Parents of the Class of 2019

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm glad you guys enjoyed it! They will have more snow in the winter, but you're right somewhat in that our temps usually aren't too bad. Just remember, when the sun goes down, the temps drop a lot! No humidity in the air to hold in the heat!

We have another appointment today with the college consultant for DD. She's gotten 6 of her 13 apps in, and one acceptance back with that invitation to apply to the honors college, so another application! I think she's ready to shout from the essays!

Yes, I’ve experienced the wild temp swings in CO. -5 at night, 60 the next afternoon, -5 that night LOL. That “afternoon” temp is the main difference . In Iowa, -5 overnight means a high of 12 the next day LOL

 

[laughinplace199]

DS applied to Holy Cross and Bates this weekend, so that's a total of 4 applications down, and 4 to go. He also has an interview at Holy Cross next week. Things are progressing nicely but I'll be happier when everything is done and submitted!

 

[shelly3girls]

DD also received her first acceptance today. I have to agree that the email to check the portal is rather anticlimactic. This was a safety school but I keep telling her to love the schools who love you back.

 

[McKelly]

So, after much waffling back and forth over colleges/majors, etc., my DS has NOW informed me he is joining the Air Force! What?!?!? While I have the upmost respect for people in the military, I couldn't stop the "not my kid" thoughts from racing through my mind - it's a dangerous place out there!!! I don't want him to die! After I stopped crying, he informed me he just doesn't know what he wants to do, but the one thing he does know, is he doesn't want to go to college right now. He said that he thinks the Air Force will "give him direction and help him become disciplined and help him grow up." I don''t know if he thought THAT would help me accept this or what? Right now...just I have a headache.

 

[bjscheel]

@McKelly
Could he use a gap year working before he makes such decisions?

 

[McKelly]

@McKelly
Could he use a gap year working before he makes such decisions?

We suggested that. He's kind of a stubborn kid. I told him to make an appointment with his advisor AND that I wanted to be there for it. I will be curious what she is going to say, because up until this point it's been college all the way. He's probably in the top five students academically in his class, college makes the most logical sense. But he's DONE, that's what he keeps saying. I don't know if this is a case of MAJOR senioritis or what. I just hope he has thought this through. This is a big commitment. A scary commitment! But now that I have slept on it (barely), I will support him in whatever he decides. This is not the worst thing. If I knew he was joining because of an inherent need to serve his country, I would feel better/proud of it. I'm just not sure that is the reason.

 

[design_mom]

((McKelly)), hugs for you. I am sure I'd feel the same way you do. We have several family members and family friends who are career military. I have the utmost respect for those who serve our country, BUUUUTTTT it's not the path I'd choose for my son either. It'd be different if it had been his dream since he was a little boy, but it hasn't and if he suddenly decided to enlist now, I'd be upset. And with his grades (like your son's) I'd be strongly suggesting applying to a military academy or doing ROTC or something to go in as an officer, rather than an enlisted person.

Over the next few days/weeks, I hope that you can learn more about his throught process and hope you become comfortable with his decision/direction... *or* I hope that he thinks it through and doesn't make any rash decisions. (My son is in line at the polls right now for his first time voting... and it's scary to me that he could now go decide to enlist without even mentioning it...this parenting of "adults" isn't for sissies, that's for sure.)

 

[bigbabyblues]

McKelly, "not my kid" would be the first thing on my mind too. Big hugs to you. I completely support and respect our military members, but I would be terrified for my son's safety. Is it possible that a recruiter came to the school and spoke to the students?

I think it is great if he decided to do it because it is what he wants, but not if he just doesn't want to do school anymore. This is such a hard time for them, there is so much pressure to make decisions and decide what they want their life to look like.

 

[Eureka]

DS got his first acceptance yesterday, to a small liberal arts school that he's visiting again to sit in on classes and meet with people in a couple weeks. They called him to tell him and said the official letter and scholarship info (he knows he got one, but didn't completely pay attention to the number she said on the phone) is in the mail. This is one of his top choices, so we are all very pleased. I'm happy that he knows before going up there so now they can tailor his day to that of an accepted student.

Three more that he's applied to to hear from, and two more to apply to.

 

[Eureka]

So, after much waffling back and forth over colleges/majors, etc., my DS has NOW informed me he is joining the Air Force! What?!?!? While I have the upmost respect for people in the military, I couldn't stop the "not my kid" thoughts from racing through my mind - it's a dangerous place out there!!! I don't want him to die! After I stopped crying, he informed me he just doesn't know what he wants to do, but the one thing he does know, is he doesn't want to go to college right now. He said that he thinks the Air Force will "give him direction and help him become disciplined and help him grow up." I don''t know if he thought THAT would help me accept this or what? Right now...just I have a headache.

One of my good friend's son is joining the military next year too. Both she and her DS were Navy and it looks like he is interested in Army. He is a smart kid but struggles in school and knew college is not for him. Hopefully your DS will learn and grow from this and maybe he won't be somewhere dangerous? I'm sorry you're stressed about it.

