Answers:

1. What do you consider to be the outstanding accomplishments of your child during the past three or four years? Why did you select these as the most important?

Though he was great at math through middle school, the rigor of the high school hit him hard. He struggled in his advanced math class in the fall of his freshman year. He then took the winter off from sports to focus on school, and succeeded. I’m proud because this shows prioritization and grit.

Looking back, he sees how valuable sports are and wishes he hadn’t skipped it. He thinks he could have both participated in sports and adapted to the harder curriculum. I’m proud of this because it shows confidence in himself—which is warranted since he’s competed in sport every season while keeping grades up. More than that, I’m proud of his self-reflection and his ability to “know thyself”.

2. In what areas has your child shown the most development and growth during the past three or four years?

Independence. We’ve not had to talk to him about staying on top of his work really since Freshman year. With rare and light prompting he’s signed up for the SAT’s himself, gets haircuts himself, and is taking ownership on college selection. He’s ready to be out on his own.

3. What do you consider to be your child’s outstanding personality traits?

Moreso than what I usually see in his peers I find Liam to be thoughtful, self-motivated, and wise—or at least proto-wise. I say thoughtful because he often considers how to manage his younger brothers, and strikes balances with them that make everyone happy. His self-motivation shines through with his robotic side-projects, SAT, studying, &c. His proto-wisdom shows up on reflection on what he’s experiencing in life and how it maps to what he’s read before (he’s read widely) and what he’s seen.

4. If you had to describe your child in five adjectives, what would they be?

Thoughtful, self-motivated, smart, funny, clever.

5. Are there any unusual or personal circumstances which have affected your child’s educational experience or personal experiences?

He was late to develop physically, which made sports tough as a kid. He also had some behavioral issues that made socializing tougher than usual. Despite all this he has crushed school, become a top-flight runner, been a great eldest sibling, and generally good human being to boot.