<p>oh I forgot, S got fitted for his tux for graduation. I cannot wait to see him in it.</p>
<p>kathiep - congratulations on RIT. D got an award from there in junior year and was assured of a scholarship, but decided it was not for her. She chose to apply to the other Rochester school instead :)</p>
<p>Amanda, kathiep - I completely get the water cooler/peanut gallery comments. Can’t count the number of times H would come home saying he talked to so and so who’s daughter/son attends university X and D should look at X too 
Aargh!</p>
<p>Thanks for the commiserations on D not making the scholarship. I am getting over it slowly. Trying to convince her that she might still want to go take a look at that school - she does have a sizeable merit scholarship from them.</p>
<p>Talked to her about making a list of accepted student days at the different schools - perhaps putting them down on paper will make her realize all schools can’t wait till April! April is also when her spring sport is in full swing and she’s so going to hate missing school/games. Does anyone know if all schools have admitted student day information on their websites? A lot of the schools D applied to have ED (she applied RD) - so I am assuming that info is on there - am off to go compile the list. (anything other than FAFSA!)</p>
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snoozn - I think it depends on the schools graduation requirements and classes they are taking. S’s school requiresEnglish 4
Religion 4
Mathematics 3
Social Studies 3
Language 3 (same language in grades 9-12 at this school)
Science 2
Fine Arts .75
Electives 5 </p>
<p>It would be hard to fufill those requirements and be done midday at his school. Most kids take more than 2 years of science and most take 4 years of math and 4 years of history. </p>
<p>I hope you D enjoys her early release. </p>
<p>MOSB - good luck with the auditions. </p>
<p>We got S two suits for his bday last year. He needed one for several things at school. He has ended up wearing them both many times. He recently told H that he wanted a computer for his 18th bday. We thought about getting him one for graduation, but I hate giving him something I would buy anyway for a graduation gift but don’t mind too much doing that for his bday. I am going to look into the tshirt quilt thing for graduation. I doubt he would bring it to college and his bed at home is a Queen so I can only get it for one or the other. He is sentimental, so he would use it at home where not too many would see it.</p>
<p>Saw G&J…half the fun was figuring out what other plays they were cribbing from. I also enjoyed id-ing the voices – there is some high powered talent in that movie! Wish my kid was home. </p>
<p>Ditto on the kibitzing…DH has been utterly silent about her college choices until the answers started coming. Now he’s all ‘why’d she pick <em>that</em> one’ and ‘why didn’t she apply to <em>this</em> one?’ Where were you 9 months ago, pal? </p>
<p>Hang in there, y’all. The light is just barely visible at the end of this tunnel.</p>
<p>Ok…found this and had to share - the dean offers the seniors some incredible advice in
this post -</p>
<p>[Epilogue:</a> After Colleges Accept You | Yale College Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.yale.edu/after-colleges-accept-you]Epilogue:”>After Colleges Accept You | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>I’ve sent it to D - here’s hoping she reads it :)</p>
<p>arisamp - I saw that article several months ago and printed it off for S. I whole heartedly agree it is great advice and a must read for all of our seniors.</p>
<p>mosb - ain’t that always the case? Sounds like a lot of pressure is off now, eh? Your D has such wonderful choices. I am so happy for her.</p>
<p>Congrats, kathie! </p>
<p>D is in kind of a nice lull, for a few days, anyway. She can actually do her regular work!</p>
<p>We leave Weds a.m. for NY and the last 2 auditions. It will be nice to visit a couple of campuses…keeps it real, in a good way.</p>
<p>arisamp - thanks. Very intersting. I hope S reads it.</p>
<p>Kathiep - serious whoot-whoot on the RIT admit!! We have several kids from our school that have gone there and love it. They work their tails off, but love every minute of it!</p>
<p>Bluejr is now two for two!!! He received an admit from his #2 school yesterday 
We will have to wait for several weeks to see about the Honors College and scholarship, but it is a financial possibility without those (just icing on the cake)! I can’t tell you how happy I am to know my boy is not going to be 15hrs away!! It’s an amazing program and he’s been a big fan of the school for many, many years. If his first choice doesn’t work out, there will be no tears shed! :)</p>
<p>I have to say I was a bit taken back by attitudes of few kids that were accepted as well. When people congratulated them one actually smirked and said ‘Oh, it’s my safety’. Urrgghh! It was a good time to remind my kids that your safety is someone else’s dream school. I won’t go into it, but this school is hardly a safety.</p>
<p>congrats to BI’s S!!! Good luck with scholarship and honors program.</p>
<p>blue thank you for bringing that point up–about the smirk and “safety” remark. Good to remember for students and their parents.</p>
<p>arisamp what a great article at a perfect time for all of us, and our kids to read,thanks!</p>
<p>Kathiep, congratulations! Wonderful news! </p>
<p>…
Your sons wear tuxes for graduation? When did that happen? Sb goes to an all-girls school, but still I’m pretty sure the boys at our local publics wear regular suits under their gowns. Hadn’t heard about the tuxes.</p>
<p>Hurray for bluejr! </p>
<p>Emmybet, I knew you’d appreciate the irony of the top-conservatory-but-I-don’t-want-to-go-here. And of course, we don’t even know if she’s accepted…the odds are strongly not in her favor. But isn’t it funny? I’ll be keeping fingers crossed for your d on her final 2 auditions next week. Hope she knocks them out of the park!</p>
