<p>Yeah, so this week has really failed, and I'm unsure of what offers to accept now. I've been rejected from both Wesleyan and Conn College, and waitlisted at Smith, which is my #1. I just confirmed my place on the waitlist, and I'm really hoping that Smith pulls through, but I still have to pick a college to commit to. Mount Holyoke accepted me, but for January 2011. If they accepted me for Fall 2010, I would have no problem committing, but I'm really unsure of the spring admittance thing. :|</p>
<p>Financially, MHC is the best choice, as my safeties all gapped me, but I'd really hate having to stay here for a semester. I can take classes at the local CC or Stony Brook, but I'd really rather just go off to college somewhere. If I commit to MHC, I'm going to try and ask for them to move me to the Fall, but that seems unlikely. Is it worth missing out on orientation and whatnot to go to a somewhat dream school, or would I be better off going to a safety that I'm not too into? </p>
<p>Any advice on what to do would be appreciated!</p>
<p>A Spring 2011 admit means you’ll miss just one of eight semesters at Mount Holyoke. </p>
<p>If MHC is really your favorite out of the options you have, I would suggest you commit to the spring and ask to be put on a waitlist for the fall. In the meantime, make plans to take some courses at community college this fall to get some classes out of the way (check with MHC to be sure they will accept the credits).</p>
<p>A friend of my D’s had to do a Spring admit at Penn State. Since PSU was her hands-down #1 choice, it was a relatively easy decision for her. She was a little “down” when all her friends left and she spent a semester living at home / going to CC, and transitioning to University Park was a little tough without the benefits of a big orientation program. But she made it, and I bet you can too.</p>
<p>I understand that you’ll miss out on going to college in the fall, but if you look at the big picture, it’s not so bad.</p>
<p>Can you do some late summer/early fall travel, and then find a volunteer or internship that you could do for the fall? Think of it as a gap semester. </p>
<p>I think you’ll settle in to MHC just fine – it isn’t a huge school and it seemed very welcoming. You’re lucky to have such a good school that is also affordable for you, and focus on the positive aspects.</p>
<p>As an employer, I would be thrilled if one of my graduating employees wanted to stay January. We’d find space for her – and while I am not hiring graduating seniors, I would absolutely hire someone that’d be here for 6-8 months. </p>
<p>We would also offer some flexibility so that said employee could take one or two courses at a local college. </p>
<p>I would love to go abroad, but unfortunately we can’t afford it. ): I’ve talked to my mom about taking classes at Stony Brook (because then I could take Russian and not be behind at MHC), but she doesn’t like that I’d have to get a ride from one of my friends, as I don’t want to waste money on a car.</p>
<p>Plenty of kids get offered and accept the spring admits.
Some schools do it as they may require a pre-req and make you take it before arriving.</p>
<p>We are on LI too. Though my son is in college now (freshman) he is taking 4 online classes over the summer (2 per session). They are just general ed requirements. His course load is so full he really has no time else to take them due to his major. This is an option for you too. (My son will share my car and i work part time so this was the next best option than to go to Farmingdale, Suffolk CC or Stony Brook over the summer. </p>
<p>Look into online fall classes and see what MHC will accept.</p>
<p>Son is taking online courses at Farmingdale and Eric Community College. You get “in county” tuition at Erie and Suffolk Cty pays the difference between resident and non-resident tuition. You need to send in paperwork to Suffolk Cty and then to the CC out of Suffolk you take the classes.</p>
<p>I talked to my mom about Stony Brook again, and she said that she wouldn’t mind picking me up from Stony Brook, though I’d have to get a ride there. It’s only 15 minutes from my house, so it’s rather convenient (Suffolk is 15 minutes, too). </p>
<p>Online classes seem like a good idea, but in all honesty, I’d rather be at an actual campus. If I have to stay home for the Fall I intend on getting a job, or continuing my summer job if I can snag one, and I would rather go to school and work, rather than work all day. </p>
<p>I’ve already read MHC’s page on transfer credits, and they seem pretty lax. I wish they took gym credits though, as I would love to get those out of the way! </p>
<p>DS had a Spring admit 2 years ago to Pepperdine but decided against it for several of the reasons you have concerns about. Here is one thought, though I do not know if it would be feasible at MH. Does the school offer any type of summer session that they would be willing to let you matriculate early instead of January? We have several friends that offered that at University of Florida several years ago and it worked out well for everyone. If not, agree with many of the other wise posters here- take advantage of the extra time to earn credit online if need be and get extra prep. time for school.</p>
<p>No, MoHo only has a January Term. Right now I’m hoping that I get off the waitlist or am able to enter MoHo in the Fall, but both are really unlikely. It’s becoming really hard to convince myself that a January admit isn’t too terrible!</p>
<p>Have you asked if you can join the rest of the incoming freshman for orientation in the fall even though you won’t start til Jan? Most schools have rooms available because the upper classman don’t return til after orientation. That way you can meet some of the incoming class and get a get to know your way around.</p>
<p>You cannot possibly be the only student that MHC has offered January admission to, so they must have some kind of formal orientation program planned. Pick up the phone and call them and ask.</p>
