<p>
And I was wrong. D called and it was a grant. Adios, BCM. And the early favorite bites the dust.</p>
<p>Still nothing from Yale, cur? They seem to be taking their sweet time. Now, I feel really grateful that I had almost two weeks to decide after getting my funding offers!</p>
<p>Still nothing and time is growing short. It’s not a good thing. She’s getting real comfortable with her other choice.</p>
<p>I talked to DS tonight and it looks like he has made his final choice. As of today, he has finally heard back from all of his schools. It was interesting to see how much variance there was between all the financial aid packages. One package didn’t even come close to covering the expenses and it would have meant taking out large private loans. Which is a shame since he really liked that program.</p>
<p>I am a bit hesitant about naming the final choice - I have this fear that if I post it, I will somehow jinx it. But he got a large scholarship from them and today they emailed him and gave him an even larger scholarship. I don’t want them to send another email saying “oops, made a mistake!” So I will wait until May 15th to say what school he chose. He is happy and that is the important thing. </p>
<p>It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since this whole process began. I could hear the relief in his voice tonight. Finally, this long and difficult trip is over with.</p>
<p>Big, super congrats!! Gosh, I want this over.</p>
<p>Oh, no, no, no, mom2boys, it seems like the “long and difficult trip is over with.” But…it’s just the beginning of an even longer and more difficult trip. </p>
<p>As my D puts it, “Med school is ridiculously hard.”</p>
<p>Oh I know… DS is already dreading it. He was bemoaning the fact that he won’t have much of a summer break before he has to move and start school all over again. He is excited, anxious, apprehensive, nervous. He is so happy to be done with college but has a horrible case of senioritis and he knows he has to get over it and get back to studying again soon. I think he is a bit envious of the friends that are heading off to new cities,new jobs and paychecks. All he sees are books, long hours and debt. </p>
<p>But he is excited about it though. He is ready to leave college. He is happy about the city he will be moving to. He feels relieved that he knows where he is going now, what direction his life will be taking. He wants to be a doctor and he is quite pleased that he has gotten to this point in his life. Sometimes I think he wonders what madness has made him decide to put himself through 4 more years of torture.</p>
<p>O.K… Any negative thoughts about Yale’s FA have been forever banished from my memory banks. 
They have made it “financially possible” for the kid to attend. Very generous FA. Doable. Now the question will be…does she want to attend?</p>
<p>Now it gets interesting. ;)</p>
<p>Yale is foreign , exciting, “new”, unique, and more expensive with some hard to get around negatives (no garden tub, no cat, “ketchup soup” life-style). Better pre-clinical experience (in her opinion). </p>
<p>UT-SW is more traditional, familiar, built-in friends that share the same/similar experiences, much more comfortable digs, more $ flexibility for travel/study opps, much better family support (2 hours away), garden tub, cat. Better clinical experience (in her opinion). Oh, yeah and cheaper without being subject to FA variations year to year. </p>
<p>Dad will crunch numbers for a couple of days. D will contemplate a choice based on all the other factors. Which school will win her heart? Which one her head? And will her head win out over her heart? I’m just so happy she has this choice to make. Thank you Yale. Very much.</p>
<p>**Brag Alert : What follows is a disgusting brag post. So sue me. 
** In other news, D did not leave it too late to start her kick to the GPA finish line for highest honors at her school. She seriously thought she’d “interviewed” and “second-looked” and senioritis’ed herself 5 feet down a 6 foot hole. But she pulled it out. Grade-grubber that she is, she’s pretty proud of her comeback. </p>
<p>Her college has a week of graduate festivities. Last night was a pretend casino night on a riverboat with alcohol. Tonight is an actual casino with alcohol. Not sure, but I seem to be picking up on a theme here. Can’t wait to see her Thursday. Hope she’s sober by then. BTW, think “nickel slots” and maybe she’ll feel the vibes and stay away from anything too dangerous in Tunica. ;)</p>
<p>Nothing disgusting at all, brag away! I actually thought that was a bit understated for such good news! As mudgette ponders her decision, you might want to remind her that Foxwoods is only a stones throw from Yale, that should sweeten that pot! They sure don’t give you alot of time to ponder things, do they? I say flip a coin and be done with it.</p>
<p>Yale is forgiven for the folly of their UG financial aid ;)</p>
<p>As in all things CC, it’s gotta come down to her gut instinct, she’ll know what’s right for her!</p>
<p>mudge</p>
<p>If she has any more questions about UTSW now is the best time to ask…last exam was Friday, all day orientation for rotations every day this week and then prepping for the Step One. I believe she had his cell number and email; if she no longer has it, let me know.</p>
<p>I appreciate it. I think I’ve got the emails. Not like she has a lot of time to make this happen.</p>
<p>^I’m following this thread with bated breath as a mother of a potential med student.</p>
<p>Just to reassure you and D (as a transplant to CT from North Carolina some 20 years ago, this was a prerequisite for moving), many grocery stores in the state of Connecticut do carry Quaker old-fashioned grits (and fancy stone-ground in the gourmet shops).</p>
<p>
haha – I hadn’t realized Mudgette had a gambling habit!</p>
<p>As far as I know, last night was her first visit to a casino as a gambling age adult. That is, assuming she’s left the casino. That first visit might still be happening with that no clocks thing they do. ;)</p>
<p>
I can’t even handicap this race. I got nothing. Yale really surprised me with their FA. I thought they were goners.</p>
<p>… haha, is THAT why she’s taken up gambling? To pay for med school?</p>
<p>Gambling is probably more wholesome than some of the things that people say they’ll have to resort to in order to pay for medical school. ;)</p>
<p>Yale owed her doubletime for last time around. Good for them for realizing that. Or just good for them anyway.</p>