<p>The 6 hours could be a 1-hour flight or an easy day drive. We left UCLA at 2:15 yesterday and with a stop for dinner we were home at 9.
Either location is doable, but I wonder if it’s better for him to really go away to a different area and not within easy reach of home.</p>
<p>@collegetime18- glad to hear that you were impressed with UCLA. S14 is deciding between UCLA and USC. His brother, S11 attends USC. We live in NorCal- 6 hours north of LA- straight shot down I-5 . The distance has worked well for our family. We drive S down in the fall and back home in May. He flies home 2 to 3 times during the school year and we usually make 1 trip his way as well. So we see him an average of every 2 to 3 months. I miss him in between but have adjusted to him being out of the house. The first year was hardest. It gets easier. 
</p>
<p>Thanks @Minnymom. I’ve got a real nerdy yet hippy type kid who fits perfectly in Berkeley. He’s worried he’ll have to wear shorts at UCLA! I don’t want him to be in a bad fit, but stretching could be good. Glad this isn’t my decision!!</p>
<p>@2016BarnardMom–I am with you on needing an overnight for a five or six hour drive. I need an overnight before turning around from a four hour drive, but I am a wimp!</p>
<p>@Minnymom–I dread my oldest leaving as he is my conversationalist, but I sense he will not be a chatter on the phone. Trying not to think that far ahead yet!</p>
<p>@collegetime18 – The Megabus works well for UCB to LA also. It’s a short Bart trip from campus ($2) to the bus station, and a straight shot into the LA area for about $37 each way. D14’s BF just took it for the first time for spring break, and it worked really well. </p>
<p>I’ll be starting out serving light drinks on the SS Indecision. Pinot Grigio or a Pina Colada tonight. (Except maybe for @2016BarnardMom who sounds like she might be ready for something a bit stronger already!)</p>
<p>I’ll be starting out serving light drinks on the SS Indecision. Pinot Grigio or a Pina Colada tonight. (Except maybe for @2016BarnardMom who sounds like she might be ready for something a bit stronger already!)</p>
<p>HI All
Checking in only the second time since they changed this whole format…Have been a CC member since like 2008 so I guess I am glad to be about “done”. As for K2…got into all 7 schools. So I guess the bottom line is cast a wide net. K2 got into the first choice school EA as well as another 5. One school deferred and then accepted. So a happy kiddo for sure. All of that worry–and it all worked out. Best of luck to you all. </p>
<p>Good to see you @fogfog! Sounds like K2 had a great result! That’s terrific </p>
<p>@Quagmiro- And I really thought I’d be one of you serving drinks! Pinot Grigio is perfect though. Just give me the bottle…lol. </p>
<p>Hopping onboard the SS Indecision!</p>
<p>Here are my son’s results (all gave him some merit or need-based money):</p>
<p>Accepted:
University of Miami
Florida International University
University of Central Florida
Stetson
Rollins
Emory
Rice
Davidson
Duke
Wake Forest
Vanderbilt
Washington University - St. Louis
Fordham</p>
<p>Rejected:
Harvard</p>
<p>The decision is: UCF full ride (NMF), Rollins (interviewed for full scholarship, didn’t get it, fell in love with the campus, not enough FA to afford it), or Vanderbilt (1st choice school, not as much money as we had hoped but able to pay with some contribution from me and his dad along with some student loans).</p>
<p>Going to visit UCF and Vanderbilt in a couple of weeks. If he still loves Vandy as much as he did when we saw it last year, the expense and debt will probably be worth it. If not, will call Rollins to see if they would be willing to match Vandy’s numbers. If he doesn’t hate UCF and options 1 and 2 don’t work out, then free ride it is.</p>
<p>At least it’s good that we have an option. I was worried that there would not be a choice and we would not be able to come onboard.</p>
<p>I will have my first drink of the day please!</p>
<p>DS will be a 6-hour drive away, or an easy 90 minute direct flight. To me, that is a good distance. Easy enough to fly home for a weekend but far enough away that he can stretch his wings without parental hovering. It’s also a different part of the country than where he grew up and good for him to explore. </p>
<p>I went to college halfway across the country from my parents. And my parents left home at very young ages to go halfway around the world to pursue their educations (father immigrated on his own at 17, and mother at 20), so DS’s journey is nothing compared to that!</p>
<p>jrmama496, what an amazing accomplishment! All such fabulous schools! In fact, I might just add that all of these kids have done so well. It really has been such a pleaure to be along for the ride. We are revisiting two of go2girl’s options and most likely it will be approaching May 1 before decision is in hand. It is hard to know that this will go on for another few weeks but better to be certain. Best of luck to all of you (especially those like me with sea sickness) on the SS Indecision!</p>
<p>“I’ll be set up on the aft deck overlooking the skeet shooting of redirection letters.”</p>
<p>@eyemamom - thanks for a good laugh today!</p>
<p>@jrmama496 and @glido - those are great options. I think I would be paralyzed with indecision! </p>
<p>The final piece of our small puzzle arrived in the form of a 20k/yr scholarship from Rhodes. I was pleasantly surprised because D didn’t visit or interview due to distance and time constraints. </p>
<p>If you have not read our Captain’s post on the 2018 decision thread, I highly recommend it! @AvonHSDad - I am honored to board your ship Sir! It sounds like a dream cruise! I think I’ll bypass the wine and start with the “Maryland style” bloody. </p>
<p>Wow! So much news!</p>
<p>fogfog - so cool to hear from you. Gongrats to K2 - wonderful options.</p>
<p>jrmama496 - cough! (Duke) cough! cough!</p>
<p>I guess we are on the SS Indecision, but I’ve got to stay close to the gang plank because DS’14 is very close to a decision. DS has narrowed it down to 5, but one of them is offering a full-ride which includes $7000 for an apartment because they do not have room for him in a dorm! I know a lot of JRs and SRs want to get off campus, but this 17-year-old wants to be in a dorm. So that is a distant No. 5.</p>
