@inthegarden welcome and I agree, great post! Sometimes we forget that all our kids don’t have to cure cancer! Being happy and fulfilled really should be the goal. Thank you for the reminder! I don’t post that much here but I really love this thread too 
We live in Northern CA and literally none of the kids my daughter knows smoke cigarettes. She is only applying to schools in CA, OR and CO and I feel like every campus we’ve visited has had signage that they are totally smoke-free. I’m thinking that doesn’t apply to marijuana but I think at least in public spaces, cigarettes are NOT going to be an issue at any of her school options, and both I and she are very glad of that. Interesting to hear that other schools are not this way yet. I guess the west is leading the way in that regard and we probably do have fewer smokers any more out here.
@snoozn @curiositycat333–Thanks! Goucher is definitely on the list to visit. Five colleges are a bit too close to use for her to have interest…she wants to spread her wings a bit, but who knows what things will look like in a few months when it gets a little more real. As always, appreciate the support and suggestions!
@inthegarden: Yes, my girl applied EA to UVM. She happily got the “YES” notice on 11/10. We were SO impressed by UVM when we visited…
and now her list is changing… she is dropping all safeties but one … and adding a couple of schools, I think. I’m somewhat outside the vortex of this process because she is at prep school and the college counselors there do a really great job … I’m trying to ‘stay in my lane’, because for me, this ‘waiting tension’ is kind of like watching a scary movie! LOL And now, I’m kind of wishing we still lived in Vermont (we moved when she was five)! I really liked Dickinson, but she was less enthused. 
And I LOVE Smith, but she is at an all-girls’ school, so she refuses to even consider it. After 4 years of no boys, “coed school” is at the top of her list of college criteria.
Hi there, @CroissantMiser! I remember meeting you over on the prep school side of the forum, seems like ages ago!
The parents who frequent this thread are super nice and fun and supportive… so, stick around!
For dance, Tulane has a nice program. They offer a Minor, major or BFA in a decent facility. Ohio state has a gorgeous facility with more of a conservatory focus.
Parents of artists, don’t give up hope on them supporting themselves after college. They might have to be more creative in cobbling together jobs but it is possible. My older daughter pays her bills with her serving job ($1400 in tips on Thanksgiving!) but has time to write, which is her love. A good friend of my younger daughter graduated from the University of Minnesota with a dance major and has been supporting herself since with dance-related jobs.
Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone! Glad I’m not an intruder here. I’ll mostly be in the background, I think, but I may pop in when I have a tidbit. I’m an older mom so many of my friends have had kids in college. Know that I’m rooting for you whenever you have news!
I was away tonight at our middle/ high school all-county honors band concert So fun…it reminded me not to let these years rush by…yet this forum reminds me to be excited about the future too.
DS received his final acceptance today! None of his schools were reaches, maybe 1 was a high-match with the others being matches or safeties but he’s happy. One acceptance came with a note that he had earned a merit scholarship but no mention of amount while the others all gave him significant merit awards
<:-P <:-P
I’m glad the essay writing is done and letter have been received but I think the tough part is still looming. After break we’re going to have to schedule some second visits to meet with prof’s etc. If anyone has any input his choices are: Carthage, Hope, Valpo, Elmhurst and North Central.
For the dancers, I would definitely check out point park. They have a nice program and good merit. My son got the letter he had been waiting for yesterday - accepted to St. Johns University, with enough merit to make it do-able. Som, he says he is done. Now, this is not my first rodeo, so I am making him wait to be sure until all options are in, but he says this is it. My daughter had deposited at CofC and then changed her mind to JMU, which was definitely the place for her. My son wants to be in NYC, but wanted a campus, so this is ideal for him.
I am so happy to have found this thread. It seems so supportive and non-judgemental! Yay!
