We set up orientation for mid July. Rooms were getting hard to come by already.
Still no decision!
For those who asked, he is a quantitative guy, but not an engineer. Applied in Chemistry, but also considering Economics, Applied Math, Political Science or some combination (ie who knows!)
Not Med School
Likely either law or grad school eventually—I will encourage him to work some first unless he finds a true academic passion
I’m out of town picking up my D16–can’t believe her college experience is half over! Probably good cause it’s hard for me not to bug him about making a decision
I haven’t posted in a bit but wanted to give our update. Maybe someday i will do a detailed write up as i learned alot.
Anyway D has been torn between 3 great choices: Columbia, Middlebury and Smith.
She has claimed to feel ‘conflicted’, then a few days ago ‘confused’, but started to gravitate more and more toward one.
Has made her decision and will be going to Middlebury College.
I am happy for her. The strength of Middlebury is in the areas that she is most interested in. I would by lying if i said i didnt have some regret about walking away from Columbia. Having been to admitted students days and seen and heard what they have to offer i came to really understand what a huge endowment can offer. We are middle class and they offered a great package. Plus as a student receiving financial aid she would be eligible for other things like grants so she could do unpaid internships etc. that said it just wasn’t a fit for her.
We will be buying our Middlebury merch and moving on to next steps: dorm room shopping!
Congrats to everyone else here! Big transitions ahead for us all
@swtaffy904, an excellent choice your D made. Middlebury is a fine top notch LAC which will provide a wonderful education. Not to bash Columbia, but it can be pretty intense and for some, the urban environment is not appealing. I know of several students who transferred after year one at Columbia. Fit is so important over getting caught up in the rankings. Again, not to take anything away from Columbia, which has its virtues. No doubt a relief to be done. We are just about there, but S is still on a waitlist so it is going to be May for us.
@swtaffy904 congrats to your daughter! My oldest is currently a junior at Middlebury and couldn’t be happier. She has been able to access grants for unpaid internships over the summers so rest assured Middlebury is ready, willing and able to provide a boost for any opportunity that comes your daughter’s way.
@swtaffy904 Can I just say what a great kid you raised? True to herself. Not to any of the Ivy hype. She’s going to do wonderfully in this world. Congrats to you as a parent.
@Booajo I’ve read on CC of another way of choosing like @suzy100 suggested. That method is the coin-flip. Their gut reaction to the result is a good indicator of whether or not it’s the right choice. If there’s any sadness or disappointment in the result, that school should be eliminated. Of course, that shouldn’t necessarily be the way the final choice is made, but their their reaction can be really helpful.
@1518mom Love the coin flip method. We use it in our family for all sorts of things. Usually, just thinking about it triggers a decision.
@lr4550 so great to hear your D is happy at Middlebury. It seems like a great place but it’s also a huge decision to make based on limited information. Good to hear also about the availability of grants. Perhaps Columbia is just better at touting what they offer.
@Meddy thanks for your kind words. She is absolutely true to herself. I actually said to her ‘Columbia is looking for students who are going to graduate and then get out there and make a difference’. She said ‘I am going to do that regardless of where I go’. Congrats on Amherst!
Congrats to @WWC4me - @1822mom and @swtaffy904! Great places; what great kids!
@1518mom We do the reaction to the coin flip method too. Reminds me of an episode of Friends when Phoebe tells Rachel she isn’t pregnant and she’s disappointed only to find out she was trying to help her see what her true feelings are.
Getting closer to a decision. DS has narrowed to USC and UCB. Keeps going back and forth daily. Cost is almost same since we will be able to get in state at UCB (DH moved there over a year ago and we checked with UCB and UCLA who both confirmed our circumstances say in state tuition even though he is from oos high school).Likes UCB bay area better and likes the reputation and rigor of UCB, but worried about the struggles he hears UCB students can have getting housing and classes etc. USC he received Presidential and small Dornsife scholarship, plus admitted to Thematic Option Honors and of course gets to live in the honors dorm (brand new! vs tired UCB housing) and feels he would have more flexibility with double majoring etc. I am so conflicted!! I can’t imagine how my DS is feeling. His brother is a sophomore at USC and even though they get along great I think the thing holding DS18 back is that he is so familiar with USC and it won’t be “his own thing”. He flipped a coin this morning and it went to USC. DS18 said ok that’s it. He also had a long conversation with a teacher/mentor today which may have helped him come to the USC conclusion? DS says he is paying the deposit tonight, but we shall see.
I may have to try the coin flip with DS this weekend. It’s so hard not being able to plan the summer calendar until we know where he is going! I asked him about it last night but got a very gruff “I have a paper due tomorrow.”
Wow @Momma2018 your DS sounds a lot like my DS!
@Momma2018 @lovespink @map888 yep. Asked today when decision was coming. Got answer “soon”. Um yes, no duh.
@map888 mine is also weighing USC and TO.
The final decision is in – New England Conservatory.
@SnowflakeDogMom; @vistajay - D got her driver’s license today!!!
I signed her up with a driving school back in February ($100 per 2-hour lesson - OUCH!) and then told her that I wanted her to drive (with us) at least 5 times between driving school lessons to practice what she’s learning. She took a total of 4 lessons with the driving school & then drove probably 30 other days/nights with us & I guess she just got sick of all of the driving & just signed-up to take the driving test. She did fine & got a 100% rating with no mistakes!
Now she seems excited & asked me if she could drive the car to school by herself this coming Monday. So, the $400 investment seems like it was very much worth it & now I can check another thing off the to-do list!
@LMHS73 shows you how different various parts of our country are: my D has already driven about 40,000 miles by herself
@Booajo DS18 gave up Northwestern, WashU, and UCLA (and a few others) but UCB has been hard for him to give up. Still has not committed but maybe soon. Also he is for sure doing McCarthy if it is USC. He makes friends easily so he is not worried about the more social dorms. He is opting for the new village and I don’t blame him. TO at USC is right up his ally! But likes Bay Area more than LA. Maybe the fact that DS16 will have a car on campus next year might be a plus!
@melvin123; not sure if you caught the conversation from a couple of months ago. At the time, D was totally opposed to driving. She was scared to get behind the wheel & avoided it like the plague. It took a lot of work & reasoning with her to get her to this point, so (for us) it’s a major step forward.