^^^ Oops good thing we aren’t applying there. #:-S
Not applying either! Too much work for my kid.
Your College Joke of The Day:
A bank robber pulls out gun points it at the teller, and says, “Give me all the money or you’re geography!” The puzzled teller replies, “Did you mean to say ‘or you’re history?’” The robber says, “Don’t change the subject!”
Speaking of jokes, here is mine, slightly modified to fit the topic:
During a college admission interview, an interviewer, frustrated by applicant’s answers, asks:
- Do you know what this interview is supposed to be?
- Yes, sir, it’s a conversation between two intelligent people.
- And what if one of these people is an idiot?
- Then the other one won’t be offered admission at the university, sir.
I wouldn’t read into Naviance too closely – it’s impossible to identify hooked applicants on the scattergrams.
Basically I agree with @fencingmom. And it’s not just about who may genuinely be hooked and who isn’t. You can only guess about course rigor, strength of recommendations, essay, any additional honors/extracurriculars/awards, and so on - all the things that actually DO factor in at any college that isn’t just numbers driven.
The innate desire to compare, to seize something tangible in all of this is a fool’s errand. A chimera. Isn’t that why we are all here -on CC – to tease, cleve, coax some sense of order – to convince ourselves, to align ourselves, to see ourselves. We may not be able to achieve any of that, but we can feel less isolated in the search for it.
@fencingmom I’m here for the pie.
I’m a little nervous about our upcoming Boston trip since it’s marathon week. I’m thinking there will be traffic gridlock. MIT’s site has that there won’t be campus tours because of the expected crowds. So, these questions are for any current or former Bostonians (Bostonites?). What is marathon week like? How’s the traffic and parking near the universities? We’ll be arriving on the day after the marathon and staying at a hotel about 10 miles away from BU in order to save on costs but if driving around will be crazy we may need to stay closer and take mass transit.
The Monday holiday will be a bit crazy because of the actual marathon but because it’s public school vacation week I would say traffic will be a bit lighter that normal. Many families travel during that week so less commuters as well. Which colleges are you planning to visit?
@MAandMEmom Thanks for responding. We’re mainly there for Boston University but thought we’d check out MIT and Harvard, too even though they’re not currently on his list.
@SoccaMomma we did the BU tour a couple of weeks ago. I suggest getting the ParkBoston app in advance so you easily pay for parking if necessary. There are maps online that will tell you the max time you can park in any spot. Many are two hours, which is not enough. There are four hour meters near the BU bridge, which isn’t too far from where the admissions visit starts.
@SoccaMomma One vote here for a closer hotel and public transit. It is so so easy to get to all of the Boston/Cambridge schools on the T.
@bigmacbeth 
Certainly not to tease out some sense of order since I am just not that vested in the process. Keep it real and the process is not complicated.
Thanks @Aida we’re definitely thinking about it.
@MAandMEmom Would you mind sharing your experience and impressions of BU from your visit? Did you do the info session and tour or more? Thanks for tip about parking. One of the days we plan to stay for dinner nearby and a School of Music’s ensemble performance so we’ll definitely be over the 4 hour limit.
@SoccaMomma we’ve spent a lot of time at the athletic facilities and I’m an alum (grad school) so BU wasn’t exactly new to us. BUT, D20 has not spent any time at the east part of the campus where many of the academic buildings are located. I can say she really liked everything about the campus even though it’s really one long strip. Diversity is important to her and I think she felt it there. The dining options seemed plentiful and well placed. She’s spending an overnight there next month so I guess I’ll have a better idea of her additional thoughts then.
We really like the Residence Inn Back Bay/Fenway, which is right around the corner from BU.
@SoccaMomma BU alum here. Yes, I agree that if there’s a way for you to get a hotel that has easy access to the T, that is probably your best bet for getting around Boston. There are a few T stops that go right through the campus. Driving and parking in Boston can be a hassle even on a normal day.
I just visited BU today. I’m staying with a friend but another friend who joined us stayed at the Hotel Commonwealth which is just .5 mile away from where the tour starts. She and her son walked from the hotel in the snow, so I’m sure walking from the hotel in April would be just fine. Easier than trying to park! The hotel seemed reasonable for Boston - she said about $170 including a really good breakfast. Though I have no doubt prices go up when the weather is nice and around Marathon time especially. In fact, hotels may be booked months in advance so if you haven’t got a reservation yet, I’d hop on that.
Isn’t Uber or Lyft an option in Boston? I rarely rent a car nowadays when in large cities.
Speaking of BU, if anyone knows about BU’s RISE program, I would appreciate the feedback. My son applied to it this year and is waiting to hear whether he got accepted.