<p>For those interested in Goucher, a friend of mine teaches there and believes the student body is both very diverse in fashion and outlook and very harmonious. I believe an intellectual kid would enjoy and the music scene in Baltimore and DC should be very good.</p>
<p>simpkin, S refuses any visits until everything is in…i feel ya :)</p>
<p>Oh got into Rochester Institute of Technology.</p>
<p>GPA: 3.188
ACT: 32
E:30
M:34
R:32
S:30</p>
<p>Accepted EE with emphasis in computers.</p>
<p>Congratulations David!</p>
<p>Nice David!</p>
<p>Congratulations David!
Are you planning to attend? of are you still waiting for more schools?</p>
<p>Good Luck to all trying to help these kids finally make a decision. </p>
<p>Simpkin, I hope Ithaca comes through with a option both you ans your son can like.</p>
<p>I too have been the research assistant, or it would probably be more correct to call me the researcher,as assistant implies DS did something. To be fair I guess he did visit the schools with me. He even cut a couple from the list that he didn’t care for. One school smelled funny, and a few were too far away or didn’t feel right. </p>
<p>With no clear direction I suggested that he apply to a variety of schools he felt would be acceptable. Fast forward Oct->March and he has been accepted to 6 of the 7 schools he applied to.(waitlisted at 1) Merit aid at all but 2. (one being Rutgers)but nothing large enough to make a decision on, and we are no closer to having a decision than we were in November. </p>
<p>Now I suppose this is a good problem to have but I think I will still be asking on 4/30 at 11pm. It is starting to drive me crazy. His answer “I have no idea.” </p>
<p>I read all of your discussion on graduation rates and freshman retention at most of the schools are similar. (close to 80% 6 yr graduation rate 90% freshman retention)
All of the schools are within 2 hours of home. </p>
<p>We have accepted students days scheduled at 4 schools. I need to find time for him to visit the others, but I’m nor sure it will help. </p>
<p>I guess I should start subtly pushing the least expensive options ;)</p>
<p>Edie,</p>
<p>So glad to know that my son is not the only one to drop a school beacuse of its smell!</p>
<p>My son applied to a large # of schools (14!) since we weren’t sure any college was looking for a kid who’s gpa was <3.0 Well, apparently, there are some schools that really mean it when they say they look at the applications holistically. And, thus, he has received a bunch of acceptances. </p>
<p>Well, of course, now we are still awaiting a couple of decisions, in addition to FA. Without significant FA, none of these schools are affordable. We did visit 6(!) schools during Feb vacation, and there’s one school that he liked (and we really liked) but he doesn’t want to commit yet.</p>
<p>Even if he’s accepted to one of those schools he’s waiting for, I really feel like this one school is the perfect fit. So, our dilemma is how do we (as you said) “subtley” make him see the light? Haha… I wish I knew…</p>
<p>Edie and family, congrats on the many options! Edie, are his options are similar in size, urban/rural, etc? If he starts picking a size, etc that might be a way to narrow it down the options.</p>
<p>Often, kids with multiple choices are scared to make a decision–especially if, all along, they have been reluctant to state preferences, do research, etc. Kids who did want to “own” the search are unlikely to want to “own” the decision. There is often a fear factor, as well as a possible desire to hope you make the decision, which allows them to hide from the idea of going to college longer, as well as to blame you if it goes wrong.</p>
<p>For a way to subtly push an option you prefer, ensure you visit on a sunny day and that it is the first school you visit that day. For schools you disfavor, do the opposite if possible. It may still come down to who had the cuter tour guide or the better ice cream, etc
Best of luck</p>
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<p>^^Yes! Yes! That is exactly right!!</p>
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<p>LOL</p>
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<p>I think my S applied to 12, same reasoning. </p>
<p>I don’t even know that I want Ithaca to say yes, I just want them to make a decision already! With all LACs out of the picture now :(, I think the choice comes down to RWU, Hofstra, or Plattsburgh.</p>
<p>Simpkin, I hope you believe in heaven, because you certainly have been remarkably patient while your son put you through hell this year. </p>
<p>If it is any consolation, my mom was an HS department head, although fortunately not at my HS. Because I hated my HS and was willing to argue with my HS teachers, they kept marking me down and sending notes home, which caused her (and my dad) a lot of stress.</p>
<p>In college, to my joyous shock, the professors loved that I would disagree with them–they saw it as a sign of interest in the subject matter and a welcome relief from the multitude of kids just trying to win their favor by agreeing with them 100%.</p>
<p>Your son may well find his way in whatever college he ultimately attends.</p>
<p>yabeyabe2,</p>
<p>I just wanted to say that I have noted your repeatedly positive posts. You have a gift for making people feel at ease. I, for one, appreciate that. (You probably already know this, but I just needed to say that. 
