<p>Happy π Day @jasmineRose! Is MIT her first choice?</p>
<p>S14 is having a birthday party tonight. Cake is made, Mexican dip at the ready, pizza rolls and mini-tacos purchased… WI don’t know how 18 years passed by us so quickly. Oh wait, they haven’t… it’s 17 years and 363 days…lol. His birthday is Monday. </p>
<p>Now that I don’t have grad school to distract me and the remaining decisions are expected soon, I’m starting to get nervous about them. We had a talk about his lottery schools (his two faves of course). Even the other school we’re waiting to hear from is kind of a reachy match because it just isn’t easy to get into. I hope he has more options than just the two schools where he’s already been admitted. I want him mentally prepped to be choosing between the two we know about already. </p>
<p>I’m also hearing from some people that the school which sent us the financial aid package is known for giving a lot less for subsequent years. I’m concerned about that. </p>
<p>Good news last night, as D accepted into Pepperdine, which was especially welcome after being waitlisted at WashU. D also accepted a place on the waitlist, as it was definitely one of her favs. Sitting on pins and needles awaiting notifications from last five schools, and just as important, financial aid packages. No question we will be aboard the SS Indecision occupying one of the lounge chairs.</p>
<p>@jasmineRose and @Minnymom - Congratulations!! What great news! </p>
<p>@2016BarnardMom - Congrats on the scholarship offer!</p>
<p>@staceyneil - Welcome! </p>
<p>@staceyneil and @jrmama496 - wishing all our kids some doable choices they’ll be happy with come 1 April.</p>
<p>@barnardmom- sure the birthday party will be fun.</p>
<p>@dilecon- Pepperdine is so beautiful. Congratulations.</p>
<p>So D14 officially accepted at UCSC, still don’t know about UCSD because their site is down (although at one point she was able to log in and it offered the option of filing a housing application, but wouldn’t let her access the decision info? Weird, but hopefully that is a good sign. At this point, it is so jumbled about which is the best option, especially since we have no financial aid packages to review from anywhere, lol. </p>
<p>@1dilecon and @jasminerose congratulations on the acceptances!</p>
<p>@jrmama - Isn’t Vandy known for great aid - meeting 100% of need with no loans? Hopefully you will have good news! 
</p>
<p>She just got her first FA package from Whittier – quite surprised that they didn’t give her a single penny for need based aid, even though we have an EFC of 0 via the FAFSA, which is what Whittier uses for FA determination. They gave her a big (almost 50% of COA) 4 year merit scholarship (her stats are significantly higher than their 25-75% range) but only govt. grants, work study and loans that exceed the federal $5500 recommendation, and still leave us several thousand short. Her app was in early, as was her FAFSA. Very surprised, but it does help us narrow down the list.</p>
<p>Congrats to all the great news! Went out with friends and their brilliant d was also waitlisted at Wash U.</p>
<p>Can I open a new dialogue? For those who have made decisions - the roommate situation! My d is having a rough go of it finding someone from facebook. There are a couple of issues - the first is housing is assigned by the latest deposit date, but d deposited uber early. Then there is the religion issue. We’re christian, she goes to a Catholic high school, but we are by no means holy rollers. Her school is in the deep south and it seems she’s getting dismissed by lots of potential people because in reality she probably won’t join a christian group on campus or be interested in bible studies. It doesn’t mean she wouldn’t be a great roommate or that those girls wouldn’t, but it seems to be getting her eliminated. I’m telling her if that’s enough of an issue for people you all may as well find out about it now. She’s now worried she’ll never find someone.</p>
<p>Eyemamom, did you get a chance to visit the campus? Did your daughter feel comfortable with the “vibe”? I think I would be a little concerned if she seems to be having a roommate match, how open are the students to others?</p>
<p>@eyemamom - Perhaps she should go through the school and be randomly matched? I know it’s a risk (I did not like my freshman roommates), and I don’t know what criteria Auburn uses to match. Having similar habits (neat, early riser, etc) is more important IMO than having a lot in common. </p>
<p>Congratulations PetraElise! That’s wonderful news!</p>
<p>Thank you everyone! </p>
<p>@seattle_mom – Her brother got rejected from his EA four years ago and it broke our heart as he was dreaming about that school since he was four years old. My DD never chose a dream or first choice school. </p>
<p>@RenaissanceMom – You have such an amazing memory! Yes, she got into Harvard EA. She does not have a preference. She is very fortunate but has a difficulty deciding. Hopefully in a month, she will have a clear winner.</p>
<p>The strange thing is that of all the alums we have met they always talk about how much they loved it there - and I wouldn’t consider them fundamentalists, and the vibe was just so friendly and welcoming she felt right at home. She is Christian, she’s just not the one leading bible study at campus. I know she’s my d, but she’s pretty laid back, very kind and would be a great roommate. </p>
<p>D decided that the random school match would be as good as picking someone herself. Her requests? She has asthma, so no smokers, night owl, messy person as she knows she’d drive a nest kid absolutely batty.</p>
<p>Much to our delight and surprise, D got acceptance letter to U. of Washington today! Parents are thrilled–D not nearly as much. Doesn’t want to go there because she feels like it’ll be HS 2.0. We live 10 miles from campus…</p>
<p>@momofwon,</p>
<p>Same deal for us. Over the past few days S has been admitted to UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz (both within two hours away). He says he will regard it as a “defeat” if he ends up at a UC close to home. </p>
<p>S feels that way about one of his schools also. He thinks he may end up there, but it is his last choice and there are kids on these boards who are dying to go there. I think they don’t always appreciate the opportunity when it is really familiar to them. </p>
<p>Congratulations Momofwon! And Asleepat the wheel! </p>
<p>My son refuses to think about any schools until he knows what all his options are. On one hand I think that it is a good strategy but on the other, I think he is just avoiding thinking about college in general. At least he could take a “deeper dive” into comparing the programs he currently has been admitted to …nope…He says what’s the point if I don’t get FA…</p>
<p>My good friend’s son just got accepted to WUSL with no FA - loans and work study only …</p>
<p>My nephew, who applied to IVYs and top universities, with 2 safeties, has been wait listed at MIT (dream school) and WUSL. He does not need FA which I thought would have given him a slight advantage. He goes to a very competitive HS in Boston- 50 kids applied to Harvard. All the top kids apply to all the same schools - not the best strategy IMHO.
My brother is now concerned that his S is going to be wait listed at the top schools and only get accepted to the safeties…the next two weeks will be hard…</p>
<p>How does the wait list work? Can you accept being on the wait list at more than one school? </p>
<p>You can accept as many wait lists as you want. </p>
<p>Congrats to DD of JasmineRose! MIT!
Momofwon - Congrats on the acceptances. I know several people that would love to go to UCSC, but it is hard to get in. There are benefits to being close to home, but I know what your daughter is thinking. My DS didn’t even apply tot he big state U. just 7 miles up the road from us. (He did apply to the other state school that is 100 away.)</p>
<p>Our kids’ reactions to their acceptances are funny. S14 is downplaying his acceptances to 5 good schools. He seems disappointed that other kids in his class have gotten into some of the same schools, I mean he is happy for them, but he isn’t feeling distinguished from others. I guess he is holding out for acceptance from a reach or two. After the congratulatory hug, I have decided to back off of the college conversation till the other three decisions arrive. At least I have all of you to process this experience with so I don’t drive my family nuts!</p>