<p>Congrats Moonmaid! We are still working on essays for one final school. And then scholarships. There’s really only one or two worth his effort to apply for, IMO, so that shouldn’t be so horrible.</p>
<p>Good luck, Gertrude, on Julliard audition possibilities!</p>
<p>Congrats, CakeisGreat on Nursing at UD!</p>
<p>And to Moonmaid on getting that last essay finished!!</p>
<p>Waiting to hear on a special program at one schools that D applied to - already accepted to school/honors college. I don’t expect him to make it to semi-finalist round for program due to them not receiving the LOR (AGAIN! different program, same story!), but still watching for e-mails to tell us one way or the other. These LOR’s are going to be the death of me! Different teacher, she said she never received e-mail from school/program. He gave school e-mail address. Oh, well. I feel like I’ve been researching and planning for two years, all for the little things to be in someone else’s hands. I just have to trust that he will land where he’s meant to be!</p>
<p>Congrats on all the acceptances!</p>
<p>Moonmaid I could have written your exact post…my s just,and I do mean just, finished his 10th and final app and essay!! Thought it would have been simpler third time around, but um, not really. While I know more, it’s still work…slogged through the CSS, onward to the FAFSA…</p>
<p>are we having fun yet?!</p>
<p>Congrats on the nursing admit CakeIsGreat!!</p>
<p>Beadymom- hang in there with the LOR situation. Keeping fingers crossed for you.</p>
<p>Barnardmom- busy, but exciting times for Eagle Scout court of honor. My older son went through his at 15. Scouting was a wonderful experience and one that still resonates for him today.</p>
<p>Mathmomvt- thanks for the info on CSS. We had one SCEA school and filled the CSS out in October and mistakenly (??) added all the other RD schools at that time. Will call to find out if we really need to hand update for all or if the supporting idocs will be enough. </p>
<p>We are long done with apps and K14 has received 7 Acceptances all with merit scholarships and many with special Honors Programs, 1 Deferral, and waiting on 4 schools with 4/1 release dates. Many kids in our area are locking in their schools and choosing roommates now, so it’s hard to wait when K14 still has some schools outstanding. </p>
<p>Can’t wait for that cruise ship to dock in April; although the reality then would mean that senior year has just about come to an end…</p>
<p>We are full pay, but I still called each school on each D’s list to ask them two questions: 1) did we need to file the FAFSA to be eligible for any merit aid? and 2) if we didn’t file for need-based aid for freshman year, and later on our finances took a nosedive, would our kid be eligible for institutional need-based aid in future years if they didn’t apply that first year? For my kids’ lists, at any rate, there weren’t any schools that needed the FAFSA for merit aid, and all of them said they could apply for aid in future years with no penalty.</p>
<p>Heard from Son '14 and his dad, as they make their way through the deep south and visit schools. Son '14 really liked the U. of Alabama in Huntsville. Had incredible meetings with the econ and math chairs. Said the dorms are just awesome (like the ones in Tuscaloosa that his older brother lived in). The food at lunch was good (my husband wants to contact food services for a recipe, so it must be good). Also, met with the track and field coach, and Son '14 really liked him. There is a very good possibility that he can run there, too, and that really perked up my son. Running is his passion. All he wants is a chance to compete. </p>
<p>Now, they are off to Ole Miss. Had dinner, they said, in Zaxbys, a family favorite.</p>
<p>So the trip has been a good one – at least until this point.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, congrats to those with good news on the acceptance front. During the upcoming weekend, we’ll do FAFSA and the CSS (for one school).</p>
<p>SlitheyTove, thank you for the detailed list. Those two questions are exactly what I need to know from the colleges.</p>
<p>Congrats to Cakeisgreat for the acceptance.</p>
<p>Congrats to all who are done with the applications. DS hit the last submit last night, rather unceremoniously. Also, there were not much reaction from DH and me. What surprised me was DD17 broke out a happy dance and said ‘Finally!’ It just hit me then she probably felt ignored for the past four months!</p>
<p>Another upcoming tattoo here, on my daughter’s 18th birthday (or as soon as possible thereafter) in March.</p>
<p>I am an old mom (per my name; daughter adopted from China) and I was a teen during the 60s. I remember kids getting thrown out of their houses because they refused to get a haircut. I decided pretty early on that hair was hers, on her head. As long as she pays for whatever she wants, it will grow back. Of course I had some second thoughts when the shampoo person washed out the first major dye job the day before her bat mitzvah and saw very bright red hair on my Chinese girl, but we both survived.</p>
<p>Of course a tattoo is permanent but she’s been thinking about it for a year, plans to get a very small one in an inconspicuous spot (her shoulder blade), and has been researching tattoo parlors and artists. I told her that I am not thrilled but it’s her body and her money. It is what it is.</p>
<p>good luck Gertrude on getting an invite to Juilliard!!</p>
<p>good luck beadymom on that special program!</p>
<p>Congrats moonmaid and lindz on last app woot woot!</p>
<p>Thanks for the good wishes everyone - I’ll let you know when we hear. </p>
