Continuing the discussion from Parents of the HS Class of 2021 (Part 2) - #10092 by Twoin18.
Previous discussions:
So, my D21 is right there with many of your kids, not totally thrilled with her college result, but making the best decision she can with what she has. We are from CA, and she was unable to test, although her practice tests were all mostly perfectâŠso for her going TO was a crushing blow. She was admitted to the two big state flagships, as well as USC, but really wanted to spread her wings. She would have loved an IVY, but that was not to be. She had some nice offers with good merit, but in the end it is down to Georgetown vs. GW- honors program. I thought for sure she would choose Georgetown, but the community feeling and benefits of the honors program at GW is really speaking to her.
Was she able to visit pre-COVID? They are both great schools with different attributes and she seems to have good academic reasons to prefer GW. Honors programs can be great. However, GW doesnât have a strong campus feel, thereâs no dining hall, and if I remember correctly, it doesnât have enough housing to accommodate all students past the first year or two. Those factors might affect âcommunity feeling.â
Is there a significant cost difference?
Two great schools, good luck!
p.s. If she got into Cal and UCLA and USC, I doubt TO hurt her! What great results! For what itâs worth, in my community, I know of many TO applicants who did really well and high test scorers who did less well at highly selective schools. I think it will be a long time, if ever, when we know what effect this had, even given Selingoâs numbers. Holistic review is very difficult to analyze.
9 Likes
@sushiritto said:
And is there a cover charge at the âWaitlist Barâ?
Of course. You need to submit an essay on why you should be allowed to be at the WL bar and 2 letters of continued interest.
30 Likes
D21 going to take it right to the wire and then will add on undetermined additional time, as she is choosing to see what comes of her one WL school. Sheâs paralyzed with indecision and has been slowly chipping away at the list of her admits. Sheâs down to two viable options, but hasnât been able to let go of a third that is not financially going to happen. Sheâs a last minute procrastinator by nature, so this doesnât surprise me- but the tension around here really needs to dissipate soon!
22 Likes
Hang in there. S up until 2 am with English lit and an AP Calc test online yesterday afternoon. No time to look at college stuff. Often has homework due Friday night. Canât wait to get off this merry-go-round with a college choice by Saturday. After this senior year I think college will be a relief.
My S needs to consider the courses at the top 2 but college essay guy has great some last minute decision advice on his blog in case anyone needs it. How to Decide Where to Attend College
9 Likes
I like that College Essay guy says that, after the financials are figured out, you can make lists of pros and cons but if thatâs not working then go with your gut. I think thatâs hard for busy kids to do if they donât have time to just sit with their options for a while. Gut worked for S19. I hope it worked for D21. It really was how she got to her final decision.
6 Likes
@lastonefornow Those are great choices! @123Mom123 S21 is going to GW and theyâve visited there and may be able to provide you with insights.
1 Like
@Rue4 Iâm stressed out for her and for you! The good news is, if sheâs having a tough time deciding, that means theyâre great, no matter what she chooses. She did good by narrowing it down to two. Deselection to select is an important process, as my psych friends here can validate.
2 Likes
Dad is off today, sister at practice, and we are kidnapping him at a restaurant this afternoon. Hoping to seal the deal 
. I think it helps to get out of the house.
12 Likes
Weâre right there with you. D21 has it down to the top 3, will hopefully eliminate one by tonight and another by tomorrow. Do we have until midnight to make a deposit? I hope so!!!
haha! I agree! The good thing is that he doesnât seem stressed. Did he end up talking to anyone at Colgate about comp sci? I have to say that comp sci is a mystery to me when it comes to choosing a college. I could be wrong but comp sci curriculum, kind of like math curriculum, really isnât a big deal if the student intends to work after undergrad. Seems to matter more if one wants to get really deep into the weeds and then get a PhD. We never dug deep on the math classes for S19 and we donât think it will matter. Internships matter. And Colgate is really great in the career center department!
2 Likes
How big is the bouncer? 
11 Likes
Super duper late to jump in here, but hi! My daughter was actually a class of 2020 girl but she took a gap year, ended up reapplying to her top choice, and just committed last week. Sheâll be off to college as a freshman in the fall, so I figured this is probably the place I fit in best for her now. Sheâll be at LMU and is a dance major.
42 Likes
My S is taking his top 2 with him to the last minute, although I think heâs decided. Itâs the letting go heâs not quite ready to do. I am going to ask him to please check his portals and make sure he knows where the Accept button is before midnight tomorrow. 
11 Likes
She was not able to visit, which makes things more difficult. GW does guarantee housing for 3 years, and a perk of the honors program is 4 years of guaranteed housing in some of the nicer dorms. The honors freshman are housed at the Mount Vernon campus, which is a very traditional set-up, with lots of amenities and a dining hall. It would be a nice transition to life in the city. She actually likes the way the dining plan works at GW, and is excited to be able to try lots of local restaurants.
She did get a small merit scholarship at GW (I think most do), but the cost is not an issue in the decision.
I donât know what to make of the TO, but her older siblings were able to get into âmore prestigiousâ schools with lower stats than she hasâŠand I donât think it was her essays that were the problem, since we received two communications from AOs saying how much they liked her essay. (One was with an half-tuition merit award at Lehigh, and the other was an actual call from her AO at W&M). So hard to figure this all out!
Your post came at just the right moment for me. My son is probably not going to accept any offer this year and take a gap year. Do you mind me asking how your daughter spent the year, this is all new to me.
Congratulations to your daughter on her acceptance!
1 Like
Thanks! Iâll will PM her!
My daughter spent her gap year in a ballet company as a professional company trainee. It was an unpaid position, but included free training and performances, and experience working behind the scenes of a studio/company. She took one class at a CC for fun in the fall before canceling at her original school, and I definitely do not recommend that. She lost the ability to apply as a freshman this year due to that single course. Of course, at the time she thought it would just transfer to the school she had planned to go to⊠so⊠lesson learned to make a decision like this before doing something like that. Ha!
4 Likes
Shockingly, S21 is not making us wait till the last possible moment for his decision! He committed to Vassar this morning. Heâs leaning toward taking a gap year (which we encouraged), so he actually wonât start till next fall. So nice to have the pieces fall into place, finally!
40 Likes
Last update - my kid who was WL from CalPoly and admitted to Stanford REA, got off the WL and was accepted CS with a Cal Poly Merit scholarship. It happened some time ago but he did not think it was important enough to inform us. Unfortunately, it is now too late to get excited about this offer.
9 Likes