<p>blue: I just saw that on the “Drum roll” thread. So happy for you! As you know, my brother and sister-in-law are UVa grads–and still live in C’ville. Awesome school, town, area. Go Wahoos!</p>
<p>Hey what’s going on here? I leave for a bit and come back and kids left and right are jumping off the boat!</p>
<p>Big congrats to all! Notre Dame and UVA-great schools that I tried in vain to get my son to look at-they were “too far”-what can I say he’s a homebody!</p>
<p>emmy with the secret school-very mysterious-hope she jumps soon-sounds like she is ready.</p>
<p>If I missed any I apologize and will go back and recheck.</p>
<p>It feels good when the reach a decision, huh? :)</p>
<p>BI: Congrats on the UVA decision! What a fantastic choice.</p>
<p>Emmybet: I’m glad that your daughter is getting closer to a decision. </p>
<p>OWM: It sounds like your son got a great living arrangement. How nice to have a suite as a freshman.</p>
<p>If any of the other kids who have made their choices are trying to figure out housing, it may be worth applying to special interest housing options. This will give them a chance to live with kids with similar interests, and can also help them get into a preferred dorm. It usually involves writing a short essay, but it’s worth it. I also highly recommend having kids apply to pre-orientation programs. It’s a great way to meet other students and usually allows you to move into the dorms early.</p>
<p>OWM - I had totally forgotten that you had family in C’ville! We don’t have any grads, but family ties to C’ville going way back (100+yrs). I have often fussed at my mom for selling my great grandparents home just a few blocks from grounds. It is indeed a wonderful college town! We go several times a year for concerts, wine festivals, etc.</p>
<p>Pepper - I hear you about having a homebody! There were several schools early on I encouraged bluejr to look at to no avail. He was pretty focused on what he wanted. I guess in the end it all works out.</p>
<p>kathie - Are you packing yet for St. Louis? I am so excited for you guys!! Our kids lost in the finals at a state comp this weekend, but got Engineering Inspiration so a good showing nonetheless. They had already qualified for worlds at a previous competition.</p>
<p>I forgot to say congrats blueiguana! UVA is a great choice! I know a current student there who absolutely loves it!</p>
<p>My son is most likely going to attend a college that has Amtrak service. I was looking into train travel just to see how do-able it would be and was reminded that they offer a student discount card - [Get</a> the Card and Save 15% on Amtrak](<a href=“http://www.studentadvantage.com/content/?id=1016]Get”>http://www.studentadvantage.com/content/?id=1016) This might be a nice graduation gift for friends kids that are graduating and may be using Amtrak.</p>
<p>Just took a look at shutterfly and uploaded a pic of my D. The SS Indecision had/has a darned good-looking crew! The officers (you guys) aren’t too shabby either. Anchors Aweigh!</p>
<p>We have a decision!</p>
<p>While D’s decision is not a surprise at this stage of the process, if someone had told me a year ago she would wind up at this school I would have said they were nuts. We applied because it looked like it had a lot of things my D was looking for, and nice merit aid for NMF finalists, but it frankly looked too “nice” for my eye-rolling, somewhat cynical D.</p>
<p>Well she visited it the same weekend that she visited the school that I had been sure she’d be attending - and came back raving about how much she loved this school (and not the one I thought she would). We went back for a scholarship weekend last month, and that, together with getting the scholarship, sealed the deal. She is over the moon, and frankly, so am I. I credit CC with encouraging us to cast a wide net and keep an open mind. I am mailing the deposit check this afternoon.</p>
<p>So - D will be attending St. Olaf! Go Oles!</p>
<p>Morning all,</p>
<p>Thanks Kathiep for that Amtrak reminder…I will see if our kiddo has that card. I did get us both Amtrak rewards numbers last year when we traveled around the northeast by train. In the end we used a combo of local lines and Amtrak. We used the business class car for the “long run” between two cities–very nice, quiet and clean. At that crazy early time of day, the difference in arrival times from the fast train was only 15 min.</p>
<p>Well no news from FinAid yet—
My last voice communice was rather tense --I suspect the young lady is a work study.
