a student can compensate for a weaker high school record via an extra academic year. Sometimes an extra year of maturing, in a new environment, can indeed indicate improvement. On the other hand, it doesn’t make the earlier lack of success disappear, and colleges realize that these PG programs are for the financially privileged. Perhaps other students, too, could show improvement with an extra year but few can afford it, especially at a boarding school.

I can certainly sympathize with your daughter’s desire to graduate from high school. My suggestion is that she do other things to prove her true academic abilities. She could take a couple of courses this summer at a local college, a branch of CUNY or SUNY. This would indicate her ability to handle college-level work. And when she applies to colleges, she should not try to ignore those earlier two years of high school but include a letter acknowledging them and then indicating how she has moved on to take control of her academic life and re-create herself as a successful student.

If your daughter does decide to stick around for another semester of high school, but isn’t looking forward to it, she could always make more exciting plans for the second semester of that year. I have previously written about the growing popularity of the “gap year,” and your daughter could organize a “gap semester” during the spring of her fifth year to compliment and expand upon her extra-curricular interests and give her something fun to look forward to. But, if she doesn’t want to, I don’t think she needs to postpone college.

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Q: My son is a junior and is going to a college fair next week. What questions does he need to ask and should he bring anything with him? How does he prepare for a college fair?

A: Spring is college fair time! When I was a college admissions rep, I always looked forward to fairs because I got to meet interested students and encourage them about higher education. There are basically two kinds of fairs: smaller fairs where 30 to 50 representatives from an array of colleges and universities come to a high school and set up information tables; and larger public events, where there can be hundreds of colleges represented. Students can browse and ask questions, pick up materials, and give their names to the reps as prospective applicants. College fairs are informal and fun, yet there is a certain protocol.

Here are some do’s and don’t’s about college fairs: (more…)

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Dear Readers,

Last week’s question concerned a student theft of another student’s property. Judging from the number of comments this column received, this question clearly struck a nerve with parents. Debate among readers ranged from blaming the incident on the student for bringing a forbidden cell phone to school, to the school’s not having the personnel to adjudicate incidents.

To be fair, it can take many hours of a teacher’s or guidance counselor’s time to resolve incidents like this, to the detriment of other work. And yes, cell phones are banned from school, although some schools turn a blind eye to the rule. But my bottom line is this: it is the schools’ responsibility to respond to parents’ concerns. Schools may not be technically guilty in cases of theft, but they are guilty of ignoring or dismissing parents’ and students’ problems. Schools should develop a specific routine and designate personnel to handle such incidents, the routine should be included in the safety plan, and the safety plan should be given out to all parents. The Parents Association must be part of the team that sets up the plan.

An even more important question not mentioned by commenters is, how can the school establish a climate that engenders respect for the school community and reduces student-to-student crime, bullying, and other discipline problems? My answer: spend a lot of time working toward that goal. Here are some ways to do that: (more…)

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Q: Some of my friends are telling me that if I don’t have any community service on my resume, I won’t be able to get into a good college. I’m not against doing community service, but I just don’t see where I could fit it into my schedule. I have a heavy academic load, plus I’m very involved in performing arts (orchestra, jazz ensemble, drama) and with all the rehearsals, I have hardly any free time! Will not having community service on my record really hurt me?

A: This is a timely question! At a rally for civic service yesterday, Mayor Mike Bloomberg called on all New York City public schools to offer public service opportunities to students although he said he would not make it a requirement for graduation as some high schools do. The theory behind requiring community service is that young people ought to put in some effort to enhance their community, and some students find themselves becoming inspired by the service they do in the process of fulfilling this requirement. Others find it a chore and only do it because it’s mandated.

There is no requirement that community service be listed on a college application, just as there is no requirement for work experience or extra-curricular involvement. There is space for both to be listed, but it’s optional.