<p>Two years ago, one of Happykid’s good friends was offered January admission at his first choice LAC after first being waitlisted. He worked part-time and did some community work part-time, and generally recovered from the stress of being in a high-pressure HS. He was “rested and ready” as the saying goes when January rolled around. He’s adapted just fine to his college, and has no regrets about his choice.</p>
<p>You wrote that “Financially, MHC is the best choice, as my safeties all gapped me” To my mind, that is a perfectly good reason to choose MHC. In the long run, saving that kind of money will make the semester delay look unimportant.</p>
<p>One other thing you should look at is whether you are going to be able to follow a normal sequence of courses. First year is usually filled with a lot of prereq’s and required courses, are the courses that you need to take going to be offered in the spring? and in the following fall? I assume they will, otherwise they would not have offered you Jan enrollment, but it can’t hurt to check.</p>
<p>Great advice here; and I’d keep working on Mom gently but firmly about the Russian courses. I don’t get why the friend driving would be a problem, unless that friend has a “sheet.” If so, maybe you could find another ride.</p>
<p>@happymom - MHC has a small spring orientation, but it’s only with a small portion of the class, obviously. If I end up having to go in January, I’m definitely going to keep my summer job and take classes.</p>
<p>@mamom - I’ll ask that when I call asking if there is any way I could enter in the Fall. MHC has a lot of requirements, but I think only a first year seminar is required in the first year, and there are FYS offered both semesters. Since I’m not doing pre-med, or majoring in the sciences, there aren’t too many course sequences that I have to worry about, only the Russian thing. </p>
<p>I agree with the first part of this advice, but totally disagree with the second part.</p>
<p>Go onto the Smith WL, and return the acceptance from MH.</p>
<p>But each course you take at college is a precious learning opportunity, not something to simply “get out of the way.” Presumably you have applied to top LACs because you realize that. You never know what academic area with end up inspiring you. To treat “non major” courses like junk is antithetical to the whole purpose of a liberal arts education.</p>
<p>I suggest that you look for something like a long term volunteer opportunity abroad for the fall. I know kids who have gone to countries like Costa Rica for three months for a total outlay of about $1,400. Of course, it helps if you have a good grasp of some foreign language, but even if you don’t, a few months in a homestay immersion situation will do wonders for your fluency.</p>
<p>Edit: getting a job and taking Russian sounds like a good idea too.</p>
<p>^^^
Consolation says it well. The notion of replacing some aspect of the academics and social experience at MHC with coursework at a local CC or a rushed summer program doesn’t resonate.</p>
<p>That you may need to wait till January to start can be made into an opportunity that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Think of it as a GAP semester. In some countries (England comes to mind) a significant number of student take a GAP year before entering university. There is much you can do during a GAP semester. Follow some passion. The coursework can wait. And don’t “settle” for the sake of 4 months. It will all seem minor 4 years from now.</p>
<p>@ Replacing coursework at MHC with local CC courses : That is why I was considering taking classes at Stony Brook rather than Suffolk, if I decided to take courses at all. While Stony Brook has notoriously large lecture halls, I wasn’t planning on taking Intro to Bio/Chem/Psych/Calc, so hopefully if I do indeed do such, the classes wouldn’t be too large. </p>
<p>I’m going to research possible alternatives to going to school (like volunteer/doing stuff abroad), but my parent’s aren’t too willing to spend thousands, seeing as money is already really tight here. I’ve looked at scholarships, but the deadline for most has past. </p>
<p>As for the Smith waitlist, my aunt’s company recently donated a ton of biology equipment to Smith, and she’s talked to one Professor a lot (apparently he said he owed her?), so she’s going to email him tonight and see if he can advocate or whatnot for me.</p>
<p>There are interesting courses at both Stony Brook and Suffolk. I teach a mythology course at Suffolk that my S, a classics major at Williams, enjoys.</p>
<p>Four months passes quickly. It’s stressful to think of filling your time, but it will be over before you know it.</p>
<p>It doesn’t seem fair to yourself to attend a more expensive and less appealing college because of a minor scheduling glitch. </p>
<p>Things don’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.</p>
<p>And hey, congratulations! You are going to be attending MHC or Smith, two of the best colleges in the country. Brava!</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke has historically (30+ years!) had a number of students enter in the spring. </p>
<p>Here is the orientation schedule for the 3 days of Spring 2010 orientation (office hours appear first on each day, then the actual orientation schedule.)</p>
<p>It will be different from the larger group that enters in the fall…but it’s a full schedule of activities that will take place with a decent sized cadre of Spring entering students.</p>
<p>(A very high percentage of students at MHC study abroad or go on a college exchange for at least part of their junior year…usually more in the Spring than in the Fall…so they have usually have additional space open up in the Spring for new admits.)</p>
Right now I’m hoping that I get off the waitlist or am able to enter MoHo in the Fall, but both are really unlikely. It’s becoming really hard to convince myself that a January admit isn’t too terrible!</p>