Congrats @93pilots on your son’s brave choice! Hope you can find some time to go celebrate the accomplishment!
You guys are making me paranoid about my 12 year old water heater.
@93pilots Congratulations! I hope your son will be very content at Reed. My aunt and uncle used to live near Reed so I have been aware of and curious about it for years. I, too, look forward to hearing about his freshman year.
@93pilots Congrats on Reed! I hope S loves it!
@DMVmom What MSU orientation is your S attending? Right now, S17 is signed up for July 11-12, but I may change it based on work stuff. Technically, since we’re from far enough away, he can do the late orientation and move into his dorm early, but that puts him into scrounging for his non-major classes (although he is honors college, so he could get some help from that). Also (and more importantly to him) the late orientation is on his 18th birthday, and he’d prefer to spend the day meeting and hanging out with new friends after move in day… I think I’ll stay for the parent orientation, but I may wander off and visit some friends in Detroit.
And we ended up with a little water in our basement, too last night–it was quite a monsoon around here, and the drainage around our house is iffy, so we’re used to dealing with it-just a pain, though…
S17 came home after day 2 of the IB Bio exam and fell asleep for 4.5 hours–I had to wake him at 7:30 to get him to eat some dinner. Tomorrow and Thur are IB English, then I guess he has a “normal” day on Friday before next week goes back to being insane again. He seems to think exams are going ok, though. And IB Bio won’t help because he already has a 4 on AP Bio. IB English MAY give him credit, but he has to take his major’s special writing sequence anyway, then AP Calc, IB French, and IB Psych could actually give him more credits. I’m not sure about history because he already has AP credit from AP World and APUSH…
Good advice, @DMVmom. We inherited the water heater and weren’t sure how long it was supposed to last. DH had put a large pan under it, but mistakenly did not point the water outlet opening Towards the drain, instead of the wall, with our carpeted family room on the other side! Soggy lesson learned. The water did not do too much damage, though because we had a moisture alarm on the water heater. Just wish someone had been home when it went off! We would have caught it sooner. S17 came home and thought the loud shrieking alarm was the CO2 detector, and our house was about to blow up! :-SS
So a little water damage wea not too bad!
@morningside95 --thanks for the pep talk! I’ve really heard only good things about the school, so I hope it suits my S. Its a school that he visited on his own, so it’s kind of strange neither of us parents have seen it (same for the top 4 on his list–hmmmm). I have joined the parent FB page, but so busy at work that I haven’t had a chance to focus on it.
S17 did get into some good schools, and was rejected by plenty too (more than I’ve posted–he aimed high and braced himself for rejection).
@93pilots --congrats to your Reedie!!!
@DMVmom --congrats on MSU, and joining @MSU88CHEng as a Spartan parent!
@eandesmom --hang in there for the busy end of school. Our marching band does not practice in the Spring at all.
So, S17 casually said he wasn’t going to do the advance work for AP Comp Sci Principles exam, since he said none of the schools are giving credit for it. It took me a day or two before I had the time to check last night, and nope!! WashU gives credit (for a 5). Deadline to get the work in was Monday, but S17 got super lucky and there had been some type of problem wth the site to upload the work so the deadline was extended today! It’s in and done.
@Hankster1361 - wohoo - Congrats to your Son on. WashU! <:-P
@93pilots - wohoo - Congrats to your Son on Reed! <:-P
@DMVmom - wohoo - Congrats to your DC on MSU! <:-P
I’ve gotten way behind on this thread, but read through everything quickly to see the outcomes!!
Quickly admitting that I also was helping CoyoteSon with all the declines, and waited til almost midnight on May 1 to let Carleton go…
Gotta run!
@jmek15 Great day to take advantage of a reward day off school. Is this a reward the school gives? Sorry about cringing about the nuts. Our school doesn’t have any nut free spaces that I know about. Sorry to hear about his nut allergies. But for those who aren’t allergic to nuts it’s a good way to get quick protean that doesn’t go bad in the sun. Whatever food he brought couldn’t be brought into the testing area, so it needed to be quick to eat & something he could leave in the car.
@93pilots. Congrats on the decision. Reed is a wonderful choice. That’s the school I now wish I had my son look at and apply. But I thought he didn’t have a chance at. It’s where I wish I had applied back in the day… My best friend who was a grade below me went to Reed and loved it. OH well water under the bridge.
Congrats on the great decisions rolling in here!
IB test #2 for TacoSon today. As he was leaving, he said something about how he wouldn’t mess this one up. THIS one? Well, if you recall, he had a huge Benadryl hangover just before his first IB test last week. Apparently, the test instructions were to answer one question per section. TacoSon answered EVERY question per section. So the question is – is Benadryl a performance-enhancing drug for him, or will we learn every essay will sound like it’s coming from someone stoned?
I can understand your feelings, @Hankster1361. That must feel strange for your son to be headed to a school you’ve never visited, in person. If you want to get a feel for the students, check out their reviews at: https://www.■■■■■■■■■/colleges/washington-university-in-st-louis Which is the ■■■■■■■■■ site, and Niche.com also has a lot of reviews.
Due to some craziness in our family, my DH never saw Grinnell, until we went to visit our S16, for Family Weekend. (Due to S17 car accident injuries, someone had to stay home with him, but at least we all made it for FW, although with S17 wheelchair-bound he couldn’t go up to S16’s 3rd floor, to check out his c.1921 dorm room. 