Some colleges have “service to others” as an important part of their own ethic. If you look at a college’s website and it points out, for example, that 90% of the student body is involved in community service, from working in a neighborhood soup kitchen to tutoring children in an after-school program to calling the bingo numbers at the senior citizens’ center, then it’s obvious that evidence of community service will be valued (and the lack of service will be noted). (more…)

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Dear Judy,

I have a question about an incident in my daughter’s school. One of her classmates disposed of my daughter’s home keys and a cell phone in a garbage can. He admitted going through her book bag when she wasn’t around. The school officials had a meeting with his parents, and the boy said he is sorry. Nobody contacted me from the school. I found out what happened myself. I called the assistant principal this morning, and she told me that school is not responsible for lost items, and I can file a police report if I want to be reimbursed by the parents of that boy. Could you please tell me what should I do in this case? Is the school really not responsible for anything? What about safety?

Upset Parent

Dear Upset Parent,

Is the school responsible for the loss? Although there is a process, spelled out in Chancellor’s Regulation A-412, that the school must follow when a student is robbed on or near school property, including writing up an incident report and a range of punishments for the student who is responsible for the theft, there is no mention of the schools’ liability for the items stolen. The Department of Education’s Discipline Code, which you should have a copy of, also has a detailed list of possible infractions and punishments but does not mention a victim’s compensation or a school’s liability. You should also ask for a copy of your school’s specific safety plan to check if it includes any options for recourse.

Even if the school is responsible, going through a legal process will probably take more time and legal fees than the items are worth. You should still, however, file a police report. The police report and the school’s report of the theft, which is called an incident report, are important documentation in case you need to establish the need for a safety transfer.

If the school is not legally responsible for your daughter’s items, it is still responsible for handling the situation properly. They have already failed to notify you and show you the incident report, as the Chancellor’s Regulation requires. Now the principal or guidance counselor should set up a conference with the boy’s parents to discuss how you can be repaid. Depending on the age of the child, there might be an arrangement for him to earn the money, or the parents might agree to reimburse you. If the principal or his designee won’t help arrange this meeting, call the district family advocate and other Department of Education contacts, such as office of School and Youth Development, (718) 935-4357, or the Office of Legal Services, (212) 374-6888
I hope this resolves in a peaceful way.

Judy

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Q:  My daughter was honored by being nominated to be a National Youth Leader.  Participating in the program is very expensive.  I would hate not to let her attend because I believe it can open doors that would really benefit her. I want the best for her, but I really can’t afford it.  Am I expecting too much from the program, such as future scholarship opportunities if this program is listed on her resume?  Or should I wait and invest that money in college?

A:  You are a kind and wise parent!  Both of your instincts are right on target!  You want the best for your daughter, including helping her to enhance her experience and her college-admission profile.  At the same time you are correctly wondering if a high-priced program is really going to provide a high-level benefit.

This is not to minimize the fact that someone obviously thought highly enough of your daughter to submit her name to the program’s organizers, who write to high school principals and guidance offices asking for nominations of top students.  So someone at your daughter’s school — an administrator, counselor, or teacher — felt that she would be an excellent candidate.  The qualities that inspired someone to nominate her may be those qualities that will also make her a great college applicant.  But the success of her college applications will not depend upon her possible participation in this particular program.

Programs such as the National Youth Leadership Forum and the Congressional Youth Leadership Council can also procure lists of names from the College Board;  if a student checks, for instance, interests in law or medicine on the SAT registration form, programs dealing with law and medicine can ask for targeted lists.  Also, students who have participated in the programs are asked to suggest the names of others they think would enjoy the experience.

Every spring students have come to me with ‘nomination’ letters they have received, along with glossy folders and colorful brochures.  The programs often have the words ‘National’ or ‘Leadership’ in them (and have logos using symbols such as the Capitol dome or am American eagle), and they feel flattered.  The opportunities outlined in the mailings — traveling to the nation’s capital, networking with officials from government agencies, meeting students from all over the country — are exciting.  But what’s the difference between an “honor” and an “opportunity”?  An honor should not have a price tag attached to it.  An opportunity might or might not have a price tag.  Unfortunately, the college-admissions frenzy that has developed over the last 20 years has also spawned a huge ‘opportunities’ industry.  While there are many worthy, stimulating programs out there, for the most part they are money-making enterprises.