 

[lovesdumbo]

McKelly-hugs to you! I feared my DS might make that choice too as he kept saying he wanted to be a pilot. I too have endless respect for military (my DH served-before I met him) but I don't think it would be a good choice for my DS.

 

[lovesdumbo]

DS submitted 5 apps Friday but didn't request transcripts until yesterday.

He texted me in a panic this morning because he said "snow covered" and not "snow-covered" in his essay and now he's convinced he won't get in anywhere because it's in the first paragraph......he's not applying to any Ivies...

Maybe I can get him to apply to a few more. He told me you can only change common app essay twice. I didn't really believe that but I googled it and it's true. I want him to apply to another safety so hopefully I can get him to use their app this weekend. Its free to apply and probably a better choice for him than his one safety out of the 5 he submitted. He wants to wait to see if he gets in anywhere else first.....2 of the 5 are rolling admissions so he should hear relatively quickly but it can't hurt to apply to this other school.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

Joining the Air Force for a kid who isn't sure what he wants to do isn't a bad thing. His commitment will probably be 5 years, and at the end of it, he's learned some skills, gotten a lot of self-discipline, and earned a GI Bill that will pay his way through school debt free. Even as a great student, sometimes it's nice to not have to think about where to go and what to do.

We go 2 big envelopes in the mail yesterday! One from U of Alabama, she had already gotten an e-mail from them, but this was nice to get, and the other from Nebraska Wesleyan, they even sent her a pair of socks! We still need to do the FAFSA, I've started it, but just need to finish it, and that's on tap for this weekend, then honors college application for U of Alabama, and scholarship applications for Vandy, Emory, and MIT. The next month and a half will be crazy, and then it will calm down for us!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

DD voted for the first time this morning. My baby is all grown up

 

[bigbabyblues]

We go 2 big envelopes in the mail yesterday! One from U of Alabama, she had already gotten an e-mail from them, but this was nice to get, and the other from Nebraska Wesleyan, they even sent her a pair of socks! We still need to do the FAFSA, I've started it, but just need to finish it, and that's on tap for this weekend, then honors college application for U of Alabama, and scholarship applications for Vandy, Emory, and MIT. The next month and a half will be crazy, and then it will calm down for us!

Congratulations to your daughter! My son would LOVE to get a pair of socks, he likes socks.

DD voted for the first time this morning. My baby is all grown up

Good for her!

 

[soccerdad72]

DD's first acceptance came in today. University of Texas at Austin. I turned to her and said "Congratulations, you are going to college!" LOL. She has three apps in, working on 5 more. Congrats to all who have received acceptances so far! I've gotten so far behind on individual responses and "likes" because not much time for Disboards lately, but I'm still rejoicing in the victories each of you are posting and commiserating on all the frustrations.

I just got a text from my son, saying he got his first e-mailed acceptance. This was his safety school, so I sent him basically the same response back - "Congrats, you're definitely going to college somewhere! "

 

[bjscheel]

So many acceptances coming in for everyone! Yay!

After the musical is over this weekend, I hope to get DD to start on scholarships. Many won't be out until the spring, but she can do the foundation scholarships at her college, one sponsored by a local student loan company, and one associated with our church district for now. I'm also signed up for a few giveaways (like our State Treasurer's 529 promotion) that will be announced this month. Could we be so lucky?

Also need to decide whether to put together a theatre scholarship audition. She will probably just minor in theatre, but there is a possibility she will go for a double major, as the BA is only 2 more classes than the minor (though it's already going to be a tight fit with the minor). The scholarships are for majors, but as an undecided freshman I wonder if she can still try...

 

[tink1970]

I just got a text from my son, saying he got his first e-mailed acceptance

Congrats! I asked DD if she's checked her college emails to see if she had heard anything and she was "no, I guess I should at some point." I swear she's going to kill me! Who knows what's waiting there for her --why did she go to all the trouble applying if she isn't going to check the status occasionally?

 

[shelly3girls]

DS submitted 5 apps Friday but didn't request transcripts until yesterday.

He texted me in a panic this morning because he said "snow covered" and not "snow-covered" in his essay and now he's convinced he won't get in anywhere because it's in the first paragraph......he's not applying to any Ivies...

Maybe I can get him to apply to a few more. He told me you can only change common app essay twice. I didn't really believe that but I googled it and it's true. I want him to apply to another safety so hopefully I can get him to use their app this weekend. Its free to apply and probably a better choice for him than his one safety out of the 5 he submitted. He wants to wait to see if he gets in anywhere else first.....2 of the 5 are rolling admissions so he should hear relatively quickly but it can't hurt to apply to this other school.

Where did you find this information? My DD has made several edits even after applying to colleges (does not change previously submitted apps just future apps). I read on the common app website that you are permitted unlimited edits.

 

[lovesdumbo]

Where did you find this information? My DD has made several edits even after applying to colleges (does not change previously submitted apps just future apps). I read on the common app website that you are permitted unlimited edits.

Thanks so much for posting this! I must have searched common app esaay edit limits and got that you could only edit it twice. Seems like that was the old rule. Now it is unlimited. Looks like it was changed around 2015.

Thanks again! Will help me to get DS to submit a few more apps.