<p>Waiting daily for news on grad school acceptances. We are all very anxious to know where son might be spending the next 6 years of his life. I am VERY impatient. It has been a different process than I was expecting. </p>
<p>Can’t decide on buying invites etc. He also had no interest in school ring/yearbook. I will buy the school specific fancy frames for diplomas though. They are pretty cool. Unless I can make my own…</p>
<p>S got a ring last year and has ordered a yearbook. We ordered the senior pictures, which are pretty good. Won’t get invitations/announcements. With what we have been through with this kid, I expect graduation to be very emotional for me, as was his high school graduation. I think champagne will be in order…</p>
<p>MOWC…we’re all cheering with you!!!</p>
<p>KLP - we feel your pain. DD is not in a major where it would make sense to go to grad school now. She is desperately looking for a job, any job, and we have had many sleepless nights worrying about what will happen. I find it difficult to read/hear about the wonderful opportunities others have. So yes,some parents really do understand how difficult it is.</p>
<p>I’m feeling like DS is like a deer caught in the headlights, as graduation and adult responsibilities loom ahead. I know he just wants to be done with school but he’s also struggling with the job search (I think he expects employers to find him and its not happening). He’s also been struggling with school work which I think its anxiety about what next (or a serious case of senioritis) and the distraction of a serious girlfriend. </p>
<p>DS is not interested in a school ring and I don’t think they have a yearbook. I doubt if we’ll do announcements unless I make a small number to send to family. At this point, I’m just crossing my fingers he actually graduates - it would be such a shame if he was just a few units short…and his school does not offer summer school so I’m not sure what happens if he needs one or two more classes to finish up.</p>
<p>Oak…
If only a few courses shy, they walk with class, but get a blank diploma. Quite common. If they haven’t officially graduated, they can work in a lab over summer and possibly following year. Some don’t finish their thesis, but they can do this on their own. Others take a class at Stanford, for example. Rather than look for a job now, several kids worked in labs and then applied for jobs or grad school the following fall/december.</p>
<p>KLP</p>
<p>I do feel your pain. I don’t know what field you applied for, but how could you ever fit the interviews into a month plus? Report back, with good/fair/unpleasant news.</p>
<p>It is quite different than in my generation. I had interviews, but within the state I was living, and with one person. Phone interviews were the norm. I had never visited the schools I applied to.</p>
<p>Nowadays, the kids are flown across country and put on hot seat for 1 day,with 8 interviews with PIs, as well as being wined and dined for 1 1/2 days. For a shy person, this is an arduous task. Do you have to do this many interviews?</p>
<p>For most seniors, I’d recommend working for a year in a lab and then applying the following year. Takes the stress off, and gives one a break from academics.</p>
<p>Son “that makes me crazy” is graduating in June. He is buried under his required thesis in his department and cherishing his last few months on campus. He can’t believe how quickly 4 years flew by and what a fantastic opportunity he was afforded.</p>
<p>My laid-back flip-flop wearing, surfer dude boy is now a reserved man with manners, and pants AND socks. Seriously. He took his GMAT and MCATs and has been interviewing and traveling. He is taking a gap year to complete some more travel this summer and finish up some research. He has some big decisions to make, especially where he wants to spend the next 5 years of his life (dual program). </p>
<p>He was successful with his job interviews with a BEER company (think horsey) and I hoped and prayed it would SUCK. He loved them, they loved him but uugggghhh, his research would be put on hold and MAJORLY conflict with the new job. MAKES ME CRAZY! </p>
<p>So instead he will finish his “stuff” (thank goodness), possibly travel to northern greece to study the architecture/history of monastaries (???) with one of his departments after graduation and who knows what will happen with his thesis.</p>
<p>He is happy with his scores, no retakes, and is off to see the various wizards that have requested his presence! I would be happy if he just comes home and is satisfied with Carolina BLUE…one can hope.</p>
<p>He has had an education I could only dream of and have had doors open I did not know existed. When he was choosing schools 4 years ago his desire was to learn as much as he possibly could in any subject. And he did just that…econ, math, physics, chem, greek, latin, philosophy, computer science, history, finance, genetics…and the academics are just the tip of the iceberg…</p>
<p>He genuinely loves his school and his experiences and his many friends…I still see his love of learning and desire to do more, but the boy is gone and a very determined and passionate man remains… </p>
<p>I do miss my kitten, just a big ole’ tiger left</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>S isn’t too interested in any of the “trimmings” of graduation, but will attend the baccaulaurette, since we are flying up & his aunt & uncle are coming down from Bay area to attend. We will also attend over-priced U dinner (under enormous canopy on campus) the night before the early am graduation ceremony, followed by another ceremony & reception in his school of engineering.</p>