(more…)

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Dear Judy,

My son has been bullied and harassed in his school since day one (he is now in 7^th grade at a pretty good school). Everything came to a head when he was mocked on Facebook. I hear that they call this cyber-bullying. Besides the embarrassment felt by my son, this led to some physical assaults. No one at the school is taking this situation seriously, but it has made my son anxious and his grades are falling. What should I do?

Worried Mom

Dear Worried Mom,

Cyber-bullying is just as serious as the more familiar physical assaults and general harassment. Cyber-bullies, or bullies of any kind, should not be ignored and victims should not be left alone to tough it out. There are two paths to take when this kind of situation gets out of hand. Although dealing with your son’s distress is foremost, you have to confront the situation that caused it. Help your son by getting the guidance counselor involved with some one-on-one sessions to help your son cope. If necessary, and possible, try some outside therapy. Once the people responsible for the bullying are identified, the school counselor should also be working with them. It may be a good idea to have a meeting between you, the parents of the offenders, and appropriate school staff. But that depends on specific factors, so consult with the guidance counselor.

At the same time, with no delay, you should report the cyber-bullying and other incidents to the principal and to the local precinct. There is a new procedure, clarifying how to handle these incidents and it specifically includes cyber-bullying. All is spelled out in Chancellor’s Regulation, A-832 which, among other things, requires the principal to investigate and share with you a report of the outcome and steps to redress the behavior. Note that if you are not satisfied with the way the school is responding, you can contact the Department of School and Community Development. Don’t forget to report the cyber-bullying incident to Facebook as well.

Remember, you may have other allies among school parents, those who have had similar experiences, or PTA members in general. Consider inviting an anti-bullying expert to a school meeting. Other “official” allies are the parent coordinator, the District Family Advocate, and the Director of the Office of Family Engagement.

Another source of help, particularly when it comes to dealing with school culture and student behavior, is your school’s network leader from its school support organization. You can find your school’s network leader listed on the Department of Education website.

It takes a lot of work to undo the effects of bullying. Stick to it and good luck.

Judy

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Q: What’s the deal with ‘Score Choice’? Can I really not submit some of my SAT scores? What about colleges that say they will not “honor” this policy?A: If you are totally confused about this “new” policy, join the club. High school juniors in the middle of test-taking season report that they are puzzled by the seeming contradictions of Score Choice. Is Score Choice good for students or not?The answer is: good, sort of. Read on.College Board — the company that brings you the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and other standardized national exams — states: “Designed to reduce student stress and improve the test-day experience, Score Choice is a new score-reporting feature that gives students the option to choose the SAT scores by test date and SAT subject tests by individual test that they send to colleges, in accordance with each individual’s score-use practice.”Score Choice is an “option,” and a student must select this option, otherwise the scores will be listed on their score-reporting form. This is explained in the small print on collegeboard.com and in their printed literature. When students register online to take the tests, they will see this explanation — but it is easily overlooked. Students who take the SAT multiple times must mark the Score Choice option every time. If a students does not mark the Score Choice option, “the College Board will send all of your scores to the recipient institutions.” (more…)

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Dear Judy,

What is the use of taking an Advanced Regents diploma? Do colleges even know what a Regents exam is? Wouldn’t it be just as well to take the five basic Regents exams and not bother with more? Or not take them at all?

– High school parent

Dear High School Parent:

For a long time, passing Regents exams was not the only way to get a New York State diploma. For many students, demonstrating competency in major subjects meant passing an easier Regents Competency test (known as the RCT). Then politicians began questioning the true value of a New York State high school diploma, and imposed Regents exams on all students to raise the standards. The New York State Education Department also offered an advanced Regents diploma to those students who followed a more rigorous curriculum. Take a look at Insideschools’ basics on diploma requirements for the specifics.

It’s true that Regents exams are unique to New York State, but in response to the No Child Left Behind law (NCLB) many states have now established exit exams to set standards for their diplomas. In that sense, New York has a leg up with college admissions officers, who have encountered Regents for a long time. Importantly, even if the colleges do not look at the Regents scores at all, and even if you never take the Regents exams themselves, the course load you take to qualify for an Advanced Regents Diploma includes exactly what college admissions offices look for: challenges and effort beyond the basic standard. Just read what City University says on its website to all its applicants: (more…)

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Q: My son is a sophomore in high school. I have a few questions. 1) Should he begin test prep for the SAT this year? 2) How many times can he take the SATs? and, 3) if he takes it more than once, which scores do the colleges see?

