<p>^^Re: PreMed schools, here’s a new thread by a very knowledgeable member:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1122176-bluedevilmikes-ten-step-guide-picking-premed-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1122176-bluedevilmikes-ten-step-guide-picking-premed-school.html</a></p>
<p>Dickinson’s ED myth #3 from the link given in post #256:</p>
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<p>This does absolutely nothing to dispel my skepticism of kids applying ED if they are concerned about financing their education and need to compare FA packages. While Dickinson’s statement may be honest, they are only saying that they apply the same FA policies to ED and RD. How does Dickinson’s FA package compare to those of other schools? You’ll never know if you apply ED (unless you opt out of the contract, but then you can’t go back and decide to take it if other offers are lower). Each Profile school uses their own FA policies and calculations and there is often a wide range of EFCs, even for the most selective schools.</p>
<p>^ Quite so, but only those for whom Dickinson is the number one choice, the dream school, should be applying ED in the first place, so they don’t care about comparing FA offers–they care only if they can afford it. That’s when Dickinson’s statement is important, so that kids know they’re at no disadvantage at ED time. If it doesn’t work out, they then have time to research and develop a new favorite (if they want) for the RD round.</p>
<p>Ahhh, there’s the disconnect, “dream school” is not in my vocabulary ;).</p>
<p>Ah. 
Those trying ED just to increase their chances at a popular school may indeed have it go wrong; I have less sympathy for them. :(</p>
<p>Thanks entomom for the great link by bluedevilmike. Great food for thought! I’m aware of the ivy league conference. In my D’s case the school is U Penn.:)</p>
<p>Finally made it to DC!!! S is visiting Georgetown for the Admitted Student Weekend. We are off to information sessions, and most importantly financial aid information.</p>
<p>@stillwatermom – I can definitely relate to your cost/benefit questions about need-based privates. Although my S did get a nice financial aid package, there would still be significant loans. Well, significant for us… Georgetown is my son’s #1 choice because of the SFS (he is interested in politics, history, languages, international relations, etc.) My son also applied to UPENN to the Huntsman Program. I don’t know if you or your D have been there but the campus is located right next to a major hospital. I heard absolutely phenomenal things about the pre-med program and due to its access to the hospital the students have many opportunities to get hands on experience and work very closely with the doctors and nurses there. You see loads of foot traffic from the hospital, with the doctors & nurses, cutting through campus.</p>
<p>Interesting points of view from everyone. I agree with some and not with others, but different approaches work for different people. D had a “dream school” and although she had a 10% chance of being accepted I encouraged her to apply. She was denied acceptance, but it did not come as a surprise. However it has been my experience that a chance, no matter how small, is still a chance.
I listen to what guidance counselors have to say, but follow my own instincts. D had been told she had too many reaches, too many safeties and not enough targets, by her GC. This provoked panic and a frenzy to apply to more schools. In the end she was accepted from all the schools her GC thought were reaches. Yes all her “original” reaches (not the ones her GC thought) and one target rejected her…but life goes on.
I do believe in being as competitive a candidate as one can possibly be, however, not being in the top percentile does not mean there is no chance at all. The only way to find out is by trying, as long as one is prepared for the rejection.
I was told by some “well meaning” guidance counselors and teachers some 25 years ago that becoming a doctor was not possible for me. I am glad I did not listen to them.
Congratulations everyone on your children’s achievements. They are a testament to your guidance and hard work.
