More real mail, this time, a flag from Central Michigan. My girl does love swag.
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S25 had an excellent time at his MIT interview yesterday! He said he was super nervous going in, but his interviewer helped him to feel relaxed quickly and they enjoyed a 75 minute conversation together! (Apparently they ended up spending about 30 minutes talking about advances in AI). Overall, S25 feels great about how it went!
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D25 has her first “full” acceptance (dance + academics)! She’s thrilled.
Most of the time she seems to understand this whole process, but then there was this today:
D25: “Mom, I’m concerned that they [university she just got accepted to] will fill the class before I respond.”
Me: “Oh, hon, you have until May 1.”
D25: “They’ll hold my spot for that long? But they admit more people than they can take…”
Ensuing conversation about yield.
She’s done numerous summer intensive auditions where they over-admit (like college), accept you (like college), and then only hold your spot for two weeks “first come, first serve” (not like college). So glad she said something and I could give her some breathing room!
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I have not been on here in AGES. Kiddo has made a lot of progress. Applying to two service academies, so those took priority over Common App.
Completed two service Academy applications which consist of essays, medical exam, fitness test. And applications to 4 members of congress with essays. Two ROTC applications completed with essays and one fitness test. Now has 2 MOC interviews scheduled and one ROTC interview scheduled. Finally completed the Common App today (reusing an adversity essay), and submitted Pitt app and almost done with one other. Final list:
NROTC and AFROTC scholarships
USNA
USMMA
U of Pittsburgh
VA Tech
U of Rochester
Rennsselaer
University of South Carolina
I can’t wait for apps to be done! Has only visited USNA, Pitt and Rochester.
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Woohoo, S25 finally submitted the first app along with 3 more today! That just leaves the last 2 for RD and have additional essays. Also treated him to ice cream which he definitely liked regardless of the reason. Glad he will have extra time for schoolwork now.
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CSS Profile completed and submitted, allowing me to pay for my child to be considered for financial aid.
I utterly and forever hate the College Board. That is all.
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Big emotional blow-up tonight with the kid, who wanted to go to a show with friends and hadn’t finished essays, which was the deal we set up a week ago. Lots of ugly crying on all sides. Man this sucks.
(I get it. This is parenting 101. But I’m so pissed right now that we don’t just have a damn national match system or something. He doesn’t have 650 special words about Madison in him right now. He might if he hadn’t also had to come up with special words about Purdue, WPI, Macalester, Mines, etc. But he kinda has to apply to all these places to hedge his bets if he hopes to get into one, because they all have too many applicants, because everyone is hedging their bets…and FTS. We are both so over it.)
(Nights like this I’m tempted to skip the ice cream and go straight for the bourbon.)
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A National match system would be great!
Hugs.
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I get it. D25 had a 5 day weekend and still didn’t get all of her supplementals for scholarships/honors colleges complete. She’s just DONE.
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Ugly crying…hedging bets…skip the comfort and straight to the hard stuph…yeah, that’s a bad time, and a relatable bad time, at that.
Virtual hugs to you, and hoping for a new day to bring something better.
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It’s so frustrating and just so.much.work. S has three more to go (two are 11/15), each with supplementals. He also needs to finish his portfolio (75% of the way there). Add in 3 soccer games this week and the fact that he would like to hang with friends on Halloween, and there are just not enough hours in the day! I am considering letting him stay home on Friday to wrap things up if needed.
He and I both know that he is applying to too many schools (15), but he really feels that he needs to cast a wide net (lower GPA plus portfolio submissions make this very unpredictable). I can’t wait until everything is submitted and we can just start stressing about where he might/might not get in. 
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S25 has all of his EA applications and one ED application in but is also submitting a supplemental art portfolio to his ED and top EA schools—all due Friday. However, he has two giant paintings to finish for it. Both are at school, and he is home sick today. That’s a big chunk of lost painting time and so much more pressure on him in the final stretch.
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Same about the wide net! He’s TO, we need FA, and he has a portfolio that he’s submitting where possible. He maxed out the Common App 20 plus added three more direct to the institutions.
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These supplemental art portfolios are no joke. Add in the fact that S’s current top three choices won’t even accept a portfolio and it becomes extra frustrating. 
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D25 gave me the silent treatment yesterday after I reminded her of two impending deadlines.
Thanks, colleges, for making this part of our last year living together. Thanks a bunch!
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I have such deep hatred for the CSS Profile. It’s not even funny.
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Oh we had the ugly crying here too a couple weeks ago. This weekend was clicking along just fine and we submitted 3 apps. Then I was proofing the last essay and was like…oh I think this is from a different prompt that I misread or didn’t see?? Eek. Nope. She tried to reuse one and it didn’t really fit and…cue the tears. I am just about ready for the bourbon too. Hugs to you. It’ll be over soon, one way or the other 
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D25’s school was closed this past Friday so we held her out on Thursday (she too was worn down to a nub). Having that extra day was incredibly helpful for her to reset - just the extra sleep helped a ton. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Good luck to your son.
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FWIW, I see nothing wrong with pouring bourbon over ice cream…
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Boozy milkshakes here we come…
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