<p>It is now Friday night and my daughter’s status at her dream school changed on the website on Wednesday. She hasn’t even noticed!!! Geez, how laid back can a kid get ? Although she is very busy working on a big local scholarship app that we have to drive to the central Post Office tonight so it can get postmarked today.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Mom is literally jumping around waiting to see if she is going to check and standing at the mailbox waiting :)</p>
<p>It’s exciting to hear about the RD acceptances coming in. I think we all feel the same way - how lucky everyone is to have actual choices!! I would never have guessed it after the terrible sophomore year grades.</p>
<p>Jane-- thanks for reminding us that it will all work out for our kids. They will be fine even if they don’t get to go to what they think is their #1 choice</p>
<p>congratulations pdk on UPS acceptance! My middle S is a junior there and loves it. Have you visited?</p>
<p>congrats also HL on the decent FA package-- that would be an exciting thing at my house right now!</p>
<p>We are attending the Redlands Accepted Student Day in early April, and still delaying scheduling a to Denver until we get FA package. I am watching the flights incrrease in price as we wait. If DS somehow gets into one of the last 2 he is waiting to hear from I am not sure what we will do. Flying in/out of our closest airport is always super expensive to begin with, and even more so if we have to make last minute flight arrangements. I agree completely with whoever said that the timing of all of this is absolutely awful</p>
<p>Thanks,all. For those who have visited Puget Sound or have kids attending, tell me what you like/dislike about the school. How academically challenging? What kind of academic support? We haven’t visited yet, but definitely will now.</p>
<p>My daughter, a junior, just completed her first SAT test. When I picked her up the first thing she said was “Dad, how important are the SAT’s scores to get into college?”. Uh-oh.</p>
<p>Idahomom, I’m not holding my breath for FA from Denver. Was on the phone with FA office on Friday and they have denied my appeal (they never informed us) and they couldn’t answer what percent of need they usually meet. Said packages would be released end if March which cuts it close for visits.</p>
<p>pkdof13, we visited twice and it was one of D11’s top choices. It’s a small school with really nice people. The adult alumni I know are all really nice and D11’s classmates who attended are too. I know that sounds very generic, but they are deeply nice, caring people, so that’s the first word that comes to mind for me.</p>
<p>The school is in a slightly shabby residential area of Tacoma, not too far (a mile? two?) from some really gorgeous waterfront. It’s flat ground, brick, attractive. They had fun housing options for upperclassmen, including a block of little homes that the school allows students to group into for theme housing. </p>
<p>The school is not large, and I imagine that for some students it may seem small by senior year. DD liked the quality of the classes she sat in on. Many students go abroad and there is a strong service ethic. I wandered into the community service office while D was in class and the students working there were so nice (there’s that word again) and helpful, and answered all kinds of my questions that had nothing to do with community service.</p>
<p>They offered DD nice merit money two years ago, and in fact she is considering transferring there (a long story). Enjoy your visit!</p>
<p>pdkof13-- I sent you a PM but forgot to mention the biggest negative-- weather is what you think of for the Seattle area. Lots of rain/overcast weather. It bothers some people way more than others. My S who is there is ok with it, youngest S (13) has no interest in going anywhere in the NW due to the weather. The PM was getting long-- but let me know if you have other specific questions</p>
<p>coral-- thanks for the update Unfortunately I am getting exactly the same impression. It is too bad because in many ways it sounds like a good option. But our trip would be close to $800 for a visit and I don’t want to spend that much if it isn’t going to work out in the end.</p>
<p>It’s hard being a mother of the average kid??? My D is super smart but her brothers a different story. One is an average 3.3. The other put himself into a hole his first year. Now that both are senior. One got 4.0 both semesters and the other is getting 3.5. A little too late. But now they understand… So going into college will not be bad.</p>
<p>It’s hard being a mother of the average kid??? My D is super smart but her brothers a different story. One is an average 3.3. The other put himself into a hole his first year. Now that both are senior. One got 4.0 both semesters and the other is getting 3.5. A little too late. But now they understand… So going into college will not be bad.</p>
<p>“Is it hard being a parent of an average kid”? I wouldn’t know, I’ve never met an average kid–they’ve all got some way to mix it up. My D certainly wouldn’t be considered “average”–on paper at least, she’s below average. But in person…watch out! And right now she’s 4 for 4 on her college acceptances. </p>
<p>And sometimes, those less than perfect kids have a way of making us parents eat our words. My H was probably an average kid–his intellectual father just thought he was a jock and not a bright light compared to his brilliant older brother. It wasn’t too long after graduation that his dad was shaking his head in disbelief at how his “average” kid had turned out: really successful and accomplished at a job that many college grads would kill for. For the most part, all his siblings turn to the “average” kid for advice and help. </p>
<p>Some kids are late bloomers and some don’t really bloom in the narrow world of adolescent academics.</p>
<p>Great post nyermom! I am always astonished at the narrow view some people on CC have of success as it relates to academics. My kids are all over the place when it comes to HS grades, and where they went to college. My oldest was a typical late bloomer, didn’t really like college all that much, barely graduated from our mediocre state flagship, and is now working as a video game producer for Sony making 6 figures at 29 years old. SOOOOO, I try not to get to worked up about all this " Top 20 schools or die" mantra that I see SO much of on here. I think raising self- sufficient, good work ethic, resilient, happy, responsible, motivated, caring, kids is more important. If you have those things, life will work out for you. I can’t tell you how many stories I hear of kids that can’t make it in their “dream top college” because they don’t have basic knowledge or life skills.</p>
<p>pkd… we LOVED UPS!! For DS12 it came down to St Lawrence and UPS at the end. He choose SLu, but we both though UPS was an incredible school. The location is great. Tacoma has some bad areas but the school is located in a beautiful area next to a cool artsy part of town. The kids were all nice, smart, engaging, happy, and seemed down to earth and outdoorsy. We went to the accepted students day and we were VERY impressed with the whole sha-bang. I was so sure my DS was going to choose it I even bought a sweatshirt…I should have known better…LOL!! But, really, it is a fantastic school that is do ing great things with their students.</p>
<p>Also, UPS is only 20 minutes from Seattle, which IMHO, is one of the best cities for jobs in the US. It is booming there, tons of top companies like Boeing, Amazon, etc… and the weather is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I go up there a lot, as my parents live there. I would move their in a NY second if I could get my H onboard.</p>
<p>Feel a little better. Progress reports came out today and my DS got an A+, B, C, D. Was really worried that he was doing even worse than that. At least he has plenty of time to pull his C and D up.</p>
<p>Okay, it is now Monday night and my laid back D still has not even checked dream school website to note that her status is ‘Decision Reached’. Reason I know is because our password cheat sheet is still in the folder in my office. But I will cut her a little slack because school had sent out an email saying decisions will be mailed 3/15 and maybe she is just waiting for that day.</p>
<p>My D is fouling the nest big time also. She did some stupid stuff right after EA applications got completed, calmed down a bit, but now she has her first real serious boyfriend - who unfortunately is a College Boy! I am getting constant complaints about how she shouldn’t have a curfew, should be able to go wherever she wants, etc. Because she’ll be in college in less than 6 months, so what’s the difference???</p>