S16 is convinced that he doesn’t need to learn how to drive because he’s going to live in a city so he can either walk or take public transportation…or ride his unicycle.
@RyanG1207 Nope. I have two more. And honestly, I’m fine with D not getting hers right away, because the idea of her on the road in my car is a little terrifying. But S needs to get his soon. I’ve been bugging him about it, but it’s getting to the point where I may have to use the same tactics I used for essays (temporary grounding) to get him to at least take the online tests for his permit.
D got her license as soon as possible, unlike her mother. When I was a sophomore in college I finally took my driver’s test with my boyfriend’s mom’s brand new car. Talk about nervous on top of nervous. She’s my mother-in-law now. 
My son got his permit at 16 which is late since in our state, you can get it at 15. I forced his to get his license at 17 right before his permit ran out. He didn’t start driving a lot until 8 months later to prepare him to drive to school. Now he drives back and forth to school and occasionally to fast food or the movies.
My D only turned 16 in October, so she’s really on time with driving. But with all the public transportation here, both of my older kids took driving lessons at 16 but didn’t get their licenses until they were on their own and over 18. We just want D to have her license before she goes to college, even if she won’t be driving much. Going so far away, there would be a chance her permit would expire before she could fit in a driving test, and she won’t be 18 for another 18 months.
Here’s a somewhat scary driving story. D and a friend went to see Star Wars when it first opened. The only theater they could get tickets was located at the Natick Mall which is a huge mall in suburban MA. It is not the closest mall to our home and D had never driven there before. It was a terribly rainy night - horrible weather. D got on the MA Pike going in the wrong direction. Her GPS tried to correct her, but Its one of those roads where there are long distances between exits and once you get on you are stuck for miles. She called home in a panic from the car. I calmed her down, just told her to get off the next exit, and go very slowly to make sure she got back on going the right way. She finally got turned around, drove back the other way, then hit all the mall traffic (this was right before Christmas). They did make it - they ended up finally walking in the theater when the previews were running. But she got lots of experience in getting lost and recovering from it, and also driving in heavy traffic in awful weather.
We used to live in Berlin, MA and I know Natick Mall! Some of the interchanges on the Mass Pike can be tricky! Driving in Boston is a challenge too lots of narrow and one way streets.
“Driving in Boston is a challenge too lots of narrow and one way streets.”
Really. My brother once brought a brand new car and someone totaled it for him on the way home at a traffic circle. There’s a reason some of you folks are called Massholes.
Well… we have spent some happy, relaxed days after d received full-ride scholarship to her first choice school after Christmas. I am so relieved of the peace that the final college selection brings to this process.
Anyway, being the planner that I am, I decided to go over to the other topic under the Parents forum called “Checklist for Freshman Parents”. They have some great pointers for what to do before sending your kid off to college. One of the pointers was to go ahead and make a hotel reservation for move-in day since that can be one of the busiest days on campus.
I followed their advice… and I have to say I am soooo sad. I now have the finality of d leaving staring me right in the face. 
So, after that, I had to visit the other Parents forum, “Can We Talk About the Empty Nest Syndrome?” to help with the sadness. D is the youngest of my two, so this is going to be a big change in lifestyle for us.
Well, congrats on that full ride, @momofsmartdancer ! You’re right about the change in lifestyle. D is my youngest and I’m sure we won’t know what to do with ourselves next year. Right now she is booked up for something every single day of the week for next 7 days. most of those being 2 or more activities AFTER school. I swear college is going to be easy for her at least schedule-wise, though she’s probably going to sign up for a whole new set of things when the time comes. BUT, it will all be on campus and we won’t have to drive her!
Congratulations @momofsmartdancer ! A full ride is a wonderful Christmas gift. Thanks for the reminder about hotel for move in weekend. That will be important at one of DS’s schools but not at the other on his short list. I may reserve refundable rooms at both just to be sure.
Only need to reserve hotel at one of son’s choices. The other 3 are within 45 minutes.
Congratulations @momofsmartdancer ! A great gift!
Congrats @momofsmartdancer . Wish I was in your shoes right now.
I thought I’d share a story for all of us with anxiety about admissions. Yesterday I drove D15 back to school after her winter break. We had a great conversation in the car about the difference between this year and last year at this time when she was in the thick of it.
The school she is at was not her top choice. It was the school she visited only because we said she had to because it is our state flagship and thus affordable while being an excellent top rated school. It was her number 4 choice of the 5 schools she applied to.
In the end things didn’t go the way we all expected and it ended up being the logical best choice (and she made the choice we didn’t push her) but it was not her heart choice. We drove a grumpy girl to admitted students day. We drove a grumpy girl to summer orientation. We drove a grumpy girl and all her gear to drop off day.
Yesterday I drove an ecstatic young lady back to her new home. She loves her school so much. It has turned out to be the perfect, perfect place for her, so much better than any of the other options on her list could possibly have been.
What a difference a year makes.
Congrats @momofsmartdancer!
Thank you for sharing your daughter’s story @mom23travelers . I think that is all we want- right? for our kids to be happy.
S13 and S16 could not be more different in regards to many things, including driving. S13 had to reapply for his permit because it expired and I finally forced the issue of him getting his license well into his 17th year. I was driving him to work and to his carpool and I was tired of it! He now drives a Stryker in the Army.
S16 got his license the day he turned sixteen.
Super Congrats @momofsmartdancer I am a little envious of your position (and when I say a little I really mean a lot)! What a great and perfectly timed story @mom23travelers, thanks for sharing!
All 8 pieces of mail we got today were for D16! Unfortunately, I think one is a scholarship rejection. At least last year, rejections were by snail mail and interviews offered by email. Have to be patient until she gets home. (I am a bit confused because it is on thick card stock so I have a tny bit of hope yet.)
I’ve got all of my appendages and eyes crossed for luck @Booajo