<p>Amanda: Glad you got through the painful milestone of your mother’s birthdate. I’ve already begun to think ahead to the holidays without my dad.</p>
<p>OWM: Happy birthday to your grandson! I am so impressed with the grace with which you’ve adapted to the change in circumstances with your older son. I can only hope and pray that I would be able to do the same in a similar situation.</p>
<p>Monday’s countdown is:</p>
<p>MIT (March 14th) - 14 days to go. Only two weeks!</p>
<p>March 31st schools - 31 days to go. Only one month. Ugh…</p>
<p>And for those of you with schools that will announce in between 3/14 and 3/31, at least it is less than a month.</p>
<p>amanda, We crossed posts. I haven’t experienced losing a parent or sibling, but from my friends who have, their birthday seems to be very hard emotionally. As we tell our kids ‘You are stronger then you think you are’, but that doesn’t mean it hurts any less.</p>
<p>Pepper, I am assuming versions of Bluedad appear all over the country during tax season and the first year filing FA/Profile paperwork. He’s been very, very grateful for the coordination I have done with Bluejr in helping with lists of schools, visits, applications, dates, etc. This was the ONE thing I’d asked him to do because he does the taxes. Don’t get me wrong, he would have taken on more if it had made sense. I’m home and had more time.</p>
<p>It’s interesting to hear different thoughts on state schools. I completely understand that it really depends on your state and what your student is studying. We feel so fortunate to have two really good instate options for Bluejr’s major. I’m sure there would be some states he would be less then thrilled about a flagship. He just really got lucky on this one!</p>
<p>OWM, The most happy first birthday to that wonderful baby!! You are an amazing mother and grandmother. You’re support can not be underestimated. I mean that sincerely.</p>
<p>Quick IDOC question - Cover Sheet - Ovals for Verification W/S - Fill it Parent, Student or Both.The Verif W/S covers both.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input on prom dresses. This is our first time venturing into this world and it’s scary, with all the options/sites out there. If anyone has a particular website they recommend, please PM me.</p>
<p>Amanda - glad that you got through the weekend. That must have been tough. </p>
<p>FlMathMom - great that he loved Olin. Is he definitely headed there or does it depend on the all important FA package?</p>
<p>We talked to D about visiting her safety school in March. I am getting a little antsy waiting for the results, panicking just a teeny bit. Her other schools are fairly selective schools, most are reaches. What if she doesn’t get in anywhere else? Talked about the safety schools this weekend - and talked of potentially visiting one that she hasn’t seen yet in March. She seemed ok with it yesterday, but unhappy this morning. She has to miss tryouts for her spring sport to do this and she is really not inclined to do it. Pressed her a bit and she says that school is not on her top list of schools anyway. Ugh - will put off discussing this for a while, but I really hope the worst case scenario I am having nightmares about doesn’t become reality. It looks like she is not that thrilled with two out of three safety schools at this point…</p>
<p>On another note, the joys of getting older - am scheduled for a test this afternoon that’s supposed to knock me out for the rest of the day. Dreading the needle - wish me luck!</p>
<p>Arisamp- I hear you about the safeties. D has pretty much discarded all of them now. I am making the D go to accepted student days to the school she thinks she is going to choose (she has never been on campus) and another one to please me. Then she can make her decision. Fingers crossed one of the safeties turns out to be an acceptable choice for your D and takes any pressure off- then if the reaches happen great, but no disaster if they don’t.<br>
Good luck re test/needle too.</p>
<p>Uh-oh…pepper, did I blow it by sending a 1st choice school to NM Corp (faxed yesterday afternoon)???</p>
<p>I thought we HAD to!</p>
<p>Can you summarize the damage I’ve done, or send me a link to that other thread?</p>
<p>I was so proud of myself for remembering to do it! But I do worry, b/c she does have a huge scholarship on the line, plus admission to the conservatory (neither of which is the school she told me to list as #1.</p>
<p>Oh, @#*@! I knew I’d screw up something!</p>
<p>Arisamp: Try not to panic. Your daughter can only go to one school, and it sounds like she is happy with one of her safeties. I wouldn’t push her to visit the school that she’s down on right now. If she goes with a negative attidude, she probably won’t like it. If necessary, you can visit after she hears from her other schools. I’ve been following this process with D1, friends, nieces and nephews for many years, and it generally works out well. I know that the waiting is really hard. Try to keep busy and distract yourself. Good luck with your procedure.</p>
