Troy Visit with John

This was my second visit to Troy this year but John's first. We swung by ROTC in the morning to chat with them. We discovered that at Troy, ROTC is a minor which means even more credits added to an already packed Nursing schedule and requiring 10 if not 11 semesters even though scholarships are for 8. They do offer 15 housing scholarships each year that they share with AF ROTC. The ROTC scholarships do stack with university scholarships. She mentioned CLEPS as a way to get extra credits (had forgotten about that option). John was giving lots of reading materials as well as a Troy ROTC tshirt (Theresa is likely to try to steal it) and I was given some reading materials as well as an Army Strong coffee mug.
We then scurried off to our campus tour meeting first with the admissions counselor. We chatted briefly and then Destiny took us on our tour. There were supposed to be 4 or 5 families but the others all either cancelled or didn't show up so we got our tour by golf cart. Destiny showed us all around campus including the cafeteria, three different dorms, and we swung by the Nursing dept. Sigh --- while this is John's second choice for the actual university/campus, their nursing program is number three on his list. After the first semester of Nursing courses, most clinicals require a drive to other towns (50-60 miles each way) and that would not be a good use of one's time when you have the extra of ROTC already. And their labs on campus are very limited compared to what we saw at UAB. They have a great NCLEX pass rate (96%) but the opportunities for skills just doesn't appear to be readily available.
So it looks like UAB stays number one on the list.

UAB College Visit with John

Today was our third college visit - this is the first time I've been on an official tour of UAB. The directions provided were easy to follow and the campus is just a short distance off I-65.

We started out in the Nursing Department. The UAB Nursing program is 5 consecutive semesters (typical of most programs in AL) and has a high NCLEX pass rate (about 97%). There is an early acceptance program for which John meets the requirements and all he would need to do is maintain a 3.0 GPA to maintain that acceptance. There is also a specific Nursing honors program that provides research opportunities. During one's freshman year, the required 1st Year Experience course provides shadow experiences. A&P has the unique opportunity of cadaver labs. We were able to tour the simulation labs --- lots of  'people' in hospital beds and body parts on tables. The new Nursing building (scheduled to open Fall 2018) will provide even more opportunities. There are five hospitals within walking distance for clinicals.

The Nursing tour ran long so we were a few minutes late for the overall campus introduction but I don't think we missed anything of importance. We were there for the info about scholarships - ROTC scholarships can be stacked with Academic scholarships. Two Trailblazers took us on a campus tour - it is way more urban than Memphis. We were told that jaywalking will cost one $180. Most of the campus is divided by city streets but there is a small park where student activities are held and a one block campus green surrounded by campus buildings. The new residence hall has two person rooms (carpeted, mini blinds) with standard furnishing, a private bathroom and kitchenette (mini fridge, microwave and sink).

UAB has Army ROTC; we ran out of time to run by there but we did meet a young man who was in it his freshman year (has a medical condition that prevented him from contracting). They PT twice a week at 5:45am and are one of the largest batallions in the southeast as they have students from many other schools in the Birmingham area. I had already asked Nursing about the summer courses as that's the same summer as ROTC training and the Nursing dept and ROTC are good about working out solutions.

Who knew that John would be a city boy? He now ranks UAB as his first choice and because of the unique cadaver lab opportunity, we are going to switch his DE class to our initial thought of Intro to Psychology.

Update Sept 2nd:
We met with Mr Garcia with ROTC on our way to visit Troy.  ROTC cadets can be placed together in Blazer Hall for living. Only maybe 4% of scholarships are 4 yr scholarships. If for some strange reason John doesn't get a national scholarship, he said don't worry call him as he usually can make something happen. For Nursing students, MS2 and MS3 years are swapped so that one can concentrate on their Nursing studies. Advanced camp (or whatever that summer training is called) is after sophomore year for Nursing students as they have nursing classes summer after junior year. Their batallion is over 100 cadets.

UNA Visit with John

John and I went on his second college tour (I failed to blog about JSU) today  to University of North Alabama. It was technically Transfer Tour day but that worked out fine as we got a great info session from the recently retired Director of Admissions. We learned that you can stack a Leadership scholarship with an Academic scholarship.  She showed us a place on their website that shows the exact course equivalents for community college DE courses. She was just overall a positive first impression of UNA.

Then we went on a campus tour. Got shown all the pertinant places on campus (Starbucks, ChickFilA, library, brand new Science building, etc) as well as the college mascots - Leo and Una (yes, they live ON campus). Learned that the old science bldg is being torn down in Dec/January and in its place will be a brand new Nursing building (This is also going to increase their Nursing program by about 50%). Evan (our guide) also took us to the new freshman dorms since they don't bring transfer students there obviously. The rooms are a decent size, carpeted, mini blinds, and private bathroom. Each floor has their own common area with a big screen TV as well as Study Rooms. Laundry is free for students in the dorm.

