<p>Thanks everyone for the kind words! I have to agree with RM on the essays. D had great essays that were truly unique. Perhaps she could have written something else but this is who she is.<br>
mnmomof2 it sounds like our D’s are cut from the same cloth. She has really worked so hard and of course she heard from several of her friends and their parents…If you can’t get in then who could…Well, thousands of other kids with similiar stats and have lots of great EC’s with leadership and great test scores and and and…Glad my D is resilient and is looking forward to the future. She has a positive outlook. She is now reminding herself that kids in prior classes had disappointments too. These kids were truly amazing and they were deferred or rejected. The val from her high school last year applied to 9 schools and got rejected or deferred to all but one. She ended up at Cornell. Well, I think I need some chocolate…Fog fog your recipe sounds delicious with the pretzels and rolo. Yumm…:)</p>
<p>I’ve been catching up on all the news. Congrats to Fog, Keylime, Madbean and your kids!</p>
<p>MN, UT and Tessa - So sorry about the deferrals. Your children sound really amazing. I’m sure that good news awaits them later in this process.</p>
<p>Scoutsmom - Good luck. I’m sure this day is going very slowly.</p>
<p>Fingers crossed for you, Scoutsmom.</p>
<p>Tessa - agreed about our kids. D’s essays were also deep, non-cookie cutter, in her voice, and reflected her well. Oh well. If she had gotten better news last night she would have been pulling apps from 7 schools today (not interested in seeing where she got in to the possible detriment of a peer). Perhaps the Yale door is just ajar today so she will fully consider the other doors before shutting them. Lots of great kids getting all sorts of news. I know they will all land well and sprout where planted. What a roller coaster these last 22 hours have been! Glad to hear that so many have happy news and resilient beautiful children.</p>
<p>Apologies–this is looong!</p>
<p>You know I’m very sensitive to all the kids facing bad news these days. I don’t believe decisions are random–but the results for any one applicant do have a touch of good or bad luck.</p>
<p>My S’s prep school GCs are really among the most savvy in the world, and most were previously ivy admissions directors. They now shepherd an accomplished cohort of students through the process–so basically, they have seen the essays, LoRs, transcripts, etc of a very select group of students over the years–seen who gets admitted, deferred, and rejected. They strongly believe that there is no magic answer why one student of high quality is admitted vs. another of high quality. The kids ALL have moving or touching or insightful or funny and just plain terrific essays–and with the savvy advisors at this tough academic school, kids are certainly encouraged to rewrite and find their true voices. But from the GCs’ viewpoint, when it comes to the top students (great kids, great grades, great ECs and community involvement, research, awards, you name it) there is no qualitative difference. Of course there are individual distinguishing characteristics and certain kids may or may not naturally “fit” with certain universities. One U may take to a boy from Africa, who had to learn English and is a track star. One may admire an athlete who won a national writing award. But with total respect to those who get admitted to the most selective schools, I really think it comes down to some unknowables like how many musicians were already accepted. How many from overrepped states. How many URMs or kids from Nebraska or female CS majors (as Yale mentioned in the article–recruiting for greater # in science/engineering and URMs) vs. how many they just accepted the session before.</p>
<p>For those with kids accepted in this supremely difficult process, they earned it!–plus they had that little sparkle of luck, too. For those with kids deferred or rejected, they also deserved to get accepted–but didn’t have that bit of luck this time out. Next time, it’s a whole different game.</p>
<p>I am suggesting that while we may hope our kids have some control–and they can control many aspects in their high school transcripts and college list and final application–this may be the biggest time they are confronted by results that are beyond our and their influence. </p>
<p>It’s important for kids to know there are many prizes in life–and college is not the last or even greatest accomplishment. If they get disappointing news, it’s a tough break–but also an opportunity to grow in a different and often better way.</p>
<p>Tessa, i believe that because there are more kids who have the stats, a wonderful app that reflects them wholeheartedly, the committed ECs, etc. than there are seats at these highly selective schools, it really comes down to luck. one of my dearest friends who went thru this last year made me laugh. she said if your kid’s name is Louis and the admissions rep just broke up w/ her boyfriend Louis, you better hope that your file doesn’t hit her desk for several weeks. LOL.</p>
<p>Fog, your quote: “What makes one top band member or top debate member different from the top ones at every other high school in the nation??” (Don’t know how to do the CC quote box) In those cases, it may very well be the kids’ stats. I don’t know – how many 2300+, blah, blah top debaters and top musicians are there in the world? I have no idea. Man, I’m just glad that I’m not in the room choosing these classes. I don’t think I have the heart to reject anyone. I’m too much of a softie to handle it.</p>
<p>madbean, your post crossed mine and you were far better at expressing what i was trying to say. You nailed it.</p>
<p>Hi folks - have to agree with all the posters who say there’s a randomness, a piece of “luck” in the selections sometimes. I was on the Yale and other threads last night - it is so hard to distinguish one applicant from another - I definitely do not envy the admissions officers - they have a tough job.</p>
<p>D is in at her other EA school, with a nice merit scholarship! Was really neat to see her face when she read the email, the joy and the happiness. She is now in at 2 schools, both in the safety/match range and thinks she can be happy at either one. So, much more at ease now with the other apps.</p>
