<p>Hi, all--we could use whatever sympathy and advice you-all may have to offer...my son--who must decide between four colleges by May 1, and who has seen only two of the four--broke & dislocated his ankle last night. He will have surgery later this week. (He fell down the bleachers as he was running down them (w/his five team mates) to collect their first-place award as State Champion in our Odyssey of the Mind problem/division yesterday--quite the way to "cap stone" his eight-year Odyssey "career!" But thankfully, altho the injury is bad, the orthopedist says it will heal...it could have been MUCH worse...and the doc also said my S will be able to go to the World Finals for which his team qualified by winning at State yesterday--the thrill of that is sustaining him thru these first few days of pain and immobility.) </p>
<p>But I don't foresee any possible way we can make college visits before the May 1 deadline...</p>
<p>He's really "torn" between 3 schools--one (Georgetown) is close to home (altho he'd live there); there seems to us to be less need to visit there. One is a road trip of 2 1/2 hours (U VA), and neither he nor I have ever been to Charlottesville. The other is Cornell. He's been to Cornell, but had wanted to visit it again with the perspective of having been admitted.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any ideas that might help him make the decision without the benefit of visits? He's done websites, and talked to current and former students. He's read books, too. Are we missing anything? I'll call all the admissions offices tomorrow to see if deadlines can be extended--but I don't have much hope on that...it's not like his leg/ankle will be healed enough for these trips any time soon (we're talking at least 4 weeks or so before he'll be able to travel, I think)...</p>
<p>Thanks for any and all advice (and sympathy! This is really a shameless plea for sympathy--the sight of my S lying on the gym floor with his foot just hanging at a crazy angle off to the side of his leg will haunt my nightmares for weeks/months to come!)</p>
<p>I think that he, not you, should be the one to contact the colleges about an extension of 6 weeks. I imagine that he could get one, too, considering the circumstances.</p>
<p>Not a good thing for "overanxious mother." :eek: Why aren't the serenity gods giving you a better break ;) (no pun intended)? Like NSM said, I've been reading of kids getting extensions - would hope they'll give him the amount of time he needs.</p>
<p>You have a big ol' truckload of sympathy on its way to you and your S from Kansas! I am so very, very sorry that his special moment at the OM state championship turned so quickly and unexpectedly into a difficult (and VERY painful) experience for you both. I can only imagine your horror at the sight of your son's mangled ankle! It would have sent shivers down my spine too (and in fact, does). Do contact the colleges...I definitely think they'll show him the courtesy of an extension based on the circumstances. And give your S a big hug from my family and me. Also, CONGRATS on the state OM win!! That is so AWESOME!! love, ~berurah</p>
<p>Congratulations on the first place finish and condolences on the broken leg! I agree that he should contact the colleges about getting an extension. Would he be able to make the trip by June 1? A problem will be that he won't be able to see the colleges while they are in session.</p>
<p>Wow, what a terrible thing to happen! Sending lots of sympathy your way. Good luck with asking for the extensions. I am not sure I agree that he has to be the one asking for the extensions--how are the pain meds affecting him? </p>
<p>Anyway, let us know what happens. . . And BTW, congratulations on the big win!</p>
<p>I'll bet, using non-visit criteria, you could narrow the choice down to two. Make a chart, give every criteria a weight and pare it down. Pay the money to reserve his spot in the top two schools. Go visit them as soon as his health and schedule allow. The extra money will mean nothing in comparison to what you have been through. Unlike ED, there is no admission contract with penalties beyond loss of deposits that I am aware of.</p>
<p>Congrats on the win, and condolences on the leg!</p>
<p>Just wanted to point out that my son just signed an admission agreement that he would not sign at another school. It only allows for waitlist acceptances, and then you forfeit your deposit if that goes through. Make sure you can reserve more than one spot by reading the fine print on the return cards. </p>
<p>Are there any on-line tours of those schools?</p>
<p>You got some great ideas above of options to pursue. </p>
<p>Believe me, I sympathize with ya at the ordeal, the seeing your child in pain and then the logistics of the college visits. My graduating student was in a very serious car accident five weeks ago. This involved ten days in the hospital, including intensive care and surgery as well, and ten days on ordered bed rest on a hospital bed in our living room afterwards. She can only stand on one leg right now. She has been out of bed and out of the house for about ten days now. </p>
<p>While she had seen all her colleges, so our situation differed than yours that way, she wanted to go to the accepted student events she was invited to and we never thought it would be possible in her condition. However on her third day out of bed, yet on narcotic pain medications and many other medications and on crutches where she may only put weight on one leg....we drove six hours to her college of choice for the events....and she went into the events on crutches and then we rented a wheelchair to take her from building to building (was in NYC of all places). I do not know if your son will be out of bed ten days from now and just on crutches or what, but if for some reason that is the state of affairs in ten days, he may be able to make the car trip and use a wheelchair on campus (though I know how he might feel about that cause believe me, my daughter balked at that idea and said everyone will think I am handicapped and I said, I don't think in a musical theater program they are gonna think someone confined to a wheelchair was enrolling.....it involves heavy duty dancing.....and they will see you have crutches and actually get up out of the chair....) So anyway, she did not go into the buildings IN the chair....(vane about that), but got into it between events outside the buildings. Anyway, considering her condition so soon after being in bed and in the hospital and the extent of her injuries including a fractured pelvis, it is kinda amazing that she even got to go but it was so great for her that she did! Thought I would share that and I don't know your time frame with recovery and if he could do the car and then use crutches and wheelchairs. My D had many more injuries other than to her leg but somehow was able to do this. </p>
<p>The idea of the extension is worth looking into....as well as DVMMOM's idea too.</p>
<p>good point texastaxi, read the acceptance materials for each of the schools to see what you are promising. Perhaps the schools would be willing to treat your dual acceptances like a waitlist under the circumstances. They might require the non-refundable deposit but agree to "hold you harmless." </p>
<p>I was thinking about the prior suggestion that son make calls to admissions offices himself. I would be careful not to underestimate the toll that shock, pain, hospitals, anesthetic and surgery are going to have on him, even if he seems to be handling it really well. The whole experience tends to create a temporary shift into a very vunerable and dependent mindset. It might be a mistake to put too much responsiblity on him.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I was thinking about the prior suggestion that son make calls to admissions offices himself. I would be careful not to underestimate the toll that shock, pain, hospitals, anesthetic and surgery are going to have on him, even if he seems to be handling it really well. The whole experience tends to create a temporary shift into a very vunerable and dependent mindset. It might be a mistake to put too much responsiblity on him.