) Anyway… Before FW, DH did “walk” around the campus & surrounding neighborhood online; via YouTube videos and Street-view on Google Maps! Give it a try, if you have not, already. I’ve heard that the Wash U campus is beautiful. AND I looked at the Princeton Review and it has a mother-load of great news:
Colleges That Create Futures
Colleges That Pay You Back
Green Colleges
Best Campus Food - #9
Best Career Services - #11
Best College Dorms - #1
Best College Library - #16
Best Quality of Life - #15
Best Science Lab Facilities - #18
Best-Run Colleges - #5
Impact Schools - #12
Top 25 Entrepreneurship: Ugrad - #10
Top 50 - Colleges That Pay You Back - #27
Top 50 Green Colleges
Hopefully HanksterSon is getting to know his future classmates, through their Class of 2021 FB page, too!
:-bd
Thanks for the congrats and pep talks about Reed. I really hope it works out for my son. It’s the place that intrigued him and scared him all at the same time.
He has to read The Iliad over the summer. I said I’d read it with him in solidarity. Having now glanced at the thing…I feel old and tired (and maybe a little addled). Yikes.
@curiositycat333 I think Reed and UCSC share a vibe to this day and our kids’ experiences may not be all that different in the end, who knows? I really like UCSC too, it’s the only UC I (unsuccessfully) pushed S to apply to.
@tacocat333 that is a fascinating–and somewhat alarming–data point about Benadryl. Who knew???
Awww…the Iliad. Our kids had to read that in Honors English 9. The HE9 teacher (who also teaches AP Lit, Theater Tech and Drama) is very much a Dead Poets Society kind of teacher…where kids worship him and might follow him off a cliff. Or to NYC on a drama trip. (doesn’t hurt that he looks a bit like Goran Visnjic in a slightly more artsy way).
But anyway…
His whole thing in 9th grade is that he is going to make the kids LOVE the Iliad. And you know what? They do. He made it fun, interesting, and engaging.
You know what though? A little fear is ok. After all of S’s drama on Sunday, he flat out said that a little fear is good for him, and motivated him. Which for him…is a sign of maturity to actually 1) realize that and 2) care enough to have it actually “work”!
As I took S to the AP Lit test today he tells me, “you realize I am skipping 5th period right?” You know…because his hand will HURT after writing 3 essays at the test. And it’s set building in theater tech.
Yeah…not buying it dude (but not really caring if he skips it either to be honest). He’s not one to cut and it’s pretty standard, depending on what that following class is so I am picking my battles.
Class of 2018 parent dropping in to say congratulations to all of the parents and students! You inspire me! Hoping we have similar success a year from now. @93pilots, I live in Portland and Reed is such an impressive school–not only in intellectual exploration, but in beauty. The campus is quite close to the vibrant Woodstock neighborhood where you can find great restaurants and coffee shops. I have a good friend who is a professor there–your son will be in good hands and will be well supported. Congrats!
We don’t have a roommate but we apparently have Thanksgiving break plans! Close friend of S’s is headed to Muhlenberg and has NYC family. They will meet for the long weekend. It will be a nice dose of “home” for both boys I think and a more relaxing break for S than going to a “new” friend’s house. They figured it all out on their own and informed the mom’s. LOL!
@tacocat333 - I guess you’ll find out the full “Benadryl Affect,” once you get the test results back!
@93pilots oldest son had to read the Iliad in hs also. I dreaded it because it’s not his typical type of book but his teacher made him love it. I can’t say the same would happen with S17. I had to read it in hs and again in college and hated it both times.
@tacocat333 hopefully the “Benadryl Affect” just made him work at a better pace and the results are stunning! I know it can make some people hyper.
Slightly off topic, S17 e-mailed the Valpo track coach with his most recent times and was offered to try out for the team in the fall. Also asked to make it a point to meet up with the coach when he first arrives in the fall. Not sure if this is really good news or just a coach saying - sure I’ll give you a shot but don’t expect much? Anyone have any ideas? It’s hard to compare the team’s current times with hs times as the events my son runs change at the college level (hurdle height increases and distance changes)
@morningside95 @Hankster1361 My DH never say my older D’s university till graduation. He had been in the city many times. My parents saw my D at it shortly after she started, and I sent to see it multiple times. It was on the other coast and oddly my husband spend the 4 years never needing to travel there during the school year. He just trusted us that it was the right school.
Prom is this Saturday, but S17 has never shown any interest, and would roll his eyes if I even mentioned it. Until TODAY, when he asked about taking $ out to rent a tux–yes, 3 days before prom! Supposedly, its a big group going together, but he was tight lipped when I asked if a girl was involved. I asked if he needed to get flowers, and he said, “I don’t think so.” I spelled it out to him that if there is a girl, he needs flowers… And I’m turning this one loose on the world next year? YIKES!
There’s also a “last bash” for their high school right after the graduation ceremony–games, food, a hypnotist, door prizes, from ~9pm to 5am. Its a cool party for them, and a good way to know they’re safe.
I saw my older daughter’s university twice: when we moved her in at the beginning of her first year and at graduation. She didn’t visit it until after she was accepted. She had a wonderful time in college.
@MSU88CHEng if it’s a group thing he may not need flowers.
Good luck on tux turnaround