<p>JNSQ that was the sweetest thing. Thanks for the good wishes for the 09 kids and wise advice for their parents. So nice to hear such positive news about your D.</p>
<p>Pass the Truffles please.</p>
<p>Oh, jnsq, such bittersweet memories! I just knew your D had found her home and was happy when you knew it too. Isn’t it wonderful to watch our kids becoming their adult selves?</p>
<p>Thanks jnsq!!! Love to hear success stories! Hope to hear from timely, mountains, acme, cottonwood, LImom, 2blue, 2forcollege, lindz, gladmom, countingdown, runnersmom,geezermom and all of the rest!!! Yeah…one year down!!!</p>
<p>:: puts a platter of oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies on the table ::</p>
<p>Always the perfect hostess, Owlice! At least I get to “see” you around the forum once in a while. Thanks for the cookies!!!</p>
<p>You’re welcome!</p>
<p>No vigil for me, NM, as S is going to skip the rest of high school and go to Simon’s Rock next year instead. All my spreadsheets and planning and scheduling for naught!!!</p>
<p>Hey, I am chiming in to send good wishes to all the former Vigil-ers! Like you, JNSQ, my S is having the most incredible freshman year. He has truly come into his own at Stanford. He had no friends the last couple of years in high school because he just enjoyed nothing in common with any of his fellow students. Now he has friends galore, is being responsible in every way, and is being challenged academically with successful results. Chances are good that he will have a leadership role next year in his main EC. He has a different idea of what he will major in – first change down, how many to go?! He has loved every professor that he has had, regardless of how he felt about the course content, and our family couldn’t be happier.</p>
<p>Our only vigil this year is waiting until August 1 to find out what his FA package will be for next year. My fingers are crossed that the package will be even better, since our assets went down quite a bit in the “crash.”</p>
<p>Owlice, my S would have LOVED to leave HS early for college. How resourceful your family was to find this alternative! I hope your S enjoys it immensely.</p>
<p>Hope everyone else has happy children with happy stories!</p>
<p>oh,gladmom…Hooray! Sounds like your S really found the perfect place for him both socially and intellectually! Great news! You must be so very happy and proud! Congratulations!!!</p>
<p>Thanks, NorthMinn., yes, we are so thrilled. Best of luck in your D’s internship search. And I so hope your D2 will continue to “glide” happily along when she starts at her new school in the fall. Best of luck to her and her team in their playoffs!</p>
<p>Hi all! It seems like it’s been years since our vigil.</p>
<p>S is having the time of his life in Colby. Perfect, perfect fit. He is thriving in Colby and his profs have been amazing mentors. He continues to pursue his passion and has been quite successful. No problems at all establishing very close friendships.</p>
<p>No looking back at his dream school that deferred and ultimately rejected him. When asked if he would consider a transfer, the response was, “Are you nuts?”</p>
<p>And the empty nest hasn’t been bad at all but I suspect H and I will have a wonderful time having him back for the summer. Internship is all lined up for the summer, and then sadness again when he heads back.</p>
<p>It’s great to hear that the kids are doing fabulous. Thanks for the update.</p>
<p>Mountains…thanks for the update! Glad he is loving Colby! You give me hope for the empty nest syndrome! Gahhh!! Need to find something to do after soccer season ends next year. Hmmm…maybe a job if the market is better???</p>
<p>S1 loves Chicago. It has been all he hoped for (except Core Bio, which has been the sole bump in the road). His only regret is that there isn’t more folk dancing on the weekends. Has been able to take advantage of some really interesting courses and opportunities. Has also found his people, loves his House and has gotten involved in several campus activities. </p>
<p>He will be at MIT this summer working on a (paid!!!) research project for a prof in his intended field, and will be taking advantage of the folk dancing every weekend. S1 had talked to this prof a good bit last April when he was trying to make a decision among schools – a good reason for not burning your bridges, esp. in a small academic community!</p>
<p>My “gap year” is now ending as S2 is a junior and we are starting this process anew. He had 17 schools on his list, but has whittled it down now…to 13. Would like to get it to ten, just because of the sheer volume of work involved.</p>
<p>jnsq, I am SOOOO glad to hear your D has blossomed at Smith. I am trying to convince a young woman I know to apply – I think she would do fabulously well in that environment.</p>
<p>Countingdown… WOW! S1 has some amazing opportunities! Chicago and MIT!!! You must be very proud of him. I love to hear such success stories! Can you believe how these kids have grown in just a short time??? Glad he has found more folk dancing! :)</p>
<p>So will S2 be looking at any of the same schools that S1 did? Where do you see him at?</p>
<p>Wow! So nice to hear all the updates of how well all our kids have done this past year. It’s nice to look back now after all our shared stress and cookies (and cocktails) to find that it all worked out (and those of us new to empty-nesting managed just fine!)</p>
<p>D2 (of “ballroom blitz” fame - using that dress for a formal this weekend) has been very happy at U Michigan, though she went through a period of missing home and friends at the beginning. She has absolutely loved her professors and the academics there, especially in the Residential College (RC). Ok, I just have to be a proud mom among friends here…she’s had spectacular grades and received some nice honors. She was selected by a very prominent professor in her field to be a member of his research team and has had a great experience. She also has been quite productive in her art area and had the opportunity to have an individual tutorial in it. I’m quite amazed by how much she’s improved and the amount of work she’s produced. She was also chosen to be a member of a dance team on campus and that has kept her very busy (and fit). All in all, I’m pleased to see how balanced her academic and social life has been. </p>
<p>Her reluctant father now absolutely loves her school and is completely impressed by it. He confessed to friends at dinner the other night that D2 and I were completely right about U Mich! Without you all and my real life friends, I don’t think I could have sustained my position in agreement with D2 that she should attend U Mich if she didn’t get off the waitlist for U Chicago (never did).</p>
<p>D1 continues to do flourish at her school, New College of FL. She has a full scholarship to a wonderful summer program this year and is working on her study abroad applications for next Spring. I have a feeling I’ll be hanging out on CC for a while yet. </p>
<p>Keep the updates coming…it’s great to hear from y’all!</p>