<p>Tangerine: Thanks for letting us know your good news. Congratulations on your acceptance to Brown! It really intesting to hear how our discussion has helped you. I’m a huge believer in the importance of fit.</p>
<p>Congratulations to tangerine93, and thanks for letting us know!</p>
<p>As we face another day of early decisions, I would like to remind everyone of Mayor Rockvillemom’s wise words about sharing disappointments as well as good news. Are there any ways that you have prepared your students, and yourselves, for possible disappointments? Do you have some words of comfort prepared, and if so, what are they?</p>
<p>Levrim: Last week when my daughter was axiously awaiting her ED decision, I reminded her that while the ED school looked the the one perfect choice, that she could be happy at many different schools. We also discussed plans to visit the rolling school that had already accepted her. If she had not been accepted, I planned to tell her that I was disapointed for her, not disapointed in her.</p>
<p>Good luck to those expecting decisions today. I know how stressful the wait can be.</p>
<p>Levirm, I think the best thing we did with D was apply to a rolling admissions school early. She had an acceptance in hand to a school, that while not her top choice, she would have been happy to go to. After that, you could see her visibly relax and begin to enjoy the rest of her senior year.</p>
<p>Several months later, when her only rejection came in, she grieved for about 3 minutes. I think it also helped that we had a Disney World trip planned the next day. ;)</p>
<p>Rodney, You’ve gotten some excellent suggestions from posters regarding your friends son who is looking for a large school with school spirit and a business major. My husband is a WVU graduate and it would fit the criteria perfectly. I would cross Drexel off the list. It’s high on my techy son’s list but I can’t imagine it for someone that wants sports school spirit. UVM is very good about giving merit aid for OOS student and they offer free apps if you visit. Pitt also offers free apps for visiting. </p>
<p>My suggestion would be to encourage the family to set up a college e-mail account right away and ask for information from the schools that are interesting. While it’s a PITA, I do believe that’s what got my son’s interest and free apps later.</p>
<p>BTW, my son who has a GPA of about 3.3 but lowish SAT’s, was not accepted at PSU or Pitt main campus. He was accepted at their next tier down satellite campuses and offered a few thousand to attend one of them. Both colleges are numbers driven so even though son has taken several AP’s, dual credit and honors classes (including an actual PSU class on a satellite school campus) his SAT score probably prevented his acceptance.</p>
<p>Rodney,
would your friend consider any of the southern or western schools with a rah-rah atomosphere, such as U of Georgia or U of Arizona?</p>
<p>Thanks for the info mch48! I wasn’t sure if they had SDT chapter, will let her know!</p>
<p>Welcome to the thread, Shrinkrap, Black but not Jewish…and also Tangerine93, Malaysian but not Jewish…</p>
<p>As you both will see, the thread is primarily about good college selections for the Jewish student who does not have perfect A grades…but more of the normal child who gets B’s too!!</p>
<p>The thread has definitely taken many twists and turns, but overall, you are right when you say that we collectively are all looking for the right type of college for our children and our friends children. It really helps to know what you’re looking for for the college experience. A samll college with only 1000-2000 kids? A college in the city? A college only in this part of the country?</p>
<p>So welcome to the thread and hope we can help you and you can help us!</p>
<p>Hi…I’ve been reading this thread primarily because I have a senior who is a B+ student (3.86 W, 3.5 uw, 1860 SAT, 27 Act) and was interested in what colleges were mentioned.
We are not Jewish but seek a diverse and accepting atmosphere for all races. My son is half Korean and half caucasion. I am so impressed with the support and advice given in this thread. We live in a very competitive school environment and I don’t always feel the support of other
“friends”/parents esp. with kids the same age. So far, he’s been accepted to UPITT and Indiana University - he wants the big school/rah-rah atmosphere too. We visited both over the summer and loved both schools - very different atmosphere, one urban, but nice campus feel, and the other a quintessential college town. He was denied at Wisconsin and deferred from Tulane. Other schools, he’s waiting to here from, UNC(Chapel Hill) - real reach but he is a legacy (father), UMD/College Park and Penn State. Good luck to all your s and d!</p>
<p>Congratulations to stayathomemom’s son!
