One school out of the five my son was accepted to keeps increasing his merit scholarships. They do send an email saying there is an update, and all the info is in his portal. I have heard a few stories of other schools just updating with no email and you have to actually go into your financial information to see the change.
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My son made his decision - Georgia Tech!
I think he honestly felt Carnegie Mellon was the perfect fit, but once he factored in the finance piece he couldnāt justify the reasons why it was the perfect fit (the arts, the beauty of campus) to the cost of 150,000 more than GT.
UMD dropped to last after the horrific admitted students day.
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So happy for your son! (And everyone else whose students have decided this week!)
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D25 got an email informing her of the update to the merit aid.
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Yay for all the kids that are finding their next places! And good luck for those that are still deciding! (My S22 didnāt totally decide until April 30, so I feel that.)
My favorite part about reading all of these is seeing how happy the kids all seem to be once theyāve made a decision. And for those that are struggling, remind them that they are struggling because there is more than one right answer. There are no wrong answers, thereās no need to feel any FOMO. There could be many schools that are the right fit, and they could all lead to different experiences, but it doesnāt necessarily mean that one is BETTER than the other, just that that student is lucky enough to have multiple potential great choices. Weāve used the ice cream analogy before, but maybe if theyāve seen Forrest Gump, the box of chocolates is a better one. Thereās a ton of good choices awaiting you, just pick one and enjoy it! 
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I have an extremely random question. So this year we got some really nice photos taken of S25. Iād like to send graduation announcements using them. But I want it to be clear that (1) we arenāt lookin for presents, this isnāt a gift grab thing and the kid has everything he needs; and (2) while weāll do a backyard BBQ for some of our local family, weāre also not inviting everyone who gets these to the graduation ceremony or a party.
Does anyone have suggestions for wording for something like this? Some kind of way to say āIām so excited and celebrating my kid and sharing that with youā without looking like we want presents? Folks around where I live donāt typically do graduation announcements, so I just donāt seem to have any models to follow.
If youāve been lax in sending out holiday cards, perhaps you can send them as a āin case you still thought my kid was 8 since thatās the last picture you got around Xmas 2015, it turns out heās graduating from high school! How exciting!ā ā no one ever sends gifts for holiday cards, and putting it in that zone of announcement should get you āgood thoughtsā from afar, perhaps a celebratory email, but not much else.
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How close are the people you are sending it to? If theyāre close family and friends, you could frame it as a thank you card, to thank them for their part in raising your kid. If itās a wider distribution that might not work.
But also be gracious if people do want to give giftsā¦ I love sending stuff to my the kids in my friend and family groupā¦ nothing extravagant. Itās just fun to be a small part of their lives.
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Perhaps include something at the bottom of the card similar to āNo gifts please. Messages are welcome and appreciated and will be included in (kidās name) memory book.ā
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If you are wiling to wait, another option may be to include a graduation photo in next yearās holiday card.
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If I received a graduation announcement card I would send a card and a money gift and vary the amount on our relationship with the student - if you truly donāt want gifts (your child may disagree) either donāt send the card and use the photo in a holiday card or make sure it clearly says no gifts.
I have a good friend that sent out one last year and was shocked at all the responses with gifts, money and gift cards - she did not know this was āa thingā and then felt bad for all the cards she had received over the years and didnāt acknowledge. She said - why didnāt anyone tell me! Not sure if it is regional or not 
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S25 committed to UIUC for aerospace engineering. Attended admitted students day a week ago and all of us really liked it there. Itās not easy to get to but itās an academically strong program that seems collaborative and not cut throat. Campus was beautiful and S25 will enjoy the sports environment too.
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I officially have a Conn College Camel! Conn really hit it out of the park with Admitted Students Day. S25 was grinning ear to ear the whole time. Itās such a lovely, happy, collaborative place, plus the COA is the lowest of all. We are DONE!
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It feels so GOOD, doesnāt it. Luckily, we will all be there soon.
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So glad to hear you had such a great experience!! I was really hoping one of the schools you visited would solidify as the right place, and it sounds like that happened. Happy for you!!
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Include a note somewhere, set off by itself, reading āNo gifts, pleaseā. Thatās what Iāve usually seen in all sorts of life event announcements, ranging from graduations to weddings to milestone birthdays and anniversaries.
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Iāve been waiting to hear how the day went!! Iām so happy for you and your kid-sounds like a slam dunk!
Big congrats!!
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Such a great feeling! Iām relieved for you ā I have a niece at Trinity and from what youāve said (and what sheās told me) it didnāt sound like quite as solid a fit for your son.
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I was wondering about you guys today and how it went!
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We sent an announcemnt for our oldest and will send out S25ās announcements this week. We send mostly to family, but also some friends. Our oldest received cards, cards w/ money, or cards w/ gift cards from about 75%. A gift is definitely not expected, but neither of mine wanted a grad party, so it was a way to share the news with friends and family, near and far. Several of my aunts have already asked my mother (S25ās grandmother) if Iām sending announcements for S25, as they want one. We are in the SE, so maybe itās a southern thing?
S25 will also send a hand-written thank you note to anyone who sends a gift. Our children have grown up sending thank you notes from a young age.
If you donāt want any gifts, I would simple add āNo gifts pleaseā at the bottom of the announcement. People may still choose to send a congratulatory card. My oldest enjoyed reading the messages, and saved ALL of her cards! Plus, the announcement is a great keepsake for your grad!
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