<p>Whoa- I’ve been reading through some posts (guiltily, for hours last night…) and felt I was getting way too caught up in this forum. When romanigypsieyes posted that they have posts going back to 2008- I looked at the number of all your posts- now I don’t feel so guilty! </p>
<p>Wow- this college search and selection process is definitely a very, very emotional thing for people to experience. So many on here are parents, like myself, just trying to figure it all out. I don’t think this thread needs to be judged “right” or “wrong.” Don’t get defensive if you started in 9th grade- who cares? As said, do what is best for your family and your child. It is a big process- and potentially very expensive. Especially if you have more than one child. </p>
<p>My S (OH- would someone PLEASE tell me what DD and DS are? At first I though "Designated Son…and Daughter- but now I’m thinking Dear Son…and Daughter? I wish someone would make a “key” post at the top of the Forums! Took me awhile to figure out OOS, too!) Anyway- my Son is interested in tech fields- most likely Mechanical Engineering, so I paid to have him attend summer camps at tech specific schools in between 10th and 11th grades. He always said he would not want to go to a big school. He was accepted at several tech specific schools- highly ranked and with scholarships & honors. However, he applied to a couple Big 10 schools because of “safety” mixed with “rankings” and just last week we visited the biggest one- where he was given the MOST opportunities. Low and behold- he’s attending a huge, “lesser ranked” school. He’s my last kid- and we were prepared to pay- but it also has the best financial benefit. </p>
<p>So for us, all the travel and prep didn’t really work out after all. My others kids had visited, prepared and had hearts set- on schools they did not get into. This son is by far the smartest of my kids- so we felt the pressure to have him attend a top ranked school! Several of which he was accepted into, with honors programs and scholarships, but they don’t feel “right” after all. Accepted Students Days are BY FAR- the best way to visit a college. So many of my friends with younger kids didn’t even know they have these. But the students really look at the school with different eyes. There is no longer the fear they will not be wanted- and the schools pull out the stops to show them all the reasons why they should now want to go there! Trust me- moms of 9th graders- it is different. </p>
<p>After such a visit, I think my son’s decision is the right one for him. I think he’ll be very happy at this school- “only” in the 40’s for his major. Many, many of the perks he received due to his GPA and ACT were “invitation only” and not advertised on the colleges website- so all the research in the world wouldn’t have helped, anyway. </p>
<p>Best advice: Tell the kids to do their best, get a good GPA and do the best they can on the standardized tests. Do lots of community work, hopefully in something they enjoy, if possible, along with any EC’s (see- I’m getting the lingo!) that they really enjoy. Trying to force a fit into a school they will be overwhelmed at is a mistake. And a “lesser” school may be the perfect place, after all. </p>
<p>Advice for parents: look deeply into the Career Services available at the school. How will they help your child prepare for a job? Do recruiters come? Is their real-world experiences like internships, Co-ops, etc. available? Where are these located? Only nearby?If your child wants to Study Abroad- is that part of the tuition, extra during breaks, do they get full college credit for the semester, if a state school and you are OOS do you pay in-state tuition for that semester? (saving some $$)? </p>
<p>Well- have fun- and good luck! To all those long-term posters- you all must be like family by now!?!</p>