I’m packing up tonight. I get to see my son for the first time since winter break.
If I were a bell I would ring.
@anxiousmom, We slept at DS’s dorm (more correctly speaking, the swing space, as his college was remodeling that year) during his commencement. We love it mostly because of its low price. It happened to be very hot during those few days in that year. But there is AC in the “Ramada-Inn”-like swing space.
The parents of DS’s suitemate happen to share the same 2-bedroom “apartment.” (There are two bedrooms. We slept in one bedroom with two beds and they in the other bedroom on the other side of the shared living room, if I remember it correctly.)
@classicalmom, We noticed that “problem” and chose to use “Yale Monthly Payment Plan” in DS’s senior year. Not sure how much tax savings we had though (because the last payment for the graduation year was in February or March?) At least we had some (but not much) documented “qualified education expenses” in the Spring of the senior year. I still do not know the best way to handle this.
My son was just accepted!! Yale has been his first choice all along, but he was also accepted to some other great schools. He is waffling a little but I think will decide on Yale without revisiting the other choices. But he gets a bit paranoid - since bull dog days is so late in April, what if he goes and doesn’t love it? By then the other accepted students days will have past. Has anyone’s child gone into BDD loving Yale and had a bad experience that somehow turned them off? It’s seems like it should be so simple now but I want to help him feel confident in his choice. Thanks for any insight!
Also, any favorite things about Yale to tell him about? Anything your child has wished was different? Thank you!
It is almost inconceivable that you could have a “bad” experience at BDD. From Breakfast until 1 AM there is a multitude of tours, lectures, programs, and food that makes an older alum like me want to be 17 again just for the weekend. Given the high yield rate at HYPSM and the self selection of students choosing to attend these programs, the vast majority of the kids there will be your classmates and I’m sure most kids have a “pinch me to see if this is real” feeling. I suppose dreadful weather would hamper the experience. Since most parents on this thread have kids who ultimately chose Yale, you might get more interesting responses on the other Ivy parents threads asking if any of them had a kid who went to BDD thinking Yale was a first choice and that made him/her decide to matriculate elsewhere and for what reasons.
I have too many favorite things about Yale to list in a post. My daughter texted me a photo today of the huge bay window in her next year’s suite and it reminded me of how special I found the residential college experience. My child would say she wished it were different by being allowed to stay for 10 semesters instead of 8.
Congratulations to your son! How exciting!
The musical community is amazing and my daughter LOVES everything about her experiences in music groups. She spent her time during bulldog days searching out the music groups she was interested in. She also made some connections in faith based groups which was very important to her. She has made wonderful friends in her faith community. She did not spend time partying at bulldog days, but a lot of students did. I think your son will be able to find people that are interested in whatever his main interests are. I cannot imagine him not loving it if he purposefully seeks out connections he wants to focus on.
Yale is the only ivy D applied to - the rest of her applications were for music performance degrees. So she did say there were some discussions among students who were accepted to HYP and were agonizing over how to choose. She steered clear of those discussions because that was not what she wanted to spend time on.
I don’t recall even reading on here of negative BDD experiences, and I have read pretty much every Yale thread. Maybe I just see Yale through my D’s rose colored glasses. But she is aware of things she does not like about Yale or things Yalies do. She is just very involved and focused on what is important to her. I cannot believe she is finishing her second year!
She also enjoyed the accepted students facebook page. I remember her saying that they all got on and joked about how they better say something smart. She thought they all had a great sense of humor.
congratulations! he’ll love it. Welcome!
Thank you so much! I just booked my hotel for BDD so I can go too. My son will hopefully stay on campus and do his own thing but I want to be part of the excitement.
Congratulations to all!!
After the shock of acceptance I sent my son on his own to visit. Why, his voice and choice… He visited 4 of accepted 11 and the choice of Yale,why?? loves the school, hates the winter
As a legacy, I wanted my D to like Yale because she wanted to go there, not because it is where she always went with me during reunions. I sent her off to Bull Dog days alone (or more specifically, with 3 other kids from her school) and she had a great time. I did not feel the need to go, but then again there was nothing about Yale that I needed to see for myself.
So, go with him and have a great time though you may not see him often. There are activities for parents to do. While all our kids had a rough patch at first adjusting (like most freshman do), if you read through these posts now you will see that most are truly having the time of their lives and looking forward to relinquishing the “freshman” moniker to the Class of 2019. Welcome!!!
