@4junior- Any decision for your D yet?
@elena13 @MomInSB @Chembiodad @merc81 @BelknapPoint @123France @samantha827 @thermom
She will be attending Hamilton! I waited to post until she deposited, which she did today. She will be attending the London program; she felt much better about it after the info session at Hamiltons accepted students day. She met several girls she clicked with who will be in the Jan program and is now super excited for her semester abroad, and then her time at Hamilton.
We had asked them to switch her to a fall admit for financial reasons, after a few weeks consideration they would not. (They stated that Hamilton is actually not need-aware for Jan admittances after all, which I find odd - but no use dwelling on things I can’t change…) Not the optimal financial scenario for our family but we will do what we can to make it work.
In the end, she was not offered a place at Vassar or the other 2 schools she would have chosen over Hamilton. Her counselor said that RD at Vassar was super tough for females at her school this year and that she missed her window by not doing ED. It took some time but she is now ‘all in’ about embarking on her Hamilton adventure even with the Jan start!
Thank you to all of you for your help, input and patience through this saga!
@4junior , great to hear! My son decided on Hamilton after accepted students day as well. He had very good conversations with two current students who were Jans, and I think seeing other students who will be Jans with him sealed the deal.
@4junior Congrats to your daughter. I’m sure she will have a great time in London and a wonderful experience at Hamilton. Best of luck to her, and you!
Thank you so much for your postings about your son’s experiences & budgeting for London, really helpful and so glad to hear how happy he was as a London ‘Uni’ student. Our son is a 2022 Jan and will be departing in 4 weeks for London. We’re a PNW family…read, in general laid back! (sometimes too much!) We keep reading about London’s ‘Smart Casual’ dress code, did your son find it to be true? As the great debate is afoot in our house about wardrobe; too many hoodies, joggers, shorts & funky sneakers, and most importantly whether or not to pack 1 suit? Recommendations would really be appreciated. Lastly, any hard to find items or ‘don’t forget to pack’ items in your son’s experience. A warm Thank You
@Nubeginnings How exciting! One thing my son was very happy to have was a 3/4 length dark wool coat (more dressy than his other clothes and definitely not necessary, but as a So Cal family we had to buy him something warm). Most of the students dressed in typical teen style - hoodies, joggers, puffy coats, etc. all good. He did not need a suit. He also got a waterproof slim backpack for commuting with his laptop and notebooks - it did rain and even snow while he was there. I put together a small “first aid” kit with some cold medicine, advil, etc. which ended up coming in handy. My packing advice would be to pack light - everything he might need will be available in London - and also to pack a weekend bag for trips. Also, there is not much room for a large suitcase (some of the rooms are tiny) so I would pack all into a foldable duffel bag instead of a big rolling suitcase. Inbox me if there is anything else I can help with. While I was so excited for my son, I found it hard flying 12 hours home and felt so far away. We would facetime or whatsapp frequently, and it ended up going by quite quickly. Feel free to inbox me with any questions! Best of luck with the big changes ahead!
Hi MomInSB nice to hear from you. Your feedback is much appreciated. Duffel bag ready to go, a small travel backpack for mini excursions with mates, and he owns plenty of waterproof gear as we live in the PNW so were rain and rapidly changing weather experts! Thanks about responding to the suit question, that will put his dad’s mind at ease. Medical covered with dad an MD, so luckily no worries there. Plus the benefit of Universal health care. Great reminder that plenty of shops there so he can buy anything he might need or forgot. Our son will fly over by himself and we’ll join him mid-Semester for a mini family holiday.
How did your son do when he transitioned to Hamilton in January? Any problems? I imagine since you reside on the other side of the country, you just purchased a lot of his dorm supplies in NY? Between inclement weather and geographical distance we can only fly so much as far as dorm needs.
Thanks again!
Sounds like your son is ready to go! Don’t know your plans for travel, but I recommend the The Bloomsbury, which is very near to the Arcadia Center where they take classes - it was quite lovely and convenient.
Transition to Hamilton was easy for him, actually, and I think for most but not all of the Jans. They have the Jans come 2 or 3 days early, and get settled. He did miss the liveliness of London. As far as dorm room - we ordered what he needed from Amazon, etc. and had it shipped directly to Hamilton so it was waiting for him when he arrived. Actually, we narrowly escaped the mudslide here, and left our house in quite a panic when he left for Hamilton orientation, so he had nothing but a backpack with him. I’m sure your experience will be smoother!
What is the best way to get to Hamilton from Socal?
@Minnie2021 Best for us - fly out of LAX through Chicago (if possible) and in to Syracuse. Either United or AA usually has best flights. Hamilton Dean of Students (Cindy Reynolds) will arrange transport for your student. They have shuttles at key times.