<p>Lots of experienced voices on this thread, which is always nice to see. I think coming here to vent was a huge relief to me, but you have to be careful. Some of the stats on here can drive your confidence down and make the wait even heavier. But it is also true that things usually work out pretty darn well in the end. </p>
<p>Do not underestimate the stress your student is also under even if they aren’t showing it. I’ve had three kids go through this and it wasn’t until the first acceptance came in the mail that they each admitted how nervous and scared they had been. I honestly thought they had almost forgotten about them based on their lack of talking about it.</p>
<p>So, I don’t know what the answer is there because trying to let them know it’s ok to be nervous seems to relay doubt and telling them they don’t need to be nervous seems to also tick them off. It’s a time full of eggshells and time bombs for sure. </p>
<p>But the truth is… once the applications are done and in the mail, it is completely out of everyone’s hands except admissions. The upside is after they do their part, THEY get to do the waiting.</p>
<p>Sigh…this was last year for me. I know it is hard, but try to enjoy spending time with your child because before you know it, they will be away at school, and even though you will be happy for them, the house will feel emptier. A year from now you will be impatient about them coming home for the holidays!</p>
<p>This site was a blessing and a curse. Seemed like every kid had straight A’s in all AP’s, perfect test scores, amazing ec’s, cured cancer, etc. </p>
<p>I thought we did pretty good research and unfortunately hubby and I found “the” one. S actually assured me if all else failed and he ended up at community college he’d be okay. </p>
<p>I mean c’mon - 18 years putting all our love and time and energy and some faceless stranger reads a file and determines their fate? At the time it seemed like everything in the world to me. </p>
<p>So I came here, I paced a lot, I cried, okay - I drank. Then to make myself better I found a few common app schools to just throw in apps. I drove the gc nuts. </p>
<p>Once the first yes came through I started to breathe again. S ended up switching to ed2 and it was a school that didn’t release decisions online - it came snail mail. I’ll never forget the moment of my getting that envelope - plain, tyvek 8 x 10 but thin - only one piece of paper in there! And his hands just shook so much he could hardly open the envelope, then he was so nervous he couldn’t understand he was accepted until he saw the car decal come out. </p>
<p>Now he’s in school and last year is just a faint memory I appreciate that he is in the school we thought was “the one”. But I also get in ways I didn’t last year that he’d have thrived in a lot of places.</p>
<p>Soon the power will shift back to you all -where you get to decide and hopefully you have some choices.</p>
<p>My all time favorite video - the waiting game from [url=<a href=“http://www.ryanschoen.com/college.html]the”>College]the</a> applicant’s point of view<a href=“originally%20submitted%20to%20and%20posted%20on%20the%20MIT%20admissions%20blog”>/url</a>.</p>
<p>I found this amazing, really expensive ice cream . . . cures anything! (including the waiting game blues)</p>
<p>But my son’s going to be home in a few days, so I have to dispose of all the empty containers quick - this is a vice I don’t want him to know about. (And I’m sure as heck not willing to share!)</p>