It was a one-on-one Zoom interview with a recent alumnus. S got her first name only. I like the idea of sending the administrator (an AO) a quick 2-3 sentence thank you with something about fit, as you suggest.
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My kids are the same way. They opted for virtual vs hybrid (doubt we would get hybrid) since it would mean going to school half the week and then sit in front of the Chrome book while in class.
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@rbc2018 Ahhh, not fun. But at 9 months old, at the belligerent teenage stage, my Labradoodle has gone off the rails and is crazy. I cannot tire him out!
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I was thinking about the initially puzzling timing of the UC fall openness announcement. I mean things are not going great here right now.
I read somewhere that they only had a marginal 2019/2020 attendance increase even though I believe acceptance percentages were up significantly for 2020. UCSC was like 25% higher if I remember correctly. Seems like they might be worried about summer melt (especially of OOS?) even though they have more apps. Just speculation on my part.
@STEM2017 I would absolutely have your S get the alumās last name and send a quick email thanking her for her time and mention a few points they discussed. An additional quick email to the AO should be sent to sent to thank him/her for the opportunity to interview and as @homerdog suggested, say why HC would be a good fit for your S, what excites him about HC and indicate his strong interest In the school.
I think people (not saying you!) tend to underestimate the importance of thank-you notes in general (college-related and otherwise). It is another piece of positive literature to add to his file. Just my opinion.
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Agree with everything you wrote! Thx
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Totally agree with all your points. One thing my hs son has liked about remote is that while his classes are pretty much all synchronous, he has said theyāre recorded so when he is studying he just goes back and rewatches the video of the teacher. He said last year this was a big help, especially when studying for the AP Exams because in real time in person if you missed what the teacher said, it was āoh wellā and youād have to follow up later. This method however, works only for kids good with time management who use it to help themselves and are looking to learn the materials.
I have seen in one of my college parent fb groups so many parents complain that for classes that are asynchronous, their students never watch the videos, and then you know most are probably not reading the required material either, then struggle even more, so once you fall behind youāre stuck. Many of that daughter of mine classes had group assignments and/or quizzes so there was usually some accountability to stay on top of things, but she did say plenty of kids were lazy too and not lifting their weight. Many of her classes count attendance in some form or another for at least 10% of the grade, but that was even before covid.
It does require professors and teachers to constantly be tweaking. I can only imagine how difficult it is for all. Not every student can manage remote so easily, and having been on the remote teaching side of things, it sucks from that perspective too. But, of course, plenty of teachers are taking advantage on that end as well and not doing their jobs either.
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That was the point of my response to that post. Like whatās the hurry of announcing it when CA is far from being in control with covid. My Aunt is 79/80 and has no idea when she will be able to get the vaccine. Itās a complete mess. At least wait 3 months to see if thereās significant improvement, but to do so now in January, just seems to be a little hasty. We all hope things are a million times better, but better to error on the side of caution than have to take back what you said in a few months.
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Iāll offer my perspective about the UC announcement.
If youāre the UC system and wait 3 months to announce your Fall 2021 plans, then that sounds like a ārudderless shipā to me. From about March through 5/1, students and their parents will be making commitments/decisions right up until the 5/1 SIR deadline. Theyāll potentially lose a lot of students both in-state and OOS applicants.
Also, itās January, theyāre just business plans based on their business forecasts. They can change their plans based on updated forecasts.
But hey, being the self-absorbed person that I am 
, if in-state and OOS students and parents donāt want to stay in/come to CA, then that can only help D21. Acceptance rates and aid awards should increase. 
BTW, interestingly, I just received an email from my health care provider about the Covid vaccine stating: āweāre expecting supplies to increase so that all adults in the United States can get vaccinated by late 2021.ā
One last thing, the greater Sacramento region has improved and thus has downgraded from purple to red. The NY Times Covid āheat mapā for Northern CA looks very similar to other parts of the country. SoCal not so much right now.
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Late 2021??? Fauci has said by summer there should be enough vaccine for anyone who want one.
As for the UCs, if they wait until after 5/1 and change their tune, thatās going to be some bad PR. UCs donāt allow gap years so those kids who committed will be stuck with whatever changes happen after theyāve sent their deposit.
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Iām fine with them sending me an email that says āALL adults will have the vaccine by late 2021.ā Iām sure they added ālate 2021ā to protect themselves from any complaints. I know Iāll be in the last group anyway. They donāt like me. 
Iāll bet the UCās have a their in-person attendance/vaccine plans and they donāt intend to change their minds. They must see a ālight at the end of the tunnel.ā I do too. Think positive, I want to go back to my gym.
Theyāre opening up a Covid vaccine supersite at Disneyland!
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/01/13/covid-vaccine-super-site-opens-at-disneyland-wednesday/
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āLate 2021??? Fauci has said by summer there should be enough vaccine for anyone who want one.ā
I guess Iām not the only one who caught that as well. The delay in vaccine administration has apparently pushed the needle even further out. This is so frustrating. The fact that Drās here are still not vaccinated and Independent Care people are not and weāre a month into this, tells us weāre behind. Guess we just have to sit and way.
@sushiritto Also, no hs kid has to decide on college until 5/1 so there is no reason for any school to come out on Jan 13 to say, weāre open for business as usual in Fall '21. Easier to say nothing and then say weāre in. I donāt blame your selfish reasons for wanting more money, but they definitely arenāt going to decide before 5/1 that they arenāt going back, so you probably wouldāve been better off having them not make any announcement.