We then met with Col Atencio and a brand new LT Nurse. They gave us lots of great information and encouragement. Learned a new tidbit --- when John applies in June 2017, the PT test is 1 min of situps, 1 min of pushups and a 1 mile run (all that doubles for the real thing). John even got an ROTC tshirt.

And he likes UNA!

College Applied to and Accepted

Gotta love a student who applies to college and is accepted before her senior year of high school even begins.

Busy Week with College Visits

On Wednesday,  Theresa and I drove to the University of Montevallo for a college tour. It's a small school - about 3,000 students. It was a bit odd that unlike UNA, the Admissions Counselor didn't sit down with us individually. Our tour was one other student (a male athlete), his dad and us. It's a small quaint campus so I think freshman fifteen has the potential to occur. I must say my brain is mush and since I didn't take notes I have limited details. The campus is not far off I-65 but there is pretty much no town that we could see. The dorm rooms didn't have carpeting, each room may have a fridge or microwave (not both) unless you rent from the university at $80 a semester. Even if you bring your own, you must pay $10 for a sticker each semester/year (not sure which). They have a nice gym with workout room and waveless heated indoor pool (not that Theresa is interested in athletics). Their applications do open on June 1st --- earliest I've ever encountered. Their student/faculty ratio is 17:1 which is great for students but not for the checkbook.

After our tour on Wednesday we continued to head south and spent the night in Troy. We got up on Thursday for a 10am tour of Troy University. This is the first college tour with Theresa at a school I've not previously toured. It is an absolutely gorgeous campus. The academic buildings are arranged around a beautiful quad complete with a fountain. There were lots of students out and about as it was a beautiful spring day. We met with an admissions counselor. Theresa mentioned that although she knew no current students at Troy, she did know that a member of Newsies had attended. The counselor not only knew of him but had been in Intro to Theater with him when she was a student. We were shown dorms (although not the traditional style) and they were all nice. Students are permitted fridges and microwaves. In one room I also saw a Keurig, crockpot and toaster oven (my gut says these are contraband). There is no way I'm paying for my child to have a single room with a full-size bed and a mounted flat screen tv.  But I am willing to pay a little extra for her to live in the Newman dorm. They have suite style - two bedrooms (for two students each) with a living area and a shared bathroom. And on the first floor is a small Blessed Sacrament Chapel. There is Mass on campus on Sunday nights in Sorrrell Chapel. The Newman dorm and chapel were not a part of the tour but Matthew took us there when the tour was complete.  We saw classrooms---- from the small upper level to a 'large' lecture hall of 120 seats (enrollment is capped at 110). The campus is very diverse and is large enough to have activities for everyone.  It's downside is it's more than 4 hours from home but other than that I loved it. Plus Theresa will earn a full tuition scholarship. Just FYI, they do superscore for scholarships.

If I think of other details, I will come back and add them.

My Daughter Rocks!

From the toddler who couldn't sit on my lap for story time to the preschooler who spent many a morning in the director's office to the 6 yr old who struggled to learn to read to the high school freshman who scored a 18 on the preACT --------- the butterfly has emerged!!!!

Not only did she get a 28 composite score, she got a 33 on the Reading section!! I am the world's proudest mom of Theresa's hard work and dedication.

College Visit #1 with Theresa

This was my third visit to UNA as both Madeleine and Abigail also visited the campus. There has been a great deal of growth on campus since Abigail and I visited almost four years ago. There is a new Science building, a new Student Center building but most imporantly - new freshman dorms. The rooms are carpeted and have their own private bathroom; defintely a plus not to have to shuffle down the hall in middle of the night.

I love that the campus is less than a 90 minute easy drive from home. Maurice did a great job taking Theresa and I to see so many parts of campus and telling us about activities outside of academics. I think having a laboratory school on campus is a huge plus for their Education department. While tigers are my favorite animal; I LOVE that they have their mascots living right on campus - yes two lions live on campus - Leo and Una.

We have two more visits next month so we'll see how schools compare in Theresa's mind.

Yesterday was Move-in Day

Yesterday we took Abigail to move into her dorm at the University of Memphis. It took us about four hours to get there despite some annoying light rain in AL. We stopped at Perkins for lunch when we got to town since we were early; thankfully they let her sign in early and give her the room key (which oddly is not the same as her student ID). Maybe it's because we were early but even come 1pm there didn't seem to be the plethora of help we had at Madeleine and James' colleges for freshman move-in day. I think overall it took us 5 trips from the car to unload everything. After two trips, I stayed in the room unpacking while Scott and Abigail continued unloading. We met her roommate Alex and her dad who was helping her move in. After Abigail said goodbye to us at the car she was already off and running to meet a friend from Frosh Camp.