A: These are important questions. Before I begin to preach, let me give you the short answers:

1. No, it’s too early.
2. As many times as he wants (but I recommend only twice).
3. Colleges will see only those scores that your son will “release” for them to see.

Now for the details: the SAT and the other nationally known test, the ACT, are important hurdles for students to clear on their way to college. But they are hurdles, not education itself. They are important, particularly when applying to the most selective colleges, but they are not the most important factor in college admissions.

The most important factor is the high school transcript, the record of which courses student has chosen to take and how he or she has done in those courses. College admissions officers are more interested in how students do semester to semester, year to year in high school, than they are in how well they do during a three-hour period on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

The SAT, while designed to be a fair test that would assess the ability of all test-takers, is not a fair test. It is culturally biased towards native speakers of American English, so if students are immigrants or live in a home where more than one language is spoken, the critical reading score will be affected. Students who are affluent can afford more coaching and prepping than their less affluent peers. The test is not a perfect instrument. It’s necessary, though, so we have to put up with it. But we should not over-emphasize it.

Prepping for the test is a good idea because students need to be familiar with the test format and need practice taking it. And yes, there are certain strategies and tricks that can be taught. But starting to do this too early can cause unnecessary stress. I say, wait until junior year to start any test prep program.

There are other ways to help your son to do well. Encourage him to study hard and take his high school classes seriously. If he does well in his math classes, chances are he’ll do fine on the math section of the SAT or ACT. The single best way to do well on the critical reading scores is to read! Encourage your son to read anything. Science fiction, sports magazines, a daily newspaper, mysteries, a biography. The more he reads, the better he’ll do in school and on the standardized tests. Simply memorizing random lists of vocabulary words doesn’t help. Over and over I have seen that students who practice reading on a consistent, daily basis do better on the critical reading section of the SAT than students who simply do test prep.

And I would limit taking the test to twice. Take it once, see how you do, then spend some months concentrating on improving your skills, and take it again. Three times, if you absolutely must. But more than that no. No one will stop a student from taking the test as many times as it is given. Some test-prep tutors actually recommend that students take the test every time it’s given!

That idea is very unhealthy. It over-emphasizes the importance of standardized testing over academic performance, extra-curricular involvement, creativity, and all the personal characteristics that make up the total human being who becomes a college applicant.

The colleges will see only those scores which the student wants to send. This is the policy called “Score Choice,” through which the College Board says it gives control over the scores to students. But some colleges say they want all scores, so can “Score Choice” be trusted? More on this in my next column.

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Dear Judy,*

We tried to register my son for kindergarten last week but were denied because of insufficient documentation. We were given a “tentative” registration but told to return with more documents ASAP.

We live in the school’s zone (we’re not trying to “game” the system) but we’re stumped as to how to meet the tough standards for documentation. We live in a co-op (thus utility bills are in the co-ops’ name, not ours) and also do all of our personal banking and bill paying electronically. In addition, my office is paperless as well, with all payroll on line. Because the schools do not accept computer print outs of documents, we are having trouble.

- Cyberdad

Dear Cyberdad,

According to Marty Barr, the director of elementary school enrollment, there are ways to get around proving residence despite the problems caused by living in a co-op and in a totally paperless universe.

You say the school accepted the documents that you submitted re the co-op, namely a mortgage statement. Another acceptable document is a proprietary lease with your name and address on it. But that is only one category. You need proof from another.

Here are some suggestions from the Department of Education for the second proof:

Request a letter from the human resources department in your office (there must be some official letterhead stationery around.) The letter should attest to the fact that your company submits payroll deductions, W2’s and 1099’s to the IRS using your address. The letter should be dated and mailed to you and you should submit the letter in the envelope, showing that you received it at your address. He also said that you can request a letter from your bank attesting to your address, and mailed to your address.

