<p>spectrum2: Thanks for the info about Texas A&M. It’s nice to know which schools offer good disability services. Back in the day, at Emory, I received NONE even when I was having difficulty there and tried to get help. I don’t want that to happen to her. Arizona’s center was so organized and already has much in place that she would need. It was a breath of fresh air to me! I’m going to search the forum and see if there are any posts about disability services. If anyone has a link to share, please send it my way!</p>
<p>NYMom: While virtually all of the Jewish kids I know who are in frats or sororities are in the Jewish ones i would be shocked if these were the only ones Jewish kids could be in. UT is pretty liberal and while I don’t know the statistics there is a sizable Jewish community.</p>
<p>Acceptance news for my S! Engineering at UMass and UConn… Interesting, UMass already followed up with two phone calls.</p>
<p>Champs - Yay! I’m impressed with UMass too (DS got a call from them as well). And what a great price for you (in-state, right?) Engineering looks great at UMass (we didn’t look at UConn). Which does he like better? Does he know yet?</p>
<p>champs2004 - great news, congratulations.</p>
<p>spectrum - hope he recovers quickly. If the adviser is difficult to reach, there is usually an academic advising office for general questions, and academic dean and an office, etc. I’m sure every college is structured differently, but something like mono while at college is, unfortunately, all too common, so I’m sure they have a protocol in place.</p>
<p>Great news Champs, Congratulations!</p>
<p>Thanks RVM, we will work our way down the line and try to figure it out. It is so tempting for me to pick up the phone and start making phone calls but I keep reminding myself he is supposed to be doing that although I will help him along if he is too wiped out. If he doesn’t figure anything out going through the Civil Engineering office I expect that his counselor at the disabilities office can point him in the right direction, and hopefully there is a protocol. Oddly enough when he went to health services, if my husband got this right S2 only got a pass to miss one day of classes. I hope that is a mistake, it would be crazy to go back each day with mono. I’m glad he decided to come home for a few days. If necessary we will take him to our local doctor and get a not there.</p>
<p>Spectrum: I’m very sorry to hear about the mono. I hope your son has a mild case. I agree that he might need your help navigating things if he’s really worn out. My D1 had mono a few years ago, and she was extremely sick for several weeks. If it lingers, he might need to drop his most difficult courses. Could he take some classes this summer to catch up? </p>
<p>Welcome NYmom. As many of us have found, it can be tought to find large, rah-rah schools with warm weather. Your D might want to widen her search to consider schools farther North. Delaware sounds like a great fit for her, and they do have majors in fashion design and merchandising.</p>
<p>Champs: Congrats to your son, but I’m still holding out for BU for him.</p>
<p>Two cents regarding UT-Austin: It is definitely not a commuter school but its statistics might show a large percentage of commuters or students living off campus. There is limited availability of university housing (applicants are encouraged to apply for housing before they are admitted). There are however a number of private dorms that have sprung up close to campus: [Welcome</a> to the Austin Private Dormitory Association](<a href=“http://www.austindorms.com/]Welcome”>http://www.austindorms.com/) </p>
<p>Upperclassmen spread out to apartments both near and farther out.</p>
<p>It seems to be more of an A school than a B+ student or even A- school. Check your Naviance.</p>
<p>Momjr - Thanks for the welcome. We visited Delaware this past fall because my research showed it would be a good fit for her. She liked it but didn’t “love” it. Now that we’ve been to U Arizona she sees that the school spirit was more evident at Arizona. She also liked Arizona’s campus better. We foolishly did not meet with someone from the disability office at Delaware as it was our first school visit and we were indecisive about doing so. At the time, I was worried about mentioning her hearing loss so far ahead of the game. I don’t feel that way anymore as I’m learning that different schools have different attitudes and I want to make sure she goes to a school that is accepting of her and is willing to offer her the services she will need.</p>
<p>Quakerstake - thanks for the info about UT-Austin. I will look into it more but it sounds like UT is like UF and has gotten more competitive over the years. I think she would be happier at a B or B+ school. She is at a super competitive high school now and I see how much harder she has to work than her peers just to be on an even keel. It takes its toll.</p>
