<p>When I first came here in 2005, my older daughter was a junior in high school. Now she’s a junior in college. I followed the trials and tribulations of many of the senior students’ parents at that time as they went through the application and decision process. During the subsequent year, their advice and counsel helped me quite a bit. I know several of those parents of College ’09 are still here. I assume it’s either because of younger siblings, to help the newbies, or they are just hanging around for the camaraderie in the cafe. Others have moved on and are no longer posting. There’s a couple of those that I still hear from time to time in e-mail and PMs, and I’ll fill you in:</p>
<p>Many of you will remember a very active former member from a small town in Kansas who had six kids. Her eldest went to Duke and she hasn’t posted here in quite some time. His interest was in infectious diseases. I recently heard from her that he received a Phi Beta Kappa key, will be graduating close to the very top of his class at Duke and is now deciding among many top law schools where he has already been accepted, including Harvard & Stanford. Another former poster told me last month that her daughter will attend Penn Dental School after graduating BU with a degree in history this year.</p>
<p>So how was your kid’s college experience? How have things work out for them? Has their intended major and career focus changed? Has the economy affected their post graduation plans? What’s up for them next year? Inquiring minds want to know! ;)</p>
<p>Changes! Yep, mine went into the conservatory with oboe performance/composition and double degree in BA Government and is leaving for grad school engaged with a focus on information policy and law. They do change. My two cents: change is possible so don’t put all your eggs into one basket, 18 year old career paths may wobble and go off in another direction.</p>
<p>I guess I am still here because of the cafe and occasionally I may have some needed insight to pass on. I learn so much here…beyond the college search.</p>
<p>I had hoped that college would stretch and challenge my eldest more than it did. I saw no manifest transforming take place when he graduated last year, and nothing really since. He is a great kid, but didn’t really push himself and wasn’t really pushed. School was too comfortable for him, in retrospect.</p>
<p>Son #2 is a senior now. A much more relaxed and accepting person than when he entered school. Same major and similar interests which have refined themselves somewhat. He pushed himself to take on leadership in a few student activities, tried some other things he had never done before, pushed to write an honor’s thesis. Took 5 classes and worked 30 hrs/week on the campaign last semester, which impacted his GPA a bit, but did a lot for his sense of urgency. He deferred applying to Law School, though he did great on his LSATs and will work for a while before returning. He has already turned down a job- the right field but not enough meat in the job to warrant taking a lousy salary. He has lots of irons in the fire, hopefully something will work out soon. He met kids and professors in college who challenged him and helped him to learn more about himself. He took full advantage of the larger school he didn’t love initially, but really grew into.</p>
<p>S1 graduates in May and is headed to PhD program. I used to say he should work for awhile then go back to school. Of course, he is taking right approach going straight to grad school in this economy. </p>
<p>Focus and plans have not changed much since he applied to undergrad, grad school, pharmaceutical research ultimately, but now wants to add teaching to the long term plan. I no doubts he will do all he wants and more.</p>
<p>DD is also a junior…she has settled on an engineering major and is very happy. Agreed…they do change in college…although this one went in with the intention of being an engineering major. One more year.</p>
<p>Another parent of a college junior here. DD has been so very happy at her college. During her sophomore year of high school, she declared her desire to go to law school. That remains her desire. She will soon take her LSAT and she has an interview next week for a summer internship. It’s hard to believe at this time next year she’ll almost be a college graduate!</p>
<p>Another parent of a college junior here. DD changed her major after freshman year from business to advertising and loves her new major. No clue what she wants to do yet after graduation next year. She may take her GRE’s this summer, just in case the job search is not fruitful. She is doing this summer abroad after having a wonderful internship last summer.</p>
<p>Parent of college senior. He started as a trumpet performance major hoping to play in a symphony. He will graduate in that major, but has changed plans within the past year. He has been accepted at both Indiana University and University of Oregon in arts administration master’s programs, but may take a year off to work first. He is not quite sure what he wants to do right now and might even consider goings for an MBA. (He wants to be able to earn enough to support a family and pay off loans.)</p>
<p>Parent of a junior here. I’m enjoying reading about your seniors and their future plans. It’s hard for me to believe my son’s turn will be next year. Best wishes and good luck to your soon to be grads!!</p>
<p>Audiophile: Thank you for the update on our Kansas friend’s son. I remember when we were all placing bets on which offer he would accept! And we were so sure that he would be a doctor … !</p>
<p>How has college changed S? He’s got much longer hair than he used to when mom was on his case. He is no longer able, apparently, to get up at 7am for classes. He has discovered a small talent for leadership which was well hidden in high school.
