<p>I’m with collegevetting. I come on here compulsively so I don’t overwhelm him with my own stuff. Then when I see him I can pretend I’m all calm about the whole thing. My CC pals are the ones who know the truth. :"> </p>
<p>Idk about obsessed but being an engr there’s no way in heck I’m not going to research and make spreadsheets along the way. If we were full pay I prob wouldn’t spend so much time either. But value is a big driver for us. Ummm, I catch myself saying “we” on occasion. Frankly, I don’t care bc WE are going through this process as a family. With twins also, visits to over 25 colleges, 29 applications, etc. I’d say the research process is a family endeavor. The application process is all theirs but the fasfa, CSS, idoc, Indiv college finl profiles, etc belong to us. So yea, WE are putting in a lot of effort here.</p>
<p>This is potentially the largest purchase we will ever make. We research before buying a $300 tv, I don’t think there is any shame in researching an $80,000-$240,000 decision especially w grad/med school looming also. Research is a much prettier word than obsess:) </p>
<p>Obsessed, but trying to take it out on you all and not my child!</p>
<p>Obsessed is an understatement. Now, I’m addicted to CC. When CC went down for few hours when they upgraded, I had a withdrawal.</p>
<p>The fact that I clicked on your thread should tell you something about my involvement with my child’s college process. :-" </p>
<p>Yes, and the fact that I can memorize the regulars tells me something too: @4beardolls, @3tallblonds, @calla1, @lookingforward, @collegetime18, @overtheedge and many more from the “Parents of 2014 HS class thread”.</p>
<p>the real q is whether we are obsessed with the college admission process or with college confidential. my family certainly seems to think I am with both. Though, this will last only for another 2 months and then we become empty nesters 
:(</p>
<p>2018- DH was obsessed with the choices. I was almost paralyzed with fear about the financial aspects. It worked out. I did a lot of research, no NPCs then, had my own wacky theories. When she was set to apply, she said, in her usual calm voice, that she could be happy at any of her choices, thrive at any of them. That put a lot into perspective. We had done our job. I had matched her from the chances side (not the CC version, the real one,) she took over after that. We knew she was good and that the Ivy was iffy. In the end, her number one turned out to be even better than we expected. she graduated last year. But if she had gone to one of the others, she would have done just as well.</p>
<p>My older one picked out her own list of colleges. DD(junior) is happy to let me suggest some to her. “She doesn’t like looking up info on the internet.” Good thing I do! I have come up with a list and am going to have her starting finding info about them and complete a spreadsheet with info that is relevant to her. I have book marked the Fiske guide for her and will tell her to start reading chapters after she is done with the SAT in March. We have to plan our college visits over spring break…mean while I am on CC!</p>
<p>Just don’t aim for too many colleges on any one trip and try to have a little fun along the way. Once she knew a school was strong in her major, my first was interested in seeing the libraries (she wanted to gauge how serious kids were) and getting a feel for the social life. Never cared about dorms, what classrooms looked like, and what lay outside the gates. Grudgingly read what DH had marked in Fiske, but would ask me about the department she was interested in. We gave up on info sessions (imo, they all say the same things) and let her just not like some places. You can never tell what they will like or not. It’s ok. I’ve said before that her #1 turned out to be a very late visit, last minute add. Funny, but I didn’t know that much about it, except it had her major (not one every school offers or does well.) We added it because the GC pushed. </p>
<p>But, we were very clear with her, crystal clear, that no school is a dream school if the aid doesn’t come in as we needed. Watch out for starry eyes, dream schools.</p>
<p>Being obsessed helped me navigate the process with both sons. If not for me and my obsession, visits to certain schools would not have happened; in fact, I am the one who insisted on “just give it a look” visits to the schools each son eventually selected! </p>
<p>I am deeply interested but not obsessed. My junior DD Is my first to enter college soon and I want it to go very well. Researching colleges isn’t even on her radar! It drives me up the wall that she is so laid back about everything. She is on track to be an NMSF and I expect that she will take advantage of the available full ride merit scholarships out there. I just wish she would show more interest in this. Otherwise my deep interest may spiral into full obsession. </p>
<p>If I hadn’t been obsessed I wouldn’t have found either school for my kid. Both ended up picking “mom’s choice” that just imitated other like schools. Our GC is less than useless, thank goodness I’m enough of an obsessive personality to know there was more out there.</p>
<p>@gemini18
YES!!! My husband and I are both hispanic immigrants, never went to college and all this process is just crazy. I let my son pick his schools choice and yes I gave him a couple of recommendations. I’ve taken charge of all financials stuff. So far he’s being accepted to UNC-Chapel Hill Honors OOS, UF and UPenn!!! Waiting for 9 more decisions at the end of March. Our decision will depend on school and FA. Good luck to everyone:)</p>
<p>@Cupksdad - tell them you are just making new friends on CC to fill the void when they’re gone! And don’t worry, after we send them off, we can collectively obsess about majors, internships, study abroad programs, increased tuition … </p>
<p>@frugaldoctor - I often feel the same way. </p>
<p>I am glad to know I am not alone. LOL.