<p>I join you all in a collective sigh of relief that application season is over. D thought she was done at one point, then a wave of letters / emails arrived saying in effect - “thanks for applying for admission to our school - here are 3 more things you can apply for while you wait” (Honors program, scholarships, etc.). Which is wonderful in hindsight, but sure felt like a lot of extra work at the time. Now I think we are even done with those - just 3 or possibly 4 live auditions coming up, but those are actually kind of fun (for me at least - probably not so much for D).</p>
<p>So I just had this thought - in just about 6 months I will be dropping off my dear child somewhere in the US and leaving without her, and at this point I have NO idea where that will be - New York, New Orleans, Philadelphia, down the road in Los Angeles?? Yikes.</p>
<p>The discussion about roommates and geographic dispersion got me curious so I pulled out the senior destination issue of the school newspaper for the class of 2013 at DS’s school and counted. In a class of approximately 450 kids, there are 84 college destinations scattered among 28 states and Canada. There were also 8 kids doing a gap year, one of whom I know is spending it in Taiwan and another in mainland China. About 1/3 stayed in-state, primarily at UVA.</p>
<p>Congrats CakeisGreat on Nursing School accept!</p>
<p>And to Moonmaid,lindz & 4beardolls for getting those final apps in!</p>
<p>Also, Cinmom for all those acceptences! Woot! Woot!</p>
<p>Back to the topic of mid-year reports, D14’s counselor told us today that by mid-year, the student usually knows where they are going, so the office will just send the report there. D14’s school is on trimesters, so this could have gone out in December. D wasn’t even done with applications then, let alone have any idea where she is going!</p>
<p>We will manage to work through this, but it’s frustrating, especially when I read how proactive some of your kids’ counselors are.</p>
<p>I’m supposed to be making brownies and lemon bars and the picture/memento board for the Court of Honor but I just got home and I’m exhausted. How is all that PLUS making the pasta PLUS cleaning out the area so the washer and dryer can be delivered tomorrow all going to happen in the next 40 hours? I have no idea. I also have to work and take Barnardgirl and my son out for Barnardgirl’s belated birthday dinner. I did not need a 2 hour drive home today due to snow.</p>
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<p>How very true! It will go faster than you think. In five months the conversations will be about graduation, grad parties, roomates, orientation visits, and shopping lists for Bed, Bath and Beyond with their 20% coupons! :D</p>
<p>Congrats to the latest acceptances and awards! :)</p>
<p>Best wishes on the upcoming interviews, auditions and Courts of Honor! :)</p>
<p>Congrats on submitting the final apps! 
:)</p>
<p>Once all the college acceptances are in place, can some of the experienced parents start a list of what we are supposed to be buying with all of these BB&B coupons that I have been stockpiling? I imagine the girl shopping list is a bit different from the boy shopping list!</p>
<p>DS14 with over-sized envelope today detailing acceptance with Faculty Merit Scholarship (21.5k/yr) to Centre College…very happy that he will have some nice choices to consider…</p>
<p>Not so much fun if you’re a shopper, but the only thing I bought new for my older boy was twin XL sheets, one set, plus extra pillow cases. He brought a comforter from home, towels from home (that had previously gone with him to overnight camp). Many kids want mattress toppers but he didn’t care about that. Once we got to school and saw the room, we bought some plastic shelves, and some extra power strips at stores near school. He got a nice tool kit as a graduation gift which he didn’t appreciate at the time, but is now excited to bring back to school with him now that he lives off-campus. :)</p>
<p>Anyhow, you don’t <em>need</em> to buy much of anything at all. What you and your kid may <em>want</em> to buy is a different story.</p>
<p>Hint to those headed toward a colder climate – buy your warm winter stuff there. They will have better stuff available.</p>
<p>Stuff my D loves: Her small vacuum (most kids have a swiffer, she has a stick vacuum), coffee maker, mini-fridge, desk lamp, rug, a long string of white Christmas lights (they like them in lieu of a small lamp for subdued lighting), command hooks for everything, posters for the walls, a half dry erase/half bulletin board for the wall, a fan (if no A/C in the dorm). </p>
<p>Stuff they need but won’t love: Hamper/laundry bag, cleaning supplies (Clorox/Lysol wipes, some glass cleaner, dish soap, dish towels and dish clothes), a few cups/plates/silverware (we bought a picnic type set- plastic), a bowl for popcorn (if they like microwave popcorn), a can opener, a sauce pan,a collander (my D is a mac n cheese fanatic and uses ramen as spaghetti sometimes), some utensils (ladel for soup, slotted spoon), small frying pan, sheets/blanket/comforter, small first aid kit (bandaids, ibuprofen- whatever over the counter meds they’re used to finding in your medicine cabinet), a shower caddy, a flash light (she thought I was ridiculous until Hurricane Sandy hit and they were worried about the power going out), alarm clock/room clock (lots of kids use their phones as their alarms these days), towels, wash cloths, pillows, mop or swiffer. </p>
<p>Things we had to return because there was not enough room in her dorm for them: Small shelving unit/nightstand, Floor lamp (there really was not enough floor space for a floor lamp!)</p>
<p>She says kids borrow her cooking stuff ALL the time because she’s well prepped for cooking most anything in a small dorm lounge kitchen.</p>
<p>Bed, Bath and Beyond has a great program where you can “buy” everything in the store near you and pick it up at a store near the dorm. At Barnard, they have a bus that runs all day back and forth between the campus and the BB&B on freshmen move in day!</p>