<p>To all the parents on this thread who are waiting along with their children for today's decisions, I would like to say I know how you feel and am praying for you and your dear ones. There are quite a few Yale parents on this thread and each of us really do know how you feel. Please know that we are rooting for you!! I'm sure some of the regulars will pipe in - they are not shy.</p>
<p>If your child is accepted, we look forward to your joining us on the "other side". For everyone else, please know that I have friends who went through the same last year and their kids are happy at the schools they landed at. No one applies to Yale and ends up at East Nowhere College. They will land at an equally great school - some even may end up at Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, UPenn, etc. Tonight may be rough, but I know that our teens are resilient and that most of them (who don't have other underlying mental / emotional issues) bounce back from this bump in the road and move forward.</p>
<p>I'll be checking in while I wait for my child to get home tonight. Good luck to all of you!!! [-O< </p>
<p>Thanks @Tperry1982! My D will be waiting on an RD decision (currently hoping for an interview!) but I appreciate your kindness and advice on these threads. Yale is her top choice but she will have other great options, I’m sure!! Even our state school (UMD) is a good one. Good luck to the ED parents, hope to be on the Yale parents thread with you some day but if not, our children will still end up in an awesome school!</p>
<p>Thanks for the reassuring words. Having lurked on this site for many months, I have seen you give wonderful words of wisdom to many posters. Know that this parent really appreciates it. I think I’d feel a lot better about tonight if it wasn’t my son’s 18th Birthday - it’s either going to be the best birthday ever, or the worst birthday ever!</p>
<p>The former Dean of Admissions posted these wise words on the Yale site some years ago, directed at applicants but worth reading by parents as well:</p>
<p>Thanks TPerry, I have an older daughter who is currently a senior at Yale and my senior in High School is awaiting her decision, however she has a dance rehersal till 8 so we are all having to wait that much longer! So I have been through it before and You are right though they all end up being happy where they end up and grow where they are planted. How to kill a few hours!</p>
<p>It just brings tears to my eyes to read all these acceptances/deferrals/rejections from all these students and parents. Just to think I was in their shoes a year ago</p>
<p>The joy that our family experienced a year ago has not dimmed. Every once-in-a-while, my son will text me “Yale is the most amazing place on earth!” Yale was his first choice. He fell in love with the residential college structure, and the Liberal Arts focus. He is (we are) in heaven.</p>
<p>@ElMimino, my son texts me similar sentiments, but he is much more earthy in how he states it. I guess you just raised yours better than I raised mine :)</p>
<p>I picked him up today and mentioned that Yale was once again voted happiest campus. His take? “Of course.” Full disclosure: he had already finished all of his finals.</p>
<p>Isn’t it great that Yale Freshmen were voted the happiest freshmen! My D was so proud and I guess our kids are a perfect example of why. In full disclosure, she did say that there are a couple of freshmen she knows that Yale wasn’t a “fit” for and they are not coming back next year. We know that happens and I am glad that they made the determination early so they can move on to where they can find a better fit. I hope that parents take that to heart and make sure that there kid wants Yale because of what it has to offer and not just for its name. I can’t sing that song often enough</p>
<p>On the whole, it is a great place and I am glad there is “objective” proof of that. But, I (we) already knew that. Boola!! Boola!!</p>
<p>My D said basically the same thing. She said that Yale is the best place on earth to be with one exception - that pesky thing called schoolwork. </p>
<p>May I ask about some travel info regarding the Bulldog days?
Do parents usually go or mainly students go by themselves?
Do students need to arrive one night early (in order to be on time for the first day)?
Do Yale offer batch-pick-up and batch-send-off from/to NYC airports for the students intended for Bulldog days?
Thanks a lot!!!</p>
<p>Lots of students do go by themselves. My D did. She took the train so did not have to go the night before or deal with airport transportation. She was unable to stay the whole time due to another commitment so she left early. I would plan the travel based on what works best for you. </p>
<p>I have the same question. For students flying into JFK from the West Coast (or other places far enough away that the students have to depart and arrive on Sunday in order to be there on time for Monday), getting to Yale by themselves from the airport may be a bit daunting if they haven’t traveled alone before.</p>
<p>As far as I know there is nothing organized. When my daughter returned from Europe alone and needed to get to Yale, I signed her up for Connecticut Limo. It worked great for her from JFK. You might do some searches in the Parents thread here; I think some folks have had some hiccups with the service. </p>
<p>I would suggest they go alone. I let mine go alone as a first step toward college independence. However, she had a straight shot on the train from DC to New Haven and had other kids from DC traveling with her.</p>
<p>But if they are traveling far and you don’t feel comfortable with it, I probably would come with them but just stay out of sight in the hotel or use the time to go hang out in New York City or something. Another plan might be to talk to the Alumni Schools Committee (the ones who do the interviews) in your area. They will probably be in touch with you for many activities that are usually scheduled for admitted students. You child may be able to travel in a group with other kids coming from your neck of the woods. They can also find other kids coming via the admitted student Facebook page. You may feel better if they are traveling with a group.</p>
<p>If they get there early, all you will have to do is let Yale know so that their host will know when they are coming in. Since they are staying with students, your kid staying one extra night on the floor won’t matter much to the students that are there.</p>
<p>Thanks, @Tperry1982, @donnaleighg, and @musicmerit. I like the idea of him traveling with one or more other students, so maybe that will work out. There should be some others from our area who will be attending.</p>
<p>@Planner, I think it’s a good idea to let him do it alone or with his cohort, but if you end up going, know that there are events planned for parents also, so you won’t be bored. Just don’t expect to see much of your son during Bulldog Days, which IMO is how it should be. </p>
<p>If money is a consideration (when isn’t it), then I would save your trip for when he moves to New Haven in the fall. That’s when he is going to need you the most. You will get most of the same things from Bulldog Days during the parent orientations. </p>
but if not, our children will still end up in an awesome school!</p>
</p>