How do you drive The Pony crazy?
You ask if he is interested in being the sole allotted soul from Newmentia to be nominated to attend the Missouri Scholars Academy. Ask him in October. Then show him the packet of 20 pages of instructions to apply. Point out that the cost is $500, and that he will be living on the Mizzou campus for three weeks in June, no leaving, no visits. Warn him that he will have to do his own laundry, and eat whatever food is offered, or starve. No personal computer. Scheduled activities from morning 'til night. Classroom and recreational activities. Oh, and he'll have to share a dorm room with a roommate who will be an absolute stranger.
Point out that the deadline is February 14. He will need a standardized test score, such as the PLAN test, oh, and an IQ test. His GPA must be converted to a 4-point scale. He'll need to write two personal essays, letting his voice come through, one of which describes what rocks his boat/floats his boat, the other a cause which gets him fired up, and what he can do to make a change. He will need anecdotal evidence from school faculty on his initiative, perseverance, empathy, and how attending the academy would benefit him.
Toss 12 snow days into the mix before and after Christmas break. Schedule that IQ test for today. Let The Pony look forward to it for a week. Go to bed early. Rise and shine, psyched to knock that test out of the park. Pack a snack to boost his energy after the bell, just before the test. Sharpen two #2s and prance off to the office let the smart flow out of his brain.
Then tell him that the answer sheets to the IQ test are missing, and it will have to be rescheduled for tomorrow.
The Pony is chomping at the bit.
There are 330 slots available for the Academy, and over 800 nominations from throughout the state of Missouri. Can The Pony make the cut, and be one of the top 41% of the top .05% of Missouri high school sophomore scholars? I don't think he'll have any trouble competing with his GPA, IQ/PLAN scores, essays, or his teacher testimonials.
The empathy score, however, is suspect.
Make sure his mane is braided and all handsome-looking. Brush his tail til it shines. Give him a handful of carrots and an apple.
ReplyDeleteAnd watch him prance...
Sioux,
ReplyDeleteThe Pony is tearing up the paddock. With a snow day, his IQ test is now on the back burner until at least Friday, and maybe next Monday.
Sweet Gummi Mary! I WILL make sure his paperwork gets submitted on time. Nobody's dropping the ball on my watch.