My kid has applied EA to a couple of places but I don’t think either are her first choice. I just hope one is an acceptance to take the crushing pressure off. The list is still in flux and, like @cameo43 mine is at prep school, so I am (happily?) out of the loop! I can see some of what is happening on Naviance as they give parents a login. I can at least see the list and I occasionally suggest a school. She rejects most suggestions because, well, teenager. But I did get Ursinus on the list. We have not visited but I like what I read.
@cameo43 Yes it does seem like ages ago…In the middle of Junior year and beginning to ramp up the college process. You are right about this thread …that’s why i went from lurker to participant Thanks to all for the thoughts on dance–much appreciated. As i mentioned previously, dance is not the driver but needs to be in the car…English/Creative writing is manning the wheel This is definitely a malleable process, especially in the early stages!
Welcome @london203 ! We are a friendly bunch so join on in! Where did your D apply EA? We are waiting for 8, count them 8, EA decisions. Sigh. Obsessive portal checking for $200, Alex.
Loving all the new members/delurkers! I get so much from CC in several forums, but this is my home!
yes, the obsessive portal lurking has begun in my home as well. It’s irrational. We do not expect decisions until 12/15 for one EA school, 12/31 for another and 1/31 for a third. then the real wait.
Small progress here. S has his last interview (UPS) on monday and scheduled his music audition there for Feb. The only real bummer (to me) about the live music audition is that now we still need to figure out a recording session for his Allegheny submission and have that to them by the end of Jan. Part of me want to push him to get it done over break but on the flip side, we “should” hear from them by the end of Dec. Which isn’t published, no notification date is published for EA but upon calling they told me they expect to turn things around in 2-4 weeks for EA and they do have a published FA date of mid Dec for EA…for admitted students. It would be nice to know if he is in or not before bothering to do the recording! He will be working on it all this week with his private teacher. That would leave potentially 3 other scholarship apps to do over break I think, 2 of which we can wait and see on acceptance before starting. I want S to sit in a class on Monday at UPS and he is so resistant to the idea it makes me nuts. I can’t make him but UGH!
@inthegarden welcome! I think it’s fine to poke around early on and get a feel for things! There is so much information not provided to parents at school that it’s mind boggling and you can really walk into landmines on so many levels if you rely on that as your only source of info.
You are very welcome here! When I first started looking for my S, this thread from last years class gave me so much hope (whereas the main thread well, made me fairly depressed initially) and info and this has become a wonderful little family over here that makes my heart happy. Financially I think if I’d found this thread in 8th grade it might have helped a bit too for planning purposes. I thought I had a decent handle on it but really didn’t at the level I should
What great insight your H has! Being happy is everything. Both my H and I are fairly successful and came out of state schools that were the best we could afford for what we wanted to do. I adore my alma mater but really do, sadly, recognize it wasn’t the right school at all for 2 out of our 4 and wasn’t (isn’t, I have a 10th grader lol) the preferred one for the other 2. His schools are not anything folks are drooling over around CC but in all cases provided him with an outstanding education that was definitely more personal than mine was. I was at dinner the other night (mentioned on the other thread) with 8 of my sorority sisters. Many of whom have kids in the app process, in college and in HS/MS. The vast majority of us could remember only ONE professor’s name! I can’t blame my kids for wanting something different and we all wondered, had we been presented with the options now that our kids are (online versus paper, etc) would we have considered something else?
As far as smoking goes the only 2 schools I’ve really heard it mentioned about/at are Reed and Hampshire but I’ve no real idea. Out here you see a different kind of smoke (west coast lol).
Kids change their minds about what they want. Knowing that now, you are way ahead of things and less likely to be derailed. What my S17 thought he wanted in a school initially has morphed quite a bit. My S19 has wanted to be everything from a theoretical physicist to screen writer, to business major, to economist! The world needs a mix of people, not everyone can or wants to cure cancer and that’s a good thing!
A lot of folks on this thread are interested in UVM and have applied.
@rosered55 agreed. Our S11 is making a living in the music business…with catering on the side. But he is self sustaining and moving towards less catering so all is good! More importantly, he is happy. And self sustaining. LOL!