<p>I will report on our upcoming college visits after we get back. Does anyone have a good link of things to ask/look for on college visits? We’ve been winging it thus far but I need to get more organized! LOL</p>
<p>Congrats to those who are hearing acceptances for their kids. Can’t believe in just one year we will be in the same boat!</p>
<p>NYMom,</p>
<p>I see a lot of my own struggle in yours. On the one hand, you’ve indicated that your daughter “would be happier at a B or B+ school. She is at a super competitive high school now and I see how much harder she has to work than her peers just to be on an even keel.” But on the other hand, you’re worried that her list is too short and that you’re “short-changing her by not looking at more competitive schools.” </p>
<p>It sounds as if your daughter would be very well-served at Arizona. Looking at their databook, it sounds as if she would be right around the 75th percentile for GPA–meaning that she wouldn’t be “slumming it” academically. On the other hand, she’s very, very likely to be admitted. Which is a good thing!</p>
<p>My daughter was situated right at the A- point, with some aspects of her credentials that made it not unreasonable for her to reach pretty high, but we honestly thought she’d do better somewhere that she didn’t have to scramble to keep up with her peers. She had only four schools on her list, plus the state flagship we made her apply to–“just because.” One was a reach. I kept looking and looking for another school to add because that seemed like too few. But there simply wasn’t another one that was the right size, the right location, the right major, etc…except for ones that were a big reach. She applied to those five schools, got into four (not her reach). But I really did struggle with questions of whether she should have added more reaches, whether there was another school I hadn’t thought of, whether this was the right list. (I struggled with it about 1000x more than SHE did, I’ll tell you that much!)</p>
<p>It may be that she doesn’t need to add any other schools, but you will need to satisfy yourself that you’ve turned every stone, I know!</p>
<p>DeskPotato - Sounds like we have very similar lines of thinking. I am pretty sure she will wind up at Arizona. She loved it when we went and it satisfied so many things on her list. I just don’t want her to come back to me after it’s over and say, “Why didn’t we look here, here and here?!” She’s not really stressing on its competitiveness but her friends are all talking big name and prestigious colleges, to which several will most certainly go.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I have a cousin whose daughter is very happy at Arizona!</p>
<p>As far as what other kids are doing—well, they have different constraints and different priorities and different strengths and needs. Once you’re satisfied that there is a limited universe of schools that have warm weather, vibrant Jewish community, school spirit, and provide the very specific accommodations for the hearing impaired that your daughter needs, then where everyone else is applying is really moot, no?</p>
<p>Absolutely. She has to learn to let her friends’ talking fall on deaf ears! Lol I’m not concerned about anyone except her, just want to make sure we cover our bases before settling so quickly on one school as “the one.”</p>
<p>FWIW my D could have gone to Tulane or U of Miami. Chose Arizona. Dont worry obout competitiveness and prestige. Let your D go where she will be happy.</p>
<p>No worries, dudedad. We are letting her go wherever she wants which is why she is even considering a school as far away as Arizona.</p>
<p>I’m chiming in to agree with the issue of “… friends talking about big name prestigious schools…” This is what can make the process stressful for the kid and also the parents. It is difficult to stay true to one’s commitment about considering what is best for your particular kid and not getting caught up in these talks everywhere you go. During Junior year it seems to be the topic of conversation when you go to a party, bump into a friend in the supermarket, Starbucks, watching kid play sports… everywhere! “So where is he applying?”… And then everyone replies where their kid, niece, nephew, neighbor, etc. are applying, and you start to second-guess yourself. </p>
<p>I guess that’s what made me feel “safe” here on this thread. I belief it’s important to let your knowledge regarding what your kid needs to trump this chatter. </p>
<p>Happy Valentines Day!</p>
<p>Must agree! It has been hard to feel good about sticking to colleges that are a good fit and reasonable cost when I know that he could have been accepted to “name” colleges that either would have been all wrong for him or too costly.</p>
<p>Glad to know that what I’m feeling isn’t so uncommon. Just want to make sure my D is on the same page. Going to the best school you can get into doesnt mean it is the best school for you, especially when you need services of some kind.</p>
<p>That is exactly my son’s situation. We are looking for an environment where he can thrive, not one where he struggles.</p>