<p>Thank you, everyone--for your suggestions and sympathy--the story of the DD in a car wreck has lifted my anxiety level enormously--talk about "it could have been worse!" I am SOO glad she's doing so well now; what a horror of a two weeks you must have had! Even before reading that post, I'd recognized that at least I didn't have to live thru him being unconcious, or w/a life-threatening (or permanently damaging) injury...you have my heartfelt sympathy on your ordeal, and I'm just so happy it had such a good outcome...</p>
<p>I don't yet know what we'll do...we have to see the orthopedist tomorrow and that will tell us more about both timing and convalescence expectations--I presume if the doc was as certain as he was in the emergency room that S will be able to go to OotM Worlds (in Colorado/Boulder/U of CO) on May 21, he may well be able to tolerate a 2.5 hour road trip by the end of April...but we'll see after we talk to the doc--it really all depends on how quickly he can have the surgery and get a cast on and start the healing process...</p>
<p>I have always suspected the college decision would be made on April 30 (2 minutes before the FedEx deadline to get the acceptance/depost to the school by May 1)...now I'm certain of it!</p>
<p>His indecision isn't based on the schools as much as it's based on what he thinks he wants...Cornell is the clear choice if he decides he's ready to focus on science & research...G'town is the clear choice if he decides he wants to pursue govt/policy in Wash, DC. U VA is the clear choice if he isn't ready to decide on a future path--even tentatively--and doesn't think living in a city (one of the things he wants) is worth the many many extra dollars G'town or Cornell would cost. He is trending away from Northwestern (his other choice)...he loves Chicago, but he also loves DC--and both Cornell and G'town "beat" (in his mind) Northwestern in terms of the academics he seeks and the rest of the factors are at least equal...so, I'm not sure the "lost visits" (if that in fact happens) will turn out to be such a critical thing...</p>
<p>THanks again for all the moral support--it helps a lot!</p>
<p>Congrats on the win! Awesome! As a teacher, I have dealt with many HS students with leg injuries and breaks. They are back at school a few days after surgery, sometimes on crutches, sometimes in a wheelchair. The resiliency of youth! I know it isn't easy, but we travelled with my Dad when he had Parkinson's. If your son will be sitting or lying at home, he can lie or sit in the car, and a wheelchair or crutches will really let him see how accessible the school is, and how much it cares. Don't give up on this, yet. Talk to the MD, get him on the road to health first, and let him make the decision.</p>
<p>Overanxious,
Congrats on the OM win! Two of our three HS teams that went to states are going on to Worlds. So good luck to your son's team...but watch out for the PA ones!</p>
<p>As to your son's college re-visits. I don't think they are really that critical, but since you had all been counting on them to make the final decision crystal clear that how it seems. Sounds like a little soul searching is in order and with extra rest being forced I think DVMMom's idea of making up some charts is a good one. Also, as itstoomuch pointed out, sometimes the visits can have too much of an impact..</p>
<p>We saw one of the final choices for my daughter on a cold, nasty day and it really impacted her decision.</p>
<p>How true about the weather. I wonder how many final visit decisions are made based on luck of the weather. It is so hard to feel good about a city or neighborhood when you are being lashed by freezing rain and wind. No one is outside and the campus and streets take on such a different feel. We visited GW on the first spring like day after two weeks of cold and rain. The place just oozed joy!</p>
<p>Yes, the weather can really make a difference. We suffered through sweltering humidity and pouring rain in Baltimore and DC. Our visit to Boston was on an absolutely perfect summer day. It wasn't the deciding factor, but it sure contributed to the good feeling!</p>