I don’t think it’s marketing in the case of Wisconsin. I think word is out (and has been, for a while) that Madtown is fun. 
But I agree that it’s not something to worry about!
I’ve got a gripe. My D20 is an in-state student in New York, and we are waiting on a decision from Binghamton, which is a public SUNY school. The school is announcing only out-of-state decisions right now, but nothing on instate kids. Why? Our families are the ones that have been paying the taxes that support SUNY colleges.
Anyway, just needed to vent! I think this process is driving me a little nutso.
This is our only Time going through this process, it seems to me the colleges are announcing acceptances earlier than prior years, is that so?
Congratulations to all with ED/EA/rolling acceptances in hand already!
@Dancingmom518 Same for our public school.
What a genius – I hadn’t thought about creating a dummy account but should have! I guess I need to have a talk with my dd about reading things carefully when she signs up for something son the internet! :neutral:
Thank you @bigmacbeth for letting me know I’m not the only one to do that. 
Because though I’ll take @amsunshine calling it “genius,” I’m thinking I’m a bit neurotic about this process. 
Searching for information is something I enjoy doing, and I think I’m having a hard time adjusting to this new waiting game. It’s still hard to believe that the waiting period has arrived–where everything is out of our control for the schools where D has submitted her apps (and I say “our” here because I’ve been the primary researcher of schools during this long process that started during D20’s 10th grade year). Of course I feel a sense of relief that her main essays are finished but the waiting and wondering is not fun. If this continues beyond December with RD apps then I think I should start the conversation with D22 about beginning her initial search. That part is fun!
Congratulations to all who already have an acceptance in hand! And to those whose kiddos are working so hard on apps for schools and scholarships, I hope that Thanksgiving break can offer some time to catch up on work or a time to sneak in a much needed break. Our school district in Texas has the entire week off but I know some schools have shorter breaks.
My D is finishing up her finals next week for her DE courses and then is blissfully off school until mid-January. She got permission to take her finals a week early so she could focus on nutcracker rehearsals. I think I’m looking forward to thanksgiving break (5 days) and Christmas break (13 days) off of everything except two of her jobs as much as she is. My car is certainly ready for the break. Ha! I will be glad when the waiting is over for the schools with completed apps/auditions, and very relieved when all of the auditions are complete.
@makemesmart I am not sure. Maybe? Decisions seem to be following about the same pattern as when D17 went through things. But, we were/are all about EA and Rolling schools that seem to get back pretty quickly, so maybe it just seems the same to me.
I can definitely say in my daughter’s case - money will be a deciding factor.
Question for other parents: Did you really save up around $120k for college for each one of your children? I’ve been feeling like a pretty rotten parent lately.
@BlacknBlue, no way. I have no savings for anything- we live paycheck to paycheck. D19 got a big outside scholarship (Jack Kent Cooke) and got into a meets-full-need school. D20 has her fathers whole GI Bill to cover school. If not for those two things they would 100% be starting at community college and transferring.
@Blacknblu We did not. H jumped ship to start his own business when the kids were young, around the time I decided to homeschool them. So we lived frugally on one income for about nine years. After that we sent them to private school, which took most of our “extra” money. Luckily H has received several promotions, and I’m back in the workforce, so we are now able to pay out of our salaries. When they’re both in college next year, we may have to take out some loans until D graduates in two years.
@milgymfam What a great blessing, congrats to your D19 on Jack Kent Cooke, my D20 applied for it. And thank goodness for your husband’s GI Bill!
@milgymfam and @taverngirl -
Whew. I know this gives away my age, but when I was a student - student loans covered all of the tuition, and room and board. NOW - student loans bring the cost down to around $20k to $30k a year. My mind is simply blown - my daughter has a phenomenal GPA (3.95 uw, 4.167 w) - but so far has only been able to get a 29 on the ACT - and she’s starring down the barrel of a community college.
@BlacknBlue - I saved 35K. Thankfully, his grandparents are gifting him the same. That’s all we have to work with because I will not be able to cashflow a dime on my income. The only reason I was able to save anything over the years was due to child support and that ends next July. DS knows he’s pretty much off the payroll at that point unless his dad decides to help him out with the added cash he has from not having to pay child support anymore, but he has two little kids at home as well.
@BlacknBlue my D19 had similar stats to your D, and she received large merit scholarships to a number of schools (before her ED acceptance to Haverford). My D20 has MUCH lower test scores but has been targeting appropriate schools for her stats and she’s been offered merit scholarships ranging from 70-85% of in-state tuition, and 90% of an out of state private. It’s not too late to apply to some lower ranked schools. There is also nothing at all to be ashamed about starting at a CC. Where she not goin for a BFA, D20 would probably have preferred that plan regardless of finances.
@Blacknblu not at all and I have also had times I’ve felt like a bad parent. I went through 7 layoffs in my career (lots of startups in the California bay area), and we live in an insanely expensive area. We have no savings for college.
S20 will either attend a Cal State school (and likely one he can commute to), or he’ll do community college and transfer to a Cal State or UC school after 2 years. Luckily for us, he has not had his heart set on any particular school and actually has a preference to stay at home at this point.
We saved about half of what we need. Luckily D17 was able to get costs down through scholarships to a point that we can cash flow her through college (only 3 more semesters!). That leaves the 529 $ for D20, who may need all of it since we could not target the cheapest schools due to the need for a direct admit nursing program and a big school experience (sports, etc.) for which we are willing to splurge and she knows she’s very fortunate.
We use one email address for College Board so that all of the marketing emails go to that address. We set up a brand spanking new email just for college applications. That way, if anything is sent to the new account, we know it is important and was sent because of a submitted application.
Prior to any test scores being sent or any application being submitted, we received an email from a school stating that the Common Ap informed them that they were added to her account. The thing is that the school sent the email to the College Board email address and not the email that is being used on the Common Ap.
DD20 has enough in a 529 to pay for our in state flagship but not enough for ivies or other full pay top ranked OOS Publics or privates. Anything above the 529 is hers to cover with scholarships or the federal loan max (27k?). DD16 will graduate in May. He had the same and will graduate without loans. I don’t see it as good v. bad parent but rather lots of good luck along with hard work and frugality in that order. Without the luck the other two may not be quite enough to pull it off.
S was accepted to UGA today, with auto-admit to Honors. He’s a happy kid, I think mostly because that’s one less app he has to complete. ?