Decisions?

<p>thanks casey...that was awesome...I knew I was going to have a tough decision come March, but it sounds like it is going to be even tougher... ;)</p>

<p>Hi Rovee--Yes, of course I remember talking to you recently on the other forum. And you aren't the only one who is confused! So is everyone in this family! BC is a great school in a city that offers such a wonderful opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun-all at the same time. We recently went to one of those BC alum receptions in our hometown (No. Cal), and we ended the evening ready to sign up! I am positive that my D would love the school and I am so excited that she (and you!) have some great choices ahead.
I am convinced that there is no perfect school (except maybe Stanford if there was no tuition-lol) according to my D's criteria. The most she can do is add up the positives of the schools, subtract the negatives...and see what happens. That is what we are trying to do. I honestly think D would have a great experience at any of the schools she applied to. It's just a matter of which has the most positives...and least negatives.
Yes, I had a pheonomenal experience in a UW sorority many many ....years ago. I am a strong, opinionated and extremely independent gal who dislikes cliques, anything elite and anything "exclusive". Yet, my sorority was one of the best living experiences ever-the girls I met have become lifelong friends, and I would recommend looking at the Greek system at the U very seriously. I'm not sure I feel that way about all Greek systems. In fact, that is one area that UW has over any of the UC's. And some of the huge Greek systems in other parts of the country sound awfully "stuffy" and exclusive--not my cup of tea...but I am sure D will check it out whereever she ends up. Both S and older D have had similar experiences as mine with their time in frat/sor.these past years. But both are also good candidates-responsible, good students who can have some fun and meet lots of people but also keep priorities straight, maintain grades, work, etc. Maybe Greek isn't for everyone, but a lot of people miss out because of preconceived notions-that's a shame. The worst part of the system is girl's rush--yuck. Superficial, judgemental, and tedious. Kind of like trying to get admitted to colleges, come to think of it!!! I wish they could think of a different system-but no one has.<br>
Anyway....I've kind of hijacked this thread-sorry. I guess my point of all this is that the U should be a real possiblility for many kids but because of its isolated (according to the rest of the country!!) location and the general lack of respect for state schools, it just doesn't get it's due. It is truly a gem---not better than, but equal to so many of the other schools that get ultra exposure in the media and even on this websight. Count your blessings, Washingtonians. Go Dawgs.</p>

<p>Good luck, heefar. I'm sure we'll be "talking" again before then!</p>

<p>All very interesting stuff. However, we have a huge budget problem in this state and funding for schools and colleges is really taking a hit. The papers are constantly talking about how difficult it is becoming for high school grads to get into the UW. Even Western in Bellingham is turning more and more kids away as well. I am concerned that more out of state kids are being admitted to bring in the out of state tuition, at the expense of qualified in state kids. I was internet surfing the California system and discovered that 90% of the admits are in state applicants. It is higher than that in Washington. All talk of diverse student bodies aside, qualified in state kids should get all the places first, and let the out of state people get whats left.</p>

<p>I went straight to the "Your application has been reviewed." from awaiting a preliminary review. Applied on Dec. 22, received the full review message Jan. 11. Hopefully that means the acceptance letter is in the mail.</p>

<p>Had a 3.69 GPA and 1360 SAT and in-state.</p>

<p>casey, where in norcal are you located? I am just 10 minutes across the GGB in Mill Valley, ever heard of it?</p>

<p>mmboys07-First of all.......as I am sure you know, Washington is certainly not the only state to be in dire educational financial trouble. University of Virginia (along with W&M and V.Tech) are actually looking to sever ties with their state government as a result of some of the same frustrations Washingtonians have (too many regulations, not enough state funding--see today's Parent Forum "Virginia schools...") And if you want to talk big problems......just ask Arnie Schwarzenegger. Our UC funding crisis has been front page news forever. But the answer isn't just to say "forget everyone else-let's only take care of people residing within these state lines!" Life isn't that clean. (And, by the way, in the spirit of "fair trade", the UC's DO, in fact, take 10% out of state kids--almost the exact same percentage as UDUB)</p>

<p>The goals of a good school have to go way beyond keeping all the "qualified" in-staters happy. And who is to say what "qualified" means, anyway? My niece from Tacoma wasn't accepted to UW last year--believe me, her in-state parents thought her expensive private school education "qualified" her-obviously, others didn't feel the same way.</p>

<p>Life is complicated. What about the family who moved to Washington 2 years ago? Do they have more "rights" to be admitted than the family who lived in Seattle for 50 years..paid taxes all that time...then is forced to move to Texas with Boeing last year...and now want to send their kid "back home?"--even at 2 1/2 times the price?? What about those proud Husky alums who have known that their private contributions make a difference in the quality of Husky academic programs and have been giving money-lots of money-- to the school yearly, since long before the general population even knew there was a financial problem. Believe me, lots of those private funding checks are coming from proud Huskys with out of state return addresses. The future of financing these schools is thru the private sector, and that is one way to loose one big piece of that pie. The way our educational system is designed, schools need a certain amount of national reputation--from obtaining national research funds to recruiting big name professors...to (the dreaded) recruited athletes. No school can live in a bubble with no regard to how it interacts with the rest of the world. In this day and age, all schools need connections to the outside, and once those connections are made, they need to be nurtured and maintained. I'll bet not even Washingtonians want to go to a school without those relationships. </p>

