@Ballerina016 Your post reminded me how relative warm/cold is… For us, it’s been unusually mild here in NJ this fall. We were in tank tops and flip flops on Friday while hanging Christmas lights. It was 64 and sunny. I thought this must be how nice it is in California during the holidays! You’ll have to send her when winter really arrives on the east coast, but I hope it doesn’t! Last year was brutal.
@palm715 I feel you! D had only 2 options in our state (one is not a sure bet). Everything else is … Well, everywhere else! :((
LOL @ryang1207 D made the mistake of wearing a sundress and flip flops on Friday (here in SoCal) and promptly regretted her decision as soon as she was out the door. Made me laugh considering many of her choices are in snowy places.
I used to work in a hotel that was a popular spot for Rose Bowl/Rose Parade tours. All the Midwest and east coasters would be in their summer gear and we’d be bundled up. It’s all relative.
Most of DD’s school is <5h driving. So we are pretty happy to have near by.
I’m encouraging D to apply to two small LACs in our state. Both would be affordable, and I am certain one will admit her (I have a good felling about the other, as well…)
The apps are free, and relatively short and simple. She does have to write a short essay.
She has not applied to either yet, but I keep mentioning them, :). I’d like her to have the option of a different type of school than she’s already applied to… who knows how she will feel in the next few months?
Luckily, one is RA and takes apps through April, although I think she should go ahead and pay now.
If she decides not to apply to these two, though, it won’t be the end of the world - she’s already been admitted to three schools. The final decision rests with her.
@Ballerina016 You really do get used to the cold and pretty quickly. I moved from the deep south to Chicago and adapted really quickly but definitely buy winter gear from stores in the colder area because there is a big difference in the warmth of coats and boots we bought in Chicago vs what we had bought before.
@Ballerina2016 My niece moved from Orlando, Florida to attend Miami University of Oxford. For graduation last year I bought her an adorable monogrammed knit scarf in her school’s colors and told her she’d need it for football games. While she was appreciative of the gift, she looked at me like I had three heads. I received a text from her several days ago wearing that scarf at a football game with the caption" I get it now,"
Another Chicago-ish transplant here. I grew up in southern Indiana and spent summers in Kentucky with relatives… I never bought snow boots or a scarf until I moved to Chicago. I moved here in the month of January.
I was acclimated to the weather after about a week. Really.
And trust me, the hot, humid late spring months, summers (and often, Septembers) will not be missed…
I left southern California to go to college in Oregon. I remember visiting in February of my senior year of HS. It was a “false spring” week with temperatures in the mid-sixties (before plunging back to endless cold drizzly weather). Everyone was in shorts and t-shirts soaking up the sun. I thought they were insane while snuggling up in my boots and jacket. The next year as freshman, when we finally had a warmish clear day, I was in a sundress. Perspective! 
Oh I don’t know that everyone gets used to the cold…I grew up in the midwest and had really cold winters. Living in southern CA for six years as a young adult spoiled me seemingly forever. We’re near Boston now (much warmer winters than those of my childhood) and I can’t stand it. It’s been 15 years and I I keep am in denial every fall.
As my screen name indicates, I grew up in California and now live in the Midwest. Love it, but I will never get used to or like the cold weather. I agree about buying winter clothes in the colder area. I went to London for a year and everyone laughed at my winter coat.
I used to live Seoul and weather is similar to New England and New York. I lived the similar weather most of my life. I wish I live few years in California.
@dcplanner what a great idea to buy winter gear from the coldest area!
@carolinamom2boys Very nice and useful gift
@BeeDAre DD got a taste of humid summer. She spent two months in Michigan this summer.
We visited Univ. of Rochester at the end of June. It was a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree day. It could not have been more gorgeous! Of course, Rochester is known for its long, snowy winters. There were students from all over the country at the info session, including a few from CA. Someone asked the admissions rep about the winters and I thought he gave the greatest answer. He said that yes, the winters are long and snowy but if the weather is the biggest issue in your life, then there are other problems. If a student is engaged in his/her classes, making friends and joining activities, then the weather is a minor annoyance. He said it is no different if a student was at school in Miami, with the heat and humidity - if the weather is the biggest factor, then the issue is about why the student is not otherwise engaged in student life. I thought this was a great perspective. That does not mean a kid should not consider weather (if it is important to them) when choosing a college, but I thought his answer was excellent.
