<p>Thanks @eyemamom—something I have read has caused me to think that it is worth having the MMR administered again, but I can’t recall exactly what. Apparently the recent Drexel meningitis death was related to the Princeton strain. Again, I may be slightly off on the details, but I intend to inquire. Didn’t know about TB so will add that to the To Do list. </p>
<p>Not looking forward to the immunizations. Son is a big baby when it comes to these things. (A friend was the nurse when son had to have his kindergarten shots…to this day, she still talks about ‘the incident.’ I am seriously considering making him go on his own this time around. </p>
<p>
I find it annoying when colleges do this. It’s like giving you false hope. Why can’t they just select candidates for an scholarship from the accepted file. When my daughter was invited to apply for UCLA’s Regents, we know that it’s not 100% guarantee that she will be accepted. There were 2 essays and 2 LORs required. Thank God she was admitted and got the scholarship, otherwise all that work wasted for nothing. Good luck on Thursday. </p>
<p>I just found this thread, a little late to the party! But I’m feeling nervous as the final results come in this week and next and don’t really have any real life people to bounce off of 
. Congrats to everyone…whether you’re hearing the news you hoped for or not, your kids are in a good place, having parents who are so involved in their education. </p>
<p>Our financial options are either commuting to the local SUNY school (Binghamton, a good school and not a bad option at all) or going someplace with nearly a full ride. Fortunately, my D is blessed to have a knack for standardized tests, so she has the National Merit opportunities, but the major NMF awards are very far from home. So far, she has the NMF award for Kentucky (so far away!), acceptances at Binghamton (doable if she commutes), Houghton (but not the full scholarship, so not an option 
), Middlebury (very good merit offer, so we’ll see), and she’s waitlisted at U. of Chicago. Waiting on Cornell on Thursday, and Yale (looong reach) on Tuesday. She already has a couple of good options, so why am I still nervous?</p>
<p>For all but Kentucky, I’m also worried about the tuition increases. My D is my oldest, so this is all new. When tuition goes up so much and a kid is going on scholarship, does the scholarship go up too? Is there any good way to figure out who will keep taking care of her, and who will leave her hanging?</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone this week!</p>
<p>Welcome @marylandmom! </p>
<p>@go2mom, everyone at DDs school looks at me like I’m a nut job!! Well, not everyone, but most look at me like I have 2 heads when I ask where their children are in the college admissions process. They have no idea what they are in store for! Then, when senior year rolls around…it’s too late! </p>
<p>So nice to be able to come here and vent, chat, commiserate, cry and pout about everything! This place has mattered so much to me. </p>
<p>For my D at Barnard, they have increased the financial aid grant in proportion to other increases. It’s not a merit scholarship though. It’s a financial aid grant. But I do hear horror stories of “bait and switch” schools who give a great package freshman year and then scale back later. That, in conjunction with tuition increases frightens me. </p>
<p>Is anyone else still waiting for decisions? 1 week to go and S has not heard from 3 schools. They were all EA schools that initially deferred him.</p>
<p>@go2mom You made me get a little weepy there. My family is a bit tired of hearing “On College Confidential I heard…” or “There’s this family on CC that…” but they know I’d be intolerable without it. Now that almost all the decisions are in I think my son has made up his mind but doesn’t want to admit it. I told him about the climbing walls and asked if that should be a column in our spreadsheet. He snorted and said “Of course they all have climbing walls.” I asked what factors he was going to consider, or if he was just going to visit and say “Ok, that’s it.” He chuckled and said “Yup.” All this makes it hard to decide if I should go back to RPI and ask that they review his merit award, as that’s the one that is way out of line from the others.</p>
<p>Welcome @mdcmom and @MarylandMom7 – another Marylander here! Enjoying the snow?</p>
<p>@classof2015</p>
<p>Dd has had 6 acceptances thus far & is waiting on 5 more…the suspense is killing ME. She couldn’t care less…lol so laid back. I’m on pins & needles. But she doesn’t know that I am. 53 1/2 hours left…but whose counting? 
</p>
<p>So glad others have some of our wonderful winter snow! We love to spread the wealth!</p>
<p>@spirtle I laughed at “the incident!” My son had an “incident” the summer between 7th and 8th grade - he never had done well with needles, but just before the shots he read a spy novel where the bad guys were killing the children of their enemy country through poisoned immunization shots. My son was over 6 feet tall and stocky. It took me plus two nurses to hold him down while the third nurse gave him shots! After it was over and he composed himself, he made me look in the hall to make sure it was clear and he slipped out the side door so he didn’t have to face anyone. AFTER the fact (like now) it was funny, but it was horrifying at the time! A couple years ago he was ill and faced several rounds of shots and needles for blood tests and I was really worried about his reaction (as was HE, actually) but he did quite well. Whew!</p>
<p>@maryjay60 - that is a FANTASTIC story! I wish that were the case with my son; unfortunately, he is just a pansy when it comes to needles. B-) </p>
<p>Thanks newhavenctmom – I too can’t wait for all the decisions to come in. I just logged into one of his portals – nothing yet. S is very laid back. </p>
<p>Sharing a post to the 2015 board because my son was originally graduating in 2014 before he took a gap year. Sorry.</p>
<p>No longer the mother of a son graduating in 2015…
March 23 I got that call that everyone fears. My son had taken his life. No one knew that he was troubled or depressed. From all outward appearances he was that unusual teenager who always seemed good natured, willing and happy. I wish he had rebelled. Maybe he did not want to do all the things that I encouraged him to do. Maybe he wanted to live differently. I will never know. He was a tremendously gifted child who remonstrated me for speeding from his car seat and read Harry Potter as a kindergartener. I never held him back and always encouraged him to challenge himself -in academics, in sports, in music, in languages, in service to others. Maybe I encouraged him too much and he gave too much of himself and couldn’t say no. If it hadn’t happened now, maybe it would have happened at a competitive college in the future. I’m sorry to share this with you. We are all at a loss to understand and his friends from every school activity, summer program and exchange experience he ever did are posting on FB andmessaging me. He seemed superhuman but he was a mere mortal and now we have to accept that in the most painful way. God bless you all. When your child rebels or hesitates to fill out an application or take another test, be glad. There is no “lesser choice” in life. I will survive my precious son always wondering if my encouragement was too much.</p>
<p>My deepest condolences, @Apollo6. I will keep your family in my prayers. </p>
<p>@Apollo6 - is this your post, or are you re-posting another parent’s post? Either way, my heart is broken. I am not a pray-er, but I will hope for strength and much support for you from your loved ones and community (including this one) as you go through this ordeal. All best wishes - please feel free to come here to vent or express whatever you need.</p>
<p>Apollo6 – I am so sorry for you. Please find someone to talk to (besides your friends at CC). This is not your fault – this is not because of something you did or didn’t do. None of us really know how our loved ones feel inside. I am so sorry. </p>
<p>Apollo 6 - So sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my prayers.</p>
<p>Apollo6 – I am reeling. I am so sorry for your loss. I feel like I have gotten to know you and your very amazing, accomplished son these last couple of year. You have been such an amazing parent. I’m sure nothing I say can ease your pain. My heart is breaking for you.</p>
<p>I am so so sorry Apollo 6. How devastating. My condolences.</p>