<p>That is a sad story. There are many of the smaller and less selective schools that are still accepting applications. Also, many of the State University systems handle applications on a rolling basis. His best option may be the local Community College for a year which will give him time to assess his capabilities, take tests and get some guidance (if available) from his high school as how to proceed. He could also take his own “Gap Year” and then apply next year as a freshmen. There was no reference to financial ability or need but if the reason is low family income, he should explore the Questbridge program for next year. He may want to read CC and other outside sources for some additional information as it sounds as though the parents will not be a part of this process.</p>
<p>ditto. Why don’t they want their child to do better than themselves? </p>
<p>arisamp - sorry about WL from Rice. I agree with othe posters - it’s free, so why not to join? </p>
<p>missypie - I checked Vanderbilt forums and it looks like they sent “likely” letters in February. Did the student apply EDI/EDII? That would be unusual - to be deferred in the ED process and then get a likely letter. But still possible.</p>
<p>Missypie, the other possibility of knowing about a Vanderbilt admission a few weeks ago is if she got one of the signature (full tuition) scholarships. They sent notices out about those in late February and early March.</p>
<p>Thanks. It must have been a likely letter then. There is a kid at school telling everyone she has been admitted to Vandy but has other great admissions too, and hasn’t decided where to go. If it was ED, it would be binding, so she wouldn’t still be deciding.</p>
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<p>I guess that is possible but not probable. I’m pretty sure that if this particular young woman had a full tution scholarship, the entire school would know. Time will tell. It really doesn’t matter to me. It’s just freaking the other Vandy applicants out.</p>
<p>JD2 should be at O’Hare now, maybe getting on her plane soon. That was a sad goodbye.</p>
<p>The story about the collegeless kid saddens me … makes me wonder just what he, and his family, thought he would do? Just “work”? A kid who made Eagle scout has to have an interest, a goal he’s aiming for. Good luck to him and my best to you for being such a good friend.</p>
<p>Stuff like this always puts my D’s life into perspective. On the other hand, lately she is clearly tired of being a “team” and wants very much to feel like she could run her life by herself. The other day she had laundry ready to go into the dryer, and before I could open my mouth (I needed the washer, wasn’t just looking for a favor to do her) she said, “DON’T do it!!!” </p>
<p>Of course I had to wait 2 more hours for the washer, but I’m all for letting her be in charge of her life right now. Next step is being a little bit more considerate of others while doing so. But living in a dorm will have many more lessons in that than I can give - from people a lot less worried about her feelings!</p>
<p>I just thought of one other Vanderbilt possibility - is the student a URM? Vanderbilt sent invitations to some students in February for MOSAIC, their multicultural recruitment program. There was a MOSAIC weekend sometime in March. (Can you tell we’re waiting to hear from Vandy too? That’s why I’ve been noticing all the admissions stuff that’s going on there. There will be nervous walks down to the mailbox later this week.)</p>
<p>There are lots of ways to go through college without your parents support. My top of the class niece was kicked out of the house by her (evil) stepmother midway into senior year. With no parental support (and little parental cooperation) she graduated in 4 years from a very good school and now has a masters from a very prestigious U.</p>
<p>Remember the story of Jessica Lynch…the female solder who was captured in the early days of the invasion of Iraq? She joined the Army to get money to pay for college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the thoughts on the wait list for D. She’s all over the map emotionally about this one right now, but I suspect she will be better towards the end of the day today. Her problem last night with going on the wait list was this - we haven’t visited Rice. If she does get off the wait list (sometime after May 1st?), I’ve heard that typically they require a response from you asap. She doesn’t know if she can respond, not having ever visited the school. She liked the school a lot, based on internet research - but is that good enough?</p>
<p>arisamp, I think your D should proceed as if she <em>won’t</em> get off the WL. But if you have the time/money to visit, make a visit just in case. Then if she does get off the WL she can go forward with plenty of information.</p>
<p>Arisamp: Sorry about the waitlist. I agree with the others that your daughter should put her name on it for now. Once she gets all of her acceptances she can decide whether she wants to stay on it, but as Omom says, she should proceed as if she won’t get off. I know several kids who were ready to move on and didn’t accept any waitlists. </p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear about the young man whose parents think he doesn’t need to go to college. I don’t really understand parents who don’t want their kids to have better opportunities than they did. I think that community college will probably be the best place for him to start if he has no parental support.</p>
<p>We finally got our graduation date - May 31! We also got a nice time. Some years they have started at 8 am.</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone waiting to hear. I’m hoping for lots of fat envelopes and positive emails.</p>
