@SincererLove
Will a parent join your D at CWP? I’m trying to decide if I will go.
@thshadow
One of D’s teachers suggested that she pick the school where she feels she can find her soulmate. I think she will strongly consider this in making her final selection. I hope we haven’t already filtered out the soulmate school with all our academic and financial criteria.
We also got Global Entry for the whole family last summer. $400 for 4 for 5 years, yikes! I did not use credit card deals.
Now, air travel feels like pre-9/11. Breeze through security in 5 minutes without removing clothing.
Just like upgraded seats are like pre-90s air travel. LoL We pay to go back in time. 
@srk2017 You can have the appointment web page up and keep refreshing it to get cancelled spots.
There are scripts that do that in GitHub (ask kids to find it) I installed some chrome extension that emails me when a spot opens up. I forget the name of it any how. Anyways I found appointments in 2 weeks that way rather than waiting 2(!) months. Also if you travel you can make GE appointments at JFK, etc, at other airports.
I wonder if having GE would be helpful when entering US with the renewed increasing scrutiny especially for immigrants.
@LoveTheBard, Sounds like you have quite the adventure scheduled for the next few weeks. Sounds like any way the story ends, it has a very happy ending. A very diverse choice of top amazing schools. Can’t wait to hear how the visits go, and what choice is finally made. I remain in awe…
@payn4ward - I didn;t think of scripts but I used a script like that for something else 
Recently they had opened some new days and we snagged that. We have an appointment on Tuesday.
Location is a factor, which you covered a bit in social and other but urban versus suburban or remote definitely changes that feel regardless of ease of travel.
On the academic fit it’s also program fit. Which program seems to offer the best fit for what he wants to study as there is quite a bit of variance within his top choices. Availability and support for internships and research is another one.
Truly our challenge is that financial grey area. Of the top choices one is good to go and 2 are the very upper edge of grey. Figuring that out is well, giving ME grey hair! At what point is paying more worth it?
@thshadow My D wants the full college experience - good academics and research opportunities, good sports and school spirit, good food, nice dorms, pretty campus, nice college town or in a city, lots to do on and off campus, good job prospects.
@nw2this My H and I went to CPW with my son and got a lot out of the visit. If you are at all able to attend, I would recommend that you go, too.
Oh no! Another criteria for the list of of things to consider to find your “match” (school)!
(and one more thing to worry about!)
It’s true in our house…do believe our S14 has met his soulmate :x
And does such a college exist? 
@nw2this - my D has actually said “And I want to meet my Jewish husband in college.” I guess if she goes to Rose Hulman, she’ll have 5 or 10 to choose from! 
@thshadow No over-analyzing schools for us at this point, one is the clear favorite. It will only get bumped by a lottery school which will require no over-analyzing. Without UCLA in hand, we would have been over-analyzing between several similar schools. Actually, now we are starting to over-analyze housing options and t-shirt/sweatshirt choices, so in a way it doesn’t end at the school decision.
Hello all! I haven’t been around in a while but it’s great to see so many good acceptances here!
UC acceptances are coming out – so far D is in at UCSC, UCDavis, UCSD and UCLA. Haven’t heard from Cal yet - do they typically send out results later?
Also, here’s a weird thing: D was awarded a Regent’s Scholarship at Davis with admission to the honors college – but not at Santa Cruz. Wouldn’t you think it would be harder to get into the honors college at Davis than at UCSC?
Also still waiting on the private schools. No decisions possible yet!
@dustypig I believe the UCSC program is much smaller.
Both schools let you apply after first grading period as well.
@thshadow, S used some of the criteria you mentioned to narrow down his school choices. He evaluated class engagement when he sat in on classes (he is used to kids who participate in classroom discussions). Food was a big one for him. Dorms, but the food trumped the dorms. The feel of the school when you walk though it. Did he feel it was crowded, calming, were kids in groups or walking alone, etc. The feel of the campus and the food are pushing him more towards OUs scholars program and away from ASUs Barrett Honors college.
@bamamom2021 Welcome and congrats to your daughter! So exciting - sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders!
@thshadow I think all of your points about rating colleges are right on the money!! I think we added availability of jobs on campus, internship or research opportunities. For my daughter, it was all about being in the Big Apple.
@dustypig Congrats on all the UC acceptances and Scholarship!!
@dustypig Cal releases decisions on Friday. Congrats on all of the amazing acceptances!!!
The soulmate has a BIG role in the college selection for us, he may be at a different school an hour away as it’s working out. Wanting to be in a big city started out as a big priority for D17, now she seems very willing to let that go for the boyfriend. She wants an environment with serious students, we visited some safeties that just didn’t seem rigorous enough to her. Food selections and gym facilities seem very important, as well as dorm choices.
Soulmate— I’ve never looked for that in real life and it certainly has never played into any of the college decisions. Ever.
Affordability, programs, location etc all play into the decision. But “soulmate” is just a vague romantic notion that counts on a fuzzy feeling that is bound to go away after 2 months.
Oh @carachel2 that broke my heart! I’ve very happily been with my soulmate for 30 years.
@socalmom007 --I’m not sure why that would break your heart? Saying I don’t like that word and don’t use it when making important decisions doesn’t imply that I’m not a happy person…it’s just not how I make decisions.
I’m super happy with my spouse of almost 25 years. I just never use the word “soulmate”–it’s too vague and relies only an emotional feeling in my opinion. I never expect any one thing or one person to be a “soulmate” for me.
“Soulmate” does not = happy or not happy!
Soulmate is not a factor but “tribe” most certainly is and I’d expect that if one can find their tribe at a school, the soulmate may be there as well. We’ve not seen that result with the older kids but you never know.
Food is definitely a factor.