<p>Our son has been stalling about going east to visit colleges to which he's been admitted. He really, really liked Willamette University after an early admission there (it was a last-minute, "why not?" sort of application.) Today Willamette released the news that senior Jeff Weber is one of only 15 students nationwide to win the prestigious Hertz Fellowship, worth a quarter of a million dollars: Willamette</a> University | Science student Jeff Weber named Hertz Fellow</p>
<p>Hmmmmmm. This is pretty impressive. Not sure anyone in the family is going to be able to resist.</p>
<p>I'd like to hear the experiences of other parents whose sons and daughters chose the safety over the reach or match school.</p>
<p>He should go where he wants to go regardless of whether he classified it as a reach, safety, or match school.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t attend a school because another student there just one a prize, just like I wouldn’t pick a town to live because somebody else won the lottery while living in that town. After all, Jeff Weber may have been able named Hertz fellow even had he gone to a different university.</p>
<p>Is your son like the student, Jeff Weber? Would he follow the same avenues of study? It takes a very special person to be motivated to win such a prestigious award. Hopefully your son fell in love with his school well before seeing they turned out a student who won this award. Past performance does not always yield future results.</p>
<p>We’re still evaluating the results here. We have until May to decide.</p>
<p>My D is a good candidate, but didn’t choose to reach for various reasons, so many of her schools were technically “safety” schools, but one was a pretty big safety put on the list at the last minute as a “why not.” She got their biggest scholarship and has visited twice. I’m not sure where she’ll attend yet, but it could be that school and I believe she would be very happy. I think it’s the fit that matters.</p>
<p>I always remember Rachael Ray’s show where she ate at the dining hall at Willamette. The food looked mighty good. Good luck!</p>
<p>What I think is so impressive about this article is how the student credits the education he received there. It’s not that my son (who is interested in Japanese, not science) would follow in that student’s footsteps. It’s that the liberal arts environment there might help ANY student achieve his/her potential, and perhaps do it just as well – or better – than a school with a higher ranking in USNews & World Report.</p>
<p>I’m curious to hear about students who chose the lesser-ranked school, for whatever reason.</p>
<p>D loved University of Scranton. ( It wasn’t a real safety, but more of a low match.)
We just sent the deposit. ;)</p>
<p>It just seems like a great fit for her, and a place where she will be comfortable and thrive… They too have had a lot of academic success stories. (Fullbright scholars, USA Academic Team, etc.)</p>
<p>Much of the student success may be due to the comfortable environment, caring professors, and being put in a situation that encourages the kids to excel. The school has small classes, highly qualified professors, good resources, etc.</p>
<p>She visited many schools, and this was the one for many reasons. The fact that they wanted her (partial scholarship) and their constant (albeit very professional) courting helped. She clearly wanted a school that wanted her. And so did we.</p>
<p>D could care less that many of the kids in her class have never heard of it. In fact, she will be the first kid from her high school ever to attend.</p>
<p>I think that any student who wins a big award while at college, and is interviewed by the university communications office, will likely attribute their success to the school that they attended. It’s the only school he has known and doesn’t have anything to compare.</p>
<p>I went to college at an unranked state university and have done well in life. I could have gone to a higher ranked school but didn’t see a particular advantage and didn’t try to apply at a highly ranked school. Today when I compare where I’m at in life as to my friends who went to Caltech, I discover that I actually have the more prestigous job.</p>
<p>Sometimes we spend too much time dissecting small differences. I’ve always been one who believes in letting the kids go where they want to if finances are not an issue. Most kiids have a very good sense of where they will thrive. There could be a number of reasons why he’s stalling, some which he might not be sharing. If he likes Willamette, is thinking yes Willamette and is willing to put the acceptance in and move on, then if he were mine, I would let hiim, begin to celeberate the “end” of the cycle and start sharing the good news.</p>
<p>I believe that the three Moms have it spot on in their perspectives , CalAlum. I can’t give you an answer of experience, but agree with their thoughts from our campus visits over the last year.</p>
<p>(1sokkermom: my sister-in-law began teaching two years ago at Scranton, just came out West for a visit, and cannot believe how lucky she is to have landed a job at such a fantastic University. She cannot say enought good things about it. Congratulations!)</p>