Thank you for all the support during these past months.</p>
<p>Thanks Tejana13 for the good input about Penn. Daughter is going there next week for two night, three day “Scholars Preview” which is their multicultural event. And I think that after she visits, she’ll know in her heart where she should be for the next four years. Your S will have a wonderful program at Georgetown for International Relations, etc…We are fortunate indeed to have these difficult decisions.</p>
<p>To everyone traveling to schools, enjoy and I hope your kids find the one that feels the best for them! D2 will be visiting the 2 finalists next week on her own. It’s a marathon trip, she’ll be making a giant triangle from the NW to the NE to So Cal and back home again.</p>
<p>@stillwatermom I’m very glad your D will be visiting the campus before making her final decisions. I think once they’ve decided which programs are the best fit for them it is important to get that “feel” for the campus/city life. My S really liked UPENN & loved Philadelphia. My husband and I are tag teaming and he will take my S to NYC next week to visit Columbia. Neither have ever been to New York so, this should prove interesting. There was a certain theme with my S and the colleges to which he applied – he wanted to be in a big city. </p>
<p>I also wish everyone the best of luck and safe travels with the last of the college visits. This is a very exciting time for all the kids & parents.</p>
<p>Congrats to everyone on acceptances and all the great possibilities. My S and I are flying to the Midwest this week to visit the university that has been his top choice all along. This school put together a nice package, and it’s affordable for us. So unless he has a horrible time and decides he doesn’t want to go there, it’s likely that he will make a final decision by this weekend. Let’s hope for the best. </p>
<p>For those weighing different options, I hope you will consider that the right place for you will not be the same as it is for the person next to you. Sometimes the name is not as important as being in the right place. In my own experience, I found “fit” to be really important - and by that I mean going to a university where you feel comfortable (academically and financially) and interested enough to do your best academic work and participate in EC activities. As an undergrad, I found “fit” at a LAC. But later, in graduate studies I was lucky to attend some large universities. Prestige can open doors, but it’s even more important to be in a situation where you can excel (and that situation is not the same for all).</p>
<p>^^Glad to hear everything is falling into place. Have a wonderful trip, I hope it’s spring in the midwest by now!</p>
<p>Copterguy, Thank you for your post. I agree so comepletely. Perceived “prestige” is nowhere as right as “fit”, especially for a hispanic student. My D has attended a white, Catholic high school in MN. She is a “minority” yet has an accomplished Latino father and a Scandinavian mother. In her school, she is referred to as “favorite minority” and “girl from Mexico”, although her lineage is more complicated, as well as her identity. She is also the co-valedictorian. As her mom, I wish her a more diverse experience as an undergraduate, where culture and context, are only one aspect of a person’s reality and identity, Prestige is only one factor and I think there are many more factors in college choice that are significant, and sustaining, for personal growth, I appreciate all of the contributors here- for the thoughtful and loving considerations of their children’s next step in an unnknown and kind of crazy world right now. As parents of Hispanic children, it is wise to cosider all of their options.</p>
<p>My D visited Penn last week and came to her decision yesterday. She decided to go to Rice. It was a matter of “fit” and the feeling of “community”, diversity", and “inclusivneness” at Rice, as she knew she would get excellent academics at any of her choices. I am happy and relieved to have this process over and now I will enjoy the rest of her senior year. Thank you for this forum and congratulations to all you parents out there. We survived and raised some awesome, talented children!</p>
<p>Congratulations to stillwaterD on her wonderful choice! And to stillwaterM for reaching the end of this process in one piece! That’s two at Rice, isn’t it?</p>
<p>Thank you for all of your contributions to this forum! The level of support and camaraderie here has been phenomenal and such a comfort during these often stressful times.</p>
<p>Its wonderfully strange but I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. I didn’t realize how stressed out I was from the whole process. So yes, I will have two children at Rice. From the diversity standpoint, there is so much diversity that my S has friends from every possible background and life experience. It’s quite phenomenal really. Thanks entomom.</p>
<p>Stillwatermom, that is great news. Congrats. Rice is a tremendous university. I know a couple of people who work there, and a friend’s son is a student, and they all rave about it. (But you know that already.) And enjoy the post-admissions process relief. We had a nice visit last week (I had a great time), but my son has some reservations, and several questions have come up. (Everything seemed to be going very well until the overnight portion.) He wants to think more, work it out, and visit another possibility. So it looks like we’ll be in it at least another week, maybe even into the final days before the deadline. I look forward to joining stillwatermom in feeling the relief of the final decision.</p>
<p>Copterguy…hang in there with your son’s decision process. Two years ago, my son didn’t decide until April 28th! He had a different favorite each week in April, but he did finally decide, based on fit and feel. It sounds like your son is having the dilemna…really processing if it felt right for him. My daughter visited U Penn last week and although she had a marvelous time at their multicultural recruitment, she felt that the fit wasn’t there surrounding ethnicity. I was proud of her maturity in making a decision and the reasons she could articulate regarding her decision. Your son will get there too! It is a heck of a ride though for the parents! And you will sleep much better soon!</p>
<p>I think we may be in the same situation with a last minute decision. My husband and S visited Columbia last week and it just served to make his decision that much harder. We were hoping that he would come back knowing but he feels that both his choices are a right “fit” for different reasons. We are in a rut of outlining pros/cons for both schools and it seems like he just keeps going around in circles. We haven’t put on the pressure because he seems terrified of making the wrong decision (because he likes both universities so much). Sigh…</p>