I was really stunned that there were cats in the dorms at CalTech when we toured…let’s be honest…it’s not just an allergy issue…it’s small, semi public places with litter boxes, cat food, etc.
S just submitted his first app!!! <:-P ^:)^ =D> Progress has been made. It is to ASU and there will still be an honors college app to complete. He has made my day.
Congrats @mtrosemom !
@MotherOfDragons Who is “a doctor online?”
I would get our doctor and an attorney write letters to the disability office requesting immediate removal of the cat and the cat-contaminated roommate. :))
- writes Mom to cat-allergic boys
@MichiganGeorgia gives me an idea. I would not get a dog but send along neighborhood owl, bull snake or coyote (if I can catch one) There goes kitten problem =))
@mtrosemom Yay!!
2nd Miracle in the Land of Procrasti-nation! <:-P <:-P
Two applications submitted!
and the transcripts were submitted too! (now feeling very grateful to our counseling department)
I volunteer a lot at our school and send snacks, etc, so GCs know me. So I don’t feel too bad troubling them.
@MotherOfDragons As a highly cat-allergic person, either I or the cat would be out of the room in 2 seconds flat. I’m all for accommodations and support animals, but the school should provide a single room for the student and his/her companion animal.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek - Would you mind sharing the $8 merit aid list? I thought that I had bookmarked the link to it, but apparently I didn’t. Hope your D17 finds a great match there! Thanks!
Sure! Here it is. http://www.mykidscollegechoice.com/full-scholarship-list/ I just spent 3 hrs going through more and I have still only made it through PA. (They are alphabetic by state.). I think I have made it into the 800s. I am excited bc I think I found one school that really might be a good match! A Catholic college with Russian and their language goals in their dept is advanced-mid! That is huge. This is the first school we have seen with goals that high. 
Definitely worth my time and $8.
About Vassar. Vassar is the gold standard for financial aid and on everyone’s best financial aid list. My family is middle-class and Vassar gave us the most affordable tuition of anywhere. Also I appealed our original financial aid program based on medical bills. Do not rule out affording a college that you love untill you actually see their offer. Every offer is different bases on many factors including how much the school wants you.
The kid’s guidance counselor completed his part of the UCAS (UK common app) so tonight we hope to go over the personal statement one more time then hit submit.
Scary. This will be our first app (to 5 schools) and it is all test scores and one personal statement about why she wants to study chemistry. All schools get the same personal statement and there’s no section for EC’s and no teacher reference. They don’t care one whit about EC’s or what a good person you are. Nothing about 20 hours a week on sports for years, or her work experience or her community service through girl scouts. It seems such an incomplete picture of her it scares me.
@payn4ward I guess one of those s’s in caspers can now stand for submitted!
My DS17 is bringing me joy today … his CA essay is 99% done, 1st Choice school (3 supplements) essays are 50% done, 2nd choice school (2 supplements) essays are 50% done. He’s actually kind of working on them today. And, considering working on his 3rd choice school essay very soon. That will take care of all 3 EA apps! I’m encouraging him to be done and submitted by the end of his Fall Break (10/17).
Yesterday, I completed the FAFSA and CSS for each school (easy since I was able to use most of the info from Spring 2016 (older DD)).
DS is making another appointment with his GC soon. His school (private) provides great counseling. Reading and helping to edit / refine essays has been a tremendous help. Once the GC does another pass on his essays, DS is SOOOO close to hitting the submit button!
Unfortunately, he will be waiting to hear from these 3 schools PRIOR to working on any other applications RD. UGH. Christmas vacation will be interesting if things don’t go his way during EA and he’s applying to 2 more schools. He does have an in-state, honors, engineering acceptance already. But, doesn’t want to go there - at least he’s in somewhere.
Regarding all of the BAMA talk… I couldn’t pay him to apply there since he is NOT a BAMA football fan. Football (only a fan) has played a big roll in his college list. There are several great engineering programs at schools where he would NEVER apply. He has his priorities. 