Here is Abigail last summer during our college visit:

And here she is ready to start her freshman year as a true blue Tiger

College Life

Bad news - James got bumped from his inexpensive retro dorm room.
Good news - He was assigned a first floor room in a suite style dorm.

Bad news - It costs more (although not as much as his fancier dorm of the past 2 yrs)
Good news - It's a single room (actually I'm not sure if this is good news or not)

Bad news - The student worker in the housing office is unable to answer my questions.
Good news - I found an email and hopefully someone will be able to answer my questions.

The Long Blue Line

On Saturday May 11, 2013 Madeleine joined the Long Blue Line of W alum.

The day started with Mag Chain which has taken place in some form since 1890. During this event, the magnolia chain is carried by seniors singing the “Magnolia Chain Song” from the front of Columbus Hall to Callaway Lawn where the ceremony is held.
The procession is led by the senior class president who carries a bouquet of daisies in honor of the graduates who began the ceremony years ago. Daisies are carried because the magnolia chain was originally made of daisies and other flowers.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the seniors form a circle around the magnolia chain, lock arms and sing the “Friendship Circle” song. After the song is completed, the seniors make a mad dash for a magnolia blossom.
Tradition holds that graduates who are able to walk away with a magnolia blossom will find good fortune and romance.
During the ceremony senior presidents of student organizations were recognized - Madeleine Gardiner: Honor Student Advisory Council and Up 'Til Dawn Co-Executive Director. Six students (including Madeleine Gardiner) were recognized as new members of the W Hall of Fame.

Then it was graduation time. Dr Borsig, president of the W, was the one to hand out diplomas. The wonderful thing is he actually knows Madeleine by name - actually he knows her full name. It's a definite advantage of attending and being very involved at a small university.

Here is Madeleine Jean Gardiner with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education Magna Cum Laude with Honors (which means she completed all requirements of the Ina E Gordy Honor's program)

Madeleine with her best friend Katherine.

Signing Day

Sports have nationally televised signing day when athletes choose their school. I decided that a National Merit Finalist needed a signing day as well. So today was the day I chose. Abigail has signed her scholarship letter for the University of Memphis where she is an early admission Nursing student in the Helen Hardin Honors program.

Cecil C. Humphreys Merit Scholarship

Remember this posting about Abigail's advancement to being selected as a National Merit Scholarship finalist?  We thought her scholarship at the University of Memphis included $9,700 per year plus the following benefits:
1. Laptop computer
2. Study Abroad or National Student Exchange Stipend of $2,000
3. Assistance available for attendance at National Conference on Undergraduate Research
4. Priority consideration for the Non-Resident Honors Student Award (NRHSA) for out-of-state awardees - Abigail was awarded this scholarship in September; its current value is over $15K per academic year.

Well it does, but it also includes $5,000 per year toward on-campus housing which is a significant surprise.

Here is our soon-to-be True Blue Tiger.

Happy Day!!!

We are so proud of Abigail.

She will now be upgraded to The Cecil C. Humphreys Merit Scholarship which is awarded to all National Merit/National Achievement finalists listing the University of Memphis as their first choice with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by the required deadline. This prestigious award is $9,700 per year plus the following benefits:

1. Laptop computer
2. Study Abroad or National Student Exchange Stipend of $2,000
3. Assistance available for attendance at National Conference on Undergraduate Research
4. Priority consideration for the Non-Resident Honors Student Award (NRHSA) for out-of-state awardees - Abigail was awarded this scholarship in September; its current value is over $15K per academic year.

Update on Abigail and College

I had already reported on University of Memphis and National Merit Semi-Finalist but the other letters arrived during our crazy theater time of year.

Abigail has also been accepted to the University of North Alabama as a member of their Honors program. Currently she's been offered $300 per semester (goes to $600 her last two years) from the Honors program and $7000 per year based on her ACT score. That award will be bumped up after they receive a copy of her letter showing her a Semi-Finalist.

Lions (UNA) and Tigers (Univ of Memphis) and Bears (missed that in her applying to college), oh my!

Abigail and Early College

When this semester ends, Abigail will have completed 12 credits of college through the Univ of AL Early College program - she's earned credit for Composition I and Psychology (both will count toward general ed requirements at Memphis), Intro to Anthropology (her advisor will determine if she gets general ed  credit for this) and  Microcomputer Applications elective credits that she doesn't really need).

