<p>I have no idea what son’s move in date is. I cant find it on the website and we have received nothing from the school since depositing on April 17. He filled out a couple automatic registrations for orientation in June, which included choosing his meal plan and three tries for his first semester schedule. But I would have thought we would have received some sort of communication from the school saying welcome and thanks for your money. 8-| </p>
<p>Did you see this? Beautifully written…
<a href=“Rob Lowe on sending his son off to college: An excerpt from Love Life.”>http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2014/05/rob_lowe_on_sending_his_son_off_to_college_an_excerpt_from_love_life.html</a></p>
<p>^^That’s a nicely written essay. Thanks for posting @gmfl71 .</p>
<p>Is that essay going to make me cry?</p>
<p>Thanks for posting that gmfl71. It’s really well written and very moving, sniff, sniff!</p>
<p>Curse you Rob Lowe - I’m usually a pretty tough nut, but this one made me cry, and I’m at work - oy!</p>
<p>^^^^ it explains how I have been feeling lately…my son feels it too…</p>
<p>@mathmomvt Yes. Yes it will!</p>
<p>Experienced this in August when we sent our oldest of 4 off to college. Wow, the feelings were so raw when we dropped him off. But, let me say, it does get easier as your child (and you) get adjusted to your family’s new normal. S gets home for the summer next week and I will enjoy every minute of having all of my kids under one roof. Freshman year flew by and it is a joy to see him flourishing at the school that is so right for him. I hope the same for all of you. </p>
<p>Who knew that Rob Lowe could write?!</p>
<p>I was afraid of that. Not up for a cry right now, maybe I’ll read it some other time…</p>
<p>I opened the link and decided not to read right now, need to go through the rest of the year - AP tests, finals and other stuff. As it is, I am already getting emotional a lot of times lately, I will open it and read it when I am already crying after dropping her off. </p>
<p>Berkeley is charging over $250 per parent for orientation programming (not including housing)! We decided to skip it. I’m ok with paying $300 for my S’s orientation (including housing), but paying so much for parents seems crazy. </p>
<p>Thanks for sharing the article, @gmfl71. Made me teary and will now share it with my husband. </p>
<p>@collegetime18,</p>
<p>I bet they are hoping that more parents feel the same as you do! That’s probably their plan all along! </p>
<p>That article made me weepy. </p>
<p>Orientation is “free” for both students and parents at Case Western, but just embedded in the tuition. Just like the laundry machines. I just checked on UVA and there is a charge for student orientation but it’s mandatory so you pay it whether or not you go. Not sure about parent orientation though. </p>
<p>That article made me BAWL!</p>
<p>Here’s another good read: <a href=“Poll: Prestigious Colleges Won't Make You Happier In Life Or Work : The Two-Way : NPR”>Poll: Prestigious Colleges Won't Make You Happier In Life Or Work : The Two-Way : NPR; </p>
<p>Wish I’d seen this about a year ago, but honestly, I don’t think D’s outcome would have been different. Her list was a delicate balance of affordability, quality of the music department, & overall fit (our best guess). But I think reading this might have eliminated a couple of applications to reaches that weren’t otherwise good fits.</p>
<p>I will read the article this evening. For now just sent S off to take his first AP test of the season - Calc AB. Poor kid is soooo busy and has a raging cold in full bloom. He had the good sense to go to bed early last night, took a hot shower this morning and made time to sip hot lemonade and eat a bit of breakfast. Good luck on AP tests over the next couple of weeks !</p>
<p>Favorite quote from the article: “If you can go to Podunk U debt free vs. Harvard for $100,000, go to Podunk. And concentrate on what you do when you get there.”</p>
<p>I’ve felt this way and glad to see the study discussed in the article vindicate my gut feeling. But I have seen over this season on CC and in real life, that kids who get into a few financially viable schools seem to choose the most prestigious one. It seems that I haven’t seen a kid get into an a Ivy and a state school and choose the state school, even if (much) cheaper. I’m sure you know of counter examples, but this tends to be the trend.</p>