<p>snow! We did not pack for snow! oh well, he went to Colgate U where it snowed every day, so I guess he’s used to it. But I did make him take the rain jacket! I doubt that I will get much detailed info from him until he gets home. I told him that once a day he has to let me know that he is alive, that’ s the most I’m hoping for.</p>
<p>Just have to add that my niece is in Israel on Birthright now as well - without her luggage! Huge airline issues in US and her luggage was still in LA last I heard. Hoping it catches up with her today!</p>
<p>snowing like crazy in Israel. it will be a memorable trip!</p>
<p>Snowstorms before elections don’t usually bode well for incumbents. Just ask Jane Byrne and Michael Dukakis…(Giving my age away)
[Israel</a> Storms Cause Floods as Jerusalem Braces for Snow - Bloomberg](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)</p>
<p>As you said, it should be memorable… Just a typical winter for those from the Northeast…just not where they expected it…</p>
<p>OMG RVM, that is awful. Yes, hope the luggage catches up quickly.</p>
<p>Word from Israel: It’s been raining a lot but still awesome. Western Wall and Yad Vashem AMAZING. No snow yet! They were hiking in the North during a pouring rainstorm…very wet, but very happy to be there. Enjoying the experience immensely. Just what a parent wants to hear! 
Heading down to Negev and Masada now. Wonder if it’ll be warm enough for the Dead Sea? Knowing him, he’ll go in anyway!</p>
<p>He’ll be home on Monday and heads back to college on Tuesday!</p>
<p>she’s with the U Wisconsin and U of Minnesota buses if any of your kids are with them!</p>
<p>chocchip. I am so jealous that you are getting such details. All I know is that he is alive and in Jerusalem. Now I am kicking myself that I pulled his heaviest sweatshirt out of the suitcase because it was taking up too much room!</p>
<p>^^Jozuko:</p>
<p>I’m getting one small email per day. Enough to stay connected, I guess. If you can get a hold of him, maybe he can borrow a sweatshirt…or dressing in layers works too. I didn’t see what my S packed. When I went near him, he was like, “Mom, I’m 20 years old, I can handle this”, so I backed away.</p>
<p>Your S will be fine too! :)</p>
<p>Mine said “Mom, I’m only 21 years old, can’t you do it for me!” Just kidding. I did however have to supervise the packing and then fold everything neatly and put it in the duffel. Oh boy, I think that I spoiled this kid. I hope that he finds a nice Jewish girl on this trip who can take over for me!
So, I did finally get an i message. It said “Went to the old city of Jerusalem today, saw the western wall… then it started hailing so we cut our day short.” I asked him if he was freezing he said “nope, I’m fine.” I asked him if he was having a good time, he said “yup.” And when I asked how are the people on the trip, he answered with an elaborate “good.” It’s at times like this that I wish I had a chatty daughter! Oh well, at least it’s more information than I thought I would get!</p>
<p>My older one is there too for a trip and was freezing on a Segway ride in rainy Tel Aviv. I asked her if she could buy a sweatshirt that said Jerusalem on the front (I don’t think so but it’s been a few years since I was there…)
the older one went to Colgate too- she said it was snowing like upstate NY and expected a full mess tomorrow. If I knew how to attach a picture, I would!</p>
<p>fourkids, I sent you a PM.
Choccolatechip, check out this you tube video. http:// <a href=“http://www”>www</a>. youtube.com /watch?v= eR2B5N6Lers (just eliminate the spaces). They are calling it a “Biblical superstorm!”</p>
<p>OMG. The worst weather conditions in a decade and that’s when our kids decide to go? 