)</p>
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<p>Yes! I totally agree. Thanks for all the support you’ve given us on this thread. Much appreciated. </p>
<p>This has been an interesting journey, for sure. Frustrating but often amusing. S and I were just talking about McDaniel and he said that besides being too small for him, “it’s in Maryland, which is a state I don’t care for.” What can you do but laugh? All the conditions: he wanted to go to college in Baltimore but not in DC (“too hot”); New York was good; New York was bad, near a beach was bad (“I don’t like water”); near a lake was a deal-breaker (but only a big lake, small lakes and peninsulas are okay); middle-of-nowhere was bad but maybe a small town would be okay; no actually it wouldn’t; Oneonta was out because too many kids from his high school were applying, but Plattsburgh is good because some of his friends (from his high school) might go there, etc. etc.</p>
<p>Thank you both very much. It is, of course, much easier to say than do–my kids fought me every step of the way of the way through the college search process and react with hostility to anything I suggest about their college careers. I could figure out the possible psychological issues at play, but had a lot of trouble being perpetually patient and sympathetic (or even deciding whether “tougher love” was needed). I would get the belligerent response to my perfectly reasonable suggestion; remind myself they wre probably nervous and scared about the process; come up with a supportive, constructive, calm reply (mentally patting myself on the back for my kindness) --and get yelled at even worse.</p>
<p>I would hear of other parents who bonded with their kids during the search process and wanted to weep with frustration. I think CC became so popular because it rescued a lot of parents who couldn’t be honest with their friends about how infuriating they found their kids were about the process, especially if their friends’ kids were also more diligent students.</p>
<p>These are our kids and we love them and hope that years from now they will be successful and we will be able to laugh at what they put us through, but I don’t think I will ever truly laugh at how, no matter how many acts of defiant laziness, snarling refusals to discuss important decisions, etc I forgave, I was still called a horrible father for such sins as suggesting I shouldn’t be doing all the research.</p>
<p>Hang in there–they know they have to make a choice sometime.</p>
<p>Personally, I have kept my parents out of the college process as much as I could. I would not tell them where I applied, nor would I tell them where I got accepted to or rejected from. I think it is just a subconscious act by the kid. I mean college is a liberating experience; it is the first steps of real independence from the parents. It’s a part of growing up. I have always tried to make my own decisions where ever possible. </p>
<p>My parents don’t know what schools I specifically applied to, how many, what major, how much financial aid I am getting. I know that they won’t be able to contribute money beyond probably transportation costs. </p>
<p>Personally, I would say let your kids be, but always be a presence to let your kid that you never left their side.</p>
<p>Waitlisted at Ithaca. Oh how I hate waitlists. There was no need to me to check the admission portal several times a day – it still says nothing, but the waitlist letter came in the mail today. I don’t think S cares at all so I’m not sure if he will stay on the waitlist. </p>
<p>We are visiting Pace this weekend.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about the WL, simpkin. That’s one of the schools my S13 is looking at.</p>
<p>I hate waitlists too My daughter was waitlisted at her first choice school in 2009, and decided to stay on the waitlist. No one got off the waitlist that year and it just caused more pain. </p>
<p>It looks like about 1 in 6 got off the list last year per their common data set:</p>
<p>Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list: 1,633
Number accepting a place on the waiting list: 587
Number of wait-listed students admitted: 95</p>
<p>It might work out, but if he is ready to move on that might be the least stressful option.</p>
<p>So, I have been waitlisted at WPI; they said that I can send any additional info, letter of recs, new grades or a letter of interest. What should I include in that letter?</p>
<p>I’m a senior, and I got accepted into Carnegie Mellon and Wake Forest with a 3.2 UW GPA and 1540/2290 SAT. No hooks. Waitlisted by Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill and waiting on 6 more reach schools. I’m posting this because I really sympathize with low GPA applicants; it really sucks knowing that our chances of getting into a good school are slim and hard to predict because we’re weak in one of the most important areas of the application. Plus, it doesn’t help that pretty much everyone on CC says we have no chance because no college wants “smart slackers.”</p>
<p>I’ll admit it; I’m a lazy ass and I’ll probably stay that way until the end of high school (going to change that in college though). However, that doesn’t mean low GPA applicants can’t get into good schools =] Good luck to everyone, especially fellow B-students :D</p>