<p>I recognize that I have become much more obsessed with the admissions process than my S. He seems to have the same degree of lack of panic to his concern that I had in the dark ages (1968) when I applied. What's your experience?</p>
<p>For example: I've become a "secret" collegeconfidential junkie.</p>
<p>No secret about my addiction. I'm twitchy and irritable after a few hours away. I can still go on vacation and be distracted though.</p>
<p>My son, on the other hand, while happy about each acceptance, has been way to busy with school and ECs to be obsessed. Now the play is over, but the Scholars Bowl season is heating up. I applied to college in 1969, only to one (Antioch) and was happily accepted. Wonderful school!</p>
<p>Normal! </p>
<p>Neither one of my sons is or was interested in the college process...and I've been on CC for 3 years or more. </p>
<p>Go figure.</p>
<p>When my son was a senior in high school, he was so laid back about the college admissions process that I thought he would fall off his chair.</p>
<p>He only applied to two schools (one of which was a sure thing and the other pretty close to it), did each application in one night, and never talked about it again. After he was admitted, he was so relaxed about all the paperwork that he came close to not having a place to live (he left the dorm application form lying on the floor of his room and forgot about it until someone else mentioned the existence of a deadline).</p>
<p>On the other hand, his younger sister, who is a senior in high school right now, has been obsessing about college since 10th grade and has worried about every aspect of the process. It's merciful that she got admitted Early Decision because it eliminated four more months of agonizing.</p>
<p>I don't know which kid drove me crazier.</p>
<p>My S has also been very laid back. I read about students who obsess about their essays - that certainly was not him. Yet out of 5 decisions he's received so far, he's been accepted to 4 with 1 waitlist, and he's had merit scholarship offers to 2, and accepted into two honors programs.</p>
<p>I know he is excited about going to college, but he says he doesn't read CC and school MBs because "that would make me crazy."</p>
<p>I think I could learn something from him!</p>
<p>07dad and bethievt, maybe there is a support group for parents who read CC too much?? ;)</p>
<p>Can I join?</p>
<p>D keeps things pretty close to the vest, but she has started looking at the mail. When big envelopes come in, she blurts, "But what about the others? Why can't they just TELL ME?" and then cheers the contents of the envelopes. She's generally more laid back than I am, but not knowing is getting to her, too.</p>
<p>Acknowldeging that there are exceptions, it appears to me that boys are more relaxed about the whole thing. Boys (and most fathers) seem to have more of a relaxed, whatever-happens-it-will-be-OK mindset. I wonder, sadly, if mothers have instilled some of the obsessive-ness into their daughters. It would make a great study. How much is conditioning and how much is in the gene pool?</p>
<p>DD has heard back from all her colleges. Luckily no rejections, waitlists and since she applied either RD or rolling, no deferrals. She's right in the middle of a show right now (yeah, another musical theatre geek) and her mind is pretty much made up about her college choice. She's definately the laid back type. She also she makes fun of how much time I spend on CC.</p>
<p>I definately need to join the CC 12 step group.</p>
<p>I appreciate the comments about laid back kids, particularly the boys. It is nice to know that other parents are in the same position as I am. My son says he does not want a gap year, but his apparent lack of interest in academics and the college application process makes me wonder how he will be mature enough and motivated enough for college in the fall. He seems to be happy to be into college and says he wants to go to the college that he plans to attend, but is very lackadaisical about his high school classes and extremely laidback about the future (particularly when it comes to taking any action). I guess I am hoping that he wakes up when he gets to college. Oh, man!!!</p>
<p>Well, I am certifiable..CC is my "fix" and I can't for the life of me tell you why! My boys went about this process in a very matter of fact way, were admitted early and went about their lives. My D was rejected early so this was the first time our process has extended beyond December. She was admitted to her EA school, but it was only enough to limit the process, not end it. So here we are in March with her second guessing whether she should or shouldn't have limited her apps after EA, whether it's the right school, how many admitted students' days she should go to and "how in heavens name did I get to be a second semester senior!" But I have learned so much about the pieces of the process we have not been involved with, like financial aid (unfortunately) and athletics, that friends now ask me questions so I can refer them to the right sources. It feeds my addiction, but hey, it's cheap, no physical side effects and maybe I can help someone else navigate the process.</p>
<p>Yeah, but do you really WANT to quit??</p>
<p>In answer to the OP...(raises hand).
I however am going through a quasi post partum depression. Back when, S applied to a bunch of schools. Along comes the EA decision from UF and bam his choice is made.<br>
Since then he's gotten acceptances from UNC-CH and Wake Forest with others along the way. As far as getting him to even look at another school...not. So about this time I'm looking at the whole experience like...and the point is?</p>
<p>I will be an echo here....a mom who loves to read CC, son who casually looked at a few schools, said "this one (St Olaf, MN) looks good" and refused to look at anymore. </p>
<p>I enticed/dragged him to a tour of UW Madison ("I've seen it; I don't need to go on a tour")-- got there, campus flooded by rainburst--all tours cancelled! So I gave up, and I suspect he will be quite happy at St Olaf!</p>
<p>I still love my CC fix though!</p>
<p>Hmm, bethievt, you were in the same class as my dad.</p>
<p>I have to be the most obsessed CC reader -- my son was already accepted to his first choice school and has no other applications outstanding, my daughter is just a freshman, and I still read this board every day!</p>
<p>BurnThis,
I have a S who is a senior in college and two who are high school freshmen. I'm pretty obsessed given my situation, wouldn't ya say?</p>
<p>Same here! D is very casual about the entire thing - has pretty much made up her mind where she is going and when I "peeked" at her Facebook - she even ID'd herself as a member of the class of 2011 at that school. So, I guess it's time to send in the acceptance packet and say "no thanks" to the other 4 schools. Still waiting on one, but she figures that because she didn't get in EA then she won't get in at all (which is what happened with NEU). Still begrudgingly working on scholarship applications as those deadlines approach, but I have to micromanage that, too!
Senioritis is fast setting in - her school doesn't have a spring musical (yes, another theatre-geek), but compete in drama competitions and the state final is this weekend) so she will be missing 1 1/2 days of school. Luckily, they let the seniors sign out in mid-May and graduation isn't until the first weekend in June, so she gets to work full-time if she wants to start socking away some extra cash for next year. Of course, there's the prom, graduation parties and all of the other fun things they do.
It was SO much easier when I applied back in the 70's - sent in 5 applications,but never visited a school except the one I ended up going to, and that was only because my older brother was there. Life, as they say, was so much simpler back then - LOL!</p>
<p>My son is only a junior, but we have looked at 8 colleges already, two more for next weekend, and he seems to have his top two choices already made up. He doesn't even want to talk about it anymore, but I need to keep showing him other schools because we do need FA, so even if he applies ED and gets in, if they don't meet our need, we will have to continue the process.</p>
<p>The game does seem rigged with the higher acceptance rate of ED, but that is another thread, I guess. :)</p>
<p>momof3,</p>
<p>At least our freshmen won't be in the largest graduating class ever! That should take some of the pressure off. But you'll have two applying at the same time, yikes.</p>