There are other possibilities including a letter from any other official agency on letterhead such as a tax refund from the state or federal government, a jury notice, an overdue parking ticket, or a letter from the social security administration re your status. You can request this if you have not received it but timing can’t be predicted.

You may find the list of documents required for registration on the Department’s website. You can find more information about enrolling in kindergarten in our Basics section.

Good luck,

Judy

*This question was not sent to Insideschools.org but was posted on a Brooklyn parent listserv.

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Q: I read your column about scholarships for minority students. What about websites for Asian Americans? Any scholarships here?

A: You could start by looking at the websites for Asian American Alliance and Asian Pacific Fund, but the best thing is to go to a comprehensive site that has a database of thousands of scholarship opportunities. FastWeb has one of the most complete listings, and you can also search for scholarships on collegeboard.com.

There is a great deal of information out there — you just need to do the research. And remember that ethnicity is just one of many factors on which you can do a search. There are scholarships for veterans, children of veterans, musical students, tall students, left-handed students, students who will be the first in their families to attend college, students who invent things — and many others.

One thing I will warn everybody about: Ignore any offer you read about or receive that offers you scholarships for a fee. Scholarship information is free. Applying for scholarships should be free too. Don’t let anyone charge you. Likewise, “honor” societies that may inform you of your “nomination” or “selection” for membership — for which there is a charge — are not truly honor societies. They are businesses, trying to profit from students’ college-admission anxiety. Look near the end of any such offers; if there is a price mentioned, just toss the papers.

Good luck in your scholarship search. It involves work, not just to research, but to enter, as essays are sometimes required. A $500 prize may not seem like much, but if you win several small awards, they can certainly add up!

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Dear Judy,
My daughter did not get into any of her main round choices despite having a 96+ average. She got into Brooklyn Latin but does not want to go there. I have serious concerns about the school’s neighborhood. Do we have a chance to go back to the main round, secondary round or for an appeal? I feel like the specialized high school process was presented as a method to find out early about your main round choices but no one mentioned this scenario.

Thanks for any help on this,

Disappointed in the 1st round

Dear Disappointed in the 1st round:

You still have a couple of days to reconsider. Acceptances are due Feb. 26. Think through the decision carefully. Try taking the trip she would take to Brooklyn Latin again. Speak to current students and listen to what they have to say about the neighborhood. Call the precinct to find out if there are incidents involving kids from the school or others in the community. Check out what other parents have to say on the Insideschools.org forum. If she still rejects Brooklyn Latin, your daughter’s application will be automatically entered in the main round.

Realize that once she turns down a specialized high school, she cannot change her mind about it. But, importantly, she can amend the application to reorder her choices, or add new ones, including the new schools that are opening next fall. According to Bonnie Gross, director of high school admissions, she not only can, but should revise her application. But remember: don’t list anything you would later rule out.

Results of the main round are due March 25. At that time, if the placement is unsatisfactory, there is still another chance to submit a supplementary application, and results are due out April 30.Then, there is an appeals process, so somewhere along the way your daughter has a good chance of getting into a good high school.

Another option: 9th graders can reapply to high school. Your daughter can take SHSAT test again, for possible placement to a specialized high school in 10th grade, and apply to other high schools as well.

Act fast and good luck.

Judy

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Q: I need assistance in choosing a good, affordable SUNY college that offers film. Any suggestions?

A: Your question addresses two issues: affordability and film studies. You are in luck. SUNY schools are affordable, certainly more so than private colleges, and that’s because, as state educational institutions, their mission is to provide high quality education at an accessible price to residents of New York State. A typical SUNY education tuition, room, meals, books, everything runs about $18,400 a year. That’s before financial aid, grants, and scholarships are applied. Private colleges today cost anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 annually, so a SUNY education is a terrific value. Talk to SUNY financial aid counselors about how to help make college affordable.

Don’t forget about CUNY! The City University of New York offers excellent academics at an affordable price.

You didn’t say whether you are interested in film studies or in filmmaking. I have suggestions for both and you have several options, both at SUNY and CUNY.