For test preparation, college applications, scholarship opportunities, financial aids, honor programs, dormitories,…
I have been constantly on this forum for the last couple years. My D always asked why she is not the one finding out the admission or scholarship notice first. ;)</p>
<p>Well, lots of people get into the counseling profession because they find they enjoyed working with their own children on the process. Second career for some of you, maybe?</p>
<p>I would say that to an extent, I am. Mostly the waiting for decisions is killing me. </p>
<p>For D14, I don’t micromanage her schoolwork at all. She handles it all beautifully on her own, has learned not to procrastinate with it, and cares about doing it to the best of her ability, so there is no need for me to oversee it. With her college stuff, it’s been a different story. I was so wrapped up in finishing my own degree last spring, plus preparing product for two summer conventions I do, that I didn’t really start paying attention to her college process until August, just before she started her senior year. She had taken the SAT in June, and never even bothered to look up her results. Needless to say, at that point I jumped in full board, and have been directing things ever since. She was a big part of the process of selecting schools to consider, but was open to any suggestions I had, as long as they were in state, and had art programs. I arranged for her to do overnights at Pomona and Scripps, neither of which she was interested in on her own – until after the overnight. She came home full of energy and interest in taking the ACT (she hadn’t taken it, or any SAT Subject tests, and in order to apply to Pomona, she needed one or the other. In fact, I had to insist that she take the SAT a second time because all of her friends were jealous of her 2010 first time around-- she has no real concept that her top of the heap position at her school doesn’t apply to the top of the heap national student)</p>
<p>Anyhow, that sleepover was the best move I made in getting her interested in college. I had to push a lot to get her to do the essays ahead of time. I didn’t want to deal with the “tonight is the deadline and I have a zillion essays to do” drama. She got them in a week early, which was especially good, because we were then able to do a Thanksgiving trip to visit some UCs in Northern California. The process has not been helped by the fact that her boyfriend attends UCB – it is naturally her first choice and his presence is a big part of that. Tough call for me as a parent. Obviously it is a great school, and she would do very well there, and be fortunate to get in, BUT, it sort of closes her mind to any other schools. She has other, good but less competitive schools, eager to have her, and inviting her to apply for prestigious scholarships and honors programs. At UCB, she would be a middle of the pack student. I don’t have a problem with the boyfriend – adore him actually, and he is extremely dedicated to his studies, very driven and focused. So all of that has meant that I have to push to get her to take care anything relevant to schools other than UCB. When UCB sent her invites to apply for their TAAP scholarship, no problem, she did that on her own. But UCSC Regents and CSUCI President’s scholarship – pulling teeth. (Although, she called the rep at CSUCI yesterday about a problem accessing the scholarship application, and the rep was so happy to get her call, and immediately knew who she was, that D14 was very flattered, and a bit more positive about completing it. I keep trying to tell her that her merit potential at that school could mean she graduates with no debt – maybe it is sinking in. </p>
<p>D15 is an unknown at this point. She requires more homework supervision. She is bright as can be – skipped a grade in elementary school – but she starts coasting when things are all A’s, and then her grades slip. I have to monitor a bit so that I can catch the coasting before it goes too far. She’s easy to get back on track, because she is at heart a good student. She wants me to do the preliminary search for colleges – she gave me parameters, and then I do the financial and stats screenings before putting them on the list. She will make the calls on which ones to follow up with. She is interested in being somewhere very different from our community (high desert) so she wants snow. (lol, she does now, she may change her mind if she gets it). Our budget makes it hard to visit any out of state schools, but I’m going to try! She also is less clear on her major.</p>
<p>Sorry for that long post – definitely feeling a need to be in company that understands what I’m going through</p>
<p>I’ve been OC about college for the past year or so. Absorbed enough to catch the attention of expatSon’s college counsellor (who has 18 years of experience).</p>
<p>Now that the results are all but in, much less so. Also used to spend much more time on CC but, since the profoundly user-unfriendly changes, I’m here an order of magnitude less often.</p>
<p>I’ve really enjoyed the research end of this process. Spygirl has been less than interested in this aspect so I’ve been in hog heaven. I also helped a family friend find a school that fit her needs. I would love to do this full-time.</p>
<p>@PetraElise- Since when, does Irvine have a Cal State? When I left there was just UCI.</p>