Abigail was going to take another course in the Spring semester but it looks like it won't work out to take something that will count toward General Ed requirements at Univ of Memphis. We want to wait on Composition II since that's part of her Honors program in Memphis. Can't take a Lit class at AL until you've taken both Composition classes. Can't take US History since she already took those at the high school level (dual enrollment classes count toward both high school and college) and that would be like taking the same course twice. No interest or need to take Chinese I or Japanese I. The only Science courses offered are for non-majors (which doesn't apply to her as a Nursing student). The Western Civ courses offered don't match up with the World Civ requirements for Memphis. The Art History course doesn't match up with Gen Ed requirements. Online Math courses are a royal pain since you then have to pay additional $$ for proctoring of tests and exams. No need for more computer courses as a Nursing major. She doesn't need a second Anthropology course.  Which only leaves Intro to Journalism which would just be extra unneeded elective credits.

So it looks like Abigail will have an easier last semester of high school - she'll finish up her year long courses in Religion and Marine Biology as well as her spring semester courses in English Literature and Economics and maybe throw in Consumer Math or Logic.

We've been keeping this secret for over 2 weeks....

Abigail is a National Merit Semifinalist!!!

Her PSAT score (called her selection index) of 212 placed her in the 99th percentile of all high school juniors taking the test. Now onto the finalist competition - she has to complete an application, write an essay, get a letter of recommendation and get a qualifying score on the SAT. Wish her luck as this means an extra scholarship money and a laptop. 

Lovin' Today's Mail

Abigail got her acceptance letter today from the Helen Hardin Honors Program at the University of Memphis. In addition, she was awarded one of only 30 scholarships given to non-TN residents which waives the out-of-state tuition fees (which is nearly $8,000 per year).

Be a True Blue Tiger!!!

On August 13th Abigail applied to the University of Memphis and today she received her acceptance email. Sigh... the world has become so electronic that not even a letter or a phone call. So now she has the joy of working on the Honors application and in the spring the Early Admission to the Nursing program application.

Change in Plans

It may only be the 9th day of the school year but we've already made changes. Abigail was registered for Pre-Calculus Algebra through University of Alabama Early College. Yesterday we found out that tests would need to be proctored. Looked into all the options and they all require extra money as well as time for traveling to the sites. This morning we got confirmation that 4 tests plus the exam would need proctoring. That means about every three weeks Abigail would have to go somewhere for the test since it couldn't be done at home - well there is an at home option but it requires handing over control of your computer to a stranger as well as the cost. We decided that didn't fit well into Abigail's schedule and need for flexibility.

I am so thankful for the helpful folks at Alabama. I was able to 'add' Introduction to Psychology and 'drop' the Math class online with no trouble in a matter of minutes.  I was able to talk to the Psychology professor in advance so I knew that Abigail would not be hopelessly behind and that the textbook was online so we wouldn't have to wait for the US Postal Service or FedEx. She will start her course tonight when she comes home from Annie.

Now to send the appropriate paperwork to her cover school for their records.

University of Memphis

University of Memphis was our fourth college campus visit. The drive there was 4 hours mostly on 72. Seeing as we went in the summer it was a different campus visit although I must say I was quite surprised by how much activity there was on campus. Despite being in a large city, the campus feels quite suburban with all its green space and trees.

We stopped by the Nursing dept but the person we needed to speak to was not available but we did get her card so that Abigail can email her with questions. We ate lunch in the food court (they also have a traditional cafeteria) and then went to our tour.

First we had an overview of the university and then a personal tour with two students (about 8 folks registered never bothered to show up nor cancel their reservation). Neither tour guide has lived on campus but they were able to show us a dorm room and answer questions. The Honors dorm was pointed out to us (front of campus very close to the Catholic student center where Mass is on Sundays at 5pm) but we were unable to view one of those rooms. The dorms (like we had in the 80s in CT) have a staffed desk at which guests must sign in and are locked after visiting hours.

University of Memphis is the only non-professional theater to be given the rights to perform Phantom of the Opera; tickets sold out in 53 minutes. Non-theater majors are eligible to audition for shows and take classes.

Nursing has a program whereby qualified high school seniors admitted as freshmen to The University of Memphis may at the time of admission to the University be directly admitted to the nursing major.This is what we are hoping for Abigail as the criteria is based on GPA and ACT scores. Nursing courses begin second semester of sophomore year and they have an elective course in Oncology.

I am fairly certain Univ of Memphis has moved above UNA and Auburn. It has what Abigail wants: big city, access to big hospitals with pediatric oncology, early entry Nursing program, theater program and not too far from home (well maybe that last one is what Mom wants)