He’s headed for grad school. Still making up his mind where.</p>
<p>DD is graduating from Amherst this May. Not much has changed in her, because she was already very mature for her age. She has become more frugal, however, and has become financially independent. What a relief! She also changed her focus on her major, and instead of IR went into foreign languages instead, since she decided after these last few years seeing what has been going on in Washington, that she is too honest for politics!!! She did Study Abroad in Spain and Germany. One of her papers was published in Spain, and she just completed the optional Honors Thesis in Spanish. Her defense is this week. Just notified me that she is receiving an award at Senior Assembly for Excellence in Spanish which comes with a monetary gift. GRE this summer, applying to overseas programs, and will work this summer, until she applies to grad schools. Whereas she wanted certain schools for undergrad, she is more focused on the quality of the programs for grad school. A shock, but it might be UT if she remains focused on Latin American studies, because, as she says, everyone winds up at the UT library sometime, as it is reputed to have the largest collection of material and considered one of the best programs in the country. That I would have never predicted!</p>
<p>Parent of a college junior here. DS has really enjoyed his college experience which has just the right balance between academics and the EC activities that he enjoys ( both in the athletic & music areas). Future career-wise, he is still on the pre-med track and is doing very well so far (knock on wood). He had also met a really sweet girl in his freshman year and has been going steady with her for almost 2 1/2 years.</p>
<p>S#2 graduates next month from the University of Miami. He tweaked his major slightly over the years from entering with biochemistry to graduating with microbiology and immunology. Future plans include dental school, although he is hoping to spend the next 2 years with Teach for America in New Orleans (decision comes next week). Plan B is a position in a research lab in Miami.</p>
<p>He chose UM to experience another part of the country and has completely taken advantage of every opportunity that has come his way. He continues to inspire me with his desire to live life to the fullest and make a difference. His college experience has been everything he, and we, had dreamed.</p>
<p>Audio-Thanks so much for the update from KS! My very first post on CC was 4 years ago on B’s thread debating her S’s choices. I’m so glad it has worked out well. My youngest is a freshman at The University of Kansas and I often think of B when visiting him.</p>
<p>S2 will graduate from Wash U next month. Entered college as a true undecided and will graduate with a degree in Anthropology and an interest in security studies (think counterterrorism). He has grown in too many ways to mention and will be returning home for the time being. The current job market is very unpredictable and the kinds of jobs available to liberal arts grads just are not as plentiful as in past years. He has lined up a job (we think) to just earn some money and he will apply for more fulltime employment after graduation. Grad school is definitely in his future and the GREs are on the schedule for the summer. The last four years have gone so quickly that it feels like just yesterday that we dropped him off.</p>
<p>I have two older sons who are married (and my oldest just had a son last week, so I am not “churchmusicgrandmom!!!” :). My youngest, a D, is the reason I got on here five years ago…she was in the college application process. Her goal was to go to a school with a great dance program and challenging academics, so she chose Barnard. Fast foward four years and she will be graduating next month Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Neuroscience and will begin working on her PhD next fall at Emory. I never dreamed my dancing daughter would grow to love science so much!!!</p>
<p>I just love this thread! audio, thanks for starting it. I, too, joined 4 years ago when D was going through the process. But, I came upon it too late for help. But it helped through the waiting process and helped me understand the results. It is so nice to hear about what happened to alll those that went through the trials and tribulations of the college app process with us. I had wondered whatever became of B and her Duke son. She was such a wonderfully strong and helpful voice to us all. I knew he would go places. He is truly a remarkable young man and over the top talented. His current law school acceptances prove that!</p>