<p>I graduated a year early, and I didn’t go to my hs graduation or prom. I had a summer job at a camp, and had to be there before graduation. This was 1973…</p>
<p>Never regretted it.</p>
<p>Check with your school; I doubt that you are the first to not attend.</p>
<p>The only dining reservation we have is brunch at Statler´s after the graduation. I am leaving everything to D1, she is planning everything. I heard this is going to be the best senior week.</p>
<p>D1 is graduating with 2 majors, she is asked to go to the less popular major´s graduation.</p>
<p>So bottom line is you will be missing some pomp, some circumstance, which different people evidently care for more than others. And many people will be having a lot of fun in preparation. I don’t know if you’'d be one of them though. And the offset is yes there will be some “hassle” as you suspected, both for you and for your parents. Which they will undoubtedly be quite happy to endure for the pleasure of seeing you properly graduated. If that’s what you want to do.</p>
<p>But if you don’t want to- I am among several posters here who managed to dispense with it, and none of us seems sorry. YMMV.</p>
<p>and all the parent posters who are usually good at ferreting out mis-information have ignored a basic fact - all seniors eligible to graduate have been given the information that was being asked for…</p>
<p>For all the parents here, don´t forget to pay your kid´s final bill.</p>
<p>And the “class Gift”, don’t forget that one, don’t want the university to make the newspapers again.</p>
<p>“…all seniors eligible to graduate have been given the information that was being asked for…”</p>
<p>… but they sent it to us, at home here, not to where the kids are, didn’t they? And frankly I havent looked at it either.</p>
<p>I just looked at my bill since monydad mentioned senior class gifts (I vaguely remembered that line item), I see $250. How much are we suppose to give?</p>
<p>I am pretty sure that the kids got the info as an e-mail as my dd has done all the planning, other than the lodging. and she did inquire as to whether we were set there. </p>
<p>oldfort, I checked and dd said she was asked to attend both of her dept ceremonies.</p>
<p>I’ll ask D2 to check up , and on the rest of the planning- after her last exam.
Meanwhile I arranged our lodging and a couple dinner reservations- months in advance. Because I didn’t want to have to drive to Elmira again !
We got RSVP cards for a couple functions, but the rest we still have to fill in.</p>
<p>memphismom - thanks. I will check with D1, maybe there is a conflict with her 2 majors.</p>
<p>I think there are conflicts…you will be running across the arts quad (wear low heeled shoes!)…I am still not sure how this is going to work…</p>
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<p>I think you should strongly consider doing it for them, especially if they have supported you in any way (financially, emotionally, etc.) in getting to this point.</p>
<p>Oldfort, did you get a bill for the senior gift? I received a phone call a while ago from a Cornell student and I suspected it was about the senior gift but because they specifically asked for my sons numbers I just gave the numbers and did’nt inquire. Do you have any information about the senior gift because I am not seeing it. I know my kids would not be writing that check so I would like to make sure it has been taken care of.</p>
<p>As you could see D1 just charged it to her bursar. I believe they ask each senior to donate money and they could put it on their account or pay it with a check. I asked D1 why such a large amount. She told me that she is on a special committe and was recommended to give that amount.</p>
<p>OK thanks, I will ask my Ss if they could still make the donation. I assume the info is on their account. Do you happen to know when the last Bursar bill will be sent. We just paid one but I know they will have incurred more by the end of next week. I just dont want to get there and need to deal with this in the office graduation weekend.</p>
<p>I just had a conversation with D1. There will be another charge coming from her sorority for spring. Your kid(s) may also see charges from their fraternities.</p>
<p>Thanks Oldfort, I hope the last bill comes no later than next Thur. Congratulations to your daughter!! I could tell they are seniors…the Bursar bills have been going up each month but this last bill was a little overboard. I guess they are charging everything to their Bursar account to leave themselves with ready cash for the fun stuff. Its just days away from graduation and I can’t believe I have two more graduating this year. I will miss Cornell…and I think my kids are going to need a crane to lift them out of Ithaca…they are feeling the pangs of leaving.</p>
<p>My son did not go to graduation last year. One of the other parents offered to give me pictures. Said the pix from all years looked alike and she had extras. </p>
<p>S was in Baltimore. For a good, university-related reason. There was a private graduation scheduled for some of the young men on the trip with him. Others, in different colleges, simply dropped by their college office and picked up their diploma when they got back to Ithaca.</p>
<p>I noticed on the page where they say where all the diplomas are being handed out that some of the programs are having full cap-and-gown ceremonies, with individual call-ups,to to give out the diplomas for their majors, after the university-wide ceremony. Maybe that would be more like what OP had in mind, if he is in one of those majors. My daughter’s program asked for a little blurb about her, so they must be planning something a bit personal as well. I don’t recall anything like that for mine, but it was a very long time ago and it was a masters degree.</p>
<p>I’d ask that you think about your parents’ wishes in this case - (and siblings too) - you are at the age where family time together is rare - the graduation weekend is a unique opportunity for families to spend time together during a beautiful time of year in Ithaca. My S1 graduated last year and while parts of it might have been ho-hum for him, the rest of the family had a wonderful time seeing the campus, experiencing the pomp and circumstance, meeting his friends, touring the area and enjoying the lovely hiking trails and parks. It helped that the weather was amazing.</p>