<p>very proud but almost more totally relieved the process was over!</p>
<p>I felt myself blanche and get slightly dizzy when I saw the big envelope. I remember walking back to the house, opening it with shaky fingers, and then letting it drop to the floor as I reclined on my chair mumbling something I can’t repeat here.</p>
<p>S’s first acceptance was to one of his safeties but it didn’t matter. It was the FIRST and largely symbolic - he was going to COLLEGE!</p>
<p>And yes, I cried.</p>
<p>We were thrilled when D got her first acceptance and large merit award - she knew she had a place to go and I knew she may see good merit results at places. (ironically that school ended up lousy in FA so it was just the merit +loans and large gap). But the one D cared about most was one of the last she heard from and she knew decisions were coming out at 5PM but she had crew practice until about 6:30PM. I knew she didn’t want to wait (nor did I) as we both thought she had a great shot but our IS flagship is not a safety for anyone especially from our part of the state so I met her as she got of the bus and pulled up the website for her to log-in on my iphone - when we opend the part where she could click to read the decision I breathed a sigh of relief because I saw they already populated the student depost amount so I knew it was a yes but she didn’t catch on to that - she opened the page and tears immediately streamed down her face as she screamed with joy and I was so happy (I have tears in my eyes just recounting the story, that’s how powerful it was). And she had some great acceptances before that but by then we knew this school was “the one” and it was fun to watch because as she jumped up and down squealing her friends came off the bus and picked her up screaming too so she got to share it as well. She’s happy as a clam there now too so i couldn’t have asked for anything more.</p>
<ol>
<li>Relief</li>
<li>Financial terror</li>
<li>Chest Bursting Pride</li>
<li>Envy</li>
</ol>
<p>In that order</p>
<p>My husband <em>framed</em> the EA acceptance from Prestige U that GeekSon knew wasn’t even his first choice. I was so hoping he’d get into his first choice, but it was a lottery. Then he got in, but we didn’t get the FA notice for like two more WEEKS (or so it seemed). So it was just one stress after another, except that he had EA acceptances from a couple great second choices as well. So even though we were all hoping for Mudd, we were all ok because he had several totally different but very desirable choices.</p>
<p>Edit: Oh yeah - definitely envy! (cross-posted with vinceh)</p>
<p>^^^^ “Envy” LOL. I felt the same way.</p>
<p>vinceh - I agree - that is the exact summation of how I felt - well I think I also added financial terror a second time when it came real in summer that it would have to be paid - even though we had worked it all out, seeing those numbers scared me all over again!</p>
<p>Did anyone else find him/herself buying lottery tickets?</p>
<p>D1 got exactly one acceptance letter—an ED acceptance from her first choice school, a highly selective LAC. She withdrew, or never completed, the rest of her applications. </p>
<p>By happenstance the whole family was home and in the living room when the acceptance letter came. I got the mail, saw the return address and handed her the envelope; a thin letter, not the traditional “fat envelope.” Tension. D1 went around the corner to another room to open it. She didn’t get past the first sentence before letting out an ecstatic “YES!” and in another second or two we were mobbing her, hugging her, tears streaming down our faces, little sister jumping up and down and shrieking with joy and excitement. What did I feel? Pride in her. Joy for her. Relief that the waiting and anxiety were over. Validation, because as home schoolers we endure a lot of doubts and skepticism from others, and occasional pangs of self-doubt about our self-constructed educational enterprise (though for the most part we’re pretty confident we’ve had the better of it by far). A tinge of sadness, knowing that this meant our little girl was really growing up and going away. Most of all, a sense of satisfaction in a job well done, knowing we had raised this child and given her the kind of educational foundation and the motivation to succeed at the highest levels of academic competition; coupled with a sense of satisfaction in the job she had done, because at the end of the day the work, the discipline, and the drive it took to get her to this place had to come from her, and it had. All in all, a sweet, sweet moment, one of those rare moments that seems to last forever, when all manner of dammed-up emotion is released. One of the most memorable moments of my life. A lot like the moment she was born, actually, a moment I could not help but remember that day. But then she was all possibility and promise; and now here she was standing there, a talented and accomplished 17-year-old, tears of joy streaming down her face, ready to go off to the college of her dreams. I just wanted to hold her and not let go of that moment, not let go of my little girl. But I knew she had dreams to follow.</p>
<p>Yep, we started buying lottery tickets, and lo and behold on our fourth $1 ticket, dear husband won $10K, which of course went directly to student receivables, after the sizeable tax payment. </p>
<p>vinceh- Yes, your list says it all. Still envious.</p>
<p>I’ve never won any money in the lottery. I will keep trying… I hope you don’t mind my asking, but how much was “sizeable”?</p>
<p>^ LOL. I’ve been buying lottery tickets just about every week since D1’s acceptance. So far I’ve won $3, twice. I figure I’m down about $75. But hey, it’s worth it for the joy I get out of the few moments I have each week dreaming that my money woes will be over over, right? At least that’s the rationalization I now use to justify it.</p>
<p>D. did not apply to colleges that she would not be accepted. More so, she did not apply to colleges where she would not get Merit scholarships. Was nothing special, we knew ahead of the time. However, she has applied to very selective programs at these colleges. It was nice to have 50% acceptance rate there. The most I was excited when she announced where she will be going. This I will never forget. She simply said, “There is nothing to wait for anymore”.
