<p>Wow College1, I wish you could bottle it and sell it because I would be placing an order! Fabulous news, good luck with the decison, keep us posted!</p>
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<p>collage-wow…so much good news! fantastic!!!</p>
<p>Collage1: WOW! What an amazing day! Congratulations to your daughter. It looks like she has some great choices. I would be somewhat sad about the summer job also, but it sounds like a great opportunity.</p>
<p>Collage, Congrats to you and your D. So many great choices. We will all be excited to know your decision making process. Enjoy the ride.</p>
<p>More acceptances! Congratulations! Oh how I hope we are in the same boat as you this time next year :)</p>
<p>collage1 - Wonderful news! Congratulations. Bucknell is a surprisingly tough admit - so way to go! Do keep us posted on the decision making.</p>
<p>In other news - the book discussion group on the Parent Cafe is still available to discuss “Bread Givers” if anyone has just finished it or is still reading it. There’s no rush to move on to the next book - we just had very little response so far. I have really enjoyed the family stories people have shared about their own families and their immigrant experiences. One of my favorites - Levirm’s story about her uncle and the fruit pushcart. You’ll have to venture over to the Parent Cafe and read the thread if you want more.</p>
<p>College1 - Congrats! Bucknell is a wonderful school and has a great engineering program!
How exciting!</p>
<p>Collage,</p>
<p>Congrats. I must ask…Which USC are you referring to Southern Ca. or South Carolina? If it is Southern Ca., I might be able to offer some local insight. Let us know</p>
<p>Mazel Tov Collage1! Sounds like you have some fine choices already! I know a family whose D is a freshman at Bucknell and loves it…oy, I don’t envy you and your family narrowing your decision down to one school!</p>
<p>Congratulations to collage1’s daughter and let us know as she decides!</p>
<p>Collage, congratulations and think of it as a roller coaster ride you’ll remember for years instead of stress. You’ll be exhausted when you are done but happy you took the ride.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the well wishes–good luck to everyone out there waiting to hear.</p>
<p>The USC is University of Southern California and I’m from LA originally and still have family there and we also know a few kids there although, having said that, the engineering school itself is all new so, socaldad, feel free to share any thoughts you have.</p>
<p>So D has a decision to make…she told me that she told the college counselor at school yesterday that she just wanted to let the exciting news settle for a few days before she starts to think about a decision (when did she get so wise?) but this really will be an interesting ride–North Carolina, very hands on personalized school with an emphasis on experiential learning with great study abroad options, large city school in engineering with opportnities to see grandma, et.al. with some frequency (is this a pro or a con??!) to another small, rural school with a great reputation that’s heavily greek. This ride will be very interesting. I know this isn’t really the place for it but, if anyone wants to share their thoughts, feel free!</p>
<p>Also, D thinks she’s interested in engineering but isn’t sure so had discussed a science (biology, neuroscience or physics) major and then grad school for engineering possibly. When you apply to USC, you put down a first choice and a second choice major. Almost on a whim she chose to put engineering first and one of the sciences (forgot which) second. We were stunned when she was accepted to the engineering school. Thus, part of this decision will force her to make a decision about the engineering component; she did not apply to Bucknell for engineering so has been accepted in the arts and science school (not sure of the exact name). Elon, on the other hand, doesn’t offer engineering and that’s a scenario in which, if she continues to want to pursue that field, she’d go to grad school. Sorry for all the detail.</p>
<p>collage1 - what wonderful and varied options she has. Keep us posted.</p>
<p>Spent some time today perusing various threads on CC with the same theme - great student has a handful of rejections and waitlists. I really think it is easier in college admissions to be a “B” student applying to reasonably good schools than to be an “A” student applying to top 25 schools. I am amazed at how many seem to have no acceptances - did they not apply to ANY schools that were EA or rolling? </p>
<p>So - for every junior parent reading this thread - please have your student apply to at least 2-3 rolling/EA schools that they like and would be willing to attend and that you can afford. I so want S2 to have at least 2 acceptances by winter break. I really can’t imagine a scenario where you have nothing in hand before late March. Oh wait - I can imagine that - that was S1! Been there - done that - don’t you do it!</p>
<p>collage, for what it is worth, I know a young man who did not apply for engineering at Bucknell, but received permission to take the introductory engineering classes once he was there with an eye toward majoring in engineering. The advisors said that he could major in engineering if he successfully completed these courses, and that he could also decide not to major in engineering and that the courses would still count toward his total credits. He ultimately decided to major in science.