<p>MOSB: I’m in the same boat! Thought I was doing the right thing by reminding S2 to fax that little postcard and now I think I’ve messed this up! Geez!</p>
<p>We’re in the same boat on the in-state safety issue. It’s the only acceptance we have at this point, and even though it is a great school and D is in with two different honors option there, she so doesn’t want to go. So we wait on the way-too-many reachy RD decisions we’ll have coming in at the end of the month and hope there are at least a few good acceptances among them and a way to get across country to visit again and make a good decision! :)</p>
<p>And thinking about you and your mom, AK, as I head out the door to visit my mother in assisted living (I’m the “in-town” caregiver daughter with siblings thousands of miles away). The fifth anniversary of my dad’s death is coming up in a couple of days, so we’ll both be working through that milestone.</p>
<p>And prom … we’re still at the “should I go” stage! No likely prospects for being asked, and D is still deciding if she wants to do the “going with a group” thing. She went last year, so it wouldn’t be a disaster if she doesn’t go, but just one more bit of angst in her world at the moment.</p>
<p>MOSB the thread in in the Financial Aid section under National Merit:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1086274-if-i-report-first-choice-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1086274-if-i-report-first-choice-school.html</a></p>
<p>I have an ice cream headache from this. I figured the best thing to do was to send another fax to put him back to undecided. Now that thread has some good info and perhaps the only thing that would be lost is the “official NMF” part of the scholarship and not the entire thing. He has two schools that award full tuition for this but his favorite school only guarantees a minimum of 15K so I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.</p>
<p>If you need any info other than that I would suggest calling them-we have a call into them to make sure he goes back to being undecided.</p>
<p>Ohiomom, glad you’re in this boat with me…sure hope it isn’t The Titanic! Let me know if you learn anything in the next few hours…I’m on my B-Berry and it’s hard to search cc, but I will keep trying.</p>
<p>Yikes!</p>
<p>arisamp – Good luck on your procedure…and enjoy the respite even if it is artificially-induced! Medical stuff on top of all this is a bummer…I’m dealing with some things myself. </p>
<p>Please don’t worry about kids not getting in ‘anywhere’. There’s a place for everyone. We are still getting postcards from schools advertising their ‘rolling admissions’ so if the worst happens, there are still options that don’t include ‘do you want fries with that?’ Breathe, have faith, and go see the King’s Speech for uplift…or just to ogle Colin Firth for 2 hrs!</p>
<p>way behind what is going on here. Congrats to all who have received good news!</p>
<p>AK- those “milestone” days are always the worse the first couple of years. I hope it gets easier for you.</p>
<p>OWM- Happy 1st bday to your grandson! What college class will he be part of?</p>
<p>OM- Good luck to your S regarding the scholarship competition. S went to one 3 weeks ago and I am anxiously waiting to hear back. It is a long shot, but someone has to win. </p>
<p>Pepper - I get panic attacks regarding the deadlines and getting the feeling that I forget something. It doesn’t help when H decides to pipe up, I hope “we” didn’t miss anything. No “we” didn’t, but I might of. hope your D feels better. </p>
<p>OGM - Although not going to prom isn’t the end of the world, I am sure if feels like it. S doesn’t have a date for prom yet, but I know he would like to go. Everyone must have a date at his school, so no date, no go. </p>
<p>Arisamp - I would push your D to visit the safety. Perhaps an overnight? I actually would suggest she go when it is convenient for her schedule and see what the school is like without all the song and dance. Good luck with the medical procedure. </p>
<p>I know i missed lots. I have been reading, just haven’t had lots of time to post. Fingers crossed we all hear good news in the upcoming month.</p>
<p>MOSB: I feel the water lapping at my ankles! I think I’m going to fax the postcard again – this time marked “undecided”. Frankly, I read the thread that Pepper attached, but I’m still confused as to how it applies to my son’s situation…no schools with big potential NMF awards, some with small ones, some with no school-based awards at all. Heck, he hasn’t even heard from most of the schools on his list – he could potentially list a school as a favorite and not even get in! I’m going back to read again… but I’m thinking that undecided might be the way for us to go until April.</p>