I sent a fax on Sunday eve to the offices with copies of originals and a politely worded cover sheet indicating our disappointment in things being in such a state of confusion. Errors made etc. They even changed status of certain items “as a matter of protocol” assuming parents are lying! I called them on that in my letter. That’s unconscionable!
I am praying they do a FABULOUS job of re-reading everything and fixing it all. Oh how I am praying that is so…As a private U I guess they could tell us to take a hike. </p>
<p>Would a FinAid office purposefully short change an early admit who has committed to attend? </p>
<p>The young lady on the phone was more worried about having to show my earlier letter to her boss!!! (the one where I pointed out we didn’t know how they changed the status and no one contacted us…) </p>
<p>Proof of grad announcement was a mess–how can they distort a digital photo and send a proof–not noticing it’s out of focus??
Praying it comes correctly today.
There will be a production wait and then delivery here…
then I have to get them out…sigh</p>
<p>Kiddo is ambivalent about meal/party options for grad day which is funny. Kiddo is saying that a casual meal–even stuffed pitas from a local arabic place is fine. I have grandparents driving in from 2 states away for the graduation and meal. I can’t hand them a stuffed pita and call it a day! haha Everyone driving in will spend the night before and night after–so I suppose I will need to think about dinners too…These are DHs parents and he has no opinion …I think too mentioning taking the group out for supper is making his eyes and wallet glaze over…Given the financial aid appeal/delay…I dont blame him</p>
<p>I have no clue what to wear…had better think about it…and continue the diet :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Lastly, kiddo’s prom is coming up…
I am still waiting to hear from the parent of the "sleep over " house.
I told kiddo that without confirmation about adults being home-it’s a no go…which kiddo knows. </p>
<p>CONGRATS to all of those disembarking to their new shores! Very exciting. And the good news for those on the SS Indecision is that the buffet will be less crowded and you can find a nice lounge location at the pool! Order the next umbrella drink and enjoy the journey ;o)</p>
<p>@Proudmom – Sorry for making you homesick! 
It’s a beautiful day in Central Texas today!</p>
<p>@holliesue – Are you really vacationing in Austin or college-shopping??</p>
<p>
glad we are not the only parents doing this type of thing. Good luck with the FA. </p>
<p>Cooker - congrats on coming ashore. I hope your D enjoys her years at St. Olaf. S is also attending a school I would never have guessed last year. Funny how things work out. I was telling a coworker yesterday about this group and how it made all the difference in how much aid S ended up getting at various schools. This group taught me how to find schools that would probably offer him aid, how to figure out at what schools he would probably get accepted, etc. We are in a happy place at house right now. </p>
<p>S just decided to go to prom. He is taking a girl he has lusted after for a long time. I am a little nervous, because she recently broke up with her boyfriend and I hope she doesn’t turn around before prom and get back together with this other guy. S was astounded at the cost of going to the prom: tickets, tux, flowers, limo, etc. H is very happy he really felt S would be missing out if he didn’t attend. I did not attend my HS prom and don’t feel any regrets, so I had no issues with S not going.</p>
<p>So jealous of all of you whose kids have made a decision! My D was deferred ED from her first choice and ultimately not accepted. All of her top choices were reaches and she was either denied or waitlisted. Initially, she was very upset. She always has high expectations of herself and aims high. But I would rather have that than no aspirations or apathy. She did, however, get accepted to some great schools. She was very thoughtful in choosing the schools she applied to; all are very similar in size and feel and I do believe she will fit in and be happy at any of them. She has narrowed them down to two plus one WL. She likes the one WL the best and I think she is having a difficult time getting excited about one of the others. We just revisited the one school (she saw it only during the Summer) and she is scheduled to see the other in a week and a half – she has never visited that school. I will hope for the best that she gets accepted off the waitlist, but of course, she has to choose another school. I told her she has done everything she can right now to let Admissions know how much she wants to attend their school, etc and now she needs to forget about it for a while. Take it off the table. Concentrate on the other two. But I get the eye glare and " Mom, you’re asking too many questions" any time I try to bring up the subject. I know she is the one who has to go through the whole decision process. And I would be more than happy to see her at either school. But, UGH, this has been such a long, drawn out process; I don’t want her agonizing on April 30!</p>
<p>I guess this post is just a vent, but I know you guys understand! ; )</p>
<p>^ Hugs to U Spinart.</p>
<p>Our student has a close friend who applied to a wide range and many selective schools.
