Looks like I’ll be back on forum again. DS2 is just starting his sophomore year at a local day school but still dreams of boarding school. I have to give him credit, he had an exceptionally strong freshman year, did very well academically and athletically. His summer has been spent prepping for the SSAT, drafting essays and playing xbox. Plan is to apply to repeat sophomore year - not the worst thing he is young for his grade. He will be applying to some family favorites and casting a wider net as well. I have no idea how I can survive having two kids in college and one in BS - even though that situation will only last 1 year.
“That’s my family Kay, it’s not me…”
Glad to see your avatar pop up today! Welcome back.
Welcome back.
Welcome back!
Welcome back!
You can definitely count on me for a shoulder to lean on or cry on… We juggled the one in college-two in BS and then the two in college- one in BS thing and it was unholy. The JBS-SS thing was just as bad, if not worse- and it went on forever.
Make. It . End. The only things I could guarantee to all three kids was drop off, pick up and their graduation . Parents weekend was a coin toss. Unfortunately ( for them ) we made up for this by dropping in… because kids love it when their parents just drop in … unannounced. 
Especially in college.
For more years than I care to admit or count… my husband referred to their tuition payments as the Bermuda Triangle… Thousands of dollars… swirling around in a vortex never to be seen or heard from again. How’s that for a visual?
You’ll never need to do this but…
He photocopied all the tuition agreements and canceled checks and sent them to the kids at school ( if they did something that annoyed him ) . He also gift wrapped them and put them under the Christmas tree. He once held up printed sheets of paper ( grades and comments ) and thought they’d make awesome placemats. Can we laminate these? Once he suggested that I make heart shaped collages using Amex receipts for Valentine’s Day.
Oddly, this kind of thing was soothing for him and it gave him joy. It may have scarred our kids for life but it softened the blow… His assistant ( the selfless person who sent these packages off to my children ) thought it was hilarious and… maybe ( just maybe ) a little passive-aggressive ( You think? ), but never underestimate the power of dark humor and sarcasm. We would’ve been lost without it.
All the best, @RedSoxFan18 and good luck to DS2! Exciting news!! We’ll all have our fingers crossed !!
I may be in love with your husband, @PhotographerMom. Ha!
Good luck @RedSoxFan18 to you and your son. You have to admire the tenacity to go after what you want. Our daughter who left PEA during sophmore year, went on to attend a local high school. She was accepted to a good college, but after 2 years there, realized she wanted more.
She applied as a junior transfer applicant and was accepted at 3 of the 5 schools she applied to. These were schools she didn’t even bother to apply to as a freshman, as she didn’t have the credentials to be admitted (due to her grades from PEA) She will attend Georgetown in the fall- we were so proud of her just for having the guts to put herself out there again. It was a great confidence boost to be accepted by Georgetown, USC and Northeastern after putting in the work to become a viable candidate her first 2 years in college.
We have 2 graduating 2020, one BS and one college and both FP. College daughter floated a trial balloon today - wants a gap year between her sophomore and junior years, and all I could think was “ugh another year stuck in the rice OR beans club” Great minds on CC think alike. (Although my right brain thinks a gap year could be a great choice)