<p>We’re OK with him not getting “trappings” of graduation, since he didn’t do much with them the 1st time around anyway. He did take a photo for the yearbook & is ordering a copy. That’s about all he’s interested/willing to do at this point. He says there is some picture frame for about $300 & laughed that he’s not at all interested. He promised to send us some of the grad info packets that are accummulating at his apartment. I did ask the school to send us some info as well, but so far nothing!</p>
<p>We’re glad that his electronic record shows that S is now on track to graduate as scheduled this May. Whew! He says many of his friends are still figuring out their next steps and there were far fewer employers at this year’s engineering job fair than last year’s (only 50 compared to 150).</p>
<p>S’s TfA induction week coincides with his finals/graduation week. He will have to take finals the previous week, fly to Phoenix for part of the induction, fly back to Seattle on Thursday, attend PoliSci graduation on Friday, attend a party or two on Saturday(he doesn’t seem to be interested in attending the all-UW graduation ceremony, and I am not insisting, as long as I get a picture of him in cap and gown to send to grandmas in Ukraine). On Sunday he will be flying back to Phoenix, to start training at the TfA summer Institute. I expect rather hectic week…</p>
<p>We haven’t really thought too much about graduation other than showing up to the ceremony, which is ridiculously early. They want you there at 7:00 am and only give you three tickets. We will be driving in from about an hour away. I did ask S about a cap and gown and he said he has it. Didn’t think to ask about pictures, yearbook, invitations, ring, baccalaureate or anything else. If the school wanted us to got to/get those things, they would need to be communicating with us, not S. We did all that for high school but I don’t think any of that will happen for college. S and three of his high school friends are jointly holding a catered lunch/party directly after the ceremony for parents and friends at one of the frat houses. We will write the check for that but are not otherwise involved in the planning–the boys are taking care of it. That same group had a joint high school graduation party at our club, so there is nice closure there and we are close to the other three families.</p>
<p>S is stressed about school and job at the moment. School is going well, but extremely busy with senior project and classes. The job he is hoping to get is supposed to let him know in early March. He has made efforts in other directions that have not resulted in anything, which he finds upsetting and demoralizing. Right now we are just keeping our fingers crossed that his first choice comes through for him. We do understand how hard it is to get a job.</p>
<p>We are absolutely thrilled that one of our twins has multiple PhD program funded offers for next year in a very competitive field! The other one is “taking a year off” and is looking for a job (not too successfully yet) before med school in 2011. MCAT and pre-med requirements are in place.</p>
<p>Grandma is buying school frames as graduation gifts (her idea) and yearbooks have been ordered. No announcements here - not common in this region. One ordered a ring and the other did not.</p>
<p>And, the best part … tuition is almost paid up! On the the health insurance saga.</p>
<p>Nothing big for graduation here. H and I will travel down and see 1 or 2 ceremonies (S get’s 2 degrees) he’s just not sure if he’s going to walk at both and go for the honors ceremony - he’s president. Back up the belongings and come back. </p>
<p>S called tonight to tell us he decided on Cornell for grad school. So now we know where he’s going after under grad. It’s all beginning to shape up.</p>
<p>Parabella,
At least your son will be able to participate in graduation! My daughter’s tfa induction also comes during finals week, so she has to take finals early. Graduation ceremonies are on the first two days of the Phx Institute. I am sad she will not be able to walk in graduation ceremonies.</p>
<p>what is a tfa induction?</p>
<p>tfa=teach for america</p>
<p>Teach for America???</p>
<p>I am glad I found this thread. My D has had an amazing undergrad experience. I never could have dream she would be able to do so much. She has applied to grad schools for a PhD in microbiology. She has been accepted by all the schools and has narrowed it down to University of Washington vs Harvard Med. She is Boston this weekend for a recruitment weekend. In addtion to tuition, she will get $27000 or 30000 stipend plus health ins. Not bad. She thought about taking a year off but decided since she needed to work anyway - she would continue on to grad school
D did order some photos and we are both looking forward to some of the honors stuff. She was ill for all of HS and we never got to do much of this the 1st time around - so we will enjoy it to the max. I am particularly looking forward her research presentation in April.
Janie</p>
<h1>116, #117: aaaah. I should have firgured that out! Thanks!</h1>
<p>janie: How wonderful for her (and for you)! Enjoy every second!</p>
<p>Son graduated in January (a semester early hoping to get a jump on the job market). I almost didn’t go to the ceremony - but it was wonderful and very special. Now my son is going crazy trying to get a job in an urban center with a degree in economics and math. He is actually getting interviews but a decent job that would actually support him seems very out of reach right now.</p>