That was my son’s first thought but as he’s gotten to know the school, he loved it. I wish it was a little farther away just to expose him to another place, but he’s a true NYC kid through and through. Born here, lived in Manhattan his whole life, and ultimately wants to work here, so a happy ending.
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What a great problem to have. Huge congrats. I hope she’s happy and it doesn’t stress her out!
She’s completed all her revisits and D26 is down to three schools (Syracuse, GWU, and Tennessee). I think this is the part of the process stressing her our the most. She genuinely likes all three and can’t decide. I’m telling her it’s a good problem to have, but I’m not sure that’s helping much. She’s jealous of her friends with clear favorites.
She’s set herself an arbitrary deadline of tomorrow, because she wants to be decided before her spring break next week. She’s talking to her college counselor today after school, so we’ll see if that helps clarify things for her. In the meantime, hit me with your thoughts on any of the three.
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One thing that worked for a friend’s son who was in this same boat of having multiple really good choices - he assigned heads and tails to two schools and flipped the coin. When the school assigned tails won, he realized he felt a little sad. To him, that was a sign that his gut preferred the “heads” school. So maybe suggest she do the coin flips and see if her gut reacts at all.
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They’re so different! Remind me what her intended major is?
Here’s what I would be thinking about with those three schools –
Tennessee is big SEC football. If you guys are from the northeast, that might be unfamiliar – but it is a WHOLE VIBE. Southern culture hits different. Sororities in the south have their own culture. It’s something to think about if D26 hasn’t grown up with it.
GWU has a really urban campus, right? Is that a good thing or bad thing? What about being right in the middle of DC in these interesting political times? My kids would love to be somewhere with public transportation, but they also really value a traditional campus.
My DH went to Syracuse and had a great experience. That said, it snowed on graduation the year after he graduated, lol. (Which was Mother’s Day weekend.)
I think if she loves the academics at all three, and the cost isn’t a huge factor, then it has to come down to the minutiae. Good luck to her as she decides!
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Yay! That sounds like a wonderful fit! I guess we all need to start thinking about hobbies!
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It’s still early -the roommate will find someone else!
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Was just listening to YCBK podcast and guest was talking about things to have your kid doing before heading off to college. One was have them make their bed every morning. Claim was it was just a good part of functioning, and will help them be good roommate with a clean space. They knew they were inviting debate with the claim, but she said what she said and stood by it.
I have never seen the utility in making one’s bed every day, so I certainly am not going to ask my kid to start doing it. Had always felt like a waste of time and effort to me. Hopefully her roommate form will have space to make it clear she is neither a bed maker nor one who wants to keep their space uber tidy/organized.
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Penn State alum and CPA here. I’d take a look at the requirements in states your daughter may be interested in living/working - many states (PA and NJ, for example) are beginning to offer additional pathways for CPA licensure. As of February 2026, NJ now offers a pathway that requires a Bachelor’s degree (regardless of total credits), 24 hours in accounting, 24 hours in business, and 2 years of experience.
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She’s doing interior architecture/design.
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A big reason to make the bed is that friends will sit in it and you don’t really want people sitting on your sheets. We bought lightweight comforters and the kids just pulled them up – takes two seconds. Bonus points that shared space looks neater.
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Okay - I need a space to vent. Daughter just competed in a research event. One of her judges was a science conspiracy nut and doesn’t believe the moon landing actually happened. My daughter’s research topic? Space science. I want to smack my head against a wall.
In a year - this will be funny I suppose. Sigh at least she’s a senior and not a junior and college applications are done.
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How on earth do you become a research judge when you believe in science conspiracy theories?! Insanity!
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I think it’s all volunteers 
The judge works in a different science field (we won’t discuss the congitive dissonance required to buy into consipiracy theories as an actual scientist).
It will be okay - we have big and better things coming on the horizon with college visits. (ETA: I hope at least ONE of those feels like a good fit!)
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When I first read this, I first thought of the ‘Make your Bed’ speech by Admiral McRaven at a UT Austin commencement. I wonder if the YCBK guest was pulling inspiration from this for that suggestion?
(it is actually a very good speech with lots of inspirational concepts- IMO)
I also read once that you should never make your bed first thing in the morning- it need to air out and is not healthy to not let it air out before covering it all back up.
Have never fact check this- but that is what I tell myself every day when I don’t want to make my bed 
- lol 
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Ah, ok, I have no insight into that other than an understanding that Syracuse has an excellent design school. I’m almost hesitant to say this because I know my kids liked different types of colleges, but between traditional school with severe winter, southern football school and vibey urban college…there is probably a preference? The only one of those I’ve visited is GW, which D19 loved and would have been her ED2 if she hadn’t got into ED1 - and DC is an awesome city for college students. (D19 actually spent the better part of a Covid-shortened year at NYU’s DC campus and really loved the city.) I know 2 kids who went to Syracuse, one from the Boston area who loved it and another from SoCal who lasted one winter before transferring closer to home (she was an art major of some sort - loved the department, couldn’t take the environment). Know nothing about UTK.
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Just wanted to mention that my D22 never once made her bed at home, and I never made her because she had her own room where I didn’t really hang out, so whatever – I had many bigger battles to fight.
But she went away to college and shared a double with a roommate, and she started making her bed every day without fail. So did the roommate. I don’t think they even discussed it, it just happened. They rarely had guests in their room, but they both just thought it was good manners in a shared space, and neither of them wanted the room to look a mess.
She kept up this habit last year when she had her own room in an apartment, and this year when she has her own tiny room in an on-campus suite.
Mind you, she comes home and immediately goes back to not making the bed, LOL.
My S25, on the other hand, can’t even use a top sheet and blanket/comforter because he’s such a violent sleeper that it ends up on the floor. So he uses just a fitted sheet and a blanket on top, and I promise you “make the bed” is not in his vocabulary. I’d consider it a win if he got the fitted sheet on the mattress!
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Welp. D19 got into NYU. I should be happy for her, right?! (And of course I am, but…*). But no funding, unlike her 50-100% offers at other schools. They took like 4 days to admit after her application!! Also no fee as an alum but I’d rather have paid an application fee and got some funding, lol
*but I selfishly want her to go to Chicago, and DH just thinks she should go to a different school for grad school on principle.
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