Parents of the HS Class of 2011 - Original

Parents Forum Class of 20xx Community
11981

<p>AvonHSDad, we are right there with you waiting for the Vanderbilt mailing. Best of luck to your S, and a big congratulations on Northwestern – that is huge!</p>

<p>Congratulations also to camathmom, madbean, Tessa, 50isthenew40, MomDoc, lynjoy, dignified1, and olderwisermom on all the good news!</p>

<p>Our mail hasn’t arrived yet today. My stomach is suddenly in knots, despite my bravado with D1 and the lottery-like chances of getting into Vanderbilt. I just read on the Vanderbilt thread that those who are getting acceptances are receiving priority mail envelopes with Congratulations on the outside. I think this is a case where knowing too much is not a healthy thing for me. Those of you who have described this as a rollercoaster are so right. Yesterday we had two pieces of good news – the scholarship and an honors college acceptance, and one mild disappointment (no to an alumni scholarship for the state flagship – D1 had just said she wanted to rule that school out, but still a no has a little sting). And now we are bracing ourselves for two more decisions today, not knowing if we are headed for great elation or a great letdown.</p>

<p>Some of you have discussed this or alluded to it in your posts, but what a complicated emotional issue this process is for our kids! While the ultimate goal here is to find the best fit in a school (and for parents a fit that is affordable), and while it sounds like all of our kids are smart enough and level headed enough to understand that, there is that whole thing about being judged, being deemed worthy or unworthy, and the concerns about the expectations or opinions of others that rears its ugly head. If D1 doesn’t get into Vandy I know it will be a big blow because of the history her HS has of sending top students there. When she was applying for a scholarship to one of her safeties, two of her friends asked her why she was going to see the GC, and then they chided her for even bothering to apply to that school, saying that she knew she’d get into much better schools and would never go to that one. The school in question is a good school with an awesome honors college, but because lots of kids from G1’s high school attend there it’s not deemed by some as a choice worthy of the top students. Thankfully, D1 saw the folly in her friends’ comments, but they bothered her nonetheless. </p>

<p>So yesterday the honors college acceptance was from that very school, and it was by far the nicest letter D1 has received to date. It was a very personalized acceptance letter referencing much of what she had written in her application, and it was obvious that the dean remembered meeting and talking with her on honors visit day. She also got a postcard from the orchestra director of that same school, sent from overseas where the orchestra is on tour, and telling her how much he enjoyed her audition. She knows that she would get an excellent education there, have some great co-curricular opportunities, and be well prepared for success post-college, so hopefully the expectations of others that she “do better” than that school will not dampen her enthusiasm for it if it turns out to be the best fit for her in the end. </p>

<p>I’m in the boat with the rest of you who are waiting for this phase of the process to be over so that we can look ahead with excitement and certainty to Fall of 2011!</p>

11982

<p>Congrats to all the Northwestern acceptances, and tight hugs to any disappointed folks.</p>

<p>OWM – i’m doing the jig for you and your S today. I hope that he’s selected to do a research project that makes his heart and soul sing, and his mind buzz!!! </p>

<p>Dignified, I wholeheartedly agree w/ everyone else here – something’s just not right. even in this brutal year, that NMF girl should have been accepted at least to her safeties. Just as my heart sings for OWM’s S, it bleeds for this unknown girl whose parents are adding to her woe rather than giving her the guidance/ support that she needs, regardless of how/why this is going down the way it is. man, how are people so quick to turn on their own?</p>

11983

<p>Congratulations and commiserations, as appropriate, to everyone. We are also in a waiting game – not for acceptances, because DS has his top two “in the bag” but we’re waiting for the coach at School #1 to come through with an offer to be on the team. AND . . . here is my stomach-clenching thing for the day . . . he is coming to DS’ last high school game tonight. He has seen DS play before, and DS has been to several camps at this school, so coach is very familiar. There is a chance of a small scholarship at this school, if not as a freshman then later in year 2, 3 or 4. But if he strings us along or says you can walk on, but no guarantees, then we will proceed up the road to School #2, which coach loves DS and probably has a more likely chance to play there as a freshman or soph, but which has no athletic scholarships. School #1 has DS’ major, but School #2 has something similar enough that it will work fine too. Dad and I are leaning toward #2, but since #1 has been the #1 choice for three years now, and the coach is still showing interesting, we are hopeful for tonight.</p>

<p>Best wishes to everyone else and I hope to see more good news next time I check back.</p>

11984

<p>Oh my gosh, good news here: my S was just accepted to Wesleyan! gotta run to pick up my youngest S, but wanted to share here first.</p>

11985

<p>Renmom, huge congrats!</p>

11986

<p>Ahh…just looked outside and the mailtruck is four houses away. This suspense is ridiculous. I think I need an intervention for my obsession. </p>

<p>Congratulations on Wesleyan, RenMom!</p>

11987

<p>Thanks everyone. The letter was most definitely a “yes.” He will meet his mentoring professor at Summer Welcome. He is so excited but hasn’t heard from his best friend/roommate yet. He also applied for the Discovery Fellows grant.</p>

<p>ckofpng: you hit the nail on the head about expectations. My husband’s nephew was turned down at Vanderbilt last year. His father, uncle, grandmother and grandfather are Vandy graduates. But none of them have any clue about the lottery that selective admissions has become. They were angry. My mother-in-law (the grandmother in this case) wrote a letter to the Director of Admissions and said she got a “sarcastic” answer back. She wants us to write MIT a similar letter–although we have no relatives who have ever attended MIT! Gotta love grandmothers.</p>

