<p>scout59, my S is my one and only, too. Every milestone is a first and a last, and my heart is definitely slower than my head. He’ll be living at home after graduation so he can save money for culinary school. Working at a low-paying job in a restaurant kitchen, I’m not sure he’ll save big bucks, but he’s determined. I have mixed feelings. We love having him around, but our house is small for three adults. I plan to make over his room so it can be an adult room–for him and after he’s living elsewhere.</p>
<p>We have hotel and restaurant reservations. He will go to friends’ graduations in two other colleges of his large university (besides his own), so he’ll be busy.</p>
<p>Congrats to everyone landing jobs and grad/med/law school acceptances. Fun to watch the progress.</p>
<p>atg4ever I have a D who is set on law school too in spite of the dire predictions for future lawyers. She is considering Duke as well. I don’t know much about their program other than that she was accepted. Such a difference from school choice process for undergrad. Where else is your son thinking of?</p>
<p>I didn’t have trouble letting go of my older son who is now very independent, but the 2012 (actually Dec 2011) graduate is my 2nd and last. He has spent the last 2 summers away, but we always knew he’d be home for at least a couple of weeks over the summer, as well as the holidays. His time off now will be much more limited & he won’t necessarily be looking to come home when he gets time off. We’ll probably have to make the effort to visit him more often.</p>
<p>parentofpeople. My son is applying to Duke, Virginia, Wake Forest, Stanford, Santa Clara, UCLA, UNC, and Emory (not sure about the last one) He says that he is in no rush to finish his applications yet, but he did pretty well in his LSATs so in his words “not stressing it” My daughter also would like Law school some day, but that is still 4 years away.</p>
<p>Lately my aspiring-chef son is channeling his grandfather, my dad, who died six years before he was born: making cheese from scratch, using every last bit of a roast turkey left over from a holiday celebration with friends, and planning the pie he’ll bring for Christmas dinner. In that tradition, we’re giving him a good omelette pan. Though you don’t really need one, my father insisted on having one. And he made a mighty fine omelette.</p>
<p>Seven semesters down and one to go–at least until they decide what to learn next. Wishing all of you a merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah as we begin the year when, come h*** or high water (my father’s expression), they’ll be launched.</p>
<p>S finished his last final today, so I guess he’s a college graduate. Actually, it’ll take 4-6 weeks to get the diploma. He’ll be home tomorrow until 1/2 and starts his job on 1/3.</p>
<p>We moved him into his new apartment 10 days ago, altho he didn’t unpack because he was still staying in the dorm for convenience. His neighborhood is nice, the townhouse has lots of space (everywhere but the kitchen, which is tiny), but we didn’t meet any of his new roommates. He has lots of closet space, and the previous roommate left the cloth shelves you can hang from the closet rod. We bought Closet Maid closet organization drawers and cabinet which we put together in a few hours, fortunately. He doesn’t own alot of clothes, and all his work-appropriate clothing goes in the closet anyway. The Closet Maid drawers will work for underwear/socks. The cabinet has three shelves which he can use for t-shirts, shorts, etc. He’s not particularly neat, so I expect things to just get shoved in there.</p>
<p>So D1 is applying to masters+teaching credential programs. So I was filling out the FAFSA last night for both her and S2 (currently a college soph) and because it was for graduate school it was optional to include the parents info, but I did anyway, and when it was all said and done S2’s EFC was the same as always, but D1’s came out as “0”. I am assuming she won’t get any financial aid. Does anyone have experience with grad school financial aid? Way back when, when I went to pharmacy school I know I didn’t qualify for any financial aid because my parents made too much money. At least S2’s EFC didn’t double!!</p>
<p>tx5athome, I have a similar question. My S will be applying to culinary school, though not right after graduation. I had always assumed that this FAFSA would be about his income, not ours, since he’s over 21. But the FA officer at the school says that he has to be 24 for that to be the case. I’m going to post on the FA forum.</p>
<p>I’m intereested in that too. S isn’t applying to grad school immediately, but we’re expecting him to fully finance grad school when he goes. We feel that our income is irrelevant, but that may not be what the school thinks.</p>
<p>What? If grad students are under 24, the FAFSA needs to be filled out? Optional? My 2 (twins) will be finishing grad school aps next year, one graduating this spring, one already out, and they have an overseas year planned for next year. Starting grad school age 23 1/2. </p>
<p>tx5athome, interested in what schools your D is applying to. One D is looking at similar programs for teaching languages.</p>
<p>glm: My D is graduating with a degree in Math from San Diego State. She is applying to the credential program at San Diego State and a credential+masters in teaching program at UCIrvine. For the UCI program the regular school year gets you the credential, but if you go the summer before and the summer after you get your credential and your masters.</p>
<p>Her LAC gives the same deal- full calendar year to MA+credential, but she can’t get the certificate to teach languages. So she’s looking for other programs. Will check into Irvine. Thanks!</p>
<p>No, greatlakesmom, most grad students don’t have to fill out FAFSA with parents income even if they’re under 24 (exceptions would be law/med school applicants and some health related programs like PharmD). It’s different for geezermom’s S because he isn’t apply to a graduate level program, he’s applying for another undergrad level program in culinary arts. It’s the program level that determines whether students are grad or undergrad, not the degrees that they’ve previously earned.</p>
<p>What I got from the Financial Aid thread is that grad students, doing post graduate work, are independent (except professional) and for the most part their is no “free money”, just loans.</p>