<p>The waiting has and will continue to be difficult, but D is trying to take it in stride and be fatalistic about the outcomes. D was admitted early to all of her safety schools that had rolling admissions (all of them are top notch in engineering) and a number of them have offered sizeable scholarship awards. She is only waiting on the schools that have declared that they do not send out acceptance letters until April 1. D has taken the position that she would be happy at two of the schools that have accepted her already and is swapping e-mail and text messages with her friends going to these two choices and discussing housing options. </p>
<p>The most difficult thing for them this time of year is continuing to study and finishing the year. Now that mid-years are in and there are no more grades required before graduation (they may lapse and even get a B) it is difficult to keep up the momentum. Thank G-d for spring break in a week :p</p>
<p>2blue: good point, but as of the time I was writing, Feb 29th had already passed. "Whats behind me is not important!"</p>
<p>It is nice to know my S has already been accepted EA to a great school, but it is still a little nerve racking anticipating other results. For me it is more because I want him to have a choice even if he still chooses his EA school. It is good to have options. I just don't know how I would react if the only acceptance came back in early January (I am sure he will be fine). He has worked so hard for so many years and is grown into a fine young man. I have always told him that good things happen to good people that make an effort and this usually comes in the form of multiple options. I want him to finish off his senior year with the confidence that comes with being selected by other schools.</p>
<p>The waiting to know if anyone loves our child as much as we do is awful. That is really what the issue is......rarely are we, as parents, faced with such a YES or NO decision about our child. HOWEVER, the truth of the matter is that it really isn't a YES or NO.....it just feels that way because we want so much for our kids. One of the only ways I can describe how much I care about my kids is to say that "I protect them from the rain!" It was my reaction once to a news story about some horrible abusive parent..... and it made me more aware of the range of parental caring/abilities/opportunities. </p>
<p>The only advice I can give you, Citymom, is to try to focus your energies elsewhere. Believe in your child and then, let go and let God...... because your daughter will have good choices. That is all we want.....a choice. My child applied to 10 schools....we wanted 3 choices when all was said and done. He had wonderful choices.....but, the angst of waiting was very hard. </p>
<p>Begin an exercise routine, pick a long series of books to finish between now and April 1st..... clean the basement...... listen to all the Andrew Lloyd Webber music....paint a room....begin your graduation party planning, whatever floats your boat..... but just have FAITH in your child....and practice your excitement for whatever options she will have. You already know that her safest safety is as "bad" as it will ever be.</p>
<p>Citymom, Have been there with 4, only one of which had his EA to the only place he wanted to go. For DD we had to wait until into April for the last of the acceptances and financial offers. The time between now and September is so short and you will look back and wonder where this time went. I recommend participating in any activity you can with the school. This not only helps the school but will be the last time to truly be part of what they are doing. Class activities, teams, trips, grad party or prom committees. Whatever your school offers that allows you to be part of the "lasts" now instead of the terminal wait for the future. It might help.</p>
<p>Waiting with only an EA deferral as feedback is probably even less pleasant than waiting with a safety in hand.</p>
<p>Luckily, my S doesn't read CC and so isn't aware, as far as I know, that other people are receiving likely letters to the schools he's applied to. (And it doesn't appear that any of the kids we know, including some really outstanding performers with good back stories of the kind that adcoms seem to love, have gotten likelies either.) </p>
<p>He says, very rationally, that it is unlikely that ALL the schools he's applied to will reject him. I silently think of the Andison saga, and nod and smile.</p>
<p>I'm about ready to join DadII on the Crown Royal. Maybe I'll go for Maker's Mark instead. :)</p>
<p>I am glad you are feeling better citymom. This is an anxious time for many families and while it may seem to be the most important decision in your student's life thus far, it will not be the most important one she/he will ever have to make.</p>
<p>And if fact, life is such an enigmatic affair it is impossible to determine which college will offer the greatest happiness and opportunity. Heck, I met the love of my life by tagging along with a friend on a visit to RPI after completing our third shift summer jobs. If I had said no to that offer my life would have been totally different and, in all probability, far less happier.</p>
<p>All I am saying is that this upcoming decision is far less important than we make it out to be and being anxious about it will not make change that.</p>
<p>Our school district's spring break is the last week of March and we will be out of town. Would you check for emails while away or wait until home again? I'm afraid that it will be in the back of our minds; on the other hand, checking emails daily could make us crazy or sad. Has anyone done either way?</p>
<p>We were on a band trip at the time most of the announcements were posted on the web. All of the kids gathered around the computers in the business center and logged in. They all knew the results for each other both the good and bad. They then posted on line in their networking sites. The news from everyone seemed to go out right away.</p>
<p>So are you going to be totally disconnected (everyone) or allow any internet connections while you are gone. I think that is a family decision that everyone agrees to ahead of time. If there will be normal connection with sites, then hard not to be checking.</p>
<p>If your CHILD wants to check emails on break, then go for it. If YOU are the one who wants to check, restrain yourself. :)</p>
<p>Hang on to that Crown Royal, by the way. Once your kid gets those great acceptances, she needs to decide which one to say yes to. THAT was a HUGE problem at our house!!</p>
<p>I have been lurking for a while and needed to vent. My D is waiting as well and pretty anxiously I might add. The current anxiety is over Cal Poly SLO which has some of its acceptances posted, but not hers. She has been calling during the day to have me check the website from my office. It doesn't help that she was rejected from her ED choice - at a school everyone thought should have been a safety/strong match. Or that the numbers are way up this year besides. She is accepted at IU (which we pushed because it was rolling), but she isn't excited about it, but is trying to be. Also waiting for UCs and BU. Does the increase in sheer numbers this year worry everyone here as well?</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for support!