<p>But the nephew is at UNC and loves everything about it. Good kids from good parents will most definitely bloom where they are planted. What we are all learning here is that getting them from the greenhouse out of the flower pot and into the right garden spot is painful!</p>

11988

<p>Wow - such great news being reported today!
OWM - way to go! How exciting to have what was initially such a disappointment turn into such an honor!
RenMom - congrats on Weslyan
MOSB - the suspense is building over here … !
Fingers crossed for more good news over the weekend. The trend is definitely positive.</p>

11989

<p>Ow – two dings. D doesn’t know yet (one I had access to her online portal; one came in a very translucent envelope and H could see “I’m sorry…”). Ow ow ow. Gotta keep hoping.</p>

11990

<p>I am told that Middlebury said it announces at 8 AM tomorrow. It looks like Vassar meant what they said about the news coming out at the close of business - this is going to be a long hour and 15 minutes. Best of luck to our Vassar and Middlebury hopefuls!</p>

<p>I have gotten so far behind on congratulations - I am so impressed by the talented group of kids represented on this website, and their caring, committed and supportive parents. I hope that everyone who has to make tough decisions will share with the group how they are doing it.</p>

11991

<p>Congrats on the Cal admissions to 50isthenew40 & dignified1. It’s a very hard admission to get at our kids’ private HS, too. Congrats also to kumitedad for having a wonderful school decided upon, to Momdoc & Pepper03 on Bucknell, to camathmom, lynjoy, & again dignified1 on NW, to OWM on the fabulous Research Program at Mizzou’s Honors College, to ckofpng for the honors college & scholarship awards, and to RenMom on Wesleyan! We are on a roll here.</p>

<p>Sending sorry’s to puma12’s S (WL). Did your older S get a job overseas? Any details you can share? And also sorry to Classof2015 on 2 unopened dings, and to Kumitedad for the UCs. Hardest year ever.</p>

<p>I’m also upset about dignified1’s D’s friends. Agree the GC should call the admissions offices pronto, check the transcripts were correct and work for this girl. I’m also startled at the parents’ reaction, which unfortunately sounds a lot like the Tiger mom style harshness that blames a kid for “not working hard enough” for every misfortune. Terrible.</p>

<p>kinderny, I don’t care much for the term “strong-willed” either. But I am really glad we don’t get to read our kids’ LORs for I know myself and I would want to edit them!! And improve the adjectives!! lol.</p>

<p>MOSB, you’ve got us all hopping with curiosity. Can’t wait for you to spill the beans.</p>

<p>Wishing patience to all who are waiting for Vandy and others.</p>

11992

<p>Vassar is out already. D was waitlisted. She’s not upset, and probably will not stay on the waitlist.</p>

<p>Congrats to OWM’s son and to RenMom’s son!</p>

11993

<p>Vassar very kindly shaved 45 minutes off our wait time, and very kindly said yes (but financial aid comes by snail mail). I really want to hear what people are doing about decisions. OWM, would love to be in your situation - great program, recognition, money AND NO MORE WAITING.</p>

11994

<p>So sorry about Dignified’s friend. Yeah, it does sound like it could be some type of clerical error. I’m also wondering if the girl has applied to all the same schools that Dignified’s D has applied to? It was mentioned that the girl is very solid, but not in the tippy top of her class. Perhaps she is having problems because she is being compared by admissions to Dignified’s D (and the other tippy tops)? Just a thought…</p>

<p>Just found out that another tippy top boy student at D’s HS was rejected by Berkeley. Such rejection came on the heels of a MIT acceptance (unhooked lad, not a URM or legacy, but with top top stats, ECs, sports, etc…) So, is Berkeley now more selective than MIT???</p>

11995

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<p>You are right about that. I was just thinking about the “old” days when it was all snail mail and no one seemed to be overly stressed because there was a lot less information available then. I also think the average number of applications was a lot less back in our college days as they were all manually prepared and mailed. While the online portals and emails are great, they contribute to our stress. But that is where CC and similar services step in to “save” us and help us maintain our sanity (or not :eek:).</p>

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<p>I’m not sure I like the sound of this as a priority envelope should have made it to us in two days and arrived today but we didn’t get one. So I will argue with myself and say that a standard buiness envelope should also have made it in two days and we didn’t get one of those either. Looks like S will have to get up early tomorrow to get the mail. Oh well, just 17 1/2 hours to go.</p>

11996

<p>My DS just got rejected at USC today. My heart hurts for him, as he was very excited about that school. This is his first rejection. We’re still waiting on Boston College, but he got into the other 4 schools he applied to. Now, of course, we’re waiting anxiously for the financial aid paperwork.</p>

11997

<p>Oregonianmom - Sorry about Vassar. I think you indicated earlier that you have an acceptance from Willamette. The daughter of a friend at my stable went there, and my friend and her daughter absolutely loved all 4 years. It is a great school.</p>

11998

<p>Thanks, 325… and congrats to yours on the acceptance! My D is getting excited about Willamette, and therefore, I am excited for her! I’ve heard nothing but good things about the school, and it fits the bill in many ways.</p>

11999

<p>I need to catch up on a few pages here. Bluejr was accepted to UVa!! :slight_smile: He’s three for three and done! We are beyond thrilled and humbled.</p>

<p>Sending positive thoughts everyone’s way!</p>

12000

<p>Wow - another 1,000 posts in the last few days.</p>