Thanks for all who responded to the question about preparing for possible early decision rejections or deferrals - keep it coming if anyone has any other words of wisdom - this is timely today!</p>
<p>kathiep, your post reminded me of a question that many parents have been asking me. Is it worth it to go to a satellite campus of PSU or Pitt or a similar school, or is it better to go to the main campus of a less selective school? Has anyone had experience with a satellite campus or with the job prospects afterword?</p>
<p>Welcome, stayathomemom!</p>
<p>As for levirm’s question, I know a number of kids who have done various routes to get to UW-Madison, their ultimate goal. Some do the satellite/guarantee offer, others do a technical college/CC with guarantee after 2 years, and others start at smaller UWs and take their chances transferring in. I don’t know very many personally, but it’s commonly done here and the kids I do know are happy because they are getting their ultimate goal - the 2 or more years’ experience at Madison and the degree from there (which often does - or at least would seem to - affect their job prospects).</p>
<p>I think it’s hard to imagine doing it, compared to starting out at your one-and-only school. But of course I know other kids who transfer for other reasons, and maybe knowing it’s going to happen makes it easier.</p>
<p>Welcome and congratulations Stayathomemom! It sounds like your son has two good choices already.</p>
<p>I think the great thing about this thread is that it shows how many good choices exist for B/B+/A- students. I worried a lot about how my daughter didn’t take enough AP classes, didn’t apply for NHS and was only involved in a few ECs. I would get really nervous reading other threads about the NMS finalists who were winning national science awards while self-studying for 10 AP exams. It’s so nice to see the success our kids are having.</p>
<p>I agree momjr… this college admissions process is the first time for me and I too, was worried. I think the key for B - B+ students is to find at least one rolling admissions school that he/she would be happy to go to and apply early! I also forgot to mention that he applied also to James Madison University. We visited over the summer and was very impressed with the academic programs and campus life. JMU has a very high freshmen retention rate too. Our school uses the Naviance and that was very helpful to us.</p>
<p>Stayathomemom: A close friend’s daughter attends JMU and loves it. It sounds like another good option for your son.</p>
<p>Hey shrinkwrap, thanks for the shout-out about Willamette,
Although it doesn’t have much Jewish life that situation is pretty common here in the rocky mountain west. Oddly enough, my DD1 went back east to a LAC with a strong Jewish presence but never felt she fit in while DD2 goes to a school in the midwest with much less Jewish presence and found a fun group to hang with for Jewish holidays even though it was less organized. I’ve decided to let DD3 find her fit, and right now she is really leaning toward Willamette. </p>
<p>I wish I had magic words for those whose kids might not get the answer they want from ED/EA. To be honest my DD3 is so rejection sesnsitive she would only apply to matches and safeties. Thus far, she’s had no rejections (UofO, Hendrix College and Willamette) with nice merit money from the 2 privates. She is so much more relaxed now.</p>
<p>First - I have to say I am happily flabbergasted by the uptick in diversity on this thread - very unexpected - but certainly welcome.</p>
<p>On bracing for ED news - one thing I already see myself doing differently with S2 - and this would be advice for parents of juniors or younger - is to always phrase an ED app as a maybe - a possibility - while always stressing that he will send out several EA/rolling apps as well and that we are not going to count on anything. If it happens - great - but we won’t bank on it. Under-promise and hopefully over-deliver.</p>
<p>stayathomemom - completely get what you are saying about competition among friends. I find it much more comfortable to discuss my son’s plans here than with my real world friends. You have a great list for a kid who wants a large university with good school spirit. I hear great things from the kids at Indiana. Pitt seems to be more popular that it was just a few years ago - definitely getting more attention. We have JMU on son’s list - enjoyed our visit last June. Do look at the course requirements for the major(s) he is interested in - we found the requirements for business to be very onerous and I think he would pursue a different major at JMU.</p>
<p>Also, I know someone mentioned University of Arizona for those kids (especially boys!) who love the big school atmosphere with Div 1 sports. It is a great choice for B (even B-kids. Now if you are on the east coast it may seem far away but really, where would you rather go in February, Pittsburgh or Tucson? Really great Hillel.</p>
<p>Rockvillemon: I absolutely understand the competition issue. My son has decided to respond in a funny way. Since he takes so many APs the subject of ED admissions and college apps has been the main topic of conversation among his classmates. When kids ask him what are his top 3 choices, he answers “University of Phoenix (online), National American University (online) and MIT (which is also an acronym for a local 3rd tier college)” everyone laughs and and quickly gets off the subject. He can’t stand the kids who rattle of Ivys and LAC names like they are trophies, even though most didn’t get into them ED. His close friends have all agreed not to mention where they have been admitted, just to post on FB when they make a FINAL decision. I think this is a really healthy attitude.</p>
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<p>Love it MoltoBene,</p>
<p>My DD1 used to tell everyone she was applying to the “Bartending College of Denver” (It actually exists!)</p>
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