D just checked several portals and one shows that all they have is her application and SAT’s. No essay, no transcripts, no recommendations. Of course they are long closed back east. Since I put the essay in the mail myself and her teacher handed her the sealed recommendation to drop at the office, I KNOW the essay and things from the school were mailed. She’s calling in the morning. Another says they’ve received everything but there is no status at all-not pending, nothing. There are still two honors awards pending, so here it is lots and lots of waiting.
Congrats everyone on their acceptances.
mini-update here - DS got more letters from Pitt! He got a letter promising him direct admission to a Master’s program contingent on doing well in undergrad, one offering him access to the Honors College, and one with a full tuition scholarship (yay!!). He did not receive an invitation to apply for the most prestigious “full ride” Chancellor’s scholarship, however. But at the fees-only price and with Pitt’s great attributes that match DS, we now feel that there is a true option in hand.
Obviously we have not heard from the EA Ivy, and also not yet from MD, MA, or MI. (I am hoping that the post-facto application fee refund from MD can be interpreted as a likely letter.)
Due to the Pitt news, DS has pared down his RD applications to just four reach-type schools. Those will, I hope, get a lot of attention over TG break.
Echoing @carolinamom2boys - congratulations everyone on all the awesome news!
Oh, and I also had more trouble with Stats than Calc. I think it depends what kind of mathematical thinker you are?
@fretfulmother That is great news! Have to say, I can relate to your screen name!!
@fretfulmother brought up an interesting topic. I know it is way too early to think about it now, but what is your opinion on programs that offer direct admission to Master’s program? I know that many employers will cover cost of master program, but then it is very difficult to work full time and attend graduate school.
It may depend on the masters program? My oldest D applied after undergrad to go to a masters program in her field and it had a Teaching Certification program with it. Several of the places she applied offered her either 1/2 tuition plus a TA stipend or one was a full fellowship covering all tuition. So, I’m not sure if the 5 year programs are always worth it, if it means you’re paying for a full other year of school??
@CAMidwestMom - Thank you!! I took my name from the magazine that Marge Simpson subscribes to - I could not believe it was available when I joined CC just a couple years ago 
@Ballerina016 - I’m not too keen on the direct admission for Master’s unless your kid is certain that s/he would not want to do a different graduate degree (e.g. PhD) - because you can get graduate school funded in PhD programs or MS/MBA funded sometimes by companies, or because your life path may be different anyway after four years.
I think the exception could be if the student came with AP credit, could a merit award be used for four years that would include the MS as well…? I don’t know if such a thing exists.
I also advise students against those 7-year BS/MD programs because kids’ interests can really change over time. I had one student who got into that program at Brown, and also into regular admission at Harvard. I advised her to go to H, with the thought that she’s the kind of kid who will be able to get into MD programs when the time comes, and if she doesn’t want to do an MD directly, Harvard will launch her even better than BU. I think there was some level of exhaustion with the application process and the wanting it all to be done “once and for all” - but I told her, you’ll have more energy again in a few years! (She is now at H.)
Yes, it’s hard to work and do grad school, but I believe it can be done. I did my M.Ed. while teaching 3/4 and when my second son was an infant, and I just did one class at a time and it took 2.5 years. Even though it was an M.Ed., there was some financial aid available for me - a bit of need-based, a bit of merit-based, and then some vouchers for a couple of the classes because my district had hosted student teachers from the college so they did reciprocity.
@MidwestMomTo2 Congrats!!!
@fretfulmother Congratulations!
@LKnomad One of the twins has an admission under her belt, but S won’t hear anything from anyone until at least mid-December (no rolling admission schools for him either). We got a thin envelope in the mail from one of D’s schools today and I was a little disheartened-- and confused because I didn’t think it was a rolling school. Not a denial though, just a “we have received your application” letter. Whew!
@CAMidwestMom Congratulations x2!
AP Stats isn’t generally a difficult class at my kids’ school, and they’re both taking it and doing well. We’ll see how they do on the actual AP test. I’m not too worried about S because math is his thing, but D has convinced herself she’s not any good at things involving numbers.
@petrichor11 My friend’s daughter received a large envelope from her first choice school several weeks after applying. She was so disappointed when she opened it to find a confirmation letter thanking her for her application . Could that not be done via email?
@Ballerina016 and @CAMidwestMom, I think it might be the teacher for AP Stats. My DS19 has it as a high school freshman, and while it has not been easy, it has not been nightmarish.
@LKnomad, DD has six apps finished and in, but like you, we won’t hear from the EA until Dec, and we’ll hear from our flagship in January. Debating about how many more to do before EA news.
Congrats to @CAMidwestMom and @MidwestMomTo2! Hurray! (I feel like I’m living in the wrong part of the country.)
@fretfulmother, congrats on your Pitt news. It’s so great to hear everyone’s successes while we wait…and wait…and wait…
@petrichor11 @EastGrad Thank you!!
Congrats to all the excellent news that is circulating! Sorry to hear that CB drama is still continuing and fingers crossed that it will all be over very soon. Our school also contends that AP Stats is an easier course than Calc but ultimately it all depends on the student and their strengths. If a student is having trouble in any class I also suggest getting a tutor. Sometimes another person has a different approach that just clicks with a student better.
We received unexpected but happy excited news…D received her Tigerbound envelope today with merit money to boot! So surprised because we thought there would be no official acceptances until sometime in January at the earliest! Its a great feeling to have an acceptance in hand from a really good school! Makes going forward with the four remaining applications and the waiting so much easier! Add that to my D receiving her Academic All County Award tonight for soccer and it was a truly banner night!
I am with you @mysonsdad ! It is sad to see the ECs end. Especially the ones they have worked so hard at and have grown so much from. My DS set a goal when he was in elementary school that he achieved last year. It was great to see but this year he really got to shine in that EC so it is very hard to see it end. I did not make it through that awards event without tears.
Congrats @fretfulmother! I spent several years in Pittsburgh and still love my Steelers.
Tonight was our last XC awards ceremony-- our older D ran as well, so this is the end after 8 years. Hard to believe.
It wasn’t the guaranteed admission information that I thought interesting, rather, the claim that it is the intention to have more Ca residents understand they should apply because of the increased effort to enroll more eligible Ca residents.
I am sure the guaranteed admission information is appreciated by families, though.
@lvmjac1 Congrats to your daughter. She’s had quite the day.
Hooray, @lvmjac! Great news.
I am also sad to see ECs end. That is, most of them. 
Congratulations on all the acceptances and related good news. My DS is also taking both AP Calc BC and AP Stats. I’d think he’d say Calc is harder and having met the teacher at back to school night (my 20th and last one!) I can see that the teacher has very high expectations and is a tough grader. It is known as the hardest math class in our school. Even though DS might major in math, I’m not worried if he ends up with B’s in either class.
20th back to school night? How do you seem to know that?