What state is your school district located that accepted these students off the waitlist? I’m in a high school in state by the Madison area that I know many students from my school are attending Madison and a good amount of them were waitlisted as well. Would this suggest good chances?
D chose not to room in the Honors LLC. She picked a traditional all female dorm with the top floor of female engineering students in LLC. She picked this because her major in EE is appox 85- 90% male and she wanted to have an easier time making female friends.
As far a room mates: The room mate (the one I found on Patio) and her parents came to town for a wedding. We had dinner and D and the girl hit it off, both are the disciplined, academically focused type (both EE majors) but different in that the girl is active in church, early riser, and neater. D: atheist, not a morning person, ADHD—not so neat. However, Both are excited about tailgates, games and band.
3 Likes
Are you all getting Thanksgiving flights yet? If not, get on it. We are paying way more to get D home than we’d like. It’s pricey out there!
2 Likes
Illinois and I’ve heard that Wisconsin took a lot more kids from our area this year because of state funding issues there (something we’re used to here) and they really want the OOS money. No idea if that’s true or not, but to have 30+ kids going there is insane. My son who graduated high school in 2015 had only about 15 even get into Madison and this year everyone seems to have gotten in, including kids that this would have been considered a HUGE reach for.
I thought about it, but always seem to change them around because they always seem to have professors that cancel classes and want to then come home the friday before, so i’m waiting this year. Thankfully my son can take a train or get a ride!
2 Likes
Son doesn’t want one but we had one two years ago for my girls and we did college colors and that was fun and sort of one color in common so we had some overlap. Biggest waste of money though were the big balloon letters they wanted. If I did it again I would skip those for sure.
1 Like
Here is our little tradition that I established with my older two and am continuing with my current graduate-- I decorate in high school colors during the day leading up to graduation (or the night before depending on timing). Cupcakes or cookies decorated in high school colors, maybe some balloons along with the standard ‘2021 Graduate’ stuff. Then after the graduation ceremony I switch it over to the college colors (balloons, a cake, plates/cups, etc.) It’s basically my kitchen table area, so it’s not like I’m switching an entire backyard or anything, but they love the symbolism 
8 Likes
I like this idea, the party is in July so I could do college colors and so HS colors for the dinner after graduation.
1 Like
Neither of my two kids (D18 currently at a large public and S21 who will be attending a small LAC this fall) were interested at all in living in an LLC. They each felt an LLC would be too constraining for them in some ways. For D18 at the large public, an LLC was optional in every way. She was not interested in the academic focus of any of the LLCs and wanted the freedom to spend her “extra” time on her particular area of academic interest and have the flexibility to be with students of her own choosing. At S21’s small college, LLC’s are based on various first-year preceptorials. All freshmen are required to enroll in a preceptorial class of their chosing. However, a freshman can decide whether or not they want to live in an LLC with other students who are taking the same preceptorial. S21 is mildly interested but not super passionate about the preceptorial, so he felt it may not necessarily be the best matches of students for him to share a dorm with.
We are doing an outdoor party also. No DJ, just Spotify play list.
For food we are doing BBQ, smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and all the sides. I am also having an elote, agua fresca and paleta stand.
7 Likes
Yeah, we’re doing one! I never thought we would, but they rolled back all of the restrictions because our county is leading the state in vaxes. I already warned my D that I plan to drink one too many and tell ALL of the embarrassing stories.
2 Likes
What’s on the playlist?
Our party is a combo with a few of her friends, so I doubt I get any impute!
Thank you for making me look at D21’s academic calendar in detail. I don’t know what we’re going to do. She has 10 days off. We can’t afford to fly her home and back for Thanksgiving and then again in December/January. Ugh. Similar story with spring break. The complications of going to college 2800 miles from home! Ideas, anyone?
Mix of country, hip hop, and Latin music.
1 Like
Some of the kids around here never come home for TG or Spring break. They always have a friend within driving distance that invites them to their house.
2 Likes
We set the date today for D21’s graduation party. Late June, light on food, heavy on drinks. Those who want to stay later-mostly my HS friends, will get pizza. For D18 we did half cupcakes HS, half college. For D21 both schools have same mascot and colors- win/win!!!
Both girls did LLC. For D18 it was the OOS, for D21 it will be the undeclared program. D21 could have chosen the honors, but she took one look at the dorm and said no thank you!
Mileage credit cards! Usually they’re free for the first year, you spend a certain amount and you get a huge amount of bonus miles, and you get first bag checked for free. Saves a lot of money. My daughter qualified for a Delta Amex and it has really added up in savings. Between that and using American miles (just cost my other one only 10k miles to fly home) it has saved a lot. Also, for Thanksgiving my one in Ithaca and Jan we had my daughter fly back on Saturday instead of Sunday. Mainly for weather reasons, but also the price was about half as much in airfare. She was able to get back and settle in and not stress and had been home for a good amount of time so missing a few hours with us was not a big deal.
2 Likes
S21 didn’t want us doing a party but he says one of his friends is organizing something for after graduation (kids only).
Was just talking with some friends yesterday who also have boys who don’t want a party with parents. We decided we need to have a parents-only “we made it” party LOL. So we’ll do that a week or so after graduation.
5 Likes
Microfridge question – my daughter rented the microfridge thing. I honestly don’t remember it having a microwave and she isn’t responding to me. It was gross and I spent no less than an hour cleaning the thing. The inside was clean, but the rest of the unit, was nasty. The back coils had food and plastic silverware stuck in them. I am a heeby jeeby person so the fact that I was on the floor wearing gloves cleaning this says a lot about how much I love my kid, lol.
Anyway, is it worth getting both? I think for Michigan people are saying to order them now to rent as the place runs out soon and the company doing them had brand new ones 2 years ago so I feel much better about it being clean, especially with last year being a covid year. I’m not interested in buying one even if it’s slightly more because I don’t want to have to deal with getting rid of or selling it later, especially as I’ve learned what could happen if you have to vacate a dorm quickly like we did in covid.
So, bottom line. Fridge only or fridge with the microwave? This is for a boys room. My son likes to eat popcorn but other than that he doesn’t make a lot in the microwave. He will eat cold pizza, doesn’t like easy mac and not sure how much ramen he might eat, but I don’t see it being a bad thing having one unless people think just wasted space.
1 Like
We are throwing a graduation party this Sunday. There will be 35 kids and we are having it outdoors (I’m on an acre and I have a pool). There is a core group of parents who usually take turn hosting throughout the years and we all pitch in–5 families. All the kids are vaccinated because I personally made 75% of their appointments and I know their parents are vaccinated. There is one (S21’s ex) who hasn’t cleared 2 weeks post 2nd dose, but she’s the only one. For these things we like to do a big group because then it allows the kids who usually don’t get celebrations to be celebrated.
One of the parents is in charge of photo props. He and I usually take the photos where I do artsy ones and he does the formal ones. He got a grad backdrop and I got a bunch of fun Class of 2021 grad photo booth like things. Someone else is in charge of balloons and lots of them. I told them all to bring cap and gown to take pix since some will be graduating in the earlier group. We didn’t pick school colors because we’re cheap and we are hoping we can use the same community back drop for college grad, match day, etc. LOL.
As for Thanksgiving, I think S21 will stay at Brown. The hassle of Thanksgiving travel, weather, etc., and the one-week turnaround time is too much, so I’m likely going to have him stay on campus and try to find a Friendsgiving.
6 Likes