<p>madbean - PV’s coming your way for big money and more yeses.</p>
<p>This was an actual conversation I had with an admissions officer…at a “normal” school, not HYPS:</p>
<p>I was trying to figure out how D could get the highest level of merit aid at her school; specifically whether she should take the ACT again to try to get a better score. The adcom asked what her GPA was. I said “5.05 on a 5.0 scale.” He said, “with that low of a GPA she’ll need a higher ACT.” I said, “you think 5.05 on a 5.0 is low? That’s above the scale.” He said, “oh…yeah…I was thinking it was 1.05 below the scale.”</p>
<p>And that, folks, is who is reviewing our kids’ applications!!!</p>
<p>mamom: I got quite a giggle out of you email “conversation” with the college dept. head. Sounds like something I would do!</p>
<p>missy - I don’t get the impression that math is a big strongsuit of the admissions folks. Not saying they aren’t good at their job, but suspect many where English, art or history majors in college.</p>
<p>Hi, everyone. I’m joining the waiting game. Son didn’t apply early for anything, so we aren’t going to know till the end. Congrats on all the goodies that the kids have gotten.</p>
<p>As usual can’t catch up with youse guys :)</p>
<p>Doing a lot of back and forth email and snailmail here with colleges re:special circumstances paperwork. The initial pkds w/o added info are coming in but really won’t get “final” finaid awards til very end March, early April maybe…makes it rather difficult if any final visits desired but at least ours are fairly close by.</p>
<p>D1’s younger sis had a bout with tummy flu last week but at least it passed rather quickly. Well, last night midnight here she went AGAIN…ugh…been a rough day. She’s finally sleeping…and we are all obsessively washing hands and using antibacterial wipes on everything! Best wishes for Sb to finish recuperating–and to all of you w/recent good news- :)</p>
<p>The Vanderbilt Admissions Blog today posted that RD notices will be going into the mail system on MARCH 23rd. This means that most of the country should receive their envelopes by Saturday the 26th!
The link is [Advance</a> Info for VU Mailing Day | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University](<a href=“http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2011/03/advance-info-for-vu-mailing-day/]Advance”>Advance Info for VU Mailing Day | The Vandy Admissions Blog | Vanderbilt University)</p>
<p>Part of the blog article is below:</p>
<p>Mailing Day Information
As I mentioned in my previous blog, we plan to mail on March 23rd in the afternoon. Most areas of the country will receive information by Saturday of that week, but we know it takes longer in some regions. International students will receive an email notifying you of your status on Friday, March 25th.
If you do not receive you letter you may call to receive your decision via phone on March 30th. We will not release any information prior to that date. We will never release decisions via email. No exceptions.
Mailing day is a fun day for OUA as we celebrate an entire year’s worth of work! I’ll post pictures from the craziness on the blog.
In case you can’t wait… here are a few of the best from Mailing Day 2010:</p>
<p>I will add the Vandy release date to tomorrow’s daily countdown.</p>
<p>Congrats to all of the good FA and acceptance news that has been posted.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about the downers - car accident; car break-in and theft; illness; and more. Let’s get all of that behind us so everyone can be in the celebrating mood next week when more decisions are released.</p>
<p>Thanks for the postings regarding the AP testing strategy. It was very interesting and makes a lot of sense.</p>
<p>Go Mizzou!</p>
<p>1am PDT and I am sitting here in the hotel room, a bit jittery. Went to visit an old college roommate this evening. Stopped by a store on the way there to pick up some chocolate to bring with me and got a rude shock. My wallet was close to empty - I know I had close to 200$ with me and now, there’s only 3$. My license and credit cards all seem to be intact and I just called to verify that there were no suspicious transactions on my cards. Been racking my brains to figure out when this could have happened and how. I typically don’t use cash - so could have happened anytime after Monday. Kind of shocked and feel a bit violated…tad bit unsafe in the hotel room. Glad I am headed back home tomorrow!!</p>
<p>On the other hand, once I got over this shock and discussing it with my old roommate, we had a great time catching up. She has younger kids - so I was bringing her upto date on the college hunting joys! Her husband said that folks frequently hire 2000$ college counselors here - so depending on how D’s results turn out, I might have a job with them in a few years to come :)</p>
<p>All this almost completely made me forget - S’s team won their tournament today!!! Amazing, amazing performance - five straight days, with a game to win each day and they had to better and better each night! H and D both said S played fabulous tonight and I am so thrilled for him. Just a tad bit sad that I was not there to see it :)</p>
<p>Good morning. It looks like I’m the first one up this morning.</p>
<p>Arisamp: Congrats to your son’t team on the big win. I’m sorry you had to miss it.</p>
<p>Cpofthehouse: Welcome. You’ve had a long wait. I hope you hear good news soon.</p>
<p>Mamom and Kath: Congrats on the merit $$!!</p>
<p>MOSB and Collegemaw: I hope your sick girls recover soon.</p>
<p>Proudmom: I hope that your daughter has a wonderful trip. What great opportunity for her. We visited Italy and France last summer, and both are amazing. Of course, it took me over 50 years to get there. It is exciting to see our kids doing things we didn’t get to do.</p>
<p>Aris - OMG, are you sure you didn’t put the moeny elsewhere? When I travel I tend to take most money out of my wallet and put someplace else. And I have sometimes forgotten about it and found it at a later date. Thank goodness nothing else was stolen. Congrats to your S! Stinks missing these big games, but you can only be in one place at a time.</p>
<p>collegmaw - sorry your D is sick, again. hopefully it is a one night thing.</p>
<p>arisamp: So sorry to hear of your missing money. It’s unsettling …I can see why you’re glad to be headed home. Safe travels. (Also – Congrats to your son and his team…too bad you couldn’t be there to watch!)</p>
<p>S2 got an acceptance letter from his financial safety yesterday. I was happy to see it, but he was underwhelmed. I think he’s counting on having “better” prospects. If his “dream” schools don’t cough up any $$, at least we have 2 affordable options on the table right now.</p>
<p>Arisamp - usually when I have a sum of money missing, my kids end up being the ones who pilfered it without telling me. I hope it turns up, I know it’s unnerving.</p>
<p>Ds is speaking in single syllables to me. Just what I need. I’m going away this pm with just smallest dd (9 yo) to her friend’s house near skiing in Vt for the weekend. The oldest child of the two other families going is 10 yo. These families blissfully unaware of college bound stress, can you imagine? </p>
<p>Ohiomom - Yea for financial safeties!!!</p>
<p>Congratulations on the good news and sorry on the not so good ones…</p>
<p>Couldn’t “save” the self-studied Music Theory AP, due to S’s school policies. :(</p>
<p>Oh well, I guess S will have more time to prepare for Part II of Physics C, which is right after, on the same day.</p>
<p>BTW, if my English sounds funny at times, it does because it is my second language, lol.</p>
<p>Hurray for those with good news. And sympathies to arisamp and AK for recent difficulties.