First the CUNYs:

Brooklyn College offers film production, film studies, and screenwriting

City College offers film and video production in its Media and Communication Art Department

The College of Staten Island offers a BA in Cinema Studies

Hunter College has a program in Film and Media Studies

Queens College (the College Counselor’s alma mater) offers a BA in Film Studies

Three SUNY campuses offer degree programs in film:

Binghamton: has a Cinema Department where you can study both the history and mechanics of filmmaking

Buffalo: the Department of Media Study offers courses in digital art, world cinema, film history, and robotics

Purchase: You can learn filmmaking techniques, editing, scriptwriting, directing, and production in the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program

As you can see, you can learn everything about the history of cinema and about how to create your own movies right here in the city, or at several locations throughout the state. I suggest that you visit the CUNY campuses to check out their programs first, then arrange to visit Purchase, which is in Westchester County. Speaking with professors and students in these departments will give you a more complete picture. Have fun!

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I have an 8 year old daughter who is in the top class; however the teacher told me that she is not interested in reading, writing and math, and is only interested in being social with the other children. She suggested I give her incentives. Can you give me some ideas to motivate my child to like reading, math and writing?

Puzzled Mom

Dear Puzzled Mom,

Do you know why she lost interest in her studies? Is she concentrating on friendships because she feels insecure and has to work hard to make and keep friends? Does she have a chance to see her friends after school or on weekends? You can help boost her self confidence by arranging playdates with friends. Is the work too difficult? If so, ask the teacher to schedule extra help or tutoring for her. Or, is she bored because the work is dull? If that’s the case, here are some ideas on how to keep her interested.

Introduce her to fun series books such as Ramona by Beverly Cleary, Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgrin, Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobol, or Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne. Good books are great motivators. Teachers may see these books as too easy, but they usually have kids clamoring for more. Once she is hooked on a series, the next title could be a reward for reading what the teacher assigns. Tapes and movies of these books in combination with the published versions make stories come alive. Take the time to read, watch, or listen with her. You can find plenty of other appealing books at the public library. Ask a librarian to help find those that are geared to her interests.

Encourage your daughter to write to grandparents, aunts and uncles, or neighbors who all welcome mail from kids. She can start with e-mail, and if she gets a correspondence going, she can move on to cards for special occasions and then longer letters. Writing in a diary is also fun, made even more appealing if you give her a special notebook with a pretty cover. She can write privately after she does the required school journal writing. Or, you and your daughter can read poetry and write poems together. Your participation is really important!

If you or other family members are good at math, share fun problems and puzzles. Some kids like to do arithmetic in workbooks at home. Others respond to just fooling around with a calculator or using it to solve problems that come up in shopping, like figuring out which box of raisins is the best buy or making change.

With the teacher’s cooperation, (she’ll report to you the good behavior days) your daughter can have a notebook full of stickers - one for each time she pays attention in school and does her homework willingly. When the agreed upon number is reached, you’ll reward her with something you both agree upon: Some small change? A toy she’s been yearning for? A special treat?

And, if you’d like to hear an expert speak on the topic of motivation, consider going to a talk by Rick Lavoie, author of “The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning on the Tuned-Out Child”. He will be speaking in Brooklyn on Feb. 11. See our calendar for details about this free event..

Good luck and have fun.

Judy

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Q. My daughter is a high school junior. We want to start visiting colleges this year, and we want to know of programs or colleges offering scholarships to minority students (we are Haitian-Americans). We have heard of a program called “Posse” do you know anything about this? Also, my daughter plays the cello. What about academic or music scholarships? Thank you for any leads you can offer.
A. You and your daughter are at exactly the right point to start researching both colleges and scholarship opportunities. First you’ll need to research potential schools that can offer your daughter the academic, cultural, and social life that will help her thrive; then over spring break, on occasional weekends, and over the summer, you will need to make some campus visits so you can see things for yourselves.

At the same time, you need to research scholarship possibilities. Scholarships and grants, as opposed to college loans, are gifts. They will allow your daughter to pursue her education with reduced financial burdens. There are two kinds of scholarships: institutional and non-institutional. Institutional scholarships are those awarded by a specific college or university. Almost all schools have some form of scholarship, and these can range from full-tuition to a token amount; generally, all applicants to these schools are automatically considered for scholarships when they apply for admission.

