<p>Does the OP currently commute to college? or does she live in a dorm or off-campus apt?</p>
<p>Posters, there are families in the US where running off to Berkelee to go to school could result in the physical abuse or death of the daughter and anyone who assists her. Please be careful that your American values do not blind you to what is possible in some American families. Where patriarchy and parental honor meet, families have been known to mutilate or kill their children. It was not so uncommon in the American European past–long before Asians, Muslims, or Hispanics became a large part of the US population. If you find such behavior monstrous, as I do, take a look at the book The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen by Princeton philosopher Kwame Appiah for some discussion about how people in one society have changed such paleolithic behavior in other societies.</p>
<p>I don’t get these parents. My child took the best opportunity on another CONTINENT. Geez. I don’t get this, “I need my adult child within 2 hours” kind of stuff, unless there have been past problems and that child truly needs more supervison and support. </p>
<p>Make your best case like the adult you are for why you are choosing the schools. And then apply and see what happens. Go from there. </p>
<p>I don’t think these parents will abuse or disown this D. After-all, the mom went with the D on this campus visit trip.</p>
<p>It is odd, the D indicates that she has the funds to pay. That doesn’t sound like she has too controlling of parents. </p>
<p>OP -</p>
<p>If you have the money to pay your own way, then you can just go. Your parents may have hysterics, yes, but they will get over it. And your mom will have a blast with the long-distance coddling. She will be mailing you care packages full of “real” food almost every week. Your dad will be grilling you about the boys, so be sure to let him know about any boys in your life before you name them on Facebook.</p>
<p>Unless your family has been in CA since before it became part of the US, it is likely that either your parents or someone not too far back deliberately immigrated here in pursuit of some kind of independence and success that was unavailable in their location of origin. A gentle reminder that your choice to pursue your own goals (albeit across the continent) is simply an extension of that original pursuit may be in order.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids, note that Gates Millennium Scholarship is portable to any school, for example, as may be other scholarships. Sometimes “funds to pay for college anywhere” can be just that (rather than the putative “plenty of funds” we may assume).</p>
<p>I’m in California and I’m Hispanic and I have children your age. We are, what I consider to be traditional Mexican American household. (foods, religious events, spanish speakers, etc.) Things in our culture have changed. Unless your parents are very elderly, I don’t understand why your mother would go with you to Boston if she didn’t think there was a slight chance that you would be admitted and possibly go there. </p>
<p>The real issue appears to be their fears. You can allay those fears by indicating what you will be doing with a degree in music AND that you will return to the house. Our kids are all beginning to return to the nest. Our kids need us parents. Your parents may fear that they won’t be needed anymore once you leave the house. Talk to them in your best Spanish and have a supportive aunt and cousins around when you talk to your parents. This talk has to happen and if you can pay and really get admitted, but if you don’t respect the house rules, it will be a major issue for the next couple of years. </p>
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<p>Ok…
So, you can transfer and take the GMS with you… That’s good. Do we know if that is what this student has?</p>