<p>When I began my college selection process I knew I wanted to go somewhere with great weather being that I live in Chicago now. I would also like to experience life in a new environment with a different lifestyle. I also want to get away because I am kind of sheltered living with my mom. I dont do anything that normal teenageers enjoy doing. I ffeel that if I stay somewhere close she will continue to try to control me because I’m still close to her. She strongly opposes me going away. She said at MOST 5 hours away but that doesnt get me away from Chicago’s winter weather. It’s pretty much boiled down to me being disowned if I chose to take my life in the direction that I want instead of her way. I feel that I will always be stuck here if I stay now and will regret it. But i also don’t want to go away and fail. I want to make a muture decision without feeling like im being pressured or will end up unhappy with my decision. Should I give in to her demands or take a chance and go away for college???HELP</p>
<p>Give in to her demands. Even though she is being incredibly horrible, you don’t want to be disowned. At most 5 hours away, make it 5 hours! Get as far away from that woman as you can without causing a mass uprising.</p>
<p>Does she mean 5 hours of driving distance away?
If it’s no more than a 5 hour flight, you can reach most colleges in America…and Chicago should be a good airport for getting nonstop flights.
Have you made a list of colleges yet? How does your current list fit this constraint?</p>
<p>^^nice idea</p>
<p>My rents wanted me close by. i just ignored them and went to the school i felt was best. the college i picked does happen to be about two hours away from my uncle though…</p>
<p>siliconvalleymom</p>
<p>She means 5 hours driving distance. My away schools consist of UMiami, UAlabama Tuscaloosa, Stanford, and USC. If I have to stay in Chicago UChicago is probably tha best academically but not a fit for me socially. I would probaly lean more towards UI-UrbanaChampaign. But neither one is for me 100%. My true list of colleges is nowhere near the time constraints as you can see.</p>
<p>I’m sorta in a similar situation, besides I have family issues as a whole ( parents, siblings etc…) and even the local hospital lack of diagnosing/ on right track. So I have now been pushed away from where I currently live. My once top choice Michigan State University, I no longer can see how it can be given all that I experience and it’s only 10 minutes from my house. So as I countinue to look more into Michigan State University and Univerrsity of Michigan- Ann Arbor, I will now consider out of state universities. I’ve already gave notice of a few universities to my mom and siblings so they can be aware.</p>
<p>If you are thinking of staying in Chicago and don’t like UChicago, what about Northwestern?</p>
<p>Talk to your mom a little more. Try to steer the discussion away from argument (which is probably what led to the disowning comment) and towards reasonable discussion. Tell your mother that she raised you well, and that even if you are not near her you will still be the same person and will still follow the values/morals she instilled. Promise you’ll come home every break, and look at colleges near major airports. Let her know that she can come visit, and that if anything happens you are only a few hours away by plane. </p>
<p>By the time you go to college you will be an adult, and you can make your own choices. But think about a few things before you go completely against your mother… can you afford any of the schools you are thinking of without your mother’s help? California is expensive. And will you regret losing your relationship with your mother later on?</p>
<p>Your mom doesn’t want to lose you any more than you want to lose her. But she’s worried about you being far away. If you are able to ease her worries enough by showing your responsibility and proving that you’ve thought all this through, then maybe she’ll be more open.</p>
<p>The first thing I would do is explain why you want to get out of the Chicago area. The best way to do this is show her why these other schools are better fits for you or have better programs for what you want to study (even if this isn’t the primary reason you are choosing them).</p>
<p>If she cannot be persuaded and simply needs to have you around, I’d look at Northwestern, Washington U in St Louis, Notre Dame, the University of Michigan, Carleton College, and Macalester College.</p>
<p>Unfortunately there aren’t that many top-tier privates in the midwest so your options are a bit limited in that regard. However, I feel like this is something that she’ll come around to if you regularly talk about how much you’d like to get away for college. She is probably more worried about what being so far away will be like for her than what it will be like for you.</p>