My S24 got into UPenn, Columbia, Cornell and Brown today.
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We are going 0-7 in all the reaches that came out this week and last. This is brutal. 
Trying to spin the positives but I feel for him. Lots of hugs to everyone trying to navigate this with their children. Canāt wait to be done tomorrow with the last two expected rejections.
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Congratulations!
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We had a similar sensation for S23. His finalists were each so different but great and even some of his second tier of options could have been great, interesting fits for him. We (and he) appreciated every school that appreciated him and so it felt hard saying no.
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Is he settled or leaning toward any of them?
THINGS HAVE HAPPENED!
D24 was waitlisted at Penn (no biggie) but accepted by Dartmouth!
Dartmouthās financial aid package is a bit more than our NPC and the packages from Wesleyan and Swat, which will be a consideration. Might appeal depending on D24ās inclinations.
Iām so glad I can personally move pass this round. Iām less eager to enter the decision-making round, even if my role is largely vicarious.
P.S. Iām also a little excited to see the Dartmouth letter signed by Lee Coffin, whose voice has accompanied me for more than a few commutes to and from work.
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Congratulations!
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Yes, these colleges are all good for him academically, and then have other strong attributes that tend to make them really loved by their students. The academic side was necessary to get on the list, of course, but the personality side is how these particular colleges beat out others he considered.
So it all feels so personal! I know this is overreacting, but it feels like being out with a great group of friends and suddenly someone tells you at the end of the night you have to choose the BEST friend. But it is what it is and I am definitely excited to find out what he decides.
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Is there a finalist short list being considered?
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Such a great analogy - as you often do, youāve put my feelings into words so much more eloquently than I could. I will be sad to see some of my Dās options go, but I know that she (and the rest of our 2024s) will bloom where they are planted. Canāt wait to see where they all land!
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Congratulations! Iām so curious to see where your daughter lands. Dartmouthās vibe strikes me as pretty different from Wesleyan and Swarthmoreāall fantastic options.
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S24 is 0-3-2 today. WL at UCB, Cornell, NYU, rejected from Duke and UPenn. We will visit CMU and probably make the call.
Not sure how many get off Cornell/Vandy but we might want to send in LOCI there.
I guess it wasnāt meant to be over today. 
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Same. 0-8 for reaches. Itās hard for them. He had the scores and grades, but learning it takes a lot more than that. Wish I found cc before applying as I had no idea honestly how hard it really was. I am very glad we added a safety. Hugs to everyone feeling the ivy disappointment tonight!
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So somewhat by design this is our last night in Scotland (or last morning now with the time difference, and I should probably be packing it in soon, but this Heather Ale wonāt finish itselfāand incidentally, you can really taste the bog myrtle). Next we travel home, and then the idea was over the weekend he would choose his short list in time for me to finalize travel plans. So no official answer yet, but based on what he is talking about, I think he wants to visit at least one of his SLACs and one of his universities (I think that remains in his mind the great unresolved question).
I do think St Andrews is out, however. I am sad in the sense Scotland is great, St Andrews the town is great, and St Andrews the university seemed like a unique opportunity for a fantastic experience. But I think he has concluded that is something maybe to reconsider for like a masters, not immediately leap into it for all four years of college (sniffle, where will I get my bog myrtle now?).
So the US it is, for undergrad at least.
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With Ivy day behind, the application process has completely switched into the hands of the applicants as decision makers vs admission officers as yield managers. Now is when schools suddenly offer subsidies for flights and cars to attend school visits and admit days, and where FA offices have to decide whether to match competing financial offers. The waitlist/deferral cycle is far from over!
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Congrats!!! Itās been a long journey, my friend.
Iām such a Lee fan girl
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I am rooting for Carleton. Itās a wonderful college.
I try to get both my kids interested in it, and the entire family visited in 2021 for my older son. I loved it, but, unfortunately, I was the only one in the family to have that feeling.
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Unsurprising Brown rejection, and with that we are done! On to the tough decisions stage.
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Final decisions are in for S24. Today, accepted dual BA TCD/Columbia, rejected Yale and waitlisted at Berkeley and Brown. Previously, accepted REA to Stanford and to a fabulous full-ride scholarship. Likely heading to Stanford but needs a few days to process.
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