<p>i think we can all agree they are both great schools and move on</p>
<p>I am in your court, idreamofUVA. Yes, all good schools, but what really counts is what is a good school for you or your son/daughter. Forget name recognition, rankings, etc. There are so many excellent schools out there and one should be looking for the best fit for them on many levels. Education is what you make of it. I assure you there are many graduates out there accomplishing nothing that went to big name schools. Acceptance stats thru Naviance vary by high school so comparing the stats from one high school to another is only helpful in giving an overview. This is not an exact science. You hope that you make the right selections for you and ultimately end up at a place that works for you. No one should be putting down any school as there is a right fit school for everyone. What works for one kid doesn’t necessarily work for another.</p>
<p>I’m reading this thread with great interest. Here’s my deal. At my son’s high school, according to Naviance, Pitt is harder to get into than PSU, Delaware is harder to get into than Pitt. That said, my son got into Pitt, rejected from PSU, and waiting to hear from Delaware. He visited Delaware three times and had an interview there which seemed to go well. He has resigned himself to go to Pitt (still scratching my head about his rejection from PSU as it was his number one and he said he would go in summer). Fellow students with lesser stats have been admitted and his guidance counselor was very surprised he did not get in. </p>
<p>That said, I know that Pitt looked at him as a person, read his essay, and welcomed him with open arms. PSU looked at him as a number, with no interest in reading his essay or finding out what his teachers thought about him. </p>
<p>Out of the three schools we viewed all three as a reach for him in this order from hardest to easiest Delaware, Pitt and PSU. Am so interested to find out in six or so weeks if he got in to Delaware. </p>
<p>Sorry if this doesn’t relate to the above conversations. Just venting I guess. This process is emotionally draining when it is your first kid going to college. lol</p>
<p>Good luck to your son motherto5! It really is an emotional rollercoaster and your son’s case seems most curious, there does not seem to be a good explanation for it. I agree with you about Pitt’s admission process being more holistic than PSU, hopefully Delaware will be the same as Pitt.</p>
<p>and to answer the other poster above, there was absolutely no disrespect to U Del meant in asking the question above competitiveness of admission to U Del. We wouldn’t even be considering U Del if we didn’t think it was a good school. Just trying to get a read on how difficult the U Del is to get in.</p>
<p>My son’s status didn’t change, it says thanks for applying. ???</p>
<p>HPHopeful: Dont’ worry about it, we have confirmed with Admissions that this means nothing more than a notification that decision will come via mail…in March. When did your son apply? They might not change the status on everyone at the same time. This status change could mean something internal to them, like they are done reviewing the app or something like that.</p>
<p>Thanks. I actually don’t know if it ever said anything different because we didn’t sign on to check until I read this post. Oh well, I guess we will just have to wait until March. University of Miami decision will be here early next week so that will keep us occupied until then. ;)</p>
<p>motherto5: i feel your pain. the stress that our kids have in this waiting game make it really difficult for them to enjoy their senior year until the final month(s). that said, the ONLY school that rejected my daughter was PSU and we are residents. my daughter did get into delaware, is a freshman and absolutely LOVES it. i have heard that penn state simply looks at gpa and sat’s and considers nothing else. i also heard that it is a computer reading the apps, not even an admissions counselor. baffling. don’t try to figure out how these schools make their decisions. you’ll hear time and time again how students with less stats than your child gets in one school and then you’ll hear how someone with better stats than your child was rejected. i have two kids in college and one to go and i am just a firm believer that things work out how they are meant to be. my oldest was rejected from his first choice so went to his second and he thanks his lucky stars every day that it happened like that. all the best to you and all the seniors and their parents out there!!!</p>
<p>suzyt123, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so glad that I stumbled across CC. It really has helped me tremendously during this stressful college search time in our son’s life. The parents on here are amazing! Thanks again. You are right that things work out the way they are meant to be. All the best to you!</p>
<p>did anybody else get the Special Viewbook for Parents in the mail this weekend? Not sure if it’s a good sign or if they went to every applicant.</p>
<p>My status also changed last week to the “decision via mail” and we received the parents view book on Friday. I applied to 7 schools, and I have heard from 5. Getting my acceptance from Penn State UP last week has relieved some of the stress for me, and pushed Delaware to the back of my mind. I understand why Delaware waits to release admissions decisions but I think they lose many students because of the wait. Many schools advise admitted students to accept their offer asap in order to get the best housing options-waiting until the end of march puts students at a disadvantage in acquiring housing preferences. I guess they feel if UD is your number 1 you will wait. Good luck to all!</p>
<p>My daughter’s online application status also changed last week, however, we did not receive the parent viewbook in the mail. Not sure what that means, but I think the two are mutually exclusive.</p>
<p>For those who had a status change, I was curious as to when you applied? My daughter’s app was in by mid-october and portfolio submitted by end of november. It is my belief that the status change is a way for the reviewers to indicate within their online software that the application has been reviewed, sort of a marker for their own purpose. This way, they know not to pull up that application when reviewing the still outstanding apps. Therefore, it would make sense that apps that were submitted early would be reviewed first.</p>
<p>We can offer all the theories in the world, bottom line is, we will have to wait it out. GIves us something to do in the meantime though, lol.</p>
<p>does anyone think the Special Viewbook for Parents means anything?</p>
<p>my status changed and i have not received a Special Veiwbook</p>
<p>I just realized that my status changed to “decision via mail” the same day that UD downloaded my mid year grades. I think the status changes when your application is complete. My semester ended January 7 and my Grades were downloaded Jan 27-the same day my application status changed.</p>
<p>Ajdata, may I ask how you know UDel “downloaded” your mid year grades, what exactly do you mean? My daughter’s school has to send them via hardcopy and only if we ask, it is not an automatic process. </p>
<p>I know UDel uses the common app, which has mid-year grade forms, however, on their website I cannot find a mid-year grade “requirement.”</p>
<p>The update on how you are going to get your decision has appears to have nothing to do with when your app is complete. My D’s app has been complete, and stated so on the web, for over 2 months and the decision notification update just happened last week. It may mean something internal, but we will never know.</p>
<p>I would stop reading into all of these changes. In the end, the Admissions Dept has confirmed that this means one thing and one thing only, you will get your decision via mail in March. We can read into this all we want but it isn’t going to make the decision come any sooner.</p>
<p>In addition, the view book and finanical aid info is not a sign. I am sure they went out to everyone who has applied. If you haven’t gotten it yet you will eventually.</p>
<p>Our family is just as anxious as everyone on this site, but try and relax there is still a good 7 weeks to go!</p>
<p>The application is not officially complete until they have received the mid year grades. On the common app I selected “school forms”. It shows that they downloaded my original transcript on Oct. 15 and my mid year grades on Jan. 27. I agree that decisions won’t be out until March but my status changed from it’s original “complete thanks for applying” to “decision via mail” on the same day my grades were downloaded. It is my understanding that the school contacted my guidance office through the common app and these were sent electronically by my counselor-I didn’t know it happened until I looked on the common app.</p>
<p>Ajdata I believe you are wrong. My school does not send out mid-year grades unless we ask them to. Further more, I have had the “Your application is complete” or whatever it is weeks before I even took midterms. I also got the “Decision via mail” before midterms so midyear grades have nothing to do with any of it.</p>
<p>Also just got the viewbook in the mail today.</p>