I do not know any non-engineering majors, though, who have gone to graduate school in engineering. It seems to me that graduate programs in engineering build on the knowledge obtained in undergraduate programs, unless there is an exception out there that I don’t know about. I have engineers in my family with graduate degrees. The course of study that they took in grad school would have been impossible without undergraduate engineering degrees (and, engineering work experience also helped provide background for grad school.)
The young man that I know at Bucknell did over-reach his first year. I strongly urged his mom to encourage him to take Calculus again, and to take introductory science again, even though he could get AP credit. But he advanced and his grades suffered. I think that this is part of the reason that he dropped the idea of engineering. Additionally, he is an athlete and this takes up a lot of his time.
Good luck as your daughter makes her decision but do not assume that she can major in science and then go to grad school in engineering!</p>
<p>I agree with you RVM on " I really think it is easier in college admissions to be a “B” student applying to reasonably good schools than to be an “A” student applying to top 25 schools." that certainly has been our experience with D as compared to her higher flying friends who are competing for the same few spots at the top schools.</p>
<p>I was thinking the same thing as RVM and Holliesue. Things are so unpredictable at the tippy top schools. I’m really glad that we stayed realistic about my daughter’s options. I also couldn’t agree more about the importance of applying to at least one rolling or EA safety/match school. Both of my daughters had at least one acceptance by early December, and it makes a huge difference.</p>
<p>RVM: I think that your son’s GC needs to read the reach schoo threads here on CC for a reality check!</p>
<p>Collage: You daughter has some great options. I suggest that she spend some time looking at the course requirements for the differenct majors at each school. If she wants to try engineering, it would be easier to start in an engineering major than to try to switch in later, or do it in grad school. Core requirements are also different between engineering and arts and sciences schools. It’s going to be a tough decision.</p>
<p>Mazal tov to College 1. Older son attends USC Viterbi Engineering. We love USC. Feel free to PM me with any questions about USC. USC Engineering has over 90% retention rate, very high for Engineering. The choices of majors, minors, fairly easy to transfer within majors, summer international study abroad, international student exchange, lots of AP credit given, Freshman Engineering Academy, academic tutoring, small classes, new facilities, all make for a fantastic choice. The only thing that can make for a difficult decision is if cost is much higher at one school vs. another school. I strongly encourage you to attend the accepted students’ day at USC. It is an amazing school with a well rounded college experience.</p>
<p>MDCISSP’s son is attending TOWSON! YEAH!</p>
<p>After careful thought, and many thanks to everyone on this forum who gave wonderful advice and insights to help us with the decision, our son decided he wants Towson. We all feel this is the best fit for him: fairly easy to get into the Business school, able to come home on week-ends on Amtrak, Asperger’s support available, excellent Jewish community and in state tuition.</p>
<p>For those B plus students on this forum: our top choices came down to Towson and Binghamton. Towson Business is easier to get into than at Binghamton. I encourage everyone here who is looking for a good Jewish community to consider Towson and Binghamton. Binghamton is great if you get accepted to the program of first choice.</p>
<p>Thank you again and feel free to PM me if you have any questions about your college search for the B plus student.</p>
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<p>Congratulations mdcisssp! Sounds like a great choice for your son. Now you can relax.</p>
<p>Congrats MDCISSP! I think Towson is an excellent choice for your family. I enjoyed so much your discussions points and it has taught me so much in the process.</p>
<p>I hope you will keep us updated on move in, packing lists, registration - all the good stuff 
I’m sure we will all send our kids with the much needed dorm item that no one ever thinks about.</p>