<p>On the subject of kids not being supported by their parents, my D has a friend who really wants to go to college and his parents also want him to go. He applied to several schools, and his financial aid offers are now trickling in. His parents are divorced, neither one is working, and his EFC is 0. So far the one FA offer he received (for the school he loves the most) was simply not enough money for him to attend. He’s not sure what to do because he really wants to go there. I suggested they appeal his FA offer immediately, but I don’t know if that will help or not. </p>
<p>I’m feeling angry at his parents for not telling this kid upfront what they can afford (which is NOT much), and not having him apply to a bigger variety of schools. I don’t think he’s going to get <em>enough</em> FA at any of the schools he’s been accepted to, in order to attend. He’s a smart kid, but not the “CC-type.” A lot, but not all, of the schools that meet full financial need are for tippy-top students.</p>
<p>I wish I could help somehow - any suggestions?</p>
<p>oregonianmom, do you think that your D’s friend started off with a bad list of schools? I’m wondering if a gap year and reapplying to schools more likely to yield good FA would work. </p>
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<p>I certainly hope that she’s squirreled away a great deal for her retirement, because her kids may well feel that they don’t want to spend any of their money on her. :mad: Totally agree with Novelisto about stupid people. I have no beef with people saying that they can only afford some amount which isn’t a full EFC, but to say you’re not going to help at all? I had to pay for myself for my last two years of college, living away at our state flagship. I could manage it 30 years ago with work-study, working full time during the summer, upping my loans a bit and living very frugally. Nowadays, no way could a student manage that at my alma mater. </p>
<p>One branch of the family had the same attitude, telling their two kids (who are adults in their 50s) that they needed to pay for college themselves. OK, in California this was possible, back in the day. But kicker number 1, the family had inherited a great deal of wealth, and other branches of the family with children of similar age used their inheritances to pay for their kid’s college. Kicker number 2: the father who told his kids that they would pay for college themselves was a Harvard alum, who’d attended on a scholarship. Both of those kids (now adults) did manage to put themselves through school, starting at CC and then transferring to 4 year publics.</p>
<p>VAmom, Encourage your Eagle Scout friend to apply to Roanoke or at least to talk to an admissions person. My son and most of his friends chose Roanoke in large part due to generous merit aid. I know that youngest son got a few e-mails saying that the last day to apply was in January, but perhaps that was for preferential something (aid, housing, etc.) because it looks like they are still taking applications. Roanoke was a great fit for our son.</p>
<p>OregonianMom, If you know the name of the underfunded college, check to see if they have a process in place for appealing financial aid. We will probably do this for one college and when I checked they did indeed have an appeal process and a deadline to do so. For this college, they say that you can appeal once and to make sure you have all the paperwork in place. That is, it’s not offer, then counter-offer.</p>
<p>WL question - if you get put on the wl is it easier to transfer in later, or does it have absolutely no effect on anything whatsoever. I am seeing schools with very large wl’s and they take a handful off every year. What is the point? And, can you get an idea of where you are on the wl?</p>
<p>On who pays for college-
The problem with a the hard line approach is it seems to always be taken by parents towards kids who might not need it. Kids who would be grateful for the opportunity and would make the most of it. </p>
<p>Unlike myself, my gpa almost doubled when I had to pay for it myself. You think as the youngest and only child to be “sent” to college, I would have taken it more seriously. No, the town where I grew up in (my older siblings did not), college is a given.</p>
<p>I feel rightly or wrongly that our job as parents (my H & I specifically) is to see our kids through undergrad without having to borrow any money if at all possible. Fingers crossed that we will be able to do that with #3. Now is our retirement in great shape, no, but given our decision to have kids who range in age by 14 years, kind of our problem.</p>
<p>haven’t read the thread since last night – will do sometime after lunch but wanted to post a poem my S wrote this year while living the senior year nightmare. having just read this for the first time today, i can hear how he’s felt for probably most of this year. i think it reflects senior year very well.</p>
<p>here it is:</p>
<p>tension</p>
<p>I sprint climb</p>
<p>ram right into the</p>
<p>door</p>
<p>breaaathe</p>
<p>caaalm</p>
<p>no, what about my really important and upcoming</p>
<p>I will have to catch up at home tonight. But, I have a funny story about home ec. By the time I was in HS it was no longer required but I liked cooking and sewing so talked a friend into taking it with me. One of the teachers was an elderly lady and most of my classmates were not always on their best behavior around her. I was one of her favorites. Anyways, I guess because I was so nice to her she nominated me for an award without my knowing. During the sr. awards presentation I heard my name called to come up and get my “Betty Crocker Award.” I wanted to crawl under the bleachers. Here other kids are getting science and national merit awards and I get the Betty Crocker Award.</p>
<p>Renmom, I still remember bits of the poem I wrote my Senior year about the Senior year experience. I have it squirreled away somewhere and am inspired now to go take a look at it. I hope your son keeps this for when his kids are going through it. My D often appears completely together on the outside but I do worry about what is going on inside. She journals a lot though and I bet that helps, just as writing poetry does.</p>