Thanks @bookmom7
In my seat and waiting to stand and applaud the graduate, @carolinamom2boys. I brought extra tissue, also. Happy to see you this morning.
Thanks @Waiting2exhale
We have a graduate!!! One and a half hour ceremony with 452 graduates. Very nice ceremony.
Congrats to @carolinamom2boysās boy!
Congrats to all the graduates! We have another few weeks to make it through before she can walk down the aisle.
Can I vent for just a moment.
I know my kid is going to a school hardly any have heard of. But really. At an awards ceremony recently, at least 6 sets of parents came up to me just to ask me why did my kid pick the school she did and couldnāt she get in anywhere better. Seriously? Iām practicing my smile and nod, but geez. The GC was no better, she explained it to my D (when she was upset that teachers were giving her a hard time about her choice) by comparing it to the kid who has good grades but goes to the CC anyway to save money. No. This is not the same. This āunknownā school has an 8% acceptance rate. My kid did not settle. She excelled and made a great choice. Iām sorry these people are uninformed, but this smiling and nodding stuff is really really tough sometimes.
Okay, Rant Over.
Next question.
Does anyone else have the situation that graduation had tickets for inclement weather? What do you do with all your extra people if they came in to see a graduation but canāt actually come to the event due to limited seating when the weather turns bad? Trying to figure this one out. Hmmmmm.
Thanks for letting me rand and ramble.
Have a great day!
Congrats @carolinamom2boys !!
@MuggleMom that must drive you and your D crazy! Even the GC too-ARGH!
We had that kind of graduation when I was in HS-one venue for nice weather, one for bad. I was from a family of 7 so even just my parents and siblings put us over the limit. Hereās what we did: My (HS junior) sister volunteered as an usher-that freed up one ticket. Then she and her friend (also an usher) worked out a deal with another friend from the track team who was a ticket-taker to pass back a few tickets to my extended family. In the end the weather held and we didnāt need to go to that extreme, and thatās probably not the most ethical choice. Iāve heard of parents trading unused tickets through Facebook or just word of mouth-could you call around? Good luck!
@MuggleMom Was your daughter present when these people were asking these ridiculous questions ?I have a " I will be nice and polite as long as youāre nice and polite policy". Iāll even bend slightly , but when someone is as rude as the people you are describing , thatās when the gloves come off. Sometimes the only way people learn is when they experience it themselves . My response wouldāve been " obviously you know nothing about school x or you wouldāve never asked that question " Then I wouldāve followed with " Given an acceptance rate of 8% , I wouldnāt have expected it to be on your childās radar" . Then I would address the GC and let him or her know he /she may want to become more familiar with some other schools so that she can advise his/ her students more effectively. Thatās ridiculous. It warrants an email, IMO.
Thanks @sseamom
@carolinamom2boys You are so sweet. Iām really not MamaBear material. They werenāt intentionally nasty, just curious and uninformed. I never mentioned the 8% acceptance rate to them. I wasnāt trying to 1 up anyone.And yes, my girl was there for quite a few of the conversations and she had plenty of her own to live through. It just proves how some people donāt understand good manners. And yes, I do intend to discuss things with the GC after the school year is over. It still gets me riled up and Iāve had a few days to calm down. Oy.
If someone here says they have not heard of a school, we will need to ban them from this group! Everyone should know how to google.
@carolinamom2boys - with so many people cheering and thinking about you, did you have hiccups?
I drove 15 hours from Houston to Orlando in 2009 and neither of our girls wanted to step into Disney. So we spent 2 days shopping, 2 days at Universal and drove home. I am glad not to have bought prepaid discounted tickets.
Well maybe a slightly tamer response wouldāve been" Let me tell you about the school. We are so excited . Muggle child searched for just the right school for her , and this fit the bill" āAfter considering all of her great choices, this one was truly the best for her.ā
I did feel all of the support @texaspg . DS16 decided Disney was his choice for graduation about a year ago. We plan on going to Universal as well( weāve never been there) plus we get the added benefit of seeing some aunts and uncles who were unable to attend today. It should be a good trip.
@carolinamom2boys - Congrats!! It is hot here in Florida so pack light! Universal is my kidsā absolute favorite.
Thanks @madredos . Weāve been watching the weather for a week now.
@MuggleMom It really is funny, in an absurd way!
Iāve felt the urge to over-explain to people in real life that our state flagship, UIUC, was indeed D1ās first choice.
And, Iāve felt the urge to over-explain to people in real life, that although D2 was accepted to some more presitigious schools, she is taking the money and going to UK. <āexhibit A WHY do I even feel the need to phrase it that way, yāknow?
But honestly, I do try to resist the urge. I donāt need to feel defensive, or justify our decisions, or get them validated by strangers and acquaintances. Mostly, talking to people face to face, I just let it be, or keep it simple with something upbeat and positive. I just assume everyone has been infected with College Admissions Mania Virus and it involves a lot of mis-information, ignorance, and putting foot in mouth. Itās a widespread affliction in a certain social circles.
On the rare occasion that someone is really seeking information, I donāt mind getting into College Confidential mode and sharing what weāve learned. One reason people might be shocked or not know what to say is exactly is because they are thinking āWhyā¦===name of school===?ā Itās give us an opportunity to share with them what sold us on the school. In our case, a big pile of money. 
Good luck and keep your sense of humor!
Does anyone go around saying we pulled a Jerry McGuire to explain their decision? 
Oh, I have a friend who totally says that. Show me the money. And her kid got into a lot of great schools. I think the best answer is that your kid, my kid, whichever kid, is happy with their decision and did not make it blindly. These kids are for more savvy than we were and have research skills and resources we never dreamed of. Lucky them.
@MuggleMom Iām going to a school not many people have heard of either. Although seriously people itās only 40 minutes away. I can tolerate most peopleās questions because a lot are genuine but if my GC was like that, I would be mad. Fortunately sheās not, sheās awesome and the reason I got interested in the school in the first place
@readingclaygirl Our GC is really a lovely lady. She just missed the mark on this one. My D was extremely offended at the comparison. Going to college is all about the fit once you manage to get in. We live in an area where that is often forgotten and what is important to lots of people is ranking and prestige. It canāt be prestigious if no one has heard of it, at least thatās their take. The reality is that its a perfect fit for my kid and sheās excited beyond measure to go there.