The non-institutional scholarships are offered by outside organizations, and these will require research and separate applications. The application process usually begins at the start of the student’s senior year. Again, this outside help can range from full tuition to small grants of $100 - $500. The Posse Foundation is one of a number of organizations that seeks out talented public high school students “with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes.” In partnership with a number of colleges and universities, Posse offers these students 4-year, full-tuition scholarships. Students must be nominated by their high school or by community-based organizations.

Another great resource is BlackExcel.org, which offers a scholarship directory for minority students. You can find many leads here!

Some other organizations that seek out minority students include the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, and the Gates Millennium Scholars.

And there are even more opportunities! The college office at your daughter’s high school probably has the College Board’s comprehensive Scholarship Handbook 2009. This is for all students, not just minority students, and lists 2,100 scholarship programs offered by organizations nationwide. They are indexed by state, by organization, and by subject area. So you can look up, for example, science scholarships, math scholarships, scholarships for students who are leaders in community service, and scholarships for military dependents. In some cases, essays are required, while in others there are specific forms to complete. Your daughter can also go to the “Paying for College” section of the College Board’s website to perform her own scholarship search. The more information she provides at this site, the more she will find scholarship information attuned to her interests.

Your daughter’s musical talent could possibly be another source of scholarship funding if she plans to major in music, colleges may ask her to audition and then make awards based upon her musical talent. Specific talents and interests are another whole area of scholarship potential. The website of Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music offers a long list of music scholarships offered by many different organizations.

There are many organizations, large and small, that are committed to assisting all students in financing their educations. Unfortunately, the financial situations of a number of these groups may have changed during the current economic crisis. Still, there will be many viable opportunities. Now, in the middle of your daughter’s junior year, is the perfect time to start the research!

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Dear Judy,

Hi, I want to prepare my four-year-old for the OLSAT. We did not get a date, yet, but I heard it could be next month, and I would like to get him some test prep material or a tutor. Do you have any recommendations?

Nervous mom

Dear Nervous mom (and potentially nervous moms),

It seems to me a bad idea to put a small child through a cram sessions in the few days, weeks, or even months left before the OLSAT. It’s better to work on bringing a well-rested, calm, and happy child to the test. Your child will do much better if she does not feel the same pressures that you do. One school placement consultant we know advises parents to tell your child, just before the test, that “these people want to know what a four-year-old can do.” It sets the child up to perform well without involving her in high stakes.

That’s the immediate answer to the nervous mom question, but because there have been lots of questions from many anxious parents about this subject, and although testing for the gifted and talented programs is well under way, I thought it useful to discuss this issue further.

Here’s my best advice for now and for the future: continue to do what you probably have been doing since your child was born. Read to your child and talk about what you read, play with language through rhymes and riddles, count and sort while doing everyday tasks, cut way down on television, and instead, play games, go to children’s museums, performances, zoos, and the library. Discuss everything you do, leaving plenty of opportunity for your child to do the talking. These activities are fun ways for you and your child to spend time together, and will help him succeed in school, no matter what the program.

Don’t put inappropriate pressure or unrealistic expectations on your small child. Scores on the OLSAT and the Bracken School Readiness Test, like other tests, come from a child’s reasoning and abstract thinking abilities, level of academic readiness, and his ability to convey these qualities while sitting patiently, remaining attentive for a long time, and forgoing the sidetracks a curious child will take - especially in a strange setting.

If you are still determined to prep your child, start by trying out the sample tests in the information booklet that the Department of Education supplies. Piece of cake for your child? Stop there. Need some brushing up? Search the Web for Otis-Lennon School Ability Test or OLSAT, and you will find books, software, and advice - mostly for sale to parents who want to prep their children. Some parents have recommended tutors via our forum, so take a look at what others have to say. Private tutors and services can be pricey, depending on how many hours you sign up for. Some agencies say they will help talented kids who can’t afford the fees. Others offer discounted specials.

Remember, gifted programs are not the only alternative for your bright child. There are other options in many districts. Don’t neglect your local school. Chances are it’s well-worth putting your energies toward supporting and improving it. Check out all the possibilities in our Find a School section on Insideschools.org

If your daughter does qualify for G&T programs, consider becoming a member of AGATE, a statewide advocacy organization for gifted education.

