<p>My child had the choice between Lehigh and Clemson honors..really neither would be a bad choice. except for the distance we really liked Clemson, the campus, honors dorm suite, atmosphere, weather. Child chose Lehigh. We were a little dissapointed but it will be nice having her closer. Just wondering how many parents were dissapointed with childs choice?</p>
<p>D1: 2008; not happy at all; still not sure it was the right decision but she is graduating next June so what’s done is done…</p>
<p>D2: starting in the fall…150% happy with her decision…and that % goes up with every correspondence we get from her school</p>
<p>I would not have picked the schools any of my kids picked. And I have/had dreams of where they might have gone, but they were their own selves, and though DH and I did share our experiences, opinions, and knowledge, we stressed that it was going to be their decisions, except regarding cost which we so wished could be a non issue, but just is not, and stuck to our word. All I wanted was for them to successfully complete the 4 years and enjoy their time there. Not 100% on all of that either, despite their having the freedom in choice. But they did each have that freedom.</p>
<p>DS#1 - A year later, still 110% please with his choice. It was, without question, the right decision.</p>
<p>DS#2 - Heading off in the fall and I think it’s a good choice. Won’t know for sure until later, but I’m pretty confident.</p>
<p>Here is our situation:
S1 accepted by UW Madison (COA $21K in state), U of Illionis-UC (COA $47K OOS), UCSD (COA $51K), U of Minnesota (OFA $24K) . In terms of school ranking for the intended major, UW Madison and UCSD neck-to-neck, U Minn and UIUC about the same. In terms of weather, UCSD beats all. </p>
<p>S1 chose UW Madison, Smart boy! We are happy.</p>
<p>S1 - graduates next month - 110% happy - he has enjoyed every minute of his experience</p>
<p>S2 - sent in his deposit this past week to the same school. He is 100% happy right now! They are very different people, so it may not work out the same, but it was HIS choice and he is thrilled with the world of possibilities.</p>
<p>S1 graduates in two weeks. He’d turned down Harvard for Carnegie Mellon - he’s off to his dream job. No regrets on our part.</p>
<p>S2 finishing up his freshman year. It’s been a bit more work then either he or we expected and the grades show it, but it seems to have been a good choice in every other way.</p>
<p>D1 going off this fall. We are feeling very, very good about her choice. It was the lead favorite through the entire process. Far from home, anything can happen. Fingers crossed!! Can we revive this thread in 6 months? :)</p>
<p>mathmom,
I guess you S1 studies computer science?</p>
<p>Loved everything about DS’s university choices both grad and undergrad…except the costs (does that count?).</p>
<p>Loved everything about DDs university choice except the distance from home…and the cost.</p>
<p>But the bottom line is both KIDS loved their choices 100%…both enrolled as freshman with one major in mind and graduated on the four year plan IN that major. So it worked 100% for them.</p>
<p>DS is finishing his first year at Whitman College and has had an incredible experience. I was initially a little anxious that he didn’t pick one of the other schools where he’d been accepted that was more selective, but now I see that he made the perfect choice for himself. It’s a great school!</p>
<p>DD graduated 5 years ago. I wasn’t totally sure of her choice (although I liked it), but she was completely sure. And she was right, especially after she ended up changing majors during freshman year and neither of her other two options had the major she changed to. And looking back on her years, it is easy to see how perfect the school was for her.</p>
<p>DS is graduating in May. He started at the school I hoped he would choose. Turned out to be a horrible fit (even though we visited many times and asked lots of questions. Just didn’t ask the right ones, lol!). He was working on transferring a week into his first semester. Transferred to what turned out to be the perfect place for him (which was his other choice at decision time).</p>
<p>If the kid likes the choice and you can easily afford it and he/she succeeds there… then all is well.</p>
<p>Cornell wasn’t D1’s first choice initially, but she loved her 4 years there. She is graduating in a month and she is already talking about how much she is going to miss it. She has made some great friends, and enjoyed her classes (especially courses outside of her major(s) ).</p>
<p>I think we all liked Cornell so much, we would like D2 to go. Her academic interest is very different than D1. But the school is so big, she could easily find her niche. D1 already told her that if she went, she would have to join her sorority. It is tough to be the baby sister. D1 is encouraging D2 to look at other schools, but D2 does keep on coming back to Cornell.</p>
<p>DS went to Rice and love it. 100% thrilled with it, and sad that our connection is going to be loosened… (but, hey, I’ll keep hanging out on CC ;)) He will graduate in 2 weeks, and is employed in his field. DD went to Rice and was thrilled with it. I’m so glad my kids had a chance to experience that close-knit and collegial environment.</p>
<p>Truth be told, I really wish my daughter was not going so far away. 1,500 miles is a long way away. Fortunately she can fly direct from here to there. I know that she put a lot of thought into it and she is thrilled with her choice, but I would be much happier if she were closer.</p>
<p>Happykid is at the local community college because it was all we could afford. What I never expected was the she has been so delighted with it! She has not for one second felt that she was “settling”. She loves her department and her professors. The program is a perfect fit. And, as her HS pals drop out, flunk out, or run out of money at their far away colleges, she is the first one to tell them “Come here. It is a great place!”</p>
<p>I just hope that she will be as happy with whatever 4-year college/university she transfers to for fall 2012.</p>
<p>In 2006, D went to second choice college with significant scholarship. Apparently, I was the only one with misgivings. Bad fit, she transferred after 3 semesters to the school that had always been her #1 throughout the process, which is where I thought she would have gone to begin with. She loved it and graduated in the four years, got into a great grad school program.</p>
<p>A tad concerned about DS’s choice. Academically it seems like a good fit. I’m just not sure it’ll be as good socially. Time will tell, I suppose.</p>
<p>S1 at U Chicago: absolutely 1000% happy: both he and us. She was joking the other day that he should send Harvard a thank you note for having rejected him. </p>
<p>S1 going to Bucknell this fall. So far, everything I saw and heard sounds like a great match for him. However jury is out since he hasn’t started yet. As an ED admit (a captive audience, I mean, no need for them to court anymore since he is committed), he got so many, personal email correspondences from the admission officer assigned to him to make sure that he does not develop senioritis!!! If they are showering him with this much personal attention when they don’t need to do anything to maintain high yield, I can bet that they do take their students’ education very seriously for all four years. Went to the admitted students orientation, and he, my H and I all came back really excited.</p>