For those keeping score, D still has not checked her online status for her reachy, reach which had been her first choice. I think it is unlikely she’ll get in so have not informed her that most likely snail mail admits/rejects are not being sent- at least I have found no reference to such mailings. “Sufficient unto the day, the evil thereof” - I guess.
Hope all had a wonderful St. Paddy’s- H made corned beef and cabbage (hold the cabbage). And true to MY ethnic roots I carved it up and put it on Jewish rye bread with mustard. Yum!</p>
<p>**Friday’s Countdown for the “reachy” schools is: </p>
<p>UChicago (March 18th) - 0 days to go. The decisions will be released today!</p>
<p>Stanford - 7 days to go. Just a week and a day (if they are early like last year).</p>
<p>Vanderbilt - 5 days to decision mailing day (snail mail only - probably 7 or 8 to hit your mailbox)</p>
<p>The big “H” and other ivys - 12 days to go based on the March 30th at 5 PM announcement date and time.</p>
<p>March 31st schools - 13 days to go. Less than 2 weeks of waiting.**</p>
<p>This week we passed the mid-point of the month so hopefully, its all downhill from here. Let’s just hope its a smooth ride. :)</p>
<p>Re missing money – Amandak, at your house, missing money means the kids pilfered it. At my house, it means the dog ate it. In fact, he pulled my purse from the kitchen island and ate $13 this morning. Geez Louise – as if he wasn’t expensive enough to maintain, without eating cash, too!</p>
<p>Good morning - </p>
<p>Best wishes to everyone as the news comes in. I think one of D’s reaches is notifying in the next day or two, so that will break our drought a bit.</p>
<p>Things are going pretty well with the Japanese girls. I’m glad it’s a short week next week, but then D2, JD1 and I are leaving on a 3-day choir trip to MN … what to do with JD2? D1 will be in and out on spring break but leaving to go back to school. H is home, but working. She may have a very lonely and boring 3 days, if that’s the best we can do.</p>
<p>One big task for today is to get some structure into JD2’s life. Maybe she’ll start volunteering at a preschool my neighbor works at. There is a lovely Japanese woman here in town, and I might see if JD2 could spend that weekend with her, perhaps, or at least some time. It’s all improvisation around here.</p>
<p>I’m just watchful that she doesn’t get anxious or depressed in her girl-without-a-country status. I just can’t imagine.</p>
<p>And everyone is pretty unsettled in general, with everything that’s going on. We have plenty of space, but 6 people in this house is going to be a VERY different living experience for everyone. </p>
<p>At least my dog is too short to reach my wallet - no one’s eaten my money yet (well, except D1’s college, and the gas pumps …).</p>
<p>Emmybet - Does she want to travel - have other friends to visit? I’d volunteer my family to host her for a week or two. We are way out in the burbs but commutable into nyc. Maybe you could do a cc-family round robin!
Ohiomom - my dog only eats paper including checks. So far $25.</p>
<p>EmmyBet, Wish you lived closer to me. I have a friend who just moved back from Japan after she and her husband lived there for a year and a half. They are empty nesters and LOVED Japan. I guess after having the two other girls around 24/7, it will seem pretty quiet at your house.</p>
<p>Arisamp, Are you thinking that someone came into your hotel room and took the money from your wallet or are you thinking you were somehow pick-pocketed? It’s weird that someone would take the money and not your credit cards. I hope it’s a case of mis-placed money and not really stolen.</p>
<p>Son and I are going to re-visit a College tomorrow for a luncheon for Scholarship winners. I had to go onto their website this morning to psych myself up for the drive and remind myself what we liked about it. That’s the down side about starting the visits early - you forget the earlier colleges!</p>
<p>Wow -dogs that eat money? Hadn’t heard of that!
AK - I would have typically blamed my H for the missing money - but since I am on a trip away from home, I know it was taken from my wallet 
Sad…am sort of glad though that the only thing missing seems to be money - need to check if any sort of identity theft is possible. Ugh.</p>
<p>Emmy - I am just amazed how you are managing with four D’s all of a sudden! Good luck!</p>
<p>Was too rattled last night - but congratulations to mamom’s S and kathiep’s S on the money! </p>
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<p>Interesting isn’t it to picture families not worrying about college? My friend last night was talking about kindergarten and middle school choices - feels like a world away! But not everyone gets stressed out like I do - we talked to our neighbor last week who also has a senior and they seemed very zen about the whole thing. She is in at a couple of safety schools, one with a nice merit scholarship. Waiting for a couple more…but the dad seemed fairly cool about it all. Or perhaps that’s the key - I was talking to the dad :)</p>