@straciatella @PhotographerMom Thank you for your kind and thoughtful advise. I have been thinking about them real hard last few hours, and few days. But aside my feelings from so many rejections, the logical conclusion seems is moving forward and not looking for another M10.
Small loss of better opportunities from not going into a top BS can be mitigated. She can maximize the best of what Grier offers, and also try harder for outside school Summer opportunities. On the other hand achieving the same result next M10 will emotionally painful, and god forbids, not getting any school at all with enough FA then can be disastrous to her ego.
Applying BS was a big learning experience, and it will really really and really help us in college admission later. But repeating it won’t be nearly as educational. Instead she can focus her energy in more fun and rewarding ways. Academics really don’t worry me, as dd is quite an independent learner and Grier will give her more than enough individual goal setting and attention.
Presence of international students is interesting and it will present unique opportunities if she reaches them out. As once an international student myself, I believe that they don’t always choose to be by themselves. She had taken Mandarin lessons 3 days per week for a year, and had pretty decent intonation. Perhaps she can learn it again since her Spanish is already at AP level. Chinese can synergy with her fully native Korean and 4 years studied Japanese. Grier doesn’t seem to have too many international students anyway like some other schools.
She had ridden Western for five years before switching to rock climbing. She is quite talented in riding and Grier has top notch riding program. Who knows if she might be able to make their famous varsity team?
DD’s visual art is beyond senior students level we saw at any top schools. If other students love and enjoy to make art with her, difference in their skill level doesn’t make much difference for her. The art teachers matter and there doesn’t seem to be any difference at all between Grier and other schools that she was rejected.
Once she is in there, she will be an active part of the school’s culture and strength. This is her fifth college semester and she is quite seasoned in making active small groups and even leading them for discussions and science labs. She is resilient and headstrong, which have been tested over time by some rude and uncaring community college students. She will try to make the eager to learn culture herself if necessary, instead of being pressured to act ‘cool’ if the situation arises, although it doesn’t seem that I need to worry about it.
In her Biology lab last week, her usual partner was absent and she had to join a group of unmotivated college students. She had to do all the testing and measurements while they were only writing down the data. They then immediately rushed out of class without letting her to copy the data they recorded. She had to redo half of the experiments alone while also recording, and borrow the remaining data from another group. If a boarding school’s students are nicer and more caring on their learning, she will be happy.
And as they have been, our gratitude and heart for Grier grow by every minute.
