Does anyone have any cool ideas on how to share the good news with my son when he gets accepted (fingers crossed)?
I was thinking of inviting his friends over and sharing the good news in front of everyone. I’m super excited. My friend said that she would bake a logo cake for him.
It all depends on your family culture.
I planned a restaurant dinner with my DD. I figured we would all celebrate (“we” is her siblings with her), or commiserate depending on the outcome (she applied to one school).
My plans were foiled when she was waitlisted.
Be sure your celebration will encompass any of the 3 possible outcomes (unless you know with CERTAINTY what the outcome is). It may not be hugely fun to sit in front of a logo cake with all your friends around you reading a rejection-or waitlist-letter.
It’s a tough call.
I assume by that question you plan on opening his mail for him? Don’t you think you should let him have the privilege? And good grief, aren’t you being a bit presumptuous? Not to mention cruel, if these friends you mention have also applied to prep schools and may or may not have been accepted? Or wish they could have applied but couldn’t for whatever reason? It seems to me that acceptance to a private school warrants private celebration within a family.
I mostly lurk here, but your post compelled a reply.
I will get the emails. He can open the mail. And his friends are happy and supportive so we always celebrate accomplishments in our friend community. But if you have any party ideas I’d love to hear them.
I’m new here. You can see my reply below.
Oh yeah rejection letters aren’t fun. It would only be a big party to celebrate acceptance letters and something smaller to celebrate his hard work even if he doesn’t get in. We are still proud of him either way.
I hope your son gets in, but not in a million years would I plan a letter opening party or any kind of party with non-family until I had the acceptance in hand.
We have been thinking about this, too. I had had it in mind to invite a few friends over for dinner the night after the acceptance, assuming we have good news. My husband said he was thinking of working from home next week so he could get the mail and we talked about going to pick our son up from school with the news.
But my son indicated that he would prefer for us to wait until he came home to share any news, and that if h were to be accepted anywhere, he’d prefer to celebrate quietly.
So much for a party!
I think it would be nice if your son could open the letter/email with all of his family present, but the party and friends will have to be saved for post-M10.
We’ve already had our “party” - we celebrated the effort and determination it took to initiate and complete the boarding school search and application process 
We did not have a party. Instead, we spent that money on going to re-visit days. 
We did, however, heave a collective sigh of relief that it was all over. Good luck.
PS Do not underestimate the chances that your kid might feel awkward or nervous about going away, even if that has been the #1 goal all along. It is hard to be faced with the reality of it all, and it is hard to leave family and friends… more than one kid has second thoughts - even with acceptances in hand.
Maybe hold off until 8th grade graduation, or have a nice family dinner (at home or a favorite restaurant).
@ongoingcaralarm I think your son is very wise. I think we would be very happy if we have acceptances on M10 but then, the thought would hit us that he would be leaving home soon and all the realities would start to kick in. There may be the decisions to be made about possible other acceptances and waitlists, etc and other decisions to be made to accommodate the life change. I think I would feel more frantic than before. Acceptance party would be the last thing on my mind post-M10.
I can’t imagine planning a party simply for an acceptance. Heck, we’re not even planning a party for graduation and ChoatieKid had a lot more skin in that game. A big hug and “kiddo, we’re proud of you no matter the outcome” seems sufficient to me.
Celebrate early and often! Never pass up a chance to acknowledge life’s bounties!
Why NOT celebrate? Celebrate for the effort and the growth!
And “sufficient” is not the point! Maybe “fun” or “bonding” or “any excuse to celebrate” is the point!
We acknowledge life’s bounties in different ways, I guess. 
We are celebrating either way. I would like suggestions for party ideas. If you don’t have any ideas it’s cool. We did it for my oldest son and we are going to do it for my younger son. I’d just like cool and creative ideas. :D/
I’m planning on giving all of my friends stickers of the school I go to (as long as I get good news on March 10) so it might be cool to give out little stickers as party gifts.
At the risk of sounding obvious, I would include such things as a t-shirt/sweatshirt from the school (order today so it arrives in time!); a stuffed animal with smooth covering and permanent markers for friends to write well-wishes on it; and a personal memento (keychain? ID card holder that attaches to lanyard?) that is personalized with a photo of the family or something; a videocamera (iPhone?) set up to make a memory video from his friends.
Have fun! Resurrect some ideas from his brother’s party!
Ah. My son isn’t applying to boarding school so his transition next year is less momentous.
@ongoi thanks so much!