@suzy100 I like the $20.18 gift idea. I usually write a check for $25 or $50 for closer friends, but with so many this year, and our own expenses, I need to cut back on gifts. We have a big family, several are local and we have 5 coming from out of state to total 30. Graduation is at 4:00 on a Friday, so I am going to pick up local BBQ on the way home and eat at the house. Too crowded and difficult to get 30 into a restaurant post-graduation. DS has Project Graduation at the school beginning at 9:30 pm which lasts all night. DH and I will volunteer as well. We are considering having a come and go open house reception on Sunday afternoon with family, close friends, and neighbors…but so hard to decide on guest list as many of the close friends have their own graduates and family in town. DS said he doesn’t care if we do a party or not and is leaving it up to us.
Do y’all send graduation announcements to other senior parents (friends of your child)? In fact, I am trying to decide who is appropriate to send to even within family and other friends who aren’t local. I don’t want it to seem like a request for gifts but I know that aunts, etc. can get offended if they don’t receive one (and if they WANT to send DS money then that’s okay too
Prom is this Saturday. DS is not going – I am bummed but he is not. There is a friend group that ended up deciding to go last minute but he said it has been a lot of drama and he is glad to not be involved. Sunday is senior pictures. It’s all going so fast!!
@S18D20mom We are also wrestling with the “who to send grad announcements to” question. We don’t want to leave anyone out, but we don’t want to be gift-grabbers. I can’t tell where the line is.
We are actually sending out two sets of grad announcements. One is a traditional announcement mailed to out of town family and close friends. The other is an evite, sent to in town friends and teachers and coaches, for our open house celebration. D included a “no gifts please; you can donate to (her magnet school’s foundation) if you like” clause. This way she doesn’t feel guilty about inviting half the city. ;
Have never heard of graduation announcements! Thank goodness they are not a thing up here. If you have a party you invite people who are close enough (geographically or relative wise) to attend. You could put no gifts please on your invite but no one does and those who might will still get gifts.
We do do Baby Announcrments…still remember trying to get all those out with no sleep and newborn in the house.
@MinnieFan , we have formal graduation announcements that are mailed to friends and family. The good thing is, they typically result in cash gifts to the graduate. I think my D15 ended up with something like $2000 in cash gifts when she graduated HS, which she put in her savings acct to use for extra college expenses.
Announcements for High school are a thing here in Central TX and were a thing in 2008 in N. Nevada when DS graduated. I didn’t send out when DS graduated from college as we knew he was going to grad school but I did send out about 10 when he graduated with his Doctorate of P.T. Only to close relatives and really close family friends. Its funny, he finally reached the “goal” but by then we were kind of “over it” in regards to all the pomp and circumstance.
We included a photo, otherwise we bought the standard class announcements - things have gotten really creative in the announcement venue, Costco had a ton of wonderful photo options but DD veto’ed, she wanted the “classic” version. I bought the fancier name card and the stupidly expensive piece of tissue paper to put inside the announcement
The best part per my DD was the Star Trek stamps I bought to mail them! Sometimes its the little things…
We sent announcements for DS but DD doesn’t want to, so we won’t. Graduation parties are staggered around here starting mid-May and probably going up until 10 days or so after graduation, which is mid-June. Ours is the weekend before graduation, carefully coordinated not to conflict with those of DD’s closest friends.
Almost everyone here does a grad party or open house. Generally extremely informal, lots of food like chips and burgers and cake. Kids get relatively small gifts of money, but lots of them. The $20.18 or whatever year has been common at least since 2008 when I started paying attention.
Lots of activity on this thread - congrats to all whose DD and DS have made their decisions for the fall! Our DD enjoyed admitted student day, especially the scholars program sessions. She’s joined several Groupme, Facebook, and Snapchat groups, and finally connected with a roommate (they room with others in their scholars program in freshman year). Graduation date has finally been announced, so I need to figure out what she’d like for a (hopefully) small party to celebrate. And, prom is coming up in a few weeks, right before AP exams, so she is busy but very excited about the month of May. It’s a lot to keep track of, and S16 comes home from college right before graduation to add to the fun/chaos :). The one upside I’m realizing is that she’s going to be so close to home that we don’t need to reserve a hotel room for any move-in days or parent weekends (S16 is 3 hours away, so we did that the first time around). It will be nice to just load up the car, drive an hour, and unpack! Time is flying by quickly though, so I’m trying to sit back and enjoy all of the big events as they come.
