<p>My S read about certain famous schools in the Northern US that he became interested in, but since he hates cold weather, he was a bit ambivalent about them. I then told him that there was a school in our home state of Texas which was somewhat similar to such schools and he was intrigued. When we visited this school, he fell in love at first sight, and he has never fallen out of love. He is now a freshman there, at Rice, and is very happy with his choice.</p>
<p>I was worried that D didn’t have the “lightning bolt” experience I remembered having (she had a favorite, but not by much), but in the end it worked well as she liked all the schools to which she applied and wound up at the school that offered the most $. I worried (yes, I worry a lot!) that she would feel she had not really had a choice, but when we visited her on campus in the fall of her senior year, she told us she was so happy to be there that she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else! </p>
<p>Also, what could make a student fall in love with a school is very different whether one is talking about undergrad or grad. And, even with grad school, it depends on type: what will make one fall in love with a law school won’t be the same as with a B-school, a med school, let alone a PhD program.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think it’s for the best when you don’t get the emotional thunderbolt. It lets you make a more cool-headed decision based on the acceptances and fin aid packages that show up. This has way more to do with the kid’s personality than their fit with the colleges they’ve visited.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids “fell in love” with any college. For my son, after all six acceptances were in, an overnight at the U of Chicago (the first time he’d seen the college) generated this comment the next morning: “This will do.” In retrospect, he thinks this was a great opportunity and experience for him, but a love affair? Not. Rather the whole situation, including qualities of the college and its location in a big, major league city, determined his decision.</p>
<p>For my daughter, after her five acceptances came in she ruled only one out definitely, because of its location in the middle of the country. The persuader wasn’t an emotional event but the answer to a logical question put to her by a well-known children’s book author/illustrator (and a friend of the family), who when asked for his advice said, “Why not RISD? Isn’t it the best?” It wasn’t love, but our daughter didn’t think any of the other schools were better than RISD. His question helped her to reach a decision.</p>
<p>These were both logical and practical decisions, based on multiple criteria, not love. But neither kid regretted their choices.</p>
<p>Not really. There were aspects of several schools that she loved. An excellent presentation could get her worked up about it for a few days but the glow could never totally withstand the research. She had a few favorites but she was hesitant to fall for any of them as none were “sure bets.” It wasn’t until she was accepted to her current college and visited that she “fell in love.”</p>
<p>Son liked a few schools. After his tours he fell in love with one. The bad is he only wants to apply to that one. His reasoning is if that is the only place he truly feels at home why should he apply anywhere else and waste application money. Ugh.</p>
<p>Both my daughters only applied to one school each (accepted very early). I told them the risks were that if anything happened they’d have to wait a year to go to school and they were both fine with that risk. Nothing went wrong and each is at her favorite school.</p>
<p>DS fell in love with a school as a sophomore. He was told that he would need to have several affordable options. he applied to 20 schools and slogged his way through merit scholarship weekends, extra essays, etc. In the end the best deal financially was his original choice. To this day he chides me for not allowing him to apply ED, as they meet financial need.
To be fair, his campus is unique and has a specific culture. They encourage plenty of visits, so he had been on campus 8 or 9 times before his orientation. </p>
<p>I am so thankful that my D hasn’t fallen in love with a school. Instead, she has a list of half a dozen schools that are her “top choices.” Other people (relatives and adults) who ask her about it say, “But what is REALLY your first choice?” However, she refuses to play that game. She says that she will pick a first choice when she sees where she gets in.</p>
<p>GMTson has fallen in love w 3 schools. So far, one of his love interests has proposed. Now we’re waiting on dowry.</p>
<p>I’m the OP. I had been hoping D would at least fall in deep like with the LAC that has offered her a lot of merit aid, but that has not transpired. </p>
<p>However, last week she visited another LAC where she is accepted with less merit aid, and did the proverbial head of over heels. She said it just feels “right.” At this point, it’s the most expensive option (of course!), but we’ll have to see what happens after the FAFSA. At least she’s convinced she doesn’t need to keep applying to more schools because she’s not excited with her choices. That’s where we were at a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>I’m dealing with a school-struck daughter. She is in love with, and eventually after discussion with her guidance counselor (and with my husband and I in terror over finances) applied ED to MHC. SHe likes a few others, but then at the same time she says the world will end if she doesn’t get in. We are on pins and needles.There is nothing you can do to stop your child from falling for a school(any more than you can stop a teen from falling in love with anything). We just try to encourage her to realize that she would be successful and have a great experience at any one of the schools she’s looked at. She has all her apps in - only 5 - but at least they are done, which is more than I can say for her twin sister.This is our first and only time we’ll be doing this, and I never dreamt that it would be such a heart-rending, stressful process.</p>