S24 got into Johns Hopkins today with an affordable aid basically covering the EFC. I feel great.
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I have been thinking of this statement in terms of responding as my kid gives me news of rejections/acceptances (a few hopefully!) in the next week and a half. Has some good choices now but these coming out are ones that i think he is (unfortunately) is using to validate his hard work/achievements in HS (I personally think a compelling scholarship offer he has already gotten would be best choice for him). I donât want to overreact to an acceptance or dismiss his feelings/make a big deal about a rejection.
This is what i have come up with in terms of my response to an acceptance: âthat is nice you get to consider this as an option tooâ
Any good ideas for a rejection?
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I feel like the best thing is just to be with him in his grief (at first). Anything I could dream up that would be a rationalization (âU of X has a much better X program!â) would be something for later rather than the immediate reaction.
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Agreed. DS24 has chosen this route for personal reasons and we plan to support him. If random people are offended by it, so what? Itâs his news and his life, not ours.
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My kid is a âstoicâ - doesnât like to demonstrate sadness/disappointment - so i always struggle with what to respond immediately when he delivers such news. He generally looks to me for a reaction and im never quite sure what to sayâŠ
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S24 was admitted to WUSTL! This was almost his ED2 school before he decided he wanted to wait longer before ruling out other options, so he is thrilled.
And he had like three sips of a celebratory, and legal, Scottish ale before telling me I could finish it. So that is a double-good evening for me . . . .
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You are doing this with a lot of style. Iâm booking a trip to Scotland for next yearâs go around. Congratulations to NiceUnparticularSon.
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So very excited for NiceUnparticularSonâs continued streak of good news! Iâm sure everyone here is cheering hard for him! And what a great enhancement to an already wonderful Spring Break trip! Cheers!!
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I have a D30 and know that it will be all new learning curve for that one given her very different interests (atleast for now!) and how quickly it all changes. Hoping to hang out in CC land to learn as we goâŠ
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This is my S24 too. He is taking both acceptances and rejection on an even keel but I know the emotions of it will come out in some other form. He built his list of schools on his own focusing on getting into the major of his choice(Mech E) first and knew that MIT was such a far away reach that the expectation going in was a rejection. I think the rejections to come in the next few weeks will be harder to take. I have just been focusing on telling him that he is doing a great job managing so many different interests in this difficult time. Not much else we can do now than to pat their back (and maybe sneak in a hug) and tell them it is going to be ok.
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S24 ended up applying to 17 schools-a good mix of safety, likelies and reaches. It is hard to predict the safety/likely/reach especially for competitive majors. A school might look like a safety based on overall stats but without a âby majorâ breakdown of their admitted student population it is very hard to know if the distinction we make is true for the major of choice. Colleges can do a lot more to be transparent about their admitted student populations if they were truly overburdened by the overall number of applications. The current situation works to their advantage to get more application $ and keep their admit rates down. What are the odds that by the time itâs D30âs turn, there will be more transparency and less push for ranking driven behaviors. Not holding my breath on that oneâŠ
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And for MechE - it will - no matter the pedigree of the name!!
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Thank you both very much for the congratulations, and yes, this is not the worst idea I ever had! Could have done without the long pause as the slow WiFi was loading the decision. But I think all of us being reminded it is a very big world, and the next step is just the first step into it, has been very good for perspective.
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Not sure it is a GOOD idea, but âWelp, one [another] lottery ticket down!â followed by a hug, if wanted, or stoic nod, if appropriate. (emphasizing the randomness of the process, depersonalizing it, and not insulting by suggesting in-hand offer is better, in case s/he doesnât think so)
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THINGS ARE HAPPENING!
D24 was accepted into both WashU and Wesleyan! And Wesleyanâs financial aid is astounding!
So, so grateful. I want to kiss the regional AOs on the mouth (if that werenât logistically and ethically problematic).
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Another reason to have a larger application list is if you are chasing merit and/or financial aid and have a high stats kid who has a chance (even a teeny-tiny chance) of getting into a school that will cost you much less than even your in-state publics.
Our S24 was open to anywhere in the country as long as it was a city (the bigger, the better) so applied to most big urban schools we could find that offered full merit scholarships and then a number of urban T20 schools where the NPC estimated we would pay less than $15,000. He has agreed to go wherever we get the best financial deal. Since admission and scholarship chances are so small at each, and we really need the money, his list was pretty long.
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But did you have an assured to get to your price point school.
You mention small chances - so that tells me you are going for Hail Maryâs, etc. but did you find low cost city schools or schools with unbelievable cost that worst case youâd still find the environment youâd want at a cost you want, even if itâs not at the highest rank?
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AhhhâŠsounds like you are feeling the rollercoaster ride in full now - I recall a similar journey last year for my D23. Congratulations 
How did the Wes financial aid offer compare to the NPC?
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D24 was accepted to Wesleyan last night! We are feeling excited and blessed for the acceptances she has gotten so far. Hugs to everyone who is feeling disappointed. Iâm sure that our kids will land where they are meant to be.
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Did she get an email about housing registration yet? My son was just admitted as well and is still waiting.