<p>My D is a junior. We did college visits last year and this year over spring break (which was last week). So far, she is in love with a safety! And honestly, we like it too. I was surprised by this, but it seems to be a good fit for her, and she is likely to get a really good scholarship which will make it more affordable. We have one more school to visit, but I’ll be surprised if it captures her attention like the “safety school” has.</p>
<p>If he likes Willamette, it has the program(s) he wants, and he has enough info to make an informed choice (I assume he has visited at least some other schools) why muddy the waters by visiting other schools at this late date?</p>
<p>My kid fell in love with her safety school and we have sent in the deposit. She has acceptances from all six schools she applied to, including a couple in the infamous “top twenty” of LAC’s. I have struggled with this as I am a Ivy graduate who’s Harvard grandfather berated me for going to a “lesser college” when I chose Dartmouth over Harvard many years ago. I have to admit to many sleepless nights trying to come to grips with "you could have gone to ‘x’ or ‘y’, why did you chose ‘z’. BTW ‘z’ is a great school in “Tier One”; just closer to 100th than 1st. When I see a topic like this and a couple of others with a related theme, I feel better about her decision. The bottom line is that she is a talented kid with an awesome work ethic and she will do great at her chosen college.</p>
<p>I’m a kid, not a parent. I never applied to most name-brand schools, largely because I knew I wouldn’t get the merit money I needed to attend, but I’ll be turning down Grinnell (and a few slightly better ranked schools) for Hendrix, which is right around the Tier 1 U.S. News cutoff IIRC. It’s partially because of finances, but it’s also the location, the environment, the people… And to me, getting blank looks from others when mentioning the school name is actually better than the alternative. That way people don’t have preconceptions about “Oh they’re going to XYZ, they must be able to afford ABC and want to go into field DEF”.
(Saying that “it’s a small liberal arts school in Arkansas” tends to restart the conversation. )</p>
<p>S1 had all the stats but never even applied to any “reach” schools,despite having a scholarship(NROTC) that would have paid his tuition had he been accepted to them. He decided early on that he wanted to attend our big state u. No amount of talk/visits to other schools could sway him. He went to state u. with a fullride, had a great four years and loved it, graduated with honors…no regrets.</p>
<p>My D fell in love with a “safety” she applied to at the last minute because her dad said, “You know, what about______________. I think you would like it there.” She went to visit and turned down schools with much bigger academic names. He was right. I was a little bemused, at first, but I also always taught her to trust her instincts. She said, “This is the place for me.” She was right, apparently…she’s doing quite well and she’s quite happy. Loves her profs and the other kids.</p>
<p>DD loved her safety, chose her safety , and is now a sophomore at her safety. She applied to and was accepted to matchier and reachier schools, but I think that was all for me (or all for show) - she never really considered any other school.</p>
<p>Lots of merit money, lots of opportunities in her major, and no regrets from her. What’s not to love?</p>
<p>My DS may be falling in love with his safety. It’s really showing him some love – full ride, special programs for top students. They are holding several special invitation only events for certain students in the next few weeks that he’s been invited to. (Smart marketing!)</p>
<p>Unfortunately, DS got turned down from his reaches although he had great stats. Of his three matches, he got in to one with good fin aid, got in to another with terrible fin aid and waitlisted at his favorite. So the safety school has gone from “eh” to “maybe?”.</p>
<p>In the end it will be his choice, although my preference is that he go to the match that offered good fin aid. On the other hand, in the event that the waitlist school comes through that will change the equation, yet again.</p>
<p>Another thing I’ve now learned about the college process… it’s not really over on April 1st.</p>
<p>My now soph D also loved her safety and chose it over all her other, more highly ranked accepted schools. (surprising her clueless parents). Full tuition scholarship, academic opportunities that really fit her focus and interest, and just a general good fit for her.</p>
<p>scout59 took the words out of my mouth (off of my keyboard?) too. D was accepted to several more highly ranked schools but chose one that had always been an admit safety and because of merit money became a financial safety as well.</p>
<p>Willamette was one of her schools too. We loved it but she chose a campus closer to home.</p>
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