<p>Wow! It is so great to see all the cool things these kids are doing! Dd is graduating from Rice in 3 weeks; don't know about "laude" since they are determined right before graduation, but we are just thrilled about the great experiences and graduating in 4 years-even-after-changing-majors-several times! She is going to Armenia this summer to continue Persian studies (funded), then to Turkey next year to study at a university there as a special student, using post-grad travel scholarship she received. If she's frugal, and picks up some editing work there, and does a little work here before she goes, she should make it two semesters before running out of money. She's planning to take the GRE's, then apply to grad school for 2008 or '09 - or law school, or one of the flagship language programs. Some kids graduate knowing what they want to do; some graduate not knowing what they want to do; some graduate wanting to do a whole lot of different things! (She's the last... ) ;)</p>
<p>This is fun to read!
Warning anxiousmom:
Due to a certain professor needing to change the final presentations of certain senior design projects, 24 engineering students are having to present their stuff during the week that they are all supposed to be "playing" before graduation! Grrrr.. So, until those presentations are complete and the grades are in, they can't calculate the "laude" stuff. The prof had to get special permission to do this!! Many not-happy seniors!! Three guesses who one of those "not-so-happy" seniors is! Of course, being engineering majors, they were all figuring ways to do the presentations remotely from whatever beach they are hanging out on!! (DS getting a degree from Rice in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, with concentration in Physics).</p>
<p>DS also decided he wanted a "break" from school. S didn't want to go straight to grad school. And, it is appropriate that I am posting this on "earth Day" b/c he decided at this point he doesn't want to work for the big oil companies (turned down 2 very, very, VERY nice offers) but instead wanted to do something "green"-- renewables, alternative energy, stuff that he feels will make a difference to our environment and quality of life. So, he accepted a position with a firm in FL that does water desalination, water harvesting, etc. Really cool stuff! And, he'll be a <em>little</em> closer to home. YAY! However, 2 days after graduation he is going back to Nicaragua do continue volunteer work with "Engineers without Borders". He's a keeper.</p>
<p>^^^ Oooh update:
A little birdie told me that the Dean told a certain prof. he could not hold up all the final grades, so the presentation that is being required after grading period is over will not be counted in their final grades, and they won't hold up the rankings.</p>
<p>Our D will graduate from CMU with a BFA in Drama. She's returning to Los Angeles in a car caravan with a group of classmates, all seeking their creative fortunes in the film industry. (We may temporarily be the CMU boarding house yet again). She wants to work in costume design, her dream job would be period dramas. She's already worked on a couple of films through the school, and has professional interviews set up through the alumni network. Also has really nice BF, but he's staying in Pittsburgh for one more semester to finish his degree. Then hopefully he'll be back in LA as well. We're just so happy to be done with tuition! It's so exciting to see young people full of hope starting their desired careers.</p>
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[QUOTE]
schmoomcgoo--from your lips to God's ear...
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<p>Ellemenope, could we talk about this via PM?</p>
<p>My son graduated from Wash U last spring and spent the fall taking the LSAT and applying to joint PhD/JD programs. He's had some wonderful offers from top 10 law schools and history programs but his first choice is where he will be attending next fall - Stanford, with full tuition/stipend/and insurance and partial scholarship for the law school. </p>
<p>Stanford was the first college he mentioned at age nine - we never knew why - probably one of their sports teams at the time was doing well. He had never been to California before the admitted students week-end and now he's gone twice this spring - one for PhD students and one for Law. Needless to say he loves the school, the weather and the laid back vibe. Even though he loves our midwest seasons he is ready for a change and we are excited to visit such a wonderful place.</p>
<p>We were so cautious this time around because of the disappointing rejections at the undergraduate level. Boy were we naive. This time around he learned to love his safety, even when his professors told him he would get in anywhere. I do have to point out an ironic twist or maybe dubious honor - he was waitlisted twice at Harvard - once for undergraduate and now for Law school. He did not get into the history program at Harvard and when the law school called to interview him, they went beyond the usual questions to find out where else he had been admitted to both programs and being the honest guy he is, he told them - after that he definitely got the idea that he would be waitlisted and he was. But like I said, Stanford was his top choice - he did his research and found the right place all on his own.</p>
<p>That sounds great, Lizchup! Congrats to your son! (from what I've heard, it's much harder to get into Stanford Law than Harvard Law, so he can say that Harvard waitlisted him because he was over-qualified ;))</p>
<p>Thanks,nngmm! :D</p>
<p>My D has two more years to graduation. But with her intent to major in Math and English, I"ll better start rennovating my basement.</p>
<p>interesting thread.
