@swtaffy904 My DH interviews for his alma mater and they are explicitly told that all meetings have to be in a public place. That’s a very strange request and I would actually let the admissions office know about it after this whole college process is over. They need to either train their interviewers better or that they have someone playing outside the rules.
Hoping to hear positive or negative on the Randall Research Scholars Program finalist invitation in the next week or so. Our February is going to be crazy busy!
Good luck to all wishing for good news. I guess S18 does have the NMF notification too, but that feels like a formality to me. And he’s got big sports Stuff too—3 more weeks until he’s done swimming forever. Trying to enjoy the moments!
February - D should hear back on Cal Poly SLO and Trinity (San Antonio), plus NMF, maybe UT honors. Otherwise waiting until mid-March.
S18 has his last high school musical this week - it’s a terrific and challenging show and he is the lead - so a very busy week coming up for him, and for us doing support (including baking little pies to be used onstage for one show and the dress rehearsal) and meeting up with family and friends at all the shows. I will miss this part of his school very much.
@amominaz and @2014novamom I started a separate thread to discuss it back when it was scheduled. It was a hot topic and much discussed. Several people suggested the school be informed but that the communication should come from D, not a parent. I helped her behind th scenes to get it moved to a public place. I have a feeling he is not following protocol but I don’t want to be ‘that parent’ at this point.
@3scoutsmom us too. We will know results of new top contender and the reach schools.
There is so much news to catch up on after a few days away. I’m sorry for the disappointments.
Just wanted to post some numbers so people realize what a crap shoot this process is. DD sent same essays to USCal and Georgia Tech. She applied CS to both and did her last minute standard application processing for both. Her stats were at or above the 75 percentile for both schools.
GT had 18124 ea applicants and accepted 4677. Out of state rate was an 18 percent.
USCal had 39000 applicants and accepted with white box merit consideration about 1200. About a 3 percent rate.
DD was rejected from GT the 18 percent rate but accepted to USCal with a white box at the 3 percent rate. You just cannot guess what will happen ahead of time.
@swtaffy904 I understand, which is why I suggested waiting until the process is over. He may not have any malintent but at the very least the school should be aware that it has caused an uncomfortable situation. He is an ambassador for the school after all.
@MACmiracle how was trip out to western Pa. I assume you found a satisfactory new car. How did D like Grove City?
Huge Congratulations @bearcatfan!
Quiet here… Waiting on large in state university for honors/scholarships and Pitt Chancellor. Other than that all offers are on the table. Great news is that D18 has a solid A in AP Calc BC. For those that recall the tenuous first quarter you realize what a big deal this is. Her mid year grades are stellar, which is a great position to be in carrying 6 APs. We’re definitely feeling less stress overall in the household.
Sending all the good vibes and virtual hugs to everyone!
@sekere62, that’s so interesting to be able to do that comparison, with basically the same application and same placement in the school’s accepted student profile. Sounds as if the only tailoring was in making sure each school’s name appeared in the correct spots. There’s a thread going about the “crap shoot” or “dumb luck” element of admissions. While I do agree that the schools aren’t just randomly picking names out of a hat and it isn’t the same as a true lottery, from the unhooked applicant’s perspective there’s no way to know how things will turn out with applications to elite schools. I think most people who use the terms “crap shoot” and “lottery” in this context are using a kind of shorthand to reference the opacity on the applicant side of things.
I wonder how different things might be if there actually WAS a lottery element. The school could set minimum standards (GPA, test scores, admission essay that meets a certain rubric criteria, X number of certified volunteer hours, etc) and all students who meet the minimum standards are entered into a lottery, broken down by major if necessary. I’m not at all saying that’s how admissions SHOULD be done, but it’s interesting to think about what that might look like.
@burghdad I hope something wonderful works out for your D soon. I was sad to come back to your news.
We got a car two days before the trip, not in the way I expected. It’s a wild story and too long to relate here, but through a series of unusual events and coincidences–which included me having to show up st a stranger’s house with a turban on my head with an envelope of cash–we have a van.
Only Odyssey owners will appreciate this (everyone else in the planet will think we are nuts) but it’s a 2003 with only about 125,000 miles on it. We got it for $2,700. It is perfectly maintained and immaculate, and it might be fine for a couple more years until I’m ready to give up a van…at least I hope so.
Not surprisingly, I decided to drive H’s much newer and spiffier SUV across PA, while he drove the “new” Odyssey for a few days around town. Now he says how he wants that to be his primary vehicle because it’s so comfortable.
About Grove City…it was beautiful and everyone there was wonderful. D said afterward, “I know I really should really like it, but I don’t.” As far as the reputation for strong sciences, I got the feeling there is more emphasis on engineering and preparation for healthcare careers than research.
We did a very informal visit to Susquehanna coming back through PA. The admission office was closed but we walked around and talked to a student. The campus is lovely and the science facilities are exactly what D wants. The ride from Selinsgrove to Harrisburg along the Susquehanna River was very scenic and if I would have to drive that far to take D back and forth, the views on the route would make it a bit easier.
The last stop on the trip was Mount St. Mary’s in MD for a scholarship competition. An amazing professor offered to give us an impromptu tour of the science facilities after the exam and spent nearly an hour with us. I was impressed with the personal attention and the equipment in the labs. You can tell that for a small school in a rural area they have an exceptionally good network.
D got into U Scranton with a big scholly but it’s still the most expensive on the list. I think it’s the only school which doesn’t come below our EFC once the scholarship is applied, so we might get some FA. I don’t think it’s going to be enough, though. It makes me not want to visit until the FA comes through.
@MACmiracle When we toured Susquehanna, our tour guide and other students we met were incredibly enthusiastic about the science department. They couldn’t say enough about the professors, and were just really happy with the science department. We ended up getting a tour of all the facilities as it was a one on one tour. It’s not one of d’s top choices, but we were very impressed with the school and the students. And their merit offer is the highest of all d’s acceptances so far.
@taverngirl I think it might be worth going to the Susquehanna accepted student events next month to get to talk to more people.
D got a top merit offer and they will not require extra work for her to get admission to the honors program. They also have another special program she can apply to which might come with some extra funding. Since she liked it so much, it seems worth a try.
D liked that not only was the science building beautiful but the labs looked like they were kept very clean and organized. 
@MACmiracle sounds like you had a great trip. I’m sure your dd withfind the right place at the right price. As I recall she has a great scholarship offer from a NJ school close to home. Nice to have that fallback in your pocket.
Finally submitted CSS. whew.
I think someone should start a thread for recommendations of things to bring on college visits for people like me who haven’t traveled much since having kids.
My list would include an umbrella since it has rained on many of our visits.
And eye drops and saline nasal spray. I find the dry air in some hotels unbearable.
@ShrimpBurrito. Surely your daughter, with the great stats that I recall you mentioned she had, will be a shoe-in at UBC (and USC too). It’s just a processing situation, if she hasn’t heard from those schools yet. I will look forward to hearing from you where your DD decides to go. Cheers.