<p>I am hopelessly behind here but know that thoughts of the kids and parents of the class of 2015 are never far from my mind.</p>
<p>D had her final audition Sunday afternoon after the final performance of the school play in which she had the lead. A very heady 24 hours. I saw a huge weight visibly lift from her shoulders and I think she finally feels like a 2nd semester Senior now. Well at least until her Genetics test this morning. </p>
<p>Now we wait but, knock wood, she remains happy with her safeties and she feels like she did her best in her auditions. </p>
<p>And now that those are behind us we need to get busy prom dress shopping! D wants something different from other girls and found a great dress for Junior prom last year online. Even better she found a dress for last year’s Senior prom at a thrift store. I don’t think I will get so lucky this year but here’s to hoping!</p>
<p>Also on the agenda are finding a summer job, and spring break and summer travel plans. Lots of stuff to look forward to and think about while we wait for envelopes.</p>
<p>S starts a new job today. hurray. He hasn’t worked since summer and recently ran out of money. He will be working M-F from 3-5 at his old elementary school’s after school program. His little sis is in her last year there. 10 hours of nice clean work for $100. He will not be able to hang after school any more and will miss things like his MUN meetings, but jobs are hard to find now a days and he can’t pass this up.</p>
<p>Wow! So many great posts. I will jump right in:</p>
<p>FMM–great news about Olin!</p>
<p>Fogfog–3 mos. to go? Oh oh my!</p>
<p>To all the prom-dress shopping moms–thanks for helping me feel I caught a break with 2 boys/no dress shopping. lol. I’m sure the memories of your beautiful girls in their lovely dresses will more than make up for the shopping stress.</p>
<p>Proudmom2–you’ve rec’d lots of good suggestions about phones. There is no simple answer, alas. The L.A. Times travel section did a big piece about what to do (last week–probably find it online) and even they had little clear-cut advice. With only a 2 week trip and to 2 countries (each country needs a separate SIM card), I would encourage you to use Internet communication. Skype is great (even for non-video) as it’s free. My S1 (in Florence this semester) uses Skype to IM us from his iPad (using wi-fi)–which is portable, easy, and always with him. He also uploads pics to his Facebook page so we can see where he’s been visiting easily. (And–okay I’ll admit it–to peek at pix of his new Italian gf.)</p>
<p>Moms of auditioning kids (EB, LoP, MOSB, snoozn, others I’m too dizzy to recall right this sec)–you deserve a special mom award (Maybe we should give awards–the CCies?) Best Mom in a Supporting Role for audition-based programs! S2 has only had 3 portfolio review/interviews and I was quietly frantic, but I watch you all go to 6 or more and take my hat off!</p>
<p>Happy birthday to little OWM-grandson! My 2 sons are the same ages as yours and I cannot imagine walking in your shoes with such calm strength and love. Yet I see the great blessings that come to your family from your compassionate support. Thank you for your posts.</p>
<p>mamom, what a great job for you S! Congrats.</p>
<p>S2 had a final scholarship interview on Saturday. He has 2 more scholarship applications (3 essays–should be re-works of others, hopefully) and then we say Done! He also hears if he got a part in the spring One-Act festival tonight. And I’m booking tickets to Pittsburgh for the end of March!</p>
<p>Pepper, THANK YOU for the heads-up and the link! Ohiomom, I’m with you…I don’t think it will make a huge difference for us, but I guess it could.</p>
<p>I’m going home tonight and re-faxing her “Undecided.”</p>
<p>We’re at our 2nd-to-last audition!!! It went really well, but boy, are we ready to be done with these!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your support and good wishes re: my son’s visit last weekend to Olin. Only downside is he doesn’t want to visit anywhere else and meet kids he likes at those schools. I guess we’ll have to wait for Olin’s decision before scheduling any other visits. We did visit all of them last year. I guess we all have our own decision-making process.</p>
<p>Congrats to Emmybet on being finished. Pepper - hope your daughter is feeling better. Ohiomom - good luck on the next scholarship.</p>
<p>Have any of your kids applied to Honors college at state universities? If so, was there an extra charge? Ours was $40. Thought that s__ked.</p>
<p>AK and OWM - your families and our share birthdays. Yesterday was my mom’s 80th & granddaughter’s 4th. Today is grandson’s 4th. Hugs to you both.</p>