Meanwhile, relax and enjoy your bright child.

Judy

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Q: My son is graduating from high school this coming year. He has an IEP. Will this IEP automatically follow him through college and is there such a thing as special education in college? Are there any programs you know of that can assist him, and are there any majors for special education students?

A: The fact that your son has an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) indicates that you have been an advocate for him! But this plan will not follow him to college — IEPs, as guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), apply only to elementary and secondary schools. It is possible for students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, to receive special services in publicly-funded colleges; this is covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1973. But to obtain these services, you and your son will have to be proactive and ask for them — the colleges will not know he needs services unless he discloses this fact. So save your IEP and any supporting documents in order to request services. Colleges and universities vary in the accommodations they offer and the evidence they require in order to grant these services. And bear in mind that some schools offer more help than others. You will simply have to check with each school’s disability services or student services office.

In terms of which colleges your son might consider, that depends largely on his individual interests and abilities. Does he want to stay close to home? Does he want a commuter college or does he want to live in a dorm? Are finances an issue? All of these questions should be taken into consideration.

There are a few schools that offer programs especially aimed at students with disabilities. Landmark College in Vermont was specifically established to help students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities. The SALT program at the University of Arizona offers a similar program. You can obtain further assistance by consulting the National Center for Learning Disabilities (this organization offers a scholarship as well). You can also read and download a government brochure titled “Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education”. In addition, there is an excellent website, LD online, which outlines resources about college for students with learning disabilities.

The law protects the rights of students with disabilities to obtain the services they need to help them succeed, but the law does not guarantee admission. To avoid disappointment, plan realistically. Start by discussing with your son his hopes and dreams. Then discuss with his school counselor which schools might offer the best possibilities. Without knowing the nature of his IEP or his interests, it is difficult to recommend specific schools. However, the schedule flexibility of the community college system, along with its moderate cost, might be a good way for your son to start his post-secondary studies.

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Dear Judy,

We are in the process of applying for middle schools in District 15. Almost every school we have looked at says (1) they are highly selective with many more applicants than spots and (2) will only consider kids who rank them first or second. Are the middle schools (unlike the high schools) really informed as to where we rank them? And if so, should we avoid listing any of these schools in any spot other than one or two even if we would far prefer them to other schools in the district? Along the same lines, should we avoid listing any schools other than those we really like or by doing this are we risking not getting placed at all?

Brooklyn Mom

Dear Brooklyn Mom,

The Department of Education consistently responds to questions about the middle school application process by saying that each district has different rules, so we asked around in several districts. Wanda Barbot, middle school director at the Brooklyn Secondary School for Collaborative Studies, said that the schools in District 15 do not see how kids rank schools on their applications. On the other hand, Walter Friedman of the District 3 enrollment office said yes, the middle schools do know how you rank them on your application.

My advice to you, and to all parents and kids about to submit their applications to middle school, is that regardless of rankings, be savvy — don’t waste your first and second choices on schools where you don’t have much of a chance. Make your choices realistic with an eye to how your grades, attendance, and lateness will stack up against other applicants. To avoid total misery, do not list schools that you would hate, but be sure to list a good number of choices because the middle school guide contains this ominous phrase: “If an application is not completed or if a student does not rank sufficient choices in numerical order, he or she will be placed in a middle school in the district in which he or she resides or attends elementary school based on available space.”

Don’t forget the option to apply to schools that have a separate application process and may be open to students citywide. Look in the back of the district directories; there are 11 such schools in Brooklyn (every borough has them). Also search for “unzoned” schools in our Find a School section. There are Manhattan schools for gifted and talented kids that you test or audition for, and ICE (Institute for Collaborative Education) which does not test but asks for a personal essay. Remember, these individual applications will not compete with the ranked-list application.

Be sure to follow the directions in the middle school handbook: make sure that the information supplied by the school is correct, and that you are applying to schools for which you have a reasonable chance to get in. Finally, check our section on Applying to middle school for more tips.

Good luck!

Judy

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