My D was accepted on Tuesday and we are from CT so we drove out there yesterday to get her a sweatshirt. Growing up in CT makes this a little different for us because it isn’t a foreign place to visit. We all grow up going to the Peabody Museum. I have performed on campus many times as a teen and my daughter regularly attends events at the Masonic temple on the edge of campus. She too was admitted to some amazing schools but at the end of the day it is Yale after all.There was no question of where she would go and she has already committed. She has a friend that also was accepted and is debating between an exclusive program at another school or Yale and I can’t understand that at all. There is a big difference between an exclusive program and an exclusive school. I suppose it may be different for her though because my daughter applied undecided and this girl is looking for something specific. As for BDD disappointing, the only thing that I can imagine causing that is the weather. We did have snow two days ago. That can turn anyone away from CT in April. Aside from that, everyone was so happy for her at the campus. Students and Security guards were all so welcoming and it was just an average Thursday. I found myself looking at all of the kids and wondering if they remember that anxiety followed by such a sigh of relief that we experienced this week. I am certain that they do because there was definitely a feeling of appreciation over expectation from those we met. Anyhow- I am thrilled to be a part of this new and exciting community.
Congratulations to your daughter and welcome, Memmsmom! I agree most Yalies are appreciative…but I’ve always taken a moment on drop-off day to look out over Old Campus with my son and remind him to think of the thousands of kids who would love to have this view.
As the mom of a graduating senior, I can say it’s a quick trip through these next four years, so enjoy them all!
He did it! He just accepted his spot!! We are so excited and looking forward to Bulldog Days.
@Memmsmom - as both an alum and the mom of a freshman D - WELCOME!!! You are in the time of your life. It will have its ups and definitely have its downs, but overall, the experience is priceless.
Does anyone have comments on the preorientation programs like FOOT? How many kids participate? I’d hate for my son to feel behind socially from the very beginning but he isn’t really a camper. I’m going to have him read about it and see what he thinks but just curious if it is important. Thanks!
My son came back raving about Bulldog Days. “How was the weather?” we asked. “Oh, yeah, it rained the whole time.”
My son did FOOT and enjoyed it very much, but he is a camper. My daughter, who isn’t a camper, didn’t do FOOT, and didn’t really miss it. I certainly wouldn’t say it is essential, or even important. Just fun. Some of the trips are easier than others–a non-camper should pick one of the easy ones.
I don’t think he will feel left out at all if he does not do FOOT. My D did not do any of them. There are so many activities that first week on campus. There are plenty of opportunities to meet new people without doing one of the preorientation programs. I have seen some reports of FOOT friendships continuing on, and others who reported that they rarely ever saw the people again. I am sure it depends if you happen to be placed in a group with people you really connect with or not.
I only noticed one other student in my D’s entry way returning late on move in day from FOOT - dirty, tired, ready for a shower. It did not seem very prevalent at all. If he thinks it sounds fun, go for it! If not, no worries.
My son enjoyed the six day FOOT experience. His only regret was that the food was strictly vegetarian throughout the six day trek. The FOOT folks also came in a little later in the day during move in day. My daughter will probably not participate in the six day FOOT as she is not the outdoorsy type. All those orientation programs are great bonding experience, but not really necessary.
Going to a pre-registration program is not necessary, but some kids find it fun. My D was definitely not a camper or farmer so those outdoorsy ones were out of the question. She attended Cultural Connections and has stayed close to some of her “family” throughout freshman year. She would have been fine either way. She is actually closer to her suitemates who attended none of the programs except her two international ones who came to the International program.
My son is not much of a camper but enjoyed FOOT. Otoh, not attending wouldn’t be a big minus. My son is friendly, but not friends, with his FOOTmates. They are small groups, so it’s not as though all the freshmen will have met and made friends before your child arrives.
One benefit of FOOT is that DS went through this evolution:
- everyone is so much more accomplished than I am
- I’m not worthy
- some of the kids think I’m pretty accomplished myself, when will they discover I haven’t done anything
- maybe they’re right, I’m okay and not chopped liver
- looking forward to 4 years with awesome classmates.
One benefit of FOOT–for the kid–is that the parents can show up on move-in day, get the key, move in all his stuff (with help from a bunch of helpful upperclassmen), unpack, make his bed, etc.–and then he comes strolling in later in the day.