We are going thru the process all over with Grad. School. So, do not say it is once in lifetime. And this time it is much more important.</p>
<p>“But hey, it’s worth it for the joy I get out of the few moments I have each week dreaming that my money woes will be over over, right?”</p>
<p>That’s my excuse as well. And the moments are not a few.</p>
<p>The first acceptance was exciting, even though it was from her safety, URI. The envelope said UR IN! Also came with very nice merit award. She felt wanted. And it was only early December. What a relief. </p>
<p>The last acceptance was also exciting because that was where she wanted to go. For that one, we logged on the website, saw that it said Congratulations and just looked at each other. “Your’e in!” I said. The large, personalized envelope came a few days later – and that is where she is at school now (and loving it).</p>
<p>The first acceptance we got was from a safety that our son really did not want to go to if he could help it, so for that one the excitement was kind of perfunctory. We went about another week without any news, and things got quite antsy. Then one Saturday we came back from a trip to NY to find two big envelopes–the first was from a safety that he was very enthusiastic about (and where he is now studying). Then we saw the second envelope, and it was from one of his reaches. That was an amazing night. A lot of happiness in the house, and a lot of relief–rationally, we had felt confident that he would have good choices in the end, but seeing it confirmed in the mail pile was a great, great feeling. </p>
<p>The funniest part was when the son said to me before opening the envelope from the reach, “Are you sure it’s an acceptance just because it says ‘Welcome!’ on the outside?”</p>
<p>The acceptances from the schools our first two kids wound up attending came before the official notification date, as invitations to join special programs. They were thin envelopes, which are never fun to take out of the mailbox. I remember d1 saying, as she opened it, “*&%^! I must have forgotten to send them something.” She read it over several times before handing it to me, saying hesitantly, “I think this means I’m in?” She was.</p>
<p>A thin letter from the academic dean’s office arrived for d2 about a week before decisions were made. She was at work and had asked me to meet her during her break with any college mail. One of my favorite memories is how she looked as she read the letter over (more than once). She was puzzled, then stunned, and finally thrilled as she realized that the scholarship would allow her to attend a school that we thought was out of the financial picture. </p>
<p>D3 was accepted ED at a reach school. I’d read on CC that kids a few states over were receiving decisions earlier that week, so I knew that she’d probably hear on a particular day. When my phone rang at work after school, I was afraid to answer because I really expected a deferral and I wanted to say the right thing, but had no idea what that was. Good fortune got me off the hook that day. My overwhelming feeling each time was relief. :)</p>
<p>The first letter my son got was “Congratualtions! You’re on the waitlist for the XYZ program.” Huh? Strangest letter we ever received! It did come with a bumper sticker. S called the school and got a vague answer, so I decided to call. Admissions said that everyone who’s ever made that particular waitlist has always gotten a spot, and within couple of weeks, it was confirmed.</p>
<p>For UG, I was overwhelmed. I didn’t open letter, but held it up to light. I called our closest friends and invited them over. It was too late in day, so switched to a pizza party for next night. Son’ friends and their parents, closest friends and relatives, all came over next night. Since son had applied as a junior, there was no envy, just joy.</p>
<p>MiamiDap, graduate school was more private. No one local was aware where he had applied. Only the CC community had any idea, because he got caught in 3 snowstorms and I was trying to help him find alternate airports and local hotels and train schedules. The first acceptance, at a terrific school, was so sweet. </p>
<p>Since DS wants a career in academia, I’m sure I’ll be going thru this process many more time.</p>
<p>I encourage the young people I know to apply EA. Its a wonderful feeling to know one has an acceptance under their belt.</p>