<p>Congratulations to the others who received good news. madbean - you and I are leading parallel lives! Hugs to those who got the not-so-good news. Before we came home from the concert last night, I was checking the cc forums - saw one kid get deferred from the school - kid had stats very similar to my D. So, even though I considered this a safety-low match school for D, I was apprehensive. No telling what got her in and what got him deferred.</p>
<p>I have made the Rolo pretzel treats for an after-school snack. We will have shrimp, artichokes and wild rice for dinner–all of our son’s favorites.</p>
<p>No matter what happens at 8 p.m. CT (9 p.m. in Cambridge, MA), he will know that we love him. He did all he could do in this blue collar, Midwestern town with a just-okay public high school to become an MIT hopeful. First student in 32 years to even apply there. In 1978, the valedictorian was accepted and attended MIT, majoring in …nuclear engineering. Ironically, he is now the vice chancellor of research at Mizzou, our state flagship! </p>
<p>Wishing scoutsmom and the other MIT hopeful students and parents all the best this evening.</p>
<p>^^^arisamp–isn’t that odd? Yes, we also saw kids with very good stats who were deferred–actually at both these very nice schools which were part of his safety-low match range with hopes of merit $. In this environment, I feel it is presumptuous of us to list <em>any</em> school as safe/match/reach–until after the results all come back. LOL. Even with such good news so far–I’m spooked!</p>
<p>Which is why I’m someone who will often go back over the results for S1 (HS class of 2008) because I have hundreds of results from his friends and peers, and his own results too. It’s much easier to see how those outcomes truly WERE NOT predictable or even rational results. One Top 10 admissions rep called to say S1’s essay was her favorite of the year. She said, each adrep in her office printed out a copy of their faves and tacked them to their office walls to share with each other. At the end of the season, they selected their alltime favorite essays of the year and compared notes on which were admitted (not all were) and who was matriculating. In this way, she encouraged him to attend her college!!! (no, he didn’t but what a wonderful compliment.) So, with that sort of outside validation that his essay was pretty okay, I also will mention that he was rejected at a very comparable ivy. ??? :)</p>
<p>If these stories add even a glimmer of lightness and hope, please share with your students. It’s not over until it’s over.</p>
<p>D just got good news - accepted EA into one of her top choices! She got one of the 75 spots…</p>
<p>I’m so thrilled for you. Your heart must be bursting with pride and relief.</p>
<p>High fives to Fogfog, Keylime, Madbean, Arisamp, momofboston and your kids! MNmom, UT and Tessa – Hugs to you and yours. Hope I didn’t leave anyone out since my last post. Val at my son’s school was accepted at Yale. We are all very happy for her. I was horrified to read about the NYU applicant discussed a few pages back. I hope he gets help soon.</p>
<p>I believe I owe an overdue hug to Tessa with hopes for killer news to come in the next round, and a whoop of relieved hooray to momofboston.</p>
<p>Congratulations to momofboston and arisamp! Keep the good news coming. </p>
<p>Hugs to Tessa and others with not-so-good news. </p>
<p>Good luck and rounds of Crown Royale to parents waiting todays decisions.<br>
I totally agree with everybody who is saying that the admission process to the selective schools is very random. I read somewhere that if the same application was presented in front of the same committee but on a different day, the decision could be totally different. What is scary this year is that the admission outcomes of the less selective Us are a lot less predictable than they used to be. It can result into even more applications per student next year. </p>
<p>ST wrote:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Keylimeson sent all of his applications before December 1st . He was very realistic about his chances in the EA round. Even though he is very excited about Y’s acceptance, we will see what other choices he has in April. Money is also somewhat important. We will consider all the options and make the decision that works best for him and our family.</p>
<p>madbean that might have been long but it was very well put. My heart is with all these wonderful kids this week.</p>
<p>And owm, that sounds like a wonderful menu and I am sure your son knows you love him every day.</p>
<p>Really, if the love in this thread could blanket the world it would be a much happier place.</p>
<p>Add me to the spooked list. We got a thin envelope from one of the schools D has applied to. Its one where she will have to audition for the theater program but should be safe getting in academically. My heart started pounding but it was just the thanks for applying, here is your ID for checking on line letter. Yikes! Gave me a prelude for March around here and it wasn’t pretty!</p>
<p>Lots of good thoughts for all the families waiting for decisions tonight.</p>
<p>Congrats Mom and Daughter of Boston!</p>
<p>I am truly in awe of the amazing accomplishments of the kids on threads for schools like Yale. Anyone whose kid has the stats to even consider those schools should be very proud. </p>
<p>My daughter was thrilled yesterday when her best friend was accepted to NYU Tish. For those of you dealing with audition programs, it shows that sometimes dreams do come true.</p>
<p>I just love reading these posts–we have such great parents here…thoughtful, insightful…
and I am so glad to be part of this community.
MadBean I think you said it well.</p>
<p>ST, loved your post regarding the good news for your relative. made me feel like everything is right in the world.</p>
<p>momofboston and arisamp: hurray!!! 
great news. </p>
<p>mnmomof2, sorry to hear about the deferral; boy, do I admire your daughter’s spunk. You had me laughing when I read about her wearing the rival’s sweatshirt today. </p>
<p>and madbean, I utterly loved your line and perspective: “It’s not over until it’s over.” For all of us w/ kids who experience a speed bump, that’s a great mantra.</p>
<p>and I hope I didn’t miss anyone. this thread is moving fast now w/ decision news coming out this week and last.</p>
<p>arisamp, momofboston - congrats to your d’s!!!</p>