<p>Colby is wonderful and DS can play baseball there - that is a plus.</p>
<p>Big State U honors has made a wonderful offer - almost a full plus a summer anywhere in the world. Tough to pass up.</p>
<p>Waiting for an FA offer from one which he likes very much, but he got a very generous offer from BC which is very close to DD’12. So, it is a heavy favorite. Close to being done.</p>
<p>So we got a big wake up call of senioritis today. S, who has had his two best quarters ever the first half of the year, suddenly decided he was not going to do any physics and calc homework the last month of the third quarter! He managed to pull out Bs in the class despite the many missing assignments but I was just flabbergasted to learn that he had blown it all off! He is feeling a lot of remorse right now after we explained to him how disrespectful that was to his teachers, one of which wrote him a glowing letter of recommendation. Is this normal senior behavior? Ugh!</p>
<p>The following post was inadvertently posted on the Class of 2018 thread instead of this thread. I am re-posting it although its now a tad dated, It was written for all of you who were boarding the SS Indecision earlier today. (I may of sampled too many martinis before posting!!!)</p>
<p>This is your Captain speaking -</p>
<p>Welcome aboard the SS Indecision to all of our 2014 parents and high school seniors who are soon to be off to college freshmen. I hope all of you that boarded this morning were greeted and served your requested beverage of choice. Most of you who boarded this morning are spending part or all of the next 30 days reviewing your options and hopefully reaching that big decision as to which “port of call” you will be calling “home” next fall. For those of you who have already made your choice, sit back and relax. You can enjoy the programs and activities planned over the next month.</p>
<p>Some of our informational programs,seminars and events presented by the Activvities Staff will include:
- The formal acceptance and deposit process
- How and when to say no thank you to the acceptances and scholarships you decline
- Graduation party planning 101
- Graduation announcements; Miss Manners’ do’s and don’ts
- Sending thank you notes/gifts to the GC’s and/or special teachers who helped you in HS
- Specialty martini mixing and tasting
- Scholarship bingo games
- Wine tastings
- Pool party cookout for the kids and parents (separate evenings)
- Personal fitness sessions in the ship’s gym
- How to get the most out of your spa sessions
- How to go to a spa and what’s offered (for Dads)
- Federal student loans - what is offered and the upside/downsides
- Prom dress and outfit accessorizing
- Bed, Bath & Beyond shooping lists, coupons and free pick-up programs at the school location
- Margaritas at home made easy
- Amazon prime; Pros and Cons
- Selecting a dining program (if permitted at your school)
- Insight to prebooking flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays
- How may boxes of tissues to take with you this fall for the goodbyes at move-in day
- Adjusting to an empty nest
- Casino game lessons in the casino each afternoon
- Student and parent “plus” private loans - ups and downs and why to avoid if possible
- Spur of the moment trips and travel when you are an empty nester
- Summer program and internship planning for the next summer
- Overcoming motion sickness onboard a ship
- Specialty frozen cocktails
- College freshman wardrobe planning including northern climate dressing for southern kids
- Car stickers and college appearal for parents and the family dog
- More wine tasings
- Spreadsheets comparisons of FA packages
- Finding the “fit” and making that final choice</p>
<p>As you can see, we will have a fun and busy month onboard with all of the activities and events that are planned. Please feel free to partake in as little or as much as you wish. We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable as you go through this final process. We also want everyone to enjoy the ship and all of the amenities onboard. If you have any specific requests or comments, please place them in the guest comments box at Guest Services on deck 5. We will do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>Per US Coast Guard regulations, we will be holding a mandatory muster drill this afternoon at 4:30 PM right before we set sail. Your muster station is listed on your Cruise Card that everyone recieved as check-in.</p>
<p>Welcome aboard and enjoy your journey!</p>
<p></p>
<p>@incadinca—well….grades have not been reported yet, but there have been a few days that my son has arrived home lately saying ‘oh…we had a quiz or test in class today….I had forgotten about it’. Definite slippage in grades. It has been a long time since that ED acceptance. Crossing my fingers for close of 3rd quarter.</p>
<p>Getting excited about our visit to RIT this weekend. Meanwhile, RPI just upped their merit offer 24 hours after I inquired. That’s a good feeling! So, we’re on the USS Indecision but probably not too much longer. </p>
<p>Thank you @AvonHSDad for the warm welcome aboard the April cruise. </p>
<p>A nice relaxing cruise sounds great! I’m ready for an adult beverage garnished with an umbrella. Still plenty of stress at our house. S14 is a finalist for two nice scholarships at one of our big state schools and had a phone interview this afternoon. He was expecting one person to interview him and it was a panel. I really wanted to know how it went and he just didn’t want to discuss. All he would say is it was “a big ball of questions and stress.” And this is a chatty, outgoing kid. He has another big scholarship interview early next week, this one in person. Maybe things will settle down after that. I’m enjoying reading about all the fine choices your kids have. They’re fortunate to have such a good group of loving, involved parents. </p>
<p>Oh my - I so wish I could be on that ship for real. April is a logistical nightmare. My earlier in the year “wise” decision that we wouldn’t visit school far away until D was accepted is now biting me in the but, because now we have to visit everywhere, while D is also directing spring show (opens April 24) Just paid way too much for flights to visit Oberlin. Captain - better have my cosmos lined up in the bar.</p>