S18 still not ready to commit to one of his schools. After last visit he had some good questions/insights and wants to talk to one of his teachers about the two schools.
I’m hoping we have a decision before next weekend. I’m having nightmares about technical difficulties online and driving like a maniac to get a physical deposit to a school before the office closes on May 1!!
@gardenstategal Yes, that is our kid. But, he loves to participate in class so even though he doesn’t turn in homework, etc, his teachers love him. I think you’re right, but we decided to rule out the full pay liberal arts option he had bc it’s so hard to get to, it has grade deflation (and hard work will be a culture shock to him) and there’s nothing that distinguishing about it.
So, S is down to U of Richmond or Lafayette College. After 5 yrs of mock trial and trying to stay away from law (all that reading and writing!), he fell in love with a class in the Philosophy, politics, economics and law major at Richmond and their Leadership Studies school. At Lafayette, they separated kids from parents on accepted student day and he made fast friends (didn’t get that feeling at Richmond).
He’s also conflicted bc he has a sophomore transfer option to Cornell ILR (where he applied when he was thinking business/law - he’s currently shadowing doctors for his senior project!) and we think if he wants to do that, he should go locally, save money, and satisfy courses required (but he wants a “real” college experience immediately, to get out of town, and doesn’t want to be “stuck” here if he decides premed, lol (obviously he wouldn’t be"stuck").
Any advice/thoughts/knowledge about UR vs Laf in terms of friendliness of student body or anything else? We live sort of in the middle of nowhere and no one from S’s school has ever gone to either. I did think Lafayette community seemed friendlier, but they lack the major he (currently) likes. What about Cornell ILR TO?
Yesterday was a really good day for DS. He found out that he received the big scholarship ($7500) from our healthcare foundation that renews for up to 8 years. It has been a long process and I re-read the email 3 times to make sure it was for real. He has also gotten 4 local scholarships in the past week so that is exciting. First year at A&M will cost around 7K. After a disappointing round of rejections for some big institutional money at his financial reach schools, he has fared really well in the local scholarship races. Feeling thankful and happy for him to see his hard work and efforts in applying paying off.
@havenoidea, the kids I have known – lots. – at Lafayette are friendly. If you S feels like those are his people and he’d be happy there, I would go with that. He’ll be plenty challenged. I have known far fewer kids at Richmond but my sense is that it does have a different “type” than Lafayette so it’s not surprising that one felt right.
Given his many interests, I would not pick based on a major – and that includes Cornell. He should take a look at the course catalog and just note what interests him, understand distribution requirements, and consider the requirements of a few majors he might like. The beauty of LACs, for kids like him, is that they want kids to explore before committing to a path and even then, they allow them to pursue interests outside their majors. If he likes participation type classes, Lafayette will fit the bill.
@havenoidea my S18 liked Richmond and the leadership program, but it came in as the most expensive option, so we’ve removed it from consideration. Didn’t look at Lafayette so cant help there.
Today is supposed to be decision day for us. I’m not sure it will actually happen!
D18 is down to two outstanding choices. I thought for sure we would have a decision upon her returning from the student admit days. Nope.The (fill in the blank) MOM car decal is going to have to wait!
I’ve been lurking and watching with proud delight as everyone’s final decisions roll in. Go, 18ers!
We’re mostly marking time over here. We have a packing spreadsheet, and we’re picking off those last few items (twin XL mattress pad, etc.) S needs an eye exam, a final visit to the dentist, etc. before he leaves in August.
S found a going out of business sale on tuxes, so he’s got prom covered.
He can pick his room in May, and he’s scheduled for orientation & registration the week after Memorial Day.
Career-wise, he’s been writing a lot more, and he’s leaning a little bit toward PA over MD for the sake of less time and cost to finish the degree, and for the flexibility offered. Mostly, though, he’s leaving those decisions for a year or two from now, after he’s worked at the hospital for awhile.
He’ll be getting his EMT-B certification this summer. He’s got a job waiting for him as an occasional, part-time EMT at UNM, and he’s hoping to land a part-time ER tech position as well. The first would be at things like football games, the state fair, etc., and the second would be more of a regular part-time job. He thinks the best way to suss out PA vs. MD to to be in the ER where he can watch both of them and see for himself.
