| Re doing things differently with the next child:
I agree with the poster who said that a common mistake that many make is to apply to super-selective schools with the public big U that you don't want to go to as the safety school. You just won't be happy if all of the super-selective schools don't accept you (it happens with greater frequency than you'd like to believe)...and a safety school isn't a safety school if you don't want to go there.
I think the curmudgeon "Bottoms Up" approach is the one OP should use for the next kid. (I've copied this from a post on another thread).
"Building a list from the bottom up means to start with a school or schools where your child can get in and be happy, reach their goals, and you can afford it. Find that school first and the rest is gravy.
Once we found those schools , the stress level at my house went to dang near nill. Everything else was just trading up for greater fit as far as more accomplished classmates, greater research opps, prettier campus, more affordable, etc.
It worked for us and allowed her at the end the freedom to apply to some reaches that she wouldn't have dared to apply to at the beginning. That freedom, I think, led to essays and interviews that were unstressed and open- lively and entertaining and incredibly personal and revealing.
I believe the freedom gained from the bottom up approach made all the difference in the world. " |