<p>Andi,</p>
<p>I am excited to hear your news. Certainly sounds like your son’s making the proverbial lemonade!</p>
<p>that does sound wonderful! Congratualtions to your son, Andi. Would you mind elaborating a bit on MIT inviting him to be a special student? I’ve never heard of a college doing that. I know MIT ended up with more students than they were expecting for the class of 2009, so it doesn’t seem like they would actively recruit any extras. (although everyone there is very nice, as you say. I’ve had wonderful experiences with several offices I’ve had to contact about one thing or another).</p>
<p>Oh HURRAY and YAY!!! Such GOOD news! Here in Wash, DC we’re just thrilled to hear about Andison’s well-deserved good opportunities…congrat’s…it is, of course, no more than ANdison merits, but still after the unmerited blows from last March/April, it’s just grand to hear these exciting developments. May all the bad stuff that would come Andison’s way for his entire life (or at least for a very long time) now be behind him, with nothing but good fortune ahead!</p>
<p>Hugs to you both from “down south”–</p>
<p>I’m just real happy now!</p>
<p>God Bless M I T !!</p>
<p>**had to whip out a bit of size and color for old times sake…;)</p>
<p>I am impressed and so happy for your son (and you). Even though this has been a nightmare for you, I know it is going to end up wonderfully. I can’t wait until next year to find out where he winds up going! Yea, MIT for putting a smile on his face.</p>
<p>Yeah for andison!..MIT already, gee whiz. Teaching, volunteering and pursuing his passion for piano in a world woefully underfunded in arts. As I launch my own son to a rather intense college, I seem to repeat the mantra of “run your own race” when you get there, son…and your boy will have done just that this year. It will show in how he carries himself on campus when he chooses his college next fall/winter and joins his class.</p>
<p>Andi, Im always delighted when the first post of the morning here on the other side of the planet brings good news! Im sure the path less traveled is going to be the road to happiness for your son. Keep the reports coming.</p>
<p>God bless you and andison! I had a thought - I know he will do SO well at MIT - is there a chance he could be admitted full time for second semester? This just might be his real “fit.” I am so impressed with what you have planned, and know he will be successful, with this year making him even more special than he already is.</p>
<p>Thanks all for your good wishes. I can’t help thinking that it “took a village”…“and the entire cyberworld” to get us through this. </p>
<p>Between my friends in town, my friends in all corners of the US, and my friends on the other side of the earth who read messages in the morning that have been posted at night, I feel like a very lucky mom!!</p>
<p>evitajr1 I doubt that he’d get admitted for the second semester because they’re oversubscribed as are many schools. We’re going to wait and see how it goes in September and then decide what to do next. I have a feeling that he’ll love it there and want to apply for the class of 2010 but we’re taking ONE step at a time. And whatever he does, there WILL be a safety school.</p>
<p>Thumper I’ll definitely look into your report. I was out there this evening and am so impressed with the whole place. (oh to be youthful, talented and beautiful!!) I’ll be talking with andison tomorrow and will pass along your very interesting words.</p>
<p>Andi - I’ve never posted to you (I don’t think) but have watched the process with interest. I am very excited for your son, and think in many ways this has turned out very wonderful for him. I would think that this opportunity to attend classes at MIT is going to be a wonderful addition to his applications, and his initiative with the music is also impressive. Very happy for both of you.</p>
<p>binx, thanks for your kind words.</p>
<p>texas137 there’s info about the special student status on their web site. He still had to ‘apply’ it’s just that he was informed of the program and encouraged to file an application. There are probably many programs that go un-noticed by potential applicants because the students simply aren’t looking for that sort of information when they first look at a college’s web site.
I’m sure that one of the main reasons that a college is ‘over booked’ has more to do with dorm space, which won’t be an issue here.</p>
<p>andi - that’s wonderful encouragement from MIT. I’m sure you posted it somewhere, but did he apply to MITs class of 2009 and not get in? Is that how they knew about him? I knew that he was waitlisted at Swat and had some disappointing results at HYP. If he applied to MIT, the fact that they contacted him and suggested that he apply for special student status certainly bodes well for applying again. I think MIT would be a wonderful choice for someone with strong musical interests in addition to math/science. I have been very impressed the more I learn about MIT at how multi-talented the students tend to be. I know you live in Boston, but do you live close enough to the campus that commuting from home this year won’t be a problem? (spoken by someone who lives in a city w/o a good public transit system)</p>
<p>Update for second semester/ summer: Vist with cousin in England and travel via bicycle and train thru France when cousin gets out of school.</p>
<p>Hey, I want a GAP year too!! :)</p>
<p>Hey, Andi – PM me if he decides he wants to see Bavaria!</p>
<p>Andi - I just saw this (am in China for a couple of weeks so it’s difficult to access). I am so so glad. We are right in assuming that he’s still doing the music outreach at public schools in addition to the great MIT opportunity? I confess I think that’s really important, for him and for his application. And then to bike and train through France? Ah to be young again. Should he decide that he might try the Dordogne at all please PM me as I spent a summer there as a college student and then 2 weeks a few years ago as a mom of teens with said teens…It is a fabulous region with everything from canoeing to cave paintings…</p>
<p>Binx- thanks. I think they should stick to French speaking territory but I’ll run it by him. So nice of you to offer advice.</p>
<p>Alumother I was hoping so much to hear from you!! Yes, he’s definitely doing the outreach and the MIT. He’s very excited about both of them. This has gradually become a very liberating experience and now I’m realizing exactly how important this whole year will be. I never thought I’d actually be GLAD that he’s taking this year!! Such a change of perspective! He may also be going to DC to learn some things about the government with overanxiousmom. I’ll PM you about the Dordogne- I remember him studying that but I’ve gotta get out the map to refresh my own memory.<br>
The “theme” of his gap year is going to be “old” and “new.” Old being his continued piano studies and “new” being a whole variety of new subjects he’s going to explore over the year. His four years of college are going to so much the richer for this year of exploration.</p>
<p>Andi:</p>
<p>I envy your son his time in France. Sounds fabulous! My older S spent one month each in the Pyrennees and the Alps two consecutive summers many years ago when he was 12 or 13. We have pictures of him learning to kayak in the Alps and looking as the Tour de France riders were making their way through the village in the Pyrennees where he and my brother’s family were staying.
The music department at MIT is excellent. I met one of the profs there at a party; a very nice man, with a very impressive list of achievements and awards.</p>
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<p>I loved your post, andi. You have managed to be so graceful through this experience. Well done, mum.</p>
<p>I too think the year will be momentous in ways yet unknown. It has to be. The inexplicable saga has altered his predicatable college journey. My intuition tells me the ‘twist’ will be for the greater good. Promise us you will keep in touch!</p>