That being said, over spring break this past year, we visited colleges in Conn. and Boston and I called that our “snow, wind and rain tour”. The title says it all. Similarly, when we visited Lehigh and Lafayette, it was 3 degrees out with 6 inches of snow on the ground - rare for that area (which is not far from us). Fortunately, my DS has been to Lehigh many times and understood it was not usually like that. I did also take him back in the fall for an interview and to sit in on a class. It is the closest school he is applying to - about an hour. But I think the schools that are further away are higher up on his list (which he is not sharing with anyone). He did tell his sister yesterday that he very much liked the school she went to - it’s a great school but the only one that requires a flight as it is 900 miles away. Not sure I want another kid that far away. It really limits options for coming home. Guess we’ll see in the spring what the options are.
@fretfulmother I hear you! I grew up in NW FL, moved to St. Pete and then to Miami because it was too cold in Tampa/St.Pete! I met my dh on a cruise to the Bahamas but then had to spend 10 frigid years just west of 495 in MA. I never adjusted! We now live in SW of Austin and it’s much better but when it gets into the 50’s we break out the winter gear and start having fires in the fire place. We’ll be doing a booth at an outdoor festival next week and have purchased gas outdoor heaters since it will likely be below 60!
@PAO2008 DD picked her college with weather a large factor - she wants to study severe weather/ tornadoes so going to a OU (where the National Severe Weather Center is located) makes sense for her to have weather as a major factor when picking schools. At least Miami has the National Tropical Storm Center… I tried, REALLY tried, to convince her that hurricanes were cool and she should think about UMiami (so I could selfishly have an excuse to return to Miami) but she wouldn’t have anything to do with it!
@3scoutsmom When DS16 was about 4 years old until he was around 10, he wanted to be a “weatherman”. 2 major problems with his plan. He was scared to death of thunderstorms and was unable to pronounce his "R"s . Thanks to 5 years of speech therapy , he can now pronounce his "R"s, but still not a fan of thunderstorms. 
Grew up in Georgia, went to school in Minnesota. Don’t think I ever had a decent coat, but it really was fine. Live in the faaaaar north now. My advice is to buy winter stuff online at REI or something similar. Consider waiting until they are there and figure out what they need. An outdoorsy kid will need better gear. Some kids may not bother with coats at all. I am constantly battling mine to at least keep a coat in the car in case there’s a breakdown
For winter clothing, avoid cotton. It does not hold heat at all when wet. Down is okay until it compresses or gets wet. I don’t actually like it that much.
@3scoutsmom – Well, so she’s not disappointed I hope that she gets absolutely miserable and severe weather during her four years at Oklahoma.
^^^ well, it will certainly help her in her research!
Hi all been very busy this long weekend and spent much of tonight catching up on all the news. So glad to hear of all the acceptances and great scholarship notifications! Hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was Blessed! Ours was great with S14 home from school. He not only brought home work to do but even squeezed in 2 tutoring sessions to help him in one of his classes. Now S back on campus is currently waiting on line (overnight) for Saturday’s AAC Championship tickets (along with a very pretty, very smart and so nice young lady that D16 and I are hoping he finally smartens up and asks her out…fingers crossed LOL). Go Tigers!
Little frustrated earlier today. Darling D only gave me an email from one of her EA schools applied to (dated 11/23) requesting that we complete the CSS Profile by Dec 1! I was under the impression that all the schools wanted it by February as she did not apply ED to any schools but I was wrong…
Funny their email was worded “Although admission decisions and financial aid determinations are decided separately, we encourage you to submit the required documents to complete your aid file. If you are offered acceptance, having a completed financial aid file will allow us to release your financial aid award.”
Do we assume that is a good sign of them leaning towards admission? Thinking so I spent the majority of the afternoon completing that form! UGH. So hard to figure out some the 2015 info and then also having to guesstimate the 2016 info. I needed a glass of wine to de-stress from the process BUT thankfully it is done and submitted!
D submitted another high reach application last night! Now she only has 3 more applications (2 high reach and 1 target) to go by January 2nd and one scholarship application by February 15th! We finally see the light at the end of the tunnel - thankfully!
Regarding pushing child to complete one more application…I agree that options are great! And I always say…the would haves, should haves and could haves can drive you crazy. Just make sure you won’t regret your decision later because there is no mulligans after a certain point.