@LoveTheBard and anyone else whose C attended Explore USC (Trojans)-- anything interesting learned?
One thing S17 reported was that apparently the Trustee scholarship awardees receive some special treatment, e.g., they’re given priority for research and grant opportunities. S’ host (current freshman) took S to see the research project he’s working on now.
@iabooks I agree. I roomed with my best friend from 2nd grade, but we made horrible roommates. She was a party every night type of girl and a complete pig. I was a study and go to bed by 11 type of student. I had to clear a path on the floor to be able to get to my side of the room. At one point I had to draw the line about her stuff making its way onto my bed and desk! I signed up for 8 am classes. She didn’t take any classes before noon. We were good friends, but not good roommates. 
(I can’t help myself.) There is a thread that is all about the DREAM. You need to climb aboard the DREAM. Anyone have an older child that plagued them with Charlie the Unicorn several yrs ago. That is how I view that thread! 
The Dream… you mean that amazing cruise ship? That’s the only Dream I want to hear about. lol
@itsgettingreal17 I wish. No, this is the magical financial aid bunny that delivers $$ to accepted to students so they get to live the DREAM. I just keep hearing, “Charlie, Charlie, come with us to Candy Mountain, Charlie.” (my ds would play that stupid video so many times. No idea why!)
@twoforone99 I echo @iabooks sentiment - particularly for your D. I think boys do better at adapting to the dorm life and exploring new friends despite current friendships than girls. This didn’t come up as an issue/possibility for my D16 and I’m not facing it with my S17 either - he is only one of two students from his HS accepted at CSM that we know of and we do not know who the second one is - except that it is a girl.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I have no idea what you’re talking about regarding the unicorn and I’m not googling it. Probably for the best I think.
QOTD: son17 will probably either end living wit some random person or perhaps a team mate. Not many of his friends have applied to the same schools. I think he’d probably prefer his own room from the get go, but I doubt that is going to happen. If he did go to school with a friend I’d be OK if they were roommates because he does not get a chance to hang with his gang all that much. His friends are all busy with school/sports, work, band, etc that it’s hard to find time to get together. He’d probably enjoy living with a friend. I don’t think he’s an annoying person so he will probably get along with anybody, as long as he picks up his clothes and keeps his side of the room organized.
My D wont be living with a friend. The scholarships she is considering likes the students in the cohort to pair up, so she’ll try to find a good match among the other students.
@IABooks @MotherOfDragons -
I always thought that a random roommate would a better experience too. That is until I have heard stories from family and friends. My niece was assigned a roommate who left her drug paraphernalia out in the room several times. She may have also been dealing drugs as well. Believe it or not she wasn’t dismissed so my niece moved off campus in the middle of the semester. My friend’s son was put in a room with an unstable young man. He endured several episodes with his roommate where I would have tried to get him out of the situation. So I started rethinking my position. I think someone referenced a nightmare roommate thread here the other day so it got me thinking.
It is nice to hear all sides of the question.
@rightcoaster Definitely don’t!! It just shows how different some of my reference points are. (I think Charlie was all the rage when the class of 2017 kids were 1st graders. ) But in the video, Charlie is lured to Candy Mountain where they take his kidney. Pretty much like what paying for top colleges is really like. ;)) Not the sweet DREAM.
QOTD: DD14’s roommate for the last 3 years, was a friend from HS (senior year). It’s been good to great, but at this point they both want a change and will have different roommates, next August.
DS17 will likely room with another friend from HS, who he’s known since middle school. I expect it will go fine, since both kids are very easy going, have common interest, and take similar classes (both are engineering students).
If the kids appear compatible, then I think it’s fine. The risk of a “bad” random roommate is far worse than the risk of a “blah” roommate.
Both roommates still need to get involved in campus, join clubs, and find their “tribe”. They need to expand their circle of friends beyond their roommate or the few other kids they may have known from HS. That the message I shared with DD14 and will with DS17.
@twoforone99 Both of those situations sound bad and I guess you’re right that at least your DC won’t be surprised by that kind of thing if they room with friends. But, for every story like that, is there one where roommates got along or were able to resolve the situation?
My D was lucky in her random roommate, as was I in college. Not ever best friends, and a few tense days, but getting along well enough in general. I hope this is more often the case than not.
Lots to consider.
@RightCoaster UIUC is $31 K plus, which is one of the reasons D17 didn’t apply.
I love urban legends, so I actually thought the ending was pretty clever. But not worth months of constantly hearing “CHAAAR-LEEEEEE” from D17 and S18. I refused to watch any of the sequels despite their pleas.
@snoozn Lol!! Now that you wrote Charlie like that, all I can hear is that whiny nasally voice!! Gotta get it out of my head!
QOTD: both of my kids will be attending schools that none of their classmates have even applied to, so it’s luck of the draw for them!
@robNNN - She didn’t learn much that she hadn’t known before. She found it to be a beautiful, vibrant campus and had fun meeting up with a friend from her summer program and spending some time with a local kid she has known for over a decade through our respective families (his mom and DH are colleagues, and our families have socialized over the years).
She’s off to Grinnell this weekend and then we’ll have some juggling to do for overlapping programs. Good problem to have, but frustrating nonetheless.
As for QOTD, we haven’t gotten that far. We are hoping that based on medical issues, she’ll be able to get her own room. I think she likes the idea of being in a suite, rather than a traditional dorm with the icky bathroom down the hall.
QOTD #2 - For those of you that have had to juggle overlapping visits, competitions, etc. how have people managed this? Have the schools been flexible with their dates and events? Have you had to pay them back for missed flights, etc.?
Dang it @LoveTheBard, just when I’m seriously questioning the cost of USC (should that end up being a choice), you go and make a positive comment that puts another check in the plus column. Basically, beautiful and vibrant was our feeling about the campus from what we saw on a weekend visit.
Not college related but the coach who was recruiting my son for prep hockey up and quit today. One week before letters go out. LOL. I am seriously losing my mind.
Not a QOTD; just curious: I was talking with a friend last night whose son is a freshman at Rice. He told me that his son wanted to stay on campus next year, but must find off-campus housing because housing is guaranteed for freshmen AND upperclassmen, but sophomores are in a lottery system and he wasn’t chosen.
I’ve never heard of upperclassmen being guaranteed housing when underclassmen weren’t. Is this true in other schools? :-??