Yes, I think we are lucky to have no rejections so far. Waiting for acceptances after your app has already been rejected by someone should be even harder! And reading posts about rejections from safeties - this is a crazy year!
To get away from all these worries I am planning a very busy weekend with visiting friends and a lot of driving. So that we will not keep checking college sites and CC all day long. And I know that one more of DDs safeties started posting admissions a few days ago, so maybe we will get news before April 1</p>
<p>1990Dad:
I do not know what part of the country you are from and what are your daughter's interests, but if you really think that your daughter's list does not have any safeties now, you can try the safety my DD got accepted to. It's SUNY Stony Brook. Not a top 20, but still better than a community college. For some majors it is even well-recognized.
It still accepts apps (they have rolling admission and March was OK for full consideration, as far as I remember). The application is on-line and very simple. It is probably one of the best options left from the point of rank, selectivity and price (even for out-of-state SUNYs are a bargain). Although it is too late for the Honors College and some scholarship apps (they had Jan 1 deadline), they have special scholarships for NMF.
A few other good state schools also accept applications through March. These options maybe there in April.</p>
<p>In a class that sent kids to Princeton, Cornell, Williams, Wesleyan, Tufts S's class also sent its Valedictorian to Stony Brook. Kid in third spot went there too. And S's old nemesis (not really, joking) from their little private elementary school who bested him on every standardized test also attends.</p>
<p>They have really done a lot with the campus, and proximity to NYC (1 1/2 hr. train ride) gives some options.</p>
<p>I am four miles away on list to contact so PM with any questions about Stony Brook.</p>
<p>BTW: The kids I mentioned all have parents who are world reknowned physicists at Brookhaven Labs.</p>
<p>citymom, just don't do what I did which was gain about 10 pounds in November and December until EA/ED decision date on Dec 14th. I've finally lost it all again, but eating Christmas candy/cookies while obsessing on CC was definitely nightmarish.<br>
I sympathize. Keep busy, go through your checking rituals, but don't add to them if you can help it. Come here for support/to vent. The best thing about CC is that I could direct my nervousness/feed my obsession here, and my daughter just saw the serene me (wearing ever-tighter jeans.)</p>
<p>I feel for every one of you--this was so hard last year--and I think it's just gotten harder this year and especially for girls. Though I think the greater # of apps is partially kids applying to more schools because they (understandably) feel they have to. This should result in more deferrals and waitlists, but some of it should sugar off (maple syrup season just started here!) to acceptance in the end. Every single day felt long and I resented the lack of mail service on Sundays. I just wish I could hold all of your cyber-hands tonight. Or wait--maybe I'm doing that!</p>
<p>NY State University System is a great system.....4 universities...Albany, Binghamton, Stony Brook and Buffalo..... then a massive State University COLLEGE System.....which has lots of different options/caliber levels of schooling.... different ones are in vogue at any given time..... my personal view is that over a timeline, the one that is doing the worst gets the most money to improve.....then it becomes the hot school...... over time, others then get the money......so they leapfrog to the top of the list..... </p>
<p>many states have their flagship schools..... and it can offer a GREAT, reasonably priced education...... and our kids can save some $$ for their graduate studies which many of them want anyway.</p>
<p>Decision is coming. D's friend just got accepted to WUSTL. He is a solid student(B+) with average SAT(2000ish), very average ECs. So there is hope. I'll bet we'll hear more good news coming in the next few weeks.</p>