@smakl70 congratulations! I don’t know much about the schools on his list but have heard nice things about Valpo. How lovely to have all decisions in! And even better that they came with merit or a hint of merit to come. Smart to wait though. I seem to be in the minority but the idea of a deposit and then not withdrawing apps from the others kind of freaks me out. I know at some it’s non binding but it feels so weird to me. Largely I guess because really the older 2 were one and done and no looking back (1 app for S11 and ED for S14 lol).
@london203 welcome!!! I can very much relate to wanting that one acceptance in, even if it isn’t their first choice. I was very relieved when S’s first acceptance came in before thanksgiving. Far more than he was I think! No judging allowed here! It’s an amazing group of posters so much support and great input!
@CroissantMiser my S is similar in wanting urban but LAC/Small university. Though not dance, he does want/require theater and music. He will not minor in either but wants to be able to play (and get a spot, and possibly non major $$) and want to continue to be involved in theater tech, ideally paid but possibly non as well. And yes, often the urban conflicts with the others! I think his list is a happy mix of “close enough” to urban, or the cities themselves have enough in them. At least they seem to…we haven’t visited most yet! We will see how the acceptances look and then he can see for himself in Feb when we plan a tour of wherever they have said “yes”.
@kt1969 and @Fishnlines29 obsessive portal checking is right. And silly I know but then you read about someone finding out by checking and…the struggle is real. I even check ones that clearly state you’ll be notified by letter. Why? I have NO idea!
@eandesmom , what a kind post!
What instrument/genre(s) of music does your son play?
@inthegarden Trombone
Another delurker here (have been on CC for a while and read this thread religiously, but had not yet posted on it).
S applied to 5 schools EA. Accepted at Xavier (Cincinnati) with enough merit to make it feasible. Surprisingly, his acceptance came via e-mail just 2 days after he applied in early November (and this was a match school for him, definitely not a safety). Smart marketing on their part; while he waits to hear sometime next month from two similar schools, he is already picturing himself there. Also saved applying to 2 schools that he does not like as much.
Accepted yesterday at Ohio U, although no direct admit to business school (expected this, as they want a GPA of at least 3.4 for direct admit and he is around 3.0). No letter yet, but I saw this while engaging in my nightly portal check – so sometimes obsessive portal lurking does pay off!
Got branch campus admission at Pitt, but not at all surprised as his GPA was just too low for main campus. But they sent a fee waiver (I guess since we’d sent his ACT score for free when he registered), so no harm/cost to throw a Hail Mary pass. One thing that did annoy me: he applied on 10/28. They sent him the branch campus letter on 11/18. Then this past week, in the mail arrive two lovely, full-size, glossy books, one about the benefits of the Pittsburgh campus and the other specific to Pitt’s B school. Wasteful and also pretty thoughtless. How long does it take to update a database to show that a kid has 1) applied and 2) been–in essence–rejected?
Glad to see all the positive results that people are posting. What a reassuring (and realsitic) thread!
Oh, COOL @eandesmom ! That is my daughter’s instrument!!! She’s loving band and jazz band…enough to drop/downplay all other activities (ballet most of her life) to be in marching band, etc next year in high school.
The reason I asked, is to suggest looking into Duquesne University, since he is looking into Allegheny in the region and has a preference for small schools in urban environments. Duquesne is definitely that, and Pittsburgh is a wonderfully urban place these days and lots of students (with Pitt and Carnegie Mellon nearby.) Duquesne is Catholic-affiliated, though (don’t know how he would feel about that, or how much influence that has on the school environment, but I do know of two non-Catholic kids in my town attending.)
I think Duquesne has a strong music department, and options for different ensembles for non-music majors. Know they are strong in biological sciences/pre-health/pre-med but I don’t know about other departments.
What stands out to me about Duquesne (attention, dancers and musicians) is an extremely unique g
^^^now, this is weird,half of my post was cut off…