My D did almost all EA so have heard back from nearly everyone … just waiting on a few that I know are not contenders in the end. (Northeastern, Swarthmore, Bowdoin)
It is possible (but not likely) that USC will come in with a fantastic offer but we won’t hear back on that until Feb 1st I think, and then the interview process if she makes it that far.
If I have to wait until April to have a decision put to bed I may stroke out before matriculation.
I have tried to be calm and easy-going about this whole process … but I am not.
I have tried to find some pleasure in this entire process … I have not, I hate it.
The only upside in the entire college application/selection season is that I have gotten to know a lot more of the inner workings of my daughter’s mind, her drives, her fears, strengths and weaknesses. All of that has for the most part made me only more proud of her … in other cases totally made me crazy.
She has probably learned a lot about me as well. Hopefully not all bad.
@CrackintoPieces , I think you already have your answers (sorry, just saw your questions!) and they are exactly what I would have said. I think an occasional online course could happen but my daughter’s major is different so I am not certain. The housing is guaranteed if she is a NMF! This is huge at UCF where it seems that others have to deal with a stressful lottery system. My daughter is rooming with 3 girls and 1 of them is NOT NMF and she is not guaranteed to be able to stay in their same room next year but Luke helped the 3 of them by telling them how to fill out their lottery form (yes, they still had to fill one out even though they are guaranteed they can stay). I think Towers housing is phenomenal and I honestly hope she stays there all 4 years. The location is awesome and they get a little privacy with their own room while still learning how to live with 3 other girls and share kitchen/living room, etc. If your daughter has any questions I’m sure mine would be happy to answer them. Mine ended up having someone from College Confidential that she emailed for months and months with questions and it was incredibly helpful to hear it straight from a student who is living it. Once your daughter decides, wherever she chooses, you will be happy it is all decided. Although, in part I was a little sad that my research job was done once mine decided …
Thanks @FrozenMaineMom
I will not be sad when this process is over! In this household it doesn’t matter how much research I do … I have two people in the house for whom facts don’t matter … they both believe that NPCs are unreliable, in spite of proof otherwise.
Conversations like this:
Mom: I do not think applying to XYZ T20 LAC is a good idea. Here is the NPC and they do not really offer merit aid.
DH: I know it says that school would be over $40K a year but it could be wrong.
Mom: These are detailed and quite accurate … why would she apply to somewhere we can’t possibly afford?
D20: Yeah mom, what dad said, I should just apply and we should find out what happens. And you should trust me, I understand we can only afford $X and I won’t ask for more if I get in.
Narrator: The NPC was not wrong. And it was mom not DH who got to have the conversation with D20 after getting admitted with no aid and was the focus of the ire when the answer was no.
D20 is warming up to the idea slowly … but every time she takes a step towards being at a $$$ NMF school, she takes a step back to “but I want to be at a prestigious school” Or my favorite:
D20: But I want to be with academic peers and BigStateSchool won’t have them.
Mom: They have 340 NMFs that is amazing you will be challenged
D20: Yeah but NMF is not that impressive, many of them just cheated on the test.
Mom: Stop, That is the most ridiculous argument ever, and no, they didn’t.
Oh my that conversation is hilarious! I will say that my daughter had the same fears about not going to a “prestigious” school. She was even the valedictorian and once she decided for sure she was going to UCF, she actually had people say “Wow, I figured you would be going to Harvard or something”. People can be ignorant and it took her a while to feel really happy and secure with telling people where she was going I think. What I wish she could have said to people is “Yep, I chose UCF because they are giving me a full MERIT ride and I would like to not have any debt as I would like to spend that money I would have paid to undergrad to use at medical school”…or something like that! Seriously, as soon as she graduated high school and all the hype about “where is everyone going” was over, it was a complete non-issue. She is happy there and has TONS of extra spending money because she made this decision. It is ridiculous the way she can live it up as a college student (Yep, I’m totally jealous!). Also, because she is part of the Honors College, it does not feel like a huge school or a state school and her peers in the honors college (the ones she hangs out with) are extremely academic. The school has not only provided her with great academic structure (great advising too for her curriculum and the ability to choose classes before the rest of the school), but she has been volunteering, has a research position and is even a TA. It truly blows my mind how different her college experience is compared to most kids I know (and certainly much different than mine!). But I get your conversations with your daughter and could just be lucky that my daughter’s choice to not apply at a bunch of schools worked out so well. Good luck!
