<p>Or take the party on the road!!!</p>
<p>Party on, all ye supporters 
!</p>
<p>I am (temporarily only) ditching my pity party and headed out the door to a Handel’s Messiah Sing Along. I intend to be majorly uplifted!</p>
<p>No then it just turns into Mardi Gras…throw me some beads!</p>
<p>I agree with concernneddad’s post #20. It will be a great essay and it will be the way to show his resilience!!</p>
<p>While there is logic in the theme song, “It’s my party I’ll cry if I want to”, the better one might be “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with” (besides, I think more people can sing that song if caroling is the goal).</p>
<p>Really, the rules are new (you are not whining about rules you signed up for and now don’t like…which does not entitle one to a pity party in my book)
The rules are not even clear…or they are changing, or they will change. </p>
<p>Not everyone is truly flexible, or resilient or adaptable. I think before you make any decisions about what to do it is worth it to look at the person your kid is. If he is all three of these things, it will be a broader search, if not, then there might be other priorities- at least in my book- at least for now. </p>
<p>None of us wish you anything but the best in this…</p>
<p>jmmom – I’ve been out all day, and just read through this thread. I’m so sorry for you, your son and all the Tulane engineering students!!! I don’t have any additional advice, but I agree that the wise thing is to talk to various admissions/engineering people on the phone, as opposed to just focusing on the transfer process as it typically works. Your situation is unique, and I believe there will be a little slack given to kids in your son’s situation. On the one hand, a semester in NO could be a great experience, but I can also see how disruptive it would be. If he is really thinking about physics, I’m sure Bates would have a strong UG program, and it would simplify the process if he could stay for second semester. Good luck, and I’ll be wishing you good thoughts from here!</p>
<p>jmmom: I sure hope Tulane will indeed pull out the stops to expedite fine transfer options for their engineering students. You have raised a fine son and really showed your stuff this year in terms of grit and character and humor!!! He did a yeoman’s job at Bates. Resilience is the name of the big game of life. We salute you! You will have many essay volunteer copy editors here, not that you’ll really need them.</p>
<p>Jmmom, here’s a pack of cigarettes and my last 3 Coronas. What’s a little cancer between friends, eh? Seems appropriate for your Pity Party, which deserves a whole chapter in the next volume of, Freshman Year Worst Case Scenarios - Special Parents’ Edition. I’ve come straight from the nekkid party at Northeast colleges thread, and it sounded like such a good idea, I decided to come undressed for the occasion. Naked and drunk with an unnatural craving for nicotine. Hope you don’t mind. 
</p>
<p>Jmmom, if anyone deserves a Pity Party, it’s you, sluggbuddy. Hang in there. He’s got some great essay material. How Katrina and My First Year in College Blew Big Time! :D</p>
<p>Oh sluggbugg, before the drunk wears off, you should write Jmmom’s son’s essay for him! As the kids say: lmao!!!</p>
<p>Another possible title: Dam(n) Katrina, I Still Want to Be an Engineer!</p>
<p>Well, I too am just checking CC after being caught up with some other events/activites etc. </p>
<p>My immediate reaction is how ironic is it that Tulane is canceling their Engineering program…is there a city in American that needs engineers more than NOLA? Don’t they have a levee issue? Isn’t that an engineering opportunity on steroids? My gut, Jmmom, is to contact Susan Collins/Olympia Snowe office and see if there are any federally funded levee studies that your DS can get a part time internship on while he is there for the spring semester? Perhaps Wright Pierce? or other Maine engineering firms may have offices or projects down there that could use an intern? </p>
<p>My advice for Tulane would be to explore a joint program with a “peer” school. Bowdoin has a program with Columbia…and a program with Dartmouth. Here is a link to the description of it from a Bowdoin web site:</p>
<p><a href=“http://academic.bowdoin.edu/physics/engineering/index.shtml[/url]”>http://academic.bowdoin.edu/physics/engineering/index.shtml</a></p>
<p>You can see that physics is an important component in these programs. Tulane might have a “peer” school that they already partner with on other programs? Maybe WashUSL or Rice in Texas? or Duke? I am throwing these names out without any research… but it would be a lot less traumatic for these kids if they were offered a way to truly build a bridge from Tulane to where they will graduate…and have that bridge be “engineered” by Tulane since they are the ones dropping the program. Schools drop programs … but, on top of the disruption, this is a rude awakening. So, if Tulane could somehow trade on the good will out there right now with other schools to help Tulane’s kids, they should to build a way out for the enginnering prospects. </p>
<p>I must admit when I saw the layoff notice as the holiday approaches and the kids are all cognizant about returning, I felt the timing of the announcement of the layoff was BAD, BAD BAD. </p>
<p>Jmmom, you are an extremely resilient Mom…your own writing is so creative…you make many threads here come alive… completely understand your resistence to revisiting essays… a very good friend hired a gal who spent a day with her hs senior in early September. just walking and talking in the morning…fleshing out the applicant… then working on some of the “generic” essay questions from the applicants top 10 application forms…agreeing what the essay was to be about and then proofing it when the student wrote it. The mom swears this was the best $$$$$ spent in the entire process…trips to schools, hotel and meal bills etc…they were VERY happy with this process… if you want, PM me and I will get the contact info for you to have if you need it…that way you are not paying for the full tilt application process…just transfer essays? </p>
<p>Finally, I am very sorry for you, DH and for your DS. You have been a champion for Tulane and this just is a sharp stick in the eye. I have been feeling overwhelmed with all I have to do btwn now and 12/25… all of a sudden, my load is feeling pretty light… not sure what I can do to help except say PM me at any time if you need anything…</p>
<p>OMG I can just imagine the slugg-Katrina story…</p>
<p>“My immediate reaction is how ironic is it that Tulane is canceling their Engineering program…is there a city in American that needs engineers more than NOLA? Don’t they have a levee issue?” </p>
<p>Maineparent, you are too funny. But you sent Jmmom some concrete ideas and some well stated support which expresses sentiments we all share! We appreciate your presence on the boards, Jmmom, and think you and yours deserve some open doors fast.</p>
