momofwon - The important thing is that you are a poster on this site. It shows that you have an interest in your kids, as do all the posters, and you care and are concerned about this process. The parents on these threads are a tiny percentage of parents out there. While most do care and are concenrned, many are not involved in this process and figure the GC at the high school and their kids will figure it out. I can’t tell you how many of the kids’ parents in our S-2011 high school class were not involved in the process. And the sad part is that some of those kids were very bright and could have had more opportunities than they were presented with but didn’t because their parents weren’t aware or involved and the kids didn’t know any different. We have always urged our kids to explore what is around them, be it in the classroom or outside in the world. They have been fortunate to travel some and we have encouraged their interest in learning about different parts of the country and world and the same with colleges. I am starting to ramble so I will reel it in. Whether your child is a high performer or an average student, he or she will find the right college, be it CC, a LAC, big state flagship, smaller state uni, nearby or across the country, he or she will find the right fit for them and nearly all will prosper. In our Class of 2011 we have had a few kids hit with setbacks or various types but all have found their way and are looking forward to graduating next year as smarter and more mature adults we can all be proud of.</p>
<p>DS '14 accepted into Rice this evening. Unfortunately, this looks like a financial rejection as he would need some merit aid to make this doable. </p>
<p>We have some info about FA available on the FA portal, Esther. It looks like the difference between COA and EFC which isn’t much. He doesn’t have any merit aid listed as part of the offer. It’s not the award letter or shopping sheet yet, but looks like “No merit aid for you!” We had hoped for some merit aid here, even though DS doesn’t have a hook. </p>
<p>This one is a little angst provoking for me. I suggested this one to DS, he looked into it, liked it and now it doesn’t seem like it will be affordable. He has other good choices, so we feel fortunate that way. </p>
<p>It sure if anyone else feels the same, but what happens to the time stamps after midnight? For some reason, the lack of timestamps bugs me! Lol </p>
<p>@overtheedge, is it worth it? That question has seriously been keeping me up at night. </p>
<p>@Dave_n, same here… Rice is out financially for us as well. I don’t think they met our EFC though. Or maybe they calculated our EFC higher? Is that normal? UNC had our EFC was lower. Maybe I’ll call them tomorrow. </p>
<p>eyemamom: Guidance counselors do not know everything about what is out there in terms of colleges. That said, my husband is convinced they all receive a kickback for the number of kids they get to stay in state (VA). Yes, UVA, VT, W & M and JMU, among others, are excellent schools. but often kids and their parents are not well-informed when it comes to out of state possibilities. Sometimes, it is less expensive to attend an OOS school if there is big merit money involved. That was the case with my oldest son, a National Merit kid who went to Alabama over some excellent VA schools. Same thing with Son '14. He has had some people berate him for his decision to head to UAH, even though it is the best fit because it allows him to compete athletically and focus on the STEM majors that interest him. Now, mind you, this does not come from our college counselor, who is an Alabama grad! But some of the kids and teachers … One teacher whose son will graduate with Son '14 said she could never consider sending her son to a school down south because the quality is not there, there are no prospects for jobs or decent grad schools, that the education will be inferior to what her son will receive (he will attend UVA and she is an alum). There was a bit of joy I had when I told her that my older son got a full tuition scholarship to UVA law – coming out of that substandard education at Alabama. </p>
<p>The thing which has affected me most, reading this thread is the number of personal challenges and struggles families have overcome to reach this point. From serious health issues, financial, relationship/divorce, loss of loved ones…its overwhelming!
People around us may be going through these things but we never know it. It is a humbling experience and a lot to cope with, in the end the celebration and rejoicing is about so much more than college admissions. Life is tough and knowing what others have faced makes it a little bit easier to cope with. I would hope the choices we make are based on the priorities we have for ourselves and our kids, and not depending on the choices or directions of others.
