<p>Wonderful letter, justamomof2! Thank you for posting it.</p>
<p>RVM, Congratulations to your parents on their anniversary and thank you for sharing the story of how 2 Jewish moms knew best!</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing that letter, Justamom. I do think that there isn’t just one perfect college for each student. There are always trade-offs, and things usually have a way of working out.</p>
<p>RVM, I love your parents’ story.</p>
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<p>I’m trying! Hoping vitrac’s DD and my DS end up at the same college in the fall. We were hopeful for a while, but it’s not looking so good right now…</p>
<p>What schools are you all still waiting for? For me, it can’t be over soon enough. I’m like pushydad: “obsessing about college choices like a pro.”</p>
<p>This weekend, I’m trying to get DS focused on the local scholarships that he has a shot at. He’s balking, but I am showing him that we can just re-purpose the college application essays. Nothing’s ever easy! But I’m not killing him on this. He’s doing so well, has some great acceptances (with merit scholarships). But we can use any scholarships he can get…</p>
<p>A final thought: One of my parents’ close friends died last week. It was very quick from diagnosis till the end (pancreatic cancer). I was out of town on business and could not get to the service, but one of the daughters (about my age) posted her eulogy on Facebook yesterday. I wanted to share this one line that she said about her mother because it is exactly the kind of courage we need right now: “She showed me that she was brave enough to give me roots and wings.” Something to keep in mind as our HS seniors transition to college freshmen. And we all know, it isn’t easy.</p>
<p>What a wonderful story, Rockvillemom, and how serendipitous your grandmothers’ meeting was! One of my favorite older movies is about matchmaking: “Crossing Delancy.”</p>
<p>agentninetynine: Just had to tell you that I love your screen name!</p>
<p>Hi LINY! Looking less and less likely that our kids will end up in the same school (I write this from my hotel room at one of the “finalist” places.) Seems like the whole decision is dependent on when it has to be made. The school D2 would pick as a HS junior, isnt the one she 'd pick now. Like the husband I’d pick at 20 isn’t the one I’d pick at 30. Priorities change, tastes change. RVM’s story and LINY’s story are great reflections. Thanks.</p>
<p>Btw–I saw the real Agent 99 on the streets of NYC a couple of years ago. She was so skinny, it was painful.</p>
<p>I discovered this thread a couple months ago and suspect I will never get to read everything, but I feel like I know some of you. My D (a Jr) and I are planning college visits for spring break and I would grateful to know if I am missing anything. D has a 3.78gpa, but low test scores – so we may not send SATs, in particular; and she is Chinese and Jewish. We are planning to visit AU, Mason, and maybe Goucher (although the female/male percentage isn’t great), maybe UMBC, U of Del. I called McDaniel after reading about them in CTCL and they were incredibly welcoming (and hoping to build more of Jewish presence), but it may be too isolated and lacking in diversity. D has no interest in anything south of DC or in PA, and prefers to be in or near a city. We also plan to go to the NE in the summer: Stonybrook, Clark, U Mass Amherst. She’s not looking for a artsy/creative school and is likely to focus on sciences. Right now there is the most interest in Stonybrook (which may be too much of a reach), Clark and AU (with enough FA), and U Mass Amherst. I think we need more safety schools…Thank you :)</p>
<p>Hi NEinNCMom,
Welcome! Stony Brook has a large Asian population, a Hillel and kosher dining, and is very strong in the sciences, but it is not like a CTCL school, though. Have you looked at Muhlenberg? They are strong in science, I believe, and also warm like. CTCL. I think they are also test optional.</p>
<p>I’ll second the suggestion for Muhlenberg. Not considering the PA schools may overlook some choices. I have heard nice things about Juniata, which has a small Hillel- although I am not pesonally familiar with Jewish life there. It’s also one of the CTCL.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why PA would be eliminated. It has many college options that might work. Franklin and Marshall is another possibility - strong in sciences and SAT optional.</p>
<p>State University at Buffalo( which is different then Buffalo state) is very strong in the sciences and has highest Asian population of all of the SUNYs. It is very close to airport and Amtrack and DD has not found it difficult to get home with either. Decent Jewish population also.</p>
<p>NE, I would also look at JMU. Not sure of the Asian or Jewish presence there, but lots of kids from our suburban Philadelphia area with similar grades and not the best scores look there, and Delaware. Good luck with your search!</p>
<p>What about Binghamton? Good Hillel and pretty large Asian population.</p>
<p>A family friend was adopted from China by a US family. Although she is aware of her culture of origin, she mostly identifies with the US culture. One of my room mates in college was from Hong Kong. Chinese was her primary language and culture. The kids I know who were born in the US to Chinese parents tend to identify somewhere in the middle with both. I wonder if the number of Asian students at a school may not be a determinant of cutural fit for a particular student.</p>
<p>Since a college that is diverse enough to include a Jewish population would also likely have students from many cultures, I wonder if that would be the better determinant of cultural “fit” for your D. There’s not likely to be a large number of Asian and Jewish students in most places, although I believe this number is growing.</p>
<p>My DS got his first decision this weekend that wasn’t an acceptance. He got waitlisted at RPI. He did tell me weeks ago that RPI was off the table (after seeing Tulane and then Miami again). I posted previously about this so it isn’t sour grapes 
However, the RPI waitlist really hurt his ego! I reminded him what a tough school it is, it’s not a rejection, and that if he had outright acceptance everywhere, then he would think he didn’t aim high enough. I also happen to know that at least 2 other boys from his HS were accepted, a very highly ranked kid was rejected (he says because the HS never sent some info) and another boy who probably has almost same stats as DS was also waitlisted.</p>
<p>So now we continue to wait for Lehigh and Hopkins (which I think is not likely at all).</p>
<p>My money is still on Miami.</p>
<p>@Linymom I know how you feel.My son was desperately trying to find out about Case WR even though he is not going. They do not understand that it when they get rejected or waitlisted they feel like they have failed somehow and nothing could be further from the truth. They have to see the bigger picture. Some kids have not been accepted to ANY good colleges. My son’s girlfriend got into Princeton but does not know if she will be able to attend because it would mean years of debt versus $25,000+ scholarships in Miami. Those are worst dilemmas I think. Bottom line: our kids are very bright and very fortunate to have good options available to them.</p>
<p>My son also applied to Lehigh where his best friend is a freshman. However she tells him that while Lehigh is a great Engineering school, it is also heavy in partying and drinking. She attributes it to the fact that there is not much to do around the school besides drinking.</p>
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<p>Thanks, LINY! I just wish I had her figure. Speaking of that, which Agent99 did you see, Vitrac? Coincidentally, Spygirl closely resembles Ann Hathaway, except that DD has the long flowing hair that A.H. once did.</p>
<p>Linymom, sorry about the RPI waitlist. My son has had 9 acceptances and 3 rejections so far, and I told him the same thing - if he didn’t get rejections, we didn’t aim high enough.</p>