<p>I’ll bring a couple of bottles of Wild Turkey to share at your party, as long as you promise to drop the pity theme after the first shot.</p>
<p>Your son got to spend some time in New Orleans while it was still New Orleans, survived a disaster of epic proportions, had a good semester, gets to spend some time in New New Orleans, and has the excitement of picking a new school under circumstances for which no one will ever fault him for leaving the old one.</p>
<p>We go to college not only to further our educations, but to see something of life, before we have to get down to the serious business of making a living.</p>
<p>I’d say the boy has drawn a pretty good hand so far. If nothing else, he’s got one hell of an ice breaker he can use in every job interview for the rest of his life.</p>
<p>Yeah but the boy’s mom has been through the wringer…</p>
<p>Greybeard, I have been oft accused of being a “cockeyed optimist.” I consider it a compliment. But you have me beat by a mile. ;)</p>
<p>Truly, I agree with all you say. It’s just that the “excitement of picking a new school” comes right along with jumping through some hoops that seem a bit much at this moment, along with a return to that wonderful limbo where you get to wait and see whether that exciting new school “picks you” in return; I thought we were finished with that. (I guess I am not quite ready to shut down my pity party yet). :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Jmmom,
You do not need to shut down the pity party yet.<br>
You deserve a fete!<br>
Though we haven’t met…
Your place among us is all set…
We think your son will be a sure bet…
So, before I beat feat…
Let me repeat…
We think the pity party is sweet!! </p>
<p>I know, lame…but, you have every reason to be tired of this whole process. I babbled on another thread a while ago that the toughest part of the college app process is not knowing where one’s child is going to be. Greybeard is right in that your son will make lemonade out of these lemons. But, for the parents…the college app process does expose our loved ones to being “evaluated” and positioned to be “accepted” by schools, by new friends… we want them to succeed but they actually have to do that themselves. In this situation, you had to do this for your son once, and your GS at the same time, right? Then you had to deal with him breaking the ice at Bates…and now he goes back to Tulane…another new breaking in session…and then he will have to do it again. It IS exhausting to go thru this over and over. One can hear the exhaustion in Andi’s posts…she is putting up a strong, brave front, but it is using up a lot of a parents emotional capital that could be used elsewhere (ie DH or best friends etc) … I have also repeated one of my favorite sayings on a diff thread… and I will say it again…
“to have a child is to forever have your heart walk around outside your body” </p>
<p>Use this thread Jmmom to vent…you deserve it…</p>
<p>Jmmom: Greybeard, as he often does, has a good perspectivre. And now, after two days, so do you (or maybe you have five or six of them).
Don’t call off the party, at least not till we finish off all those pies! (I can skip the ham, thanks) And since I missed seeing you the other month I will aim to bring some good zinfandel. From what little I know, it sounded like Tulane had been working hard to do the right thing by its people, and this program in the spring to get students transferred in an organized way could be more of the same. Don 't count on it 100% but it sounds like a good plan, on paper.</p>
<p>You probably already know this Jmmom - but just in case you don’t, Tulane has hired a special advisor to assist engineering students in deciding whether to transfer or to remain at Tulane and change majors, and to offer assistance with the transfer process. Scott Cowen says that if your son wants assistance right now, he can call (888) 862-8799. (This is from the online chat posted here: <a href=“http://www.tulane.edu/chat/december9.html[/url]”>http://www.tulane.edu/chat/december9.html</a> )</p>
<p>And I agree with the others that maybe the pity part of the pity party will turn out to be misplaced – it is very possible that these displaced engineering students will end up getting into higher caliber programs than they could have gotten into had they applied straight out of high school – just because of the extra hook that the Tulane experience will give them.</p>
<p>Gee
I just read the transcript of that live talk. I would be quite wary of the cuts to the Grad programs and how that affects the faculty’s commitment to the institution…no matter what fancy name they want to give to the idea of recentering focus on undergrad teaching for those faculty.They have grants,etc that they have to fufill requirements on,that involves research,research involves having the intricate layers of grad students working under them,etc.
While the Tulane president is happily stating his statistics of an 86% return rate,I would look for the Fall 06 semester to really be the time when the numbers start to reflect what will hapen to Tulane.It takes time to make academic career changes,expect to see movement.
How ironic that they are phasing out doctorates in water resources and historic preservation amongst others.Seems NOLA would need those faculty and grad students.
He can quote his application level being up 12% all he wants…they are flooding (even more than before) the senior HS population with those pre filled out free apps…its a no brainer…sign your name and send.Lets see who actually enrolls for Fall 06 when push comes to shove.
I would also be wary of how they plan to stock their support staff needs.I keep hearing how the lower rungs of service workers are not returning to NO,how it is affecting business’s ability to reopen.The infrastructure needed to support their lives is just not there…ie schools for their kids,health care,etc.
Have they assured their student population that the food service,maintenance,housekeeping,etc staffs will be there? Its one thing to say yes,there will be faculty in the classrooms but you also have to live,eat,etc .</p>
<p>Hi. I believe that many, if not most, college admissions officers are kind-hearted people who genuinely want kids to get into their desired colleges. Your son’s experience is a real “overcoming hardship” story that would move the most hard-hearted admissions officer. He is a victim of forces beyond his control, and I think his application will be viewed very favorably and generously. Just continue to behave honorably, and justifiable sympathy should be of great help. Another thing in his favor is that engineering programs always have mid-year dropouts, so there should be room for him at many schools. The best of luck!</p>