<p>kitkat: What schools is he down to? The UMich situation is insane; can you imagine kids where that is their #1 choice and their apps have been there since Nov?</p>
<p>Yea, it does feel like the legwork is still to come…I am not a lover of paperwork, but I think I may have to change my tune…</p>
<p>kitkat is your s still waiting on emory fa? hoping it works out for him there…if it’s still his top choice–like the image of the staging area :-D</p>
<p>Rodney - he is down to (and please don’t laugh), Emory, Carnegie Mellon, Upitt, Clemson and Rochester. I would bet that he has an order of preference but at this moment I am not privy to that information. We will find out Emory FA early next week - and we have good offers from CMU and Case to talk with them if it is disappointing. It will all work out - he has some decent offers to choose between. </p>
<p>Those poor Michigan kids. My son applied because his older brother is there but he would not be able to swim so I don’t think its a top choice. Its such a great school, and really a shame because I wonder what this is going to do to their numbers this year. </p>
<p>THE STAGING AREA (always in caps because it was THAT important) was my living room. I basically moved all the knickknacks and stuff out of the way and moved the coffee table so that we had the whole floor. When you see how much stuff you are going to take all in one area - it is very illuminating and you start eliminating things that really are not that necessary.</p>
<p>I must have missed it, but sorry–what exactly happened at Michigan this year?</p>
<p>Re the STAGING AREA…we had one too. Our main floor “study” become dorm central for 2 years in a row–my kids were back to back. It really does help to see it all in one place and wonder how the heck you’re going to fit all that in your SUV…</p>
<p>We’re on STAGING AREA, PHASE 2. That’s when your basement becomes the new, interim “early apartment living, not sure what I need yet” staging area for things that come back from the dorm, the furniture you’d like to “donate” to your kid, etc.</p>
<p>I was hoping it would be over soon, but D (a college senior bound for tiny apartments, and grad-school living) is 3 years away. S is a junior, just about ready to go into an apartment. </p>
<p>We’re hoping he plans to take alot of stuff.</p>
<p>curiouser, not sure what version of staging area we are in. S1, S2 and S3 have come and gone a couple of times, things in and out of basement. Then S1 and S2 moved cross country, couldn’t take anything with them,S3 is back home and DD is in school too far away to take anything with her. It would cost more to get it there than it is worth. Basement out of control. We are giving up. It is going to the furniture donation depot and they can buy new stuff from IKEA or use Craig’s list.</p>
<p>2blue - Yes, I was upset and so was S - and the stupid brochure came in a brown mid-sized envelope - so S perked up for a second when he saw it. Cruel, that’s for sure. We got this brochure less than a week after the rejection. I was so tempted to call them and politely ask them to remove his name from their mailing list to avoid a similar incident. I didn’t - instead, we took S to his favorite restaurant and discussed his upcoming play.</p>
<p>mountains: I think a call is in order. I called Vassar when D was rejected to complain about their rejection letter, and according to neumes they have changed it.</p>
<p>We can spare other students pain by alerting schools to the damage they do. They don’t mean to, I’m sure, but they do, nevertheless.</p>
<p>I agree and I don’t think admissions people should send out encouraging messages about essays, etc. and then deny or waitlist.</p>
<p>mythmom - I’ve been mulling over making the call or not. I’ve decided I will call on Monday - and the school is Vassar. Hmm, I wonder if they truly have changed their rejection letter; maybe they have - there’s never really a good way to spin a rejection. 
I’ll let you know what happens.</p>
<p>bethievt - I agree 100%. Or send out invitations to overnights (all expenses paid) and then reject or waitlist the kids. I was upset when I read this case in one of the forums.</p>
<p>I’m with mythmom and bethievt. The timing – and wrapping – of the brochure is horrible. And I was shocked that people were getting rejected after getting those “great essay” e-mails. How devastating for those kids! A polite call or e-mail may spare some other kids the experience.</p>
<p>I posted my daughter’s choices on the College Search and Selection Forum and am soliciting opinions from my “vigil companions”. It will be her decision, but nuggets of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>DeniseC, I have no nuggets of wisdom (just food ), and am taking the liberty of posting a link to your thread over in College Search for others who have info to share; the thread is <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/489148-biology-ucb-ucsd-cmu-bu-clark-university.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/489148-biology-ucb-ucsd-cmu-bu-clark-university.html</a> .</p>
<p>Anyone else feeling totally buffeted by the winds of choice? S is at one college now, called to say he had a blast and was up til 5 am, and I think “great – he is finding his people at this school, which is what he really wanted to know about this place,” and two hours later, he forwards an email from another school on the list who offered him a departmental scholarship, and I think “Oooh, they are showing him lots of love!” Plus, I am doing the financial package comparison and the third school is looking better than the other two in terms of $$, and then there is the full ride sitting on the kitchen table, saying “All your friends will be here!”</p>
<p>It feels manic to me – can’t imagine what it feels like for S. I can only hope he is oblivious to the stress.</p>
<p>CountingDown, the fun is his; the stress is yours! :D</p>
<p>Boethius, an Anglo-Saxon early Christian, wrote a wonderful book in Latin: THE CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY. He talked about the wheel of fortune. We travel along the wheel. Sometimes we get wonderful experiences, sometimes not.</p>
<p>Consolation, this is your son’s time to experience this pure joy and freedom. And he had the maturity to create it for himself. </p>
<p>We need all the joy we can garner for our rainy days.</p>
<p>I first heard about Boethius in “A Confederacy of Dunces”, one of my favorite books of all time–Oh Fortuna!</p>
<p>Denise, I wasn’t familiar with any of the schools, but they looked like some pretty impressive accomplishments. Congratulations to your daughter on a job well done! </p>
<p>And a fine job of providing food you’ve done, owlice. I enjoyed reading your post about your planning. What a pro you will be. I wish we would have found this board earlier. S would have loved TASP with all his heart, but we had never heard of it. I think I’ll always regret that a bit.</p>
<p>What a nice post mythmom.</p>
<p>CountingDown, I’m glad your son is having such a great time. Here’s hoping there are his kind of people at the third school too. My son leaves for his first visit on Thursday. It seems surreal to us. He hasn’t been to any of his schools. He’s feeling nervous about it.</p>
<p>Consolatio Philosophiae is a tome worth revisiting while we ponder why life deals what to whom. Poor Beothius – offered up such a powerful and influential work only to land on the ultimate “Lose a Turn” on the wheel of fortune – unjust execution. Oh, Fortuna is right! </p>
<p>Reminds me how long it’s been since I listed to “Carmina Burana.”</p>
<p>S and I sing O Fortuna! Not for chicken! Oh, for tuna casserollllllle! to the opening (and closing) chorus of Carmina Burana…</p>
<p>(Now I have an earworm!)</p>
<p>2blue, thanks! Later today, I’m going to open up voting for the May 1 party. :-)</p>
<p>That’s hilarious, owlice! Sorry about the earworm.</p>