<p>kathiep - I remember when you encouraged me to look into the RIT summer visit program when we were considering that school. They did an excellent job introducing the kids to various majors, and I was impressed by how they put it together. I remember your son thought the school was a great fit, so congrats to him!</p>
<p>momofsongbird - Glad your daughter is feeling empowered to find a good fit for her and not just be lured by the prestige of a name. Emmybet - good luck for upcoming auditions.</p>
<p>At our house, we have been enjoying some relaxation after son got into his ED school, but but also, after a bout of senioritis and getting behind on his schoolwork, I’m insisting on him creating lists and building major time management skills, so he doesn’t head off to college without having learned that better. (Mom won’t be there to remind him anymore!) </p>
<p>And in the mornings, I’ve stayed more out of the way (even when he’s running late - gotta learn to get himself up and out without prodding from me!) He’s getting much more organized and even makes his own bed without reminding (sometimes).</p>
<p>Also working on financial planning skills. Talking about monthly budgets, work study, summer jobs and the financial goals and responsibilities for the upcoming years. Setting up a checking account at bank that has a branch on his campus and one near our house. Looking into credit card options for emergencies. </p>
<p>Lastly, savoring every moment with him still in the house. Making some special dinners and watching some TV shows together. His upcoming college (Syracuse) is a big basketball school, so we are watching all the games together as he is learning the players names and getting into the school spirit. Glad we can hang out and just have fun cheering the team together. Rah, rah, Orange!</p>
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</p>
<p>Good pt. Recently our student was admitted to a popular flagship, and hasn’t said a word to anyone. Reason: it is a “safety” for kidddo, and kiddo/we know that many many very qualified students won’t get in…for other students its a dream/reach…and they won’t get in.
So to be sensitive, it just has’t come up.
I don’t think anyone but our family and the GCs know.</p>
<p>Our kiddo is really tired. Had tests in all six APs last week, and several papers. No down time for this second semester sr.</p>
<p>Agree about the sensitivity regarding ssfeties and reaches. </p>
<p>MOSB - They don’t wear gowns at S’s graduation, just the tux. (all boys school)</p>
<p>Congrats, blue!</p>
<p>I’m trying to look at “quality” and “rank” and what they can “do” for you (or not) as this vague gray cloud that no one can really see through. I fear having to do some cleanup work with D, if her answers split down a certain line, either academically or artistically, because it’s hard not to see a hierarchy, where she’d feel she’d fallen into a rank-and-file category. We’ll just keep looking ahead, remembering that college is just a step, and that, as the Yale article says, most of it is essentially the same at virtually every school you go to - the academic learning, the relationship with professors, the social situation, the personal growth, the preparation for life ahead.</p>
<p>I find myself wishing I were in some of your ED shoes - it is a nice way to go through senior year. But D needed these months to grow and learn about herself, and that’s just that. And really (as AvonDad so helpfully reminds us) the days will pass and this process will move on to the much-desired next phase.</p>
<p>Gross, wet sloppy snow here, but the kind that shows winter is moving into its last phase, too. I hope people have a nice day.</p>
<p>KP~ Congrats to your S for his R.I.T acceptance.
Hope those Financial Packages get to you soon.</p>
<p>Blue~Congrats on 2 for 2</p>
<p>Regarding~Safety Vs.Target Vs Reach
We have reminded our Ss that the tags we put on schools are very subjective.Their dislikes at one school may be exactly what someone else just loves.</p>
<p>Stay:cool:</p>
<p>Thanks MOSB for the note re white gowns- it reminded me to suggest she make sure her undergarments are of the proper color out in the sun before we go off to the ceremony if she ends up with a white dress.<br>
And thanks to arisamp for the inspirational piece- I really hope my D reads the link I sent her, especially points 3 and 4. (Now worries about 5 as I am not so subtle about my school assessments although she has assured me while annoying 
I am not being overly directive.)</p>
<p>We now have grad gift covered. D has never worn a watch but when wearing her primary gift (antique family watch) a few months early she realized how much nicer it is to have the time on the wrist instead of hunting down her phone. So we got her an Eco Drive (recommended by a previous poster) to wear for every day. (Plus a ton more tops to go with the “free” skirts she got from her employer- not so much free if she needed coordinating sweaters, etc to go with them but ah well.)<br>
D has decided no more honors college apps, no more scholarship essays, just doing her regular work while in school and enjoying her week off. This is the first time in 4 years that she has not had major new assignments given by teachers to be completed over a school break- the joy of taking primarily online classes this semester. Life is good. Limbo is not a bad place- I am thinking of it as a caesura.</p>
<p>I had to laugh. BlueDad got up with purpose this morning, got a cup of coffee, and announced “I’m going to do that FAFSA thing”. I smiled and told him he had to do the taxes first. His look of satisfaction just faded to one of defeat. Then came “Well crap, I guess I’m doing taxes today.”. I handle most of the finances, but I don’t touch the taxes. That’s one thing BlueDad and TurboTax do. Hopefully this won’t be too painful.</p>