The student has some nice choices, yet like your student, isn’t over the moon about any of them.
A very accomplished student, I know this person will be VERY successful wherever they land…yet right now I think the pressure of “choosing” feels so intense.</p>
<p>All the parents here understand. Glad to have you join us! Vent here in safety :)</p>
<p>^^^^ Spinart- Yes, yes we do. </p>
<p>No news here, which I guess is good enough news. We are riding high on the waves, not seasick yet.</p>
<p>@spin art: vent away…this is absolutely the right place for that.
It’s so nice to see the closure as kids arrive at their choices. And the relief!
We should have a cyberparty on May 1st.</p>
<p>As for prom, it’s big deal where I live. Usually there’s 100% attendance of the senior class. It ends up costing an arm and a leg, but I look at it as a gift for all of the hard work they’ve put in. I try to minimize as many expenditures as possible. Limo? No way. There are plenty of other “cool” but free options.
There are usually after-parties, and I am nervous about that, but will assess when I know the final plans.</p>
<p>Wow! You are right, buffet line is getting shorter, and the deck chairs, take your pick! Ds has assured me that he will have all the info to make a decision this Sat. Mind you this is 2 wks before the deadline and you know he will meet the deadline by a hair - not with 2 wks to spare, that is just silly. Unfortunately, his choice is down to the 2 cheapest options - kicked UMiami off the boat for not serving food at their admitted students “event” and the fact that his hair doesn’t like humidity, and being a sr. boy, apparently it is ALL about the hair. So we are down to Rutgers and Pitt. Wish Pitt had given him a full ride, because then, I would make the decision and be done. But…they didn’t so I can’t. 
Please join me in a prayer for clear skies over Pittsburgh for Fri. (30% chance of rain won’t help matters here). My biggest concern is I won’t be there to filter dh’s temper and he and ds don’t always get along. There is a ton of stress over finances and work right now so dh isn’t always on his best behavior. Oh well, it is only 2 days, what could happen? (cue: gilligan’s island music) Spinart - welcome aboard!</p>
<p>Yes, prom is big here too. And maybe why my d has been more focused on that instead of college …and appropriately so , at least for the time being! Her prom was last week and she is going to another prom this weekend. And happy she is having some fun this year after all her hard work and creating nice memories of HS. It’s a treat for me to see her put on heels and a gorgeous dress instead of cleats and sweats!</p>
<p>Looks like we are done! Son is going to Columbia as John Jay scholar and is thrilled - it was one of his top two choices (if not THE top choice) from the start. Was painful to turn down his other top choices, Dartmouth and Duke (though it was always more mom than him that found these more traditional campus type schools appealing). Most painful of all, for me, was his decision not to pursue the Harvard waitlist. I was all for giving it a shot, in our area quite a few legacy kids are pulled off that waitlist in the summer. But he said Columbia was definitely his first choice and H was my school, it was time for him to choose his. Finally got through to mom… He is going to Columbia! And of course nice for us to have him stay so close (less than an hour away) and at a place where we know several professors and others. So DONE (or as my son said, mom, this nightmare is officially finished).</p>
<p>Congrats to Cooker and her D on St. Olaf! My D has decided on Carleton, so perhaps we’ll run into each other (probably unknowingly!) in Northfield sometime …</p>
<p>A big CONGRATULATIONS for those of you who have made it off the boat and onto dry land!</p>
<p>And for the rest of you, in a year, the seasickness will be a distant memory…</p>
<p>Wow! And congrats to Aniger’s S on Columbia!</p>
<p>Spinart, many of us empathize with you here. We also did the “lot of reaches” and had a deferral in the ED round, then a mix of results in RD (with LOTS of waitlists). We were really lucky in that one of my D’s top options came through, and that has made getting off the SS Indecision a joyous occasion. But I feel for those who are still on board without exactly the hoped-for options. It sounds like your D has some other great possibilities and she will undoubtedly do well at whatever spot she ends up. And in the meantime, concentrating on prom is a great idea!</p>