It sounds like most parents here have that perspective, I celebrate with you all and a Hurrah to you and your kids for coming out strong, despite setbacks! </p>
<p>Good morning! So much activity in one day! Congrats on all the good news! </p>
<p>I want to add my 2 cents to the discussion about varying degrees of Stats and successes. My S didn’t apply to top schools but I have felt very supported by the parents on this thread and the other 2014 thread. I love hearing about all the great acceptances and cheer everyone on! My S ( so far) has received 6 out of 7 acceptances and I am very proud of him but they are not top Us or Ivy League. However, I believe we chose the the right schools for him. We all want the best for our children and may wonder why so and so got accepted and not my child but that is life and we have to move on…My S ( former ) girlfriend could have applied to top Us and Ivy but chose to look for schools that offered merit and she hit the jack pot - full ride at Mount Holyoke. I am very happy for her -well maybe a little jealous as we start to get FA packages and wonder what we can truly afford. The FA range is fairly significant about 14 K per year.between Mulhenberg and Brandeis …I was so worried about what school S would get into - now I worry about what the cost will be -how do we trade off cost vs programs…is Brandeis worth 55K (over 4 yrs) more than Muhlenberg? </p>
<p>Thanks to all those who have posted congratulations. I feel badly for the parents whose kids made it into Rice or other schools the kids pinned their hopes on only to be unable to afford sending them there. My S was not offered merit money at Rice, but the Rice offer meets our EFC, as their on-line calculator had estimated, and that will work for us. </p>
<p>@eyemamom - we found out yesterday that son was accepted to URochester. It was completely unexpected and he is very happy (and still in shock). It is the only school that he applied to sight unseen. We will visit next month so he can get a feel for it in person. </p>
<p>Hi All! I just joined. So happy to be here. My son is at ASU Honors College. Finishing his second year.he will be done in 3 years because they accepted so many AP classes. He is having a wonderful time as a Sun Devil. My daughter just got accepted to Rice. I am so excited! Hard to keep calm in front of her. She gets annoyed by my husband and I and our enthusiasm. She also got into Maryland, UNC, and ASU. Waiting on Duke, Vandy, Penn, Brown, Princeton, Harvard, USC, Cal, and Yale. Rejected by Stanford. Suspense is killing us but we’d be fine if they all reject because Rice sounds awesome. We will visit on April 17. Happy to have a place to vent!</p>
<p>@spritle - congrats on the Rochester admit! It’s a tough academic school, and to me the weather is really depressing, but my son loves it. It’s the kind of place where if you’re that type the school attracts it’s a wonderful community. If he has any questions I’m sure my son would answer, or I can give you my opinion on it all.</p>
<p>I’m working on the medical forms now for d. It’s interesting what different schools in different parts of the country require. My sons school needed a physical, and full immunizations, including meningitis . My d’s school just wants a tb test and proof of the mmr. Finding the time for the 2 visits in the 48 - 72 hour window is the biggest challenge. </p>
<p>@eyemamom—can you please elaborate on what needs two visits w/in a 48-72 hour period? My son’s school hasn’t sent any medical info but I plan to have him receive the MMR b/c of the recent cases. Thanks!</p>
<p>@CT1417 - the two visits are for the tb test. You get the scratch then have to go back between 48 - 72 hours to have it looked at to determine if you’re positie or negative. I sure hope the mmr she got when she was little is still working. My sons school did have a measles outbreak recently, I hear whooping cough is on the rise and the meningitis scares at Princeton and other schools make me wonder a little if boosters should be done.</p>
<p>Just wanted to add to what AvonHSDad said earlier. I think many of us feel alone in our own communities on this college process. People view us as being a little obsessive and can’t understand why we put so much time and effort into the process. The beauty of this group is that we’re all equally invested and supportive of one another. I would also say that this is the most GENEROUS group of folks. Sharing in every triumph, being supportive of every setback. I’ve learned so much and am eternally grateful. I think of all the kids in this group as an extension of my daughter’s own community. I so want each of them to find the right fit–and by right I also mean the fit that allows each parent to sleep at night knowing they won’t go broke in the process. </p>