Oh boy. It’s nicer weather back here! That’s really a shame. I know they will make the best of the situation, but that’s really too bad. Yikes.</p>
<p>Hope while they’re climbing Masada, they don’t slip and fall on ice 
The news says that weather is going to get worse rather than better. He actually leaves Israel Sunday @ midnite to arrive back here very early Monday morning. Hope the plane takes off okay. Another thing to worry about!</p>
<p>Sounds like they have hundreds of busses of kids there now…I’m sure they have accomodations for insuring their safety…such a shame. Hope the people there are all safe too…
He was anxious to have street food…Falafal and Schwarma…hope the carts didn’t blow away!</p>
<p>I must say that I am so thrilled to have found this group - qvelling actually. When the responses started coming in I ran dancing into my Ds room, and this got her engaged in searching Naviance, etc. There hasn’t been much time to carefully read through everything (and I spent so much time slouching over my laptop - and this conversation - last weekend that it was time for a little break.) But, again, I thank you and will be in touch soon.</p>
<p>Stillnadine- I am so sorry to hear about your situation and hope and pray for your DH’s recovery.
I second talking to the FA office and submitting a FAFSA as soon as possible. I was told by another school that if someone submits a FAFSA by the deadline for the year, and their financial situation changes, the school may be able to re negotiate a FA package, but if no FAFSA is submitted by the deadline, this is not possible within the school year. </p>
<p>NEinNCMom- it looks like you have some great suggestions for your D. I don’t know if you are considering any NC schools for tuition purposes, but UNC Asheville and App State have Hillels. I am not sure about UNC-G Hillel, but Greensboro has a larger Jewish community as does Charlotte- so UNC-G and UNC-C may be possibilities as well. As you have seen here, Elon is a nice choice too.</p>
<p>NEinNC - glad you are pleased - and keep us posted. I’m done with the college process for my two boys, but enjoy tagging along for the experience with others. It’s easy to be calm and enjoy searching for colleges when it is someone else’s child! Let us know how we can be of help.</p>
<p>update from Israel…DS was in Jerusalem yesterday but they had to cut the day short because of the hail. He said that the weather is crazy. They got 6 inches of snow and since Israel is not used to snow, everyone is “freeking out.” Last night, they just hung out in the hotel. Now they are headed out to the Bedouin tents which apparently you can sleep in even if its bad weather. I facebook messaged with him. Basically, I asked a hundred questions, and he answered with “yup” and “nope” (oh how I wish I had a girl sometimes!)
DH called me this morning and told me that there was a car bomb in Tel Aviv. On the news, they said that it was confirmed that it was an assassination attempt on an alleged mobster and not a terrorist attack. What’s next, locusts?</p>
<p>Dudedad: Yes. We are planning a visit to AU over spring break. Funny that I now think AU would be a great place for her. However, the price is too high and she would have to get in, so it isn’t currently at the top of the list. I did see though that they are now SAT/ACT optional…</p>
<p>NEinNCMom: My DD loved AU (it helped that we visited on a 60 degree day in February!) … but the price tag was a deterrent. She got in, but with little aid. (Plus the fact that being in DC would be $$$.) If she was super-motivated about a career in politics, then we may have considered. But that was not on her radar at all. At the end, it came down to AU and UD, and she was thrilled to go to UD. I don’t recall your DDs scores, but my DD was a great student who did not test well - she was better than average (not by CC standards!), but not the scores needed for so many schools. Still, she did well in admissions with one spring admit, one WL and the rest accepted. I think she would have done well at any of the schools on her list.</p>
<p>Rockvillemom: Thanks so much for everything and congrats on finding the right place for S. I look forward to reading more of the posts that I missed. Anyway, I would love to have D nearby, but I think she would like to go north, closer to a city like DC, NY, Boston (places I or she has lived). She will probably apply to 1 or 2 NC schools though. However, there is an unusual employee asst package where I work because they will contribute to any schools but NC state schools.</p>
<p>In regard to testing, she will take the free trial test at Kaplan in a couple weeks, then she’ll take the school prep for the early May SAT. Any suggestions are welcome.</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>If there is locusts and then frogs, I will start to wonder what is going on.</p>