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@srparent15 Every HS kid waits until 5/1? Gosh no. I completely disagree, at least not around here with my peers. Plenty of students will decide before the SIR deadline.
And I can speak for my kid, if CA University 1a or 1b, as I think I know them, accept her, then weāre sending our deposit ASAP. I might even send them two deposits, just in case.
Iām not into doom and gloom. And I wonāt make decisions about the next 4 years sitting in the āeye of the storm.ā As I said, Iām a positive thinker. Life will be much better in the coming months.
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They are likely announcing because kids are getting decisions for private uniās and they want to make sure the UCs are still in their minds as a possibility. They might also have some information about being able to prioritize vaccines for college students.
Although itās pretty popular to talk about how terrible CA is, things are moving along. All of the people I know who work in hospitals and dr offices have just received their second shots and this week others I know in the next sub-tier down are starting to get their first doses. I still have hope that college students will be in line by early summer.
Although we are a hot spot state now, I think 5th per capita, we are still 30th or so of states overall since it began. Not saying we are perfect by any means, itās all a big mess everywhere, but the state isnāt as doom and gloom as I am hearing on the internet.
I thought I would be about a month down the road for getting my turn but now that CA is prioritizing 65+ rather than 75+ it might take longer.
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FWIW, the UC Chancellor and Regent scholarships (the tippy top of UC acceptances) are typically released in February.
Edit: Michigan will release their EA decisions on or before 1/31. And USC releases some big scholarship decisions in February as well.
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@spaceaquarium Itās nationwide moving slowly not just there. Itās more the exponential growth of the virus and continued deaths etc. My son lives in SF and they canāt even go within the city freely at this time. But like you, hoping with the speed up and soon the DPA we can ramp this up and make up for lost time. My vaccine got pushed back a few weeks also. Iām just hoping it doesnāt keep getting pushed back, and more so hoping my parents can get theirs soon as our state hasnāt yet begun with the over people over 75 that live alone or in my parents case have a care giver.
@sushiritto Iām sorry you misunderstood me. I didnāt mean to imply every hs school kids waits until 5/1 and I certainly hope they donāt. None of mine ever have and I certainly hope this one doesnāt. But a lot have no choice but to wait until after April 1 and later because of the schools theyāre waiting on. Thereās also nothing wrong about being an optimist, but based on past history, thereās also nothing wrong with just being prepared because millions of parents were severely disappointed or felt scammed by colleges this past year over premature decisions to come back and then had the rugs pulled from under their kids when they did a 180. Trust me, I hope they all go back. I would love nothing more for all of our kids to have a normal experience they deserve.
Yes, Iām well aware of all of this, but neither USC or UM is a UC school, and UM had a lot of problems of their own with Covid this fall, and USC basically didnāt let kids on campus and USC only admits the kids they are giving scholarships to in that first batch. The majority of their admits come in the late March batch. So not sure what either of those has to do with UC making an announcement about opening or not.
Being a glass half empty person, Iām considering the possibility that UC is anticipating that the variants might blow up and if they announce before that is proven, are more covered if they change plans. If they never said they would try to open, people might not even consider attending and just assume they would just as soon scrap the whole year again. Their medical centers are part of the variant testing going on in the state so would be on their radar.
I just read an article stating that it may not be safe to fly with the variants spreading. Trying to be optimistic but plan B thoughts are creeping in. Iāve already dealt with the fact that I canāt go on the April tour trip if we decide itās ok for my son to fly. 
.
On the upside my husband got his second dose yesterday and felt pretty ok today. 
Every morning we check websites so we can try to get my dad an appointment ASAP. Also Iām enjoying not worrying about apps and glad my son will get a weekend off after next weekās finals. I wish we could do a little weekend escape for him but it will have to wait. Glad to hear things are good enough to be red up North.
First, I was responding to spaceaquarium, when he/she mentions āprivate uniās.ā Itās public and private uniās sending out decisions, which is why I added UMich and USC.
BTW, in prior years, as Iāve mentioned in the UMich thread, about 50% (8,000/16,000) of their acceptances should be released during EA, which this year is on or before 1/31.
And IIRC, about 2-3% ish of the early USC applicants (1,000-1,200) are offered scholarships in the month of February.
Anyway, my point is that there are āballs are in the air,ā public, private, UCās, etc. Ivy Day is usually late March. When decisions are being made by students and their families, itās a game of musical chairs. Decisions over āthereā affect decisions over āhere.ā Families are making decisions in February, March and April. Some may wait until the last moment. Again, itās my perspective about the UC announcement, agree, donāt agree. But I was responding to spaceaquarium.
Michigan had their problems for sure. But things are looking up there, the Big House is being used for vaccine inoculations and Gov. Whitmer is opening up indoor dining starting 2/1.
I get the feeling my responses donāt appeal to you for some reason. If so, please feel free not to respond to them/me. No harm/no foul.
@NateandAllisMom Iām so nervous about my kids flying back to school. One returns Monday and the other the following Monday. One has to quarantine per her school and some of the state requirements and have tests before leaving. The other doing nothing.
As for visits, some of the ones my son applied to are driving distance. I guess we could also go driving to others over Spring Break in March although not really ideal but I should at least be vaccinated by then but that doesnāt make me feel safe for my son or husband who wonāt be.
So awesome about your husband. People Iāve heard about getting second doses only 1 has had a real sore arm, no one else has had anything. Fingers crossed things keep going well. Good luck to your son on his finals (and decisions)!
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