Good wishes to the families that don’t have a decision yet. The good news is this is the last weekend you’ll have to stress over it 
And we have a winner! See new avatar.
←Joining the new temporary avatar party, with a (subtly) Muhlenberg-themed lotus flower.
^ Pretty!
I’ll chime in here so you all can see my avatar designed by @MotherOfDragons . Congratulations to all who have decisions and good vibes to those whose DC are still mulling things over!
All of these new avatars are so confusing. :o3 :-? :-??
Best wishes to those families still trying struggling to pick a college. I’m 100% sure it will be the right choice…as Tom Petty once sang…no second thoughts!
*We’ll drive for the line
Now there’s nothing to be lost
You and I will cross over
With no second thoughts
We’ll drive for the line
Now there’s nothing to be lost
You and I will cross over
With no second thoughts
Dreams fade hope dies hard
She cups her eyes and looks out at the stars
Says “I feel we’ve traveled very far”
Yeah yeah ooh yeah yeah
Yeah yeah ooh yeah yeah
Yeah yeah ooh yeah yeah*
@soxmom @dfbdfb Our S19 received a version of that Grinnell letter as well. In our version, it says that the daughter chose Grinnell and started school there before her father (the Dean) worked there. They lived in Kentucky when she started at Grinnell. Later on, the family moved to Iowa and he took a job with Grinnell. Just thought that info makes the letter a little less off-putting.
Congrats to all decisions so far! And when you contemplate dorm shopping, remember that all that stuff needs to come back home! Less is more.
I recommend to try and go minimal and then parents can bring extra things on parent weekend, or there’s Amazon student prime to the rescue 
what my D found necessary:
backrest pillow
shower caddy
ethernet cable (more reliable than wifi in some dorms)
laptop
flashdrive
big calendar
first aid kit with OTC meds
ramen cooker for microwave (they have them at Walmart, it’s a small black plastic rectangular bowl)
reusable water bottle
command hooks
surge protector
It’s official – D committed to UCLA last night, deposit has been paid, etc. Now I can worry about whether she’ll get the theme housing she wants and whether we’ve submitted all the transcripts and test scores they require.
Congrats @dustypig ! Go Bruins! (except against Cal)
DC committed to Harvard after visiting on their accepted students weekend last weekend. I can’t figure how to change my logo…
@mommokap DC is not gay but the considerations you bring up about truly digging beneath the surface to see if your DC can find their people was on our mind during this whole process. I remember a lesbian mom saying years ago at an elementary school presentation, " I don’t want my kid to be merely tolerated - I want him to be celebrated". We have pondered where our DC could express their own idiosyncrasies and passions and find like minded peers… Our DC met many other open minded and quirky peers on his visit. I hope that this same excitement carries throughout the next 4 years…
@NerdMom88, I have been away for a couple of days and just caught up. You have an interesting dilemma on your hands, and I respect very much the thoughtful post by @mommokap. It is all quite thought provoking. Your insights were amazing.
The last thing you need is another opinion, so I will remain silent, and wait to hear what you choose. Best wishes, and good luck.
Congrats on all the other great schools that were chosen. @LoveTheBard, hope you get your wish, but there is no bad choice here.
Ok, fine. I’m just a lurker, but you’ve shamed me into changing my avatar.
@soxmom @dfbdfb : What @homerdog said. Also, I can actually say I had a similar experience (can’t speak for my kid). We had visited a LOT of schools. Tour and info session for each. I was thoroughly blase about the whole thing. Grinnell was different, and I knew it almost immediately. Refreshing. Your mileage may vary, but I wouldn’t put too much weight on that letter and how it hit you. (Also, personally, I find the writer trends a little salesy … unlike every single other person I’ve encountered there.)
D17 got the same Grinnell email. I just mentally filed it as yet another silly and meaningless marketing ploy that was just a notch below the silly poem that Swarthmore just sent to D (Had Swat perhaps acknowledged – or better yet addressed – our financial aid appeal it might have been more effective. Had they given D their full-ride McCabe Scholarship, it would have been more effective still!), or Kenyon’s near daily reminder emails with links to interviews from actors and writers (I love Allison Janney but don’t need to hear her talk about her first theatrical experiences in college), or Duke telling us what we can do with the whopping $1,000 in merit that they offered D (I can tell them what THEY can do with $1,000!).
The thing about Grinnell is that I do think that it’s the kind of place you can develop a strong opinion about pretty quickly. They flew D in for a one day visit and she got a good enough sense to know that it would be a great social fit than USC (dare I say USCali??), which she had visited the day before, but that it lacked strength in the programs that interested her.
Thanks, @BigPapiofthree. I wish the same (but opposite) for @Testingearly
@gr8pl8, yes, S is at Stanford admit weekend. Should be wrapping up soon.
@WhatSally, what made your D choose Harvard?
@robNNN, @Testingearly, and @gr8pl8 - How is it going at Stanford’s Admit Weekend?
@picklesarenice and @websensation - are your kiddos there as well?
(I’m seeking a vicarious thrill).
I assume S is enjoying himself at admit weekend, based on the lack of communication from him.