<p>My daughter bought a t-shirt at each college she visited and wore them quite often her junior and senior years. Didn't seem to cause any bad karma, but did promote some discussion - "Where's that???" However she did call me during an accepted students weekend to tell me that she had literally and figuratively "bought the sweatshirt". </p>
<p>I weeded out the college t-shirts from her wardrobe this summer and sent them off to Goodwill.</p>
<p>My D waited to visit until AFTER acceptance and she bought a sweatshirt at each of the schools she visited and still wears them! Her school of choice has so many students who wear the school gear that she likes wearing something different! Plus there are some cool colours-orange, burgandy, etc.</p>
<p>D applied ED to Yale and bought herself and me each a sweatshirt. It became a "four letter word" and I was not "allowed" to wear it around her when she was deferred. Fortunately, we are allowed to wear them now........as she happlily chose elsewhere!</p>
<p>"Do you have a Steve and Barry's near you? They have logo tee shirts for almost every major college and many of the top LAC's....as well as schools that are near the actual store location. </p>
<p>So...you could get it the day of the acceptance."</p>
<p>That's exactly what my daughter did! One hour after her SCEA acceptance, we were on our way to Steve and Barry's. She was deliberating between two $7.99 shirts (long or short sleeved?) and my husband, in a moment of unusual exuberance, yelled, "We'll take them both!"</p>
<p>We bought a pin or keychain at every school we visited. When our son gets his acceptances and picks "the one" we're going to get him a scarf, a hat or something from that school on which to display the relics of our cross-country tour. They are all great schools; too bad he can only attend one.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, when my son got into his top notch LAC, Steve and Barry's had no shirts for him. He had to wait until Accepted Students Days to get his shirt, hoodie, car decal, key chain ...</p>
<p>Never heard of Steve and Barry's. Pity.</p>
<p>Just google Steve and Barry's and you will see their site.</p>
<p>I bought a shirt from my first choice when I visited back in junior year, and I wore it all the time (still do). Then my parents bought me a really nice sweatshirt for Christmas. I would never have bought a sweatshirt before getting in, and I was very nervous about the gift. Then I got waitlisted, and I thought my parents were out like $60, but I still wore the t-shirt every once in a while--although not as frequently or happily as before. I actually was wearing it the day I got in. It was like midnight, and I was checking my e-mail before going to bed, and there was the e-mail. I had to go put it through the washer to wear the next day too; I was up until like 2 waiting for it to finish so I could put it in the dryer and go to bed.
I didn't' really think about wearing college gear for the other schools after I'd gotten in, but I definitely wore my first choice's shirt the day after. As to the bad karma, as long as you don't wash it, iron it, and lay it out for the next day or anything, you should be fine. Leave it in your drawer with the other shirts just in case.</p>
<p>Oh and PS, Steve and Barry's is great. Practically everything in the store is $7.98.</p>
<p>I bought my Kenyon hoody on my first visit because I was so sure it was the place for me. I still am sure and if I don't get in I'll be devastated. Who knows what I'll do with the hoody. I'll be sure to wear it frequently in February though (ED2 Acceptance mailing month).</p>
<p>We got a t-shirt at each school we visited.....during the courting phase! We went online and ordered the hoody the day my son received his acceptance. We got his younger brother flannel pants....and dad a collared golf shirt at the same time. </p>
<p>For a dear friend's daughter, I ordered a vintage book off of e-bay about her ED school and had it tucked away....knowing the acceptance would arrive regular if not early decision round. I was able to give it to her the day of her acceptance and she was really pleased to know I had such confidence in her potential. </p>
<p>So, the net is, the upside of being prepared is great.......no one needs to know you have it squirreled away if it is a deferral......rejection is a different issue....obviously!!</p>
<p>On the flip side, at my son's school, it was a tradition that nobody wore their college clothes for about a week after the major acceptances/deferrals/rejections were released. It was a thoughtful way of letting a little time pass for those who didn't receive the news they were hoping to get.</p>
<p>I remember this question about my d getting her shirt last year, and I'm glad that d agreed about waiting until everyone got through April. While I understand the excitement about wearing a shirt from your newly accepted college immediately after being accepted, its such an emotional time for everyone at school. My d was happy for herself that she got her top choices, but felt bad for so many who deserved admissions they didn't get. And wearing the shirt is viewed as either an announcement or bragging. Being sensitive to others' pain became important to her. </p>
<p>She can now wear the shirt forever, so having a little sensitivity in April was easy in the long run. It seems to be all they wear at her school.</p>
<p>About wearing the shirts during the application period-- the way things are so very competitive for the top schools, that sure can backfire. Plus, its announcing to your peers that you are applying and expect to get in there. I think we know some kid with shirts in drawers now that they feel sad about.</p>
<p>My daughter bought a t-shirt at ever school we visited, as well as had friends bring back shirts from schools she didn't even apply to. Her college t-shirt collection is huge!! She continues to wear many of her college shirts as a college sophomore, as well as the many from the school she attends! With my daughter's group of friends, you wouldn't know by looking at them where they attend college; they all seem to wear shirts from colleges other than their own.</p>
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On the flip side, at my son's school, it was a tradition that nobody wore their college clothes for about a week after the major acceptances/deferrals/rejections were released. It was a thoughtful way of letting a little time pass for those who didn't receive the news they were hoping to get.
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<p>That's a tradition I'd love to see emulated elsewhere. I think the guy I mentioned that got into Yale but wore the Podunk State U sweatshirt had something like that in mind.</p>
<p><my daughter="" bought="" a="" t-shirt="" at="" ever="" school="" we="" visited,="" as="" well="" had="" friends="" bring="" back="" shirts="" from="" schools="" she="" didn't="" even="" apply="" to.="" her="" college="" collection="" is="" huge!!="" continues="" to="" wear="" many="" of="" sophomore,="" the="" attends!="" with="" my="" daughter's="" group="" friends,="" you="" wouldn't="" know="" by="" looking="" them="" where="" they="" attend="" college;="" all="" seem="" colleges="" other="" than="" their="" own.=""></my></p>
<p>Same here with my college sophomore D and her friends.</p>
<p>With my youngest D (h.s. senior), the kids wear different shirts/sweat shirts/hats from various colleges - with no correlation of being accepted or not.</p>
<p>My son didn't "buy the tee shirt" but instead bought the car window stickers. He had <em>something</em> to commemorate the visit and the potential acceptance. Easier to toss a $5 window sticker than that tee shirt too.</p>
<p>My son had the same reaction during our college tour--we could tell he liked a school if we went to the bookstore and bought a t-shirt. We only bought 2! I'm also very superstitious, so will be a rush-shipping gal if he gets in ED! Crossing my fingers for all of you!</p>
<p>We visited 10 schools over the summer and if dd liked the school she wanted a shirt. We live in China so don't have access to buy many college insignia items so if she does end up getting into her first choice which we didn't visit I will have to spend a fortune on shipping! She loves wearing a variety of school shirts - sort of shows she's a senior in the midst of college apps - plus they are "American" clothing and a nice change from trying to stock up on American Eagle items to bring back. She also bought notebooks and folders from the various schools she visited - much cheaper and fun to have a big variety.</p>