<p>As the parent of a student at Vanderbilt, perhaps I should speak up and say that I am not, personally, in any way offended by Dad II’s comments or attitude toward Vanderbilt. His comments are a direct reflection of his daughter’s attitude and preference rank, not his.</p>
<p>Edit: Of course, I think it would behoove his daughter to go and take a first-hand look at the school before deciding it isn’t a good fit.</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman engineering student at OSU. I did not want her to go there, as I considered it a kind of “factory” school–lots of kids rolling down that assembly line–and she is a shy, quiet kind of kid. I though she would do better in a smaller (10,000-15,000 students) atmosphere. </p>
<p>I have been pleasantly surprised. Being part of the honors program has been great–she gets scheduling priority, lives in an honors dorm, takes honors (smaller) classes, and has a wonderful advisor. These might not be a big deal elsewhere, but when you are one of 50,000, it makes a difference. Her total college experience thus far has been positive. She is definitely challenged. I think things sometimes work out for the best and I’m glad we aren’t spending the kind of money that we might have if she had been admitted to her dream schools.</p>
<p>So . . . what’s the latest, Dad II?</p>
<p>I think a lot of parents are overreacting. Almost all of my friends have applied to relatively prestigious schools, like Vanderbilt or Duke, that aren’t among their top choices, and receiving early decisions gave them understanding about what they could expect in the Spring. That kind of practice is very common among kids who are interested in prestigious schools. If you get into a good school that you’re not very interested in, then the greatest value you get from an acceptance letter is knowing that competitive kind of school will seriously consider you. That’s just the way it works. There are a lot here who would proudly have their kids go to OSU, but I guess Dad II isn’t one of them. So OSU isn’t everybody’s dream school - I can accept that, and I think some of you parents should accept that not everyone would feel fulfilled going to certain schools. Would OSU be able to provide Dad II’s daughter with a good education? Probably, yes. But he and his daughter (mostly daughter) still have the right to say they don’t want to go to a state school.</p>
<p>um, if I am not mistaken, D LIKED the state school, its dad who said he woudn’t pay for it</p>
<p>I don’t think so, SGM</p>
<p>cgm - I think when they went for some scholarship contest a couple of weeks ago, his D decided she didn’t like it.</p>
<p>I want to defend Dad 2 again… sigh. </p>
<p>Wanting or needing validation at this point in the process that you’re not delusional about your kids potential or ability is perfectly normal. Whether your kid is waiting to hear from West Point or the College of New Rochelle or Princeton or Julliard or RISD-- regardless of their interests, it is very natural at this point in the game to feel that you’ve grossly overestimated your kids strengths and that there are millions of kids out there who are better leaders, athletes, vocalists, sculptors, whatever.</p>
<p>I think feeling relieved that your kid is “in the game” is something we’ve all felt, even if Dad 2’s communication style isn’t quite PC.</p>
<p>To all you parents of Seniors… take a chill pill. If you are this anxious now, just wait until August when you’re packing your kid and wondering how s/he is going to get to an 8 am chem lab without you to roll her/him out of bed.</p>