<p>Whether a school takes lots of out of state $$$ and students or whether it adopts UDub's attitude to stay mainly regional in it's population, the idea that highly qualified applicants would be denied until all QUALIFIED in-staters are covered is just a little bit isolationist...if I may say so myself. Most of the students taken from out of state have proven themselves fairly exceptional and I dare say will make the state of Washington a better place. That is certainly the case with the 5 or 6 kids I know that went there from Ca. Also, remember...500 out-of-state enrollees for a freshman class of 5000+?! I don't think that is overwhelming.</p>

<p>My H just mentioned that he (a UDub alum and partner for a "Big 4" firm) has accepted an invitation to actively recruit accting. students for his Co.from UW business school. He won't get any arguement from the Business school Dean (when we get one!)who is quite anxious to place a large % of his grads into good jobs-quickly...even if it means that they have to relocate to California ASAP. That's just the way the world works I guess.</p>

<p>Good luck with your D's admission to the UDub. Hope you get good news soon.</p>

<p>Wow-no more long posts, I promise! </p>

<p>Heefar-we are in the East Bay. Sure, I have heard of Mill Valley. We have gone thru there many times-usually on our way to Rohnert Park and that area for softball tourneys, basketball playoffs, etc. What a great location you have.</p>

<p>No, Casey, your long posts are great and well worth reading! Thanks for all the info you've provided here and elsewhere.</p>

<p>thanks caseyatbat for your reply! my BC reception is tomorrow in bellevue and hopefully i'll have as great of an experience as you and your daughter did. thank you for the info on sororities... "I am a strong, opinionated and extremely independent gal who dislikes cliques, anything elite and anything "exclusive"." haha, that is so me! i was initially concerned about the elitist attitude that i have heard about sororities, but after looking into it, i realized that a sorority is probably one of the best ways to make a huge school like uw into a smaller, more personal community so i'm pretty excited learning as much as i can about it. anyways, i don't want to steal this thread so when i get the time, i'll start a new thread where hopefully, if you'd like, you'll be able to answer some more greek questions for me.. thank you again for your response.. i really appreciate it!</p>

<p>Thanks Caseyatbat for all the info. Did you say your D received WA residency status after her 1st year at UW? I didn't know that was possible. My D is leaning towards UW over the UCs. She loves the Pacific Northwest, has relatives in Port Angeles and Oregon, and loves the UW campus. I'd appreciate any tips about how to receive WA residency status. She also thinks Stanford is the perfect school - she was deferred EA. She's applied to a few other schools in the Pacific NW and a few on the east coast, but definately considers UW as one of her top choices. My husband, a Stanford grad. is actually pushing UW as his first choice for her. That might have something to do with her less than 10% chance of getting in RD at Stanford, but he also holds UW in the highest regard.</p>

<p>when do we hear from the honors college?</p>

<p>Hi Luckyme. Congrats on the UDub admission! My D also applied all over the place, and I truly feel would be happy with any of the schools she applied to. I think we are all more adaptable than we believe we are during college app. season! If only some school would call with a full ride offer---then we'd be set..
Both my older kids applied for and received in-state residency at UW...but that was in the good ol' days. There was (and is) a stringent set of rules one must follow to get residency--just go to the UW website and search for "residency requirements". It is a very regimented and extensive list that my kids were agreeable to follow. For example, one must get a Washington State drivers license, voter's registration, and register car (if have one---mine did NOT) ASAP. Kids must be independent from parents on tax returns for a period of time, must be paying for over 1/2 tuition thru funds they exclusively control, and (the kicker) must spend 4 straight quarters in Wa. prior to registering for residency. In other words, finish freshman year and then go to summer school at the UW or get a job in Washington for the summer(providing proof thru paystubs). Most kids want to go "home" that first summer, so they balk at the requirements. On the bright side, my kids liked the area so much, they have NEVER come home since except for vacations and holidays. They have had the opportunity to work for great Seattle employers of many UW kids--Nordstrom, Microsoft, the UDub, and even the Mariners. It has been quite a ride. However, residency requirements have tightened up further since their time. Now, the UW ASSUMES that out of staters are there for education only--not because they want to move to Washington or be Wa. residents--so one must PROVE they are there for reason beyond education. (I'm not even sure how you would do that..)But please don't take my word for any of this. Go to the website where it is explained so much more clearly. With the possibility of paying out of state for 4 years, it certainly makes the UC's look good. D is also looking at privates (with merit aid--please, please) and east coast schools also. But how nice to know they have this opportunity too!!<br>
Hope that kinda answers your question. By the way, I spoke with the residency dept. several times while we were going thru the process and they were memorably nice. Helpful, efficient, smart....I was so impressed with the staff there. They gave no breaks--everything had to be very above-board, legitimate, and verified. And when it was, they were super cooperative. I still remember that.</p>

<p>Shoot......another long post.</p>

<p>Got accepted today! Actually looked online and the decision was JAn 7th.</p>