d is graduating from Northwestern's Medil School of Journalism this spring/summer (their graduation isn't until 19 june).
she interned, as required by medil, at a magazine in NYC, and they have offered her a second, paid?????? internship.
she wants to be in NYC, and she hasn't found a better offer yet.
she'll have to work part time in addition to the internship.</p>
<p>son's graduating HS and attending Emory.
and hey, if anyone out there has connections in PR or journalism in NYC, don't hesitate to message me.
thanks</p>
<p>Sigh! I can't believe it is almost here. Next weekend representatives from both sides of the family (Grandparents) are converging on Rice U for DD's graduation. There is a convocation and college major reception on Friday afternoon and evening, followed by fireworks, then commencement ceremony on Saturday morning, early early -hopefully before it gets too hot!, followed by champagne reception at DD's residential college at noon. One of DD's profs, who she is very close to, has invited the family to dinner at her house that evening. I can't believe that the whole undergraduate process (6 years, if you figure from junior year in highschool - which is when I joined CC!!!!) is almost over. DD is traveling to Armenia this summer to finish up a Persian Immersion program paid for by a government grant, followed by study in Turkey next year.
Class of 2008, chime in here! Where and when is graduation, and who is going, and what is your student planning on doing after graduation? Can you believe that your kid's undergraduate education is almost over? :)</p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>Graduation is on Sunday, May 18th. H, D3, and I are flying out to Philly on Weds, 5/14...and will be at D1's beck and call to help pack/box/ship all her "stuff" home. D2 is a senior in HS and has classes to complete, so she will not be joining us until Saturday morning. We are looking forward to the family festivities on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. No time to rest since we have to return for the HS graduation the following Saturday. ;) We will have an extended family dinner celebration later in June/July.</p>
<p>But, for the first time in 3 yrs, we will have a full house this summer...since D1decided to return home and work before heading off the BC for grad school. So, in August, we'll be dropping off D2 at CMU and head toward Boston to help D1 move in. Never a dull moment...and what a ride! :)</p>
<p>Wow! Sounds great, archermom -and congratulations to you, too! We'll have a full house here for part of the summer, also. I think I've forgotten how to buy "groceries"! With just two of us, I buy frozen things, and pre-made things and we don't go through very much food. But with all four of us -:eek:</p>
<p>We are headed out to Smith on the 15th for festivities (and to help her pack up, I assume); younger d. will follow two days later, being met in airport by grandparents. The day after graduation, she is headed off to Sicily to play her violin for 10 days. Then back home for the summer (research, to complete an article for publication). Then to Princeton for a minimum of 5 years on a graduate fellowship in musicology/Italian Renaissance studies.</p>
<p>All you lucky ones with a May graduation! Congratulations to all! Carleton's is June 14 and early, early at 9am. S and DIL will come from Chicago, grandparents fly in from Bay Area. Grad party at SIL's Twin Cities home. H and D will stuff her CRV and make the 2.5 day drive back home, stopping off at Mount Rushmore. After D and friend take a 2 week vacation in July, she'll be settling into an apartment and starting her UW grad program in September. We're so excited to have her back in town for (hopefully) the next 5 years.</p>
<p>Our plans for graduation festivities include a lunch cruise sponsored by the compsci department, colloquy featuring the honorary degree recipients, champagne reception by the cogsci department, graduation ceremonies and President's picnic.</p>
<p>Insofar a ds is traveling cross country again for grad school, I think he will be doing more throwing out than packing. He will be coming home for about 10 days to say goodbye to friends and family and then off to sunny SoCal where he will return to the company he interned with last summer until classes begin.</p>
<p>We too are beginning preparations for our retirement move later in the year or early 2009. So big changes in store in our household.</p>
<p>our school does a paid for overnight fun trip to avoid the drinking scene!</p>
<p>congrats! Stanford sounds good.</p>
<p>Northwestern U is great for journalism.</p>
<p>Great to see some of the other elders!</p>
<p>S is graduating Columbia Phi Beta Kappa (he's gonna kill me). Majored in econ-math, did a concentration in physics, and is going on to a PhD program at Stanford in none of the above. Still has little clue about what he wants to do in life, but a fellowship has rescued him from making that decision for four or five more years. He loved Columbia and NYC and is coming back to the West Coast with some regret. We are celebrating the fact that he will be back in our time zone and also that we will FINALLY be a tuition-free household.</p>
<p>liszschup -- Congratulations! Looks like there is more than one road that leads to Stanford. (And S's friend chose Stanford Law over Harvard Law. It's tops.)</p>
<p>This thread is heartwarming. So many success stories. Congratulations to all!</p>