<p>Remembering back to that stressful time and sympathizing with parents of the HS classes of '09. Wondering how all the stories of joy and disappointment turned out for the HS classes of '05. Our “kids” are all in their twenties now!!</p>
<p>Four years ago, I was disappointed that my ( now-adult) child did not get into CAL. I felt mislead by a system which encouraged taking all the AP- honors classes possible, and then finding that several kids who did not do this fared better in the admissions process than mine, who did.</p>
<p>Update:</p>
<li><p>Blissful time was had at the less prestigious school. College level work was no problem given all those AP -honors classes in HS.</p></li>
<li><p>Double-major, graduating with honors, working on two honors theses. Published (small scale, but still…yipee!). Just elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Got a couple of other awards over the years.</p></li>
<li><p>No definite plans for the future, as yet.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The immature part of me kinda wants to point out the successes to CAL and say " you made a mistake"…'cause I know they got a few kids from our HS for whom college was a much bigger challenge. </p>
<p>But the grown-up me is just really happy and grateful that such a great college experience was had on this end. And, who knows, maybe they ( the admissions folks) were right and this all turned out the way it was supposed to…</p>
<p>So, what’s your story?</p>
<p>Sounds like your adult-kid best meets the phrase: “Make 'em (CAL) sorry.”</p>
<p>Yep, it’s silly of me at this point. But I am sure there are quite a few parents in a similar boat. And honestly, it may have turned out badly at CAL for a number of reasons including proximity to home! I think the bit of geographic distance really fostered growth in maturity and independence.</p>
<p>Congratulations! You sound so proud!!</p>
<p>I am proud…and silly. And I wonder if, four years later, other parents are now thinking “alls well that ends well”, like I am!</p>
<p>S1 graduates in May from school that was only real choice 4 years ago. In hindsight, he didn’t apply to enough schools. Had it in his mind what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go. S has been way more involved than ever would have imagined and in process of making grad school decision. Accepted to Phd programs everywhere applied, so I’d say the undergrad went well. Here’s hoping the grad school decision works out as well…</p>
<p>S will graduate in May with his Masters in Music Education. Got in to his dream school as an undergraduate and within 2 years had his head in his hands at spring break, dreading going back and finishing the semester. It just wasn’t a good fit for him- although it was a major private university with an excellent reputation he just wasn’t happy. He decided to transfer to a flagship state university in a different region of the country and has never been happier. After 2 years there and his BM earned he felt like he really had missed the 4 year experience and decided to stay for his Masters- earned a graduate assistantship and will graduate with high honors.
Sometimes the old cliche “be careful what you wish for” is really true.
The experience at the transfer school was superb and life changing.
With our other 2 S’s we really stressed that what you decide you have to have now may change over the years. If you decide you have made a mistake its ok- you can transfer.
Nothing about your choice of colleges as an 18 year old is permanent.
S#2 made a decision he has been very happy with and will be a senior next year.
Our youngest is going off to college next year. CC has been a wonderful resource over the years. Best of luck to all of the graduates- and parents going forward!</p>
<p>Four years ago I asked this forum for support because my D1 couldn’t decide between the Architecture programs at Tulane and UIUC. It was the last week of April and she still couldn’t choose. The morning of May 1 she told us she would go to UIUC. I hugged her and then made an excuse to go into my room to cry because of the door that she closed. All in all, she got out of the UIUC program more than they offered. Her junior year studying at the Versailles was better than expected. Academics in Champaign were a bit disappointing and not as organized as could be, but she graduated with honors and has been accepted to some strong grad schools during a highly competitive year. She made her decision 4 years ago and made it work for her. I just hope we don’t have to wait until May 1 for her next decision. 
</p>
<p>D2, her twin sister, only wanted 1 school, but applied to a few others as backups. She’ll graduate from West Point 6 days after her sister (she was always just a little later 
). She made it through some very tough times and certainly didn’t have the “normal” college experience, but never really looked back. She made Dean’s List each semester and participated in great EC’s. She knows the dates of her post-graduation training programs, and where her first job will be located. All of her classmates have jobs.</p>
<p>S1 will graduate with honors from one of our big state u’s in May. He went there on a full-ride. He never considered “name” schools he would have qualified for. It has been all he could have hoped for. He has worked hard, learned a lot and had a ton of fun. </p>
<p>He will commission into the U.S. Navy and continue his education at the Defense Language Institute then on to Special Ops training. It’s a dream come true for him.</p>
<p>Never imagined this for him when he was a little kid but he set his sights on it in high sch. and never faltered. Hard to believe four years went by so fast.</p>
<p>DD got into several good schools but we had to go with a financial safety to which she had not serious consideration when choosing. This was several years ago before CC was mature and offered so much info.</p>
<p>She never did like that school and did not have a good experience there, BUT she met one prof she really liked in a GE class. She added his subject as a double major. She is still in his general sub-area, used him as a reference for her masters, will be granted a masters soon…and this was an unfunded masters that very quickly gave her TAship, tuition remission, and significant funding.</p>
<p>Now she is in the idst of PhD apps with some admissions and still waiting to hear from others.</p>
<p>Her school was not really a good fit but she still salvaged from the experience a relationship that steered her into academics at a higher level. I think that was great and I am so glad we did not take the loans offered from the more prestigious privates to which she was admitted!</p>
<p>This is a great thread and an excellent perspective for those of us trying to help our kids make college decisions. My older son graduated from HS in '03 and wanted to attend Brown in the worst way. He was rejected (and heartbroken) and chose Vassar instead as a classics major. Fast forward to graduation - he ended up in biology, walked on the baseball team (sports are a true passion for him), and is now in medical school. He just headed back to NY over break to watch his former team play. He now believes there is no other school he would have rather gone to and loves his alma mater.</p>
<p>The point of all this is it is wonderful when your second (or third or lower) choice becomes your first choice and in the end you can’t imagine yourself going anywhere else!</p>
<p>Absolutely. I wish to say to kids and parents stressing-out over application results:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Embrace your new school , even if it wasn’t your ideal option. You may really like it there and be more successful there than if you had gone to Superschool University.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t feel like it is a life sentence. If you embraced it, and it didn’t embrace you back and you are truly unhappy there…transfer!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>It is such a stressful time and it is so hard to calm down and see the future, which may still be very bright. No, let me change that. The future IS still very bright.</p>