@Mom2aphysicsgeek - Thanks – and congrats on finding a potential fit! I know how hard its been for you guys…
Have you looked at Florida State? They seem to have a strong program in Russian. Based on test scores and GPA, they waive the OOS tuition supplement (in-state total COA is ca. $18,000), plus there are other departmental language awards to the tune of $7K/year.
They are especially generous to NMF: “The award includes a waiver of the out-of-state portion of tuition cost, the $9,600 University Freshman Scholarship, and any National Merit Scholarship.” There’s also auto-entry to the honors College.
Oh wow @Mom2aphysicsgeek! $8 well spent
I wonder if I should investigate the list.
@christygb I apologize for sending this so late but I am so sorry too for your son’s difficulties and my thoughts and prayers are with you. I know this is very painful and the future is unclear. You certainly seem to have a strong sense of what is best for your son and are getting him critical help. I truly feel for you and your family. It is a journey - I had a relative who at around 18-19 yrs old developed some major mental health issues - took a long time to address. You have lots of support here - hope that is of some comfort.
@LoveTheBard FSU was on her list until she interacted with their dept. Their response made her drop them from her list. That was a huge loss bc it was a school we really wanted to keep on there. We had thought it might be her top choice.
@WhereIsMyKindle The list is not user friendly. It is just a continuous list of schools and their scholarships. I have not heard of most of them, so I have to search info school by school. But, yes, I definitely think it was $8 well spent. The yolasite cannot even begin to be compared. Like I said, I am in the 800s and I have only made it through PA. But, ifyou have time to explore the schools, definitely worth it.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek - I’m sorry to hear that FSU was a nonstarter. Was it one particular prof or an administrative person that turned her off? Maybe it’s worth trying to get another perspective. In addition to the language study, they seem to have a strong interdisciplinary Russian and Eastern European studies program within their social sciences division that includes language study.
@longwood We did a secret FB group for my son’s grad year and it ended up being a really nice thing. It was/is only like 30 people but there is a much higher level of community and support. A number of people have even met in real life. It’s definitely not for everyone but for those who enjoys sharing pictures and more real life details it has been wonderful. One person set it up and then people who wanted to join sent her a private message and she friended them on FB and then added them to the group. We did parents only (there are a few students in these parent groups) and everyone had to join within a certain time frame it wasn’t repeatedly offered because once people started posting real stuff they didn’t want to worry about others motives or trying to gain access to personal info.
Prestige–Our school is really diverse and kids don’t seem to publicly share much until later in the application process. My S16 goes to the University of Chicago which typically ranks really high on various lists but half the people have no idea what it is. My daughter tends toward that same type of good school but perhaps not as well known like Harvey Mudd (trying to decide now to apply ED there or an Ivy actually) but is also very into Olin and Rose Hulman which it seems like no one has heard of. She’s really excited about her safety too so whatever happens it’s all good.
Application progress-She has all of them nearly completed even the RD ones due in January she is holding until after ED and EA results. I never thought she was going to make it but she really wants to join another time consuming theater activity at school and I said not until these apps are done which she realized had to happen anyway.
FAFSA and CSS are done (except one number I’m waiting on the accountant to get) as I needed them for both kids and we had some due in November. It was so much easier the second time around!!!
Facebook group–I’m up for it! We have one for class of 2016 and it’s a great group. Nice to be able to see pics of everyone’s kids and pets. I agree with setting some type of limits to keep the group secure too.
@LoveTheBard I’d have to talk to Dd and refresh my memory for sure, but I think it came down to their study abroad options being extremely limited and no university funding for abroad studies. (Lack of funding can be a huge factor bc federal $$ cannot be used to study in Russia whereas university funds can be.) This is from months ago, so I might be remembering incorrectly.
@hadmeathello Ah, you mention are friend quan… the good old days. 
@stem2017 Congrats on the GC sign off on the comm app.