@CrackintoPieces - oh my, your recount of that conversation was hysterical. I’m glad you can find some dark humor in the process. I’m lucky in that DD has bought into her dream being a life free of student debt and the freedom to pursue whatever opportunities are best for her academic career without worrying about juggling a side job to pay some bills.
I went to a reasonably prestigious school (Duke), and I’m not sorry I went there, but we weren’t breathing some rarefied atmosphere of erudition unknown to those at state schools. Some of my classmates were amazing. Some (maybe more than some) were overprivileged whiners. Most of us were idiots at least some of the time because that’s what you are at 18-21.
I’m not entirely sure what my point is - the waiting is taking its toll
@FrozenMaineMom glad I could make you laugh! I also really appreciate hearing the confirmations that UCF is a great experience.
@drxxpresso Relying on humor, dark or otherwise … absolutely my coping mechanism. Got to say, my other instinct is to have a conversation more like this:
Mom: Fine. Do whatever you want. I am done with this.
D20: Really? awesome. Here is log-in to T20LAC for the acceptance fees
Mom: Oh, you misunderstood … your choice, your money, I am done
DH: Oh that isn’t fair
Mom: Really? then you pay for it … perhaps finally teach summer school classes like I have been asking you to for over a decade instead of traveling all summer every summer. Or young privileged D20 why don’t you have a job … I have set you up with multiple that you just weren’t interested in and DH you backed her that she didn’t “need” to work, and you put all of this on me and no one but me. Yeah I am done. Figure it out yourselves.
Narrator: Mom walked to her car, changed the PIN and password to her bank accounts, turned off her phone, plugged in her iTunes and started driving.
I think this entire college acceptance/selection process has brought to the surface every crack and fissure in our family’s dynamic.
OR Seeing as obviously I have a talent for screen-writing LOL:
I could change careers myself, produce a Netflix series about over-privileged high-achieving students and their families trying to get into “dream” colleges … and make enough money to send her anywhere.
@CrackintoPieces But you wouldn’t use that money on kids who buy into the Prestige-At-Any-Price. You’d set up a scholarship for the kids who see the awesomeness of the lower ranked schools who have great opportunities for those who seek them out.
BTW, if she wants a tiny intellectual LAC with individualized attention (plenty of Oxbridge-style tutorials there) where a high percentage of grads go on to grad school, she really should consider New College of Florida. It’s a lot like a public Reed in FL (and thus a lot like the U of C; except the weather is much nicer and you can walk to the beach). I’m surprised nobody has brought up NCF yet. It seems like a place that would fit her well (assuming she is fine with a left-wing student body; which most prestigious LACs would have as well).
It would be a full-ride for her there too.
I personally rate NCF as a Near-Ivy based on alumni accomplishments.
Their priority deadline is 2/1 so she can (and should) still send in an app.
BTW, UT-Dallas honors offers a lot, including a ton of small seminars (inspired by Oxbridge but they aren’t quite tutorials), free tickets to cultural events in Dallas (symphony, shows, etc.) And the school has some nationally ranked programs, including at least one liberal arts one).
Is UNebraska out of the picture? Full tuition plus possible NMF award can bring the cost down to $12k room/board, travel (ouch!), fees( estimated about $2k but depend upon courses selected and should be discussed with school) and other living expenses. $5500 in loans, part time and summer work can take care of a lot of these costs and if $10k from parents is the budget, it’s doable.
Also, if LACs are what she wants, small Catholic colleges might provide similar support. Look at LaSalle in Philly. Iona in New Rochelle , NY — just off top of my head. There are hundreds of such schools that may give a generous award to NMF. My cousin’s DD got a nice scholarship from Providence college in Rhode Island. Her sister did very well with award money from URI(out of state).
