Parents of the Class of 2019

[bjscheel]

Yes, done and focusing on scholarships. We talked about her theatre scholarship audition last night- she needs two short contrasting monologues. I had done some looking and didn't find much appealing. But she found two in very short order last night that I think will be great and they are from plays she knows in case they ask her about it.

She has done the common scholarship app at her college, will do the competitive interview and theatre auditions there, and will apply for several local scholarships. I have a list of about 30 local ones. I don't know that she will apply for any national ones. Her sister did win one, specific to her major, so it can happen.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I think DS is done with applications. He still hasn't done the essay for the school that was originally his first choice, and I've let it go. He was accepted at the other two schools, but the merit offer from the private school is far better than the one from the state school, even after the difference in tuition. He is taking the ACT one more time this Saturday, so we'll see what happens. He would like to have 3 more points.

 

[Colleen27]

Is everybody done with college applications? I know a lot of your kids have been receiving acceptances already.

I hope so! Decision day at her top choice is Thursday, so I guess we'll know for sure if we're done then. I think two of her safeties are such strong contenders (one I think would be even better for her than her top choice, but obviously she disagrees) that unless the aid package differs significantly from their net price calculators she should be done regardless, but I'm not sure she's with me on that one.

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

DD has 5 apps in. For those schools, she later had to do 2 honors applications and 2 scholarship applications by Dec 1, so those are all done too. 5 more apps to finish and submit before Jan 1, then she has a long list of scholarship apps to fill out.

So far, two acceptances.

If I were our kids, I'd want to NEVER write another essay.

 

[Colleen27]

Today is decision day... Last year the portal updated around 6:30. I have to work at 7. I think I'm as anxious as DD, and the fact that she dragged me out for coffee this afternoon isn't helping my efforts to be all zen for her sake!

We did get an acceptance from her safety (a week ago, but she hasn't been obsessively checking THAT portal and they don't send emails) along with a $22K/year automatic academic award, which was about what we expected. It is the heaviest lift, financially, but we won't know the full picture there for a while because the competitive scholarships won't be awarded until early spring.

 

[mom2rtk]

Good luck to everyone waiting on decisions! My DD paid her down payment at Mizzou. She's all in. We have a Missouri Tiger in the family.

And she came home yesterday saying a friend from school (someone she has known since 4th grade) is also going to Mizzou and they want to be room mates.

This all sounds way too easy. I'm sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop!

 

[bjscheel]

Good luck to everyone waiting on decisions! My DD paid her down payment at Mizzou. She's all in. We have a Missouri Tiger in the family.

And she came home yesterday saying a friend from school (someone she has known since 4th grade) is also going to Mizzou and they want to be room mates.

This all sounds way too easy. I'm sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop!

Great! Just enjoy the easy!

DD decided not to room with a friend- so they don't ruin their friendship and so they have two different places to hang. I hope that's the right decision and DD doesn't get someone worse- I think they could actually get along pretty good but she is planning on partying more than DD would. Maybe another year after they settle in. The friend was offered a dance/cheer scholarship somewhere else this week and was thinking about it but she's wanted to go to DD's school forever. I hope she does go there so DD has a buddy on campus to start with.

Hope no shoes drop here, DD is very happy right now with school, friends, boyfriend, and life in general so I'd like it to stay that way! It's so nice!

 

[mom2rtk]

Great! Just enjoy the easy!

DD decided not to room with a friend- so they don't ruin their friendship and so they have two different places to hang. I hope that's the right decision and DD doesn't get someone worse- I think they could actually get along pretty good but she is planning on partying more than DD would. Maybe another year after they settle in. The friend was offered a dance/cheer scholarship somewhere else this week and was thinking about it but she's wanted to go to DD's school forever. I hope she does go there so DD has a buddy on campus to start with.

Hope no shoes drop here, DD is very happy right now with school, friends, boyfriend, and life in general so I'd like it to stay that way! It's so nice!

I just get skeptical when things seem too easy!

I can see not wanting to room with a close friend. The girl my DD says she's rooming with has been more of an acquaintance/casual friend, so at least she's not risking losing a close friend if things go south. And there are several other friends from her school starting to commit as well.

I definitely get wanting your DD to have a friend on campus. I hope it works out for her! I hope your DD's happy state continues! Since you have an older daughter as well, I'm sure you know to appreciate those times when they come around.

 

[Colleen27]

Well, DD was deferred by Wellesley... Not quite rejected, because they do outright reject in the ED round (unlike some schools - I've been told Georgetown defers everyone!), but not a good sign either. I can't believe the numbers I'm seeing from accepted applicants on the College Confidential thread - 1500+ SATs and crazy resumes with national awards and such. That is WAY out of line with their freshman profile numbers so I'm hoping that the "normal" high-achieving kids have a better chance in the regular decision round. The deferral letter said that about 1 in 5 deferred applicants are admitted RD, and DD will have very strong midterm grades and possibly a state-level 4H award to add to her app by the revision deadline. So she's not giving up yet.

It was a rough night, though. She took it hard and was basically second guessing her entire approach to academic life, because she found out that a former teammate who went to public school is a freshman there this year. The friend got in with lower test scores, no AP classes (our public school offers next to none, a key reason we chose private) and a thinner overall resume but a much better class rank, and DD is feeling like she shot herself in the foot by choosing this high-achieving private school where a 4.1 GPA isn't even top 25% and taking Japanese when the in-person language classes are known as easy As and on and on. And I stepped in it big time by mentioning that I feel her second choice would offer more academic and professional/networking opportunity in her field and suggesting that sometimes disappointments end up working out for the best... Too soon! It was the single most teenage-drama moment I have EVER seen from this kid. Fortunately, it seems to have passed quickly enough. Her school is holding a performing arts showcase tonight and she's doing a scene with a friend, so that's kept her busy today. We'll see how she's doing when I meet them for dinner after the show.

 

[mom2rtk]

Well, DD was deferred by Wellesley... Not quite rejected, because they do outright reject in the ED round (unlike some schools - I've been told Georgetown defers everyone!), but not a good sign either. I can't believe the numbers I'm seeing from accepted applicants on the College Confidential thread - 1500+ SATs and crazy resumes with national awards and such. That is WAY out of line with their freshman profile numbers so I'm hoping that the "normal" high-achieving kids have a better chance in the regular decision round. The deferral letter said that about 1 in 5 deferred applicants are admitted RD, and DD will have very strong midterm grades and possibly a state-level 4H award to add to her app by the revision deadline. So she's not giving up yet.

It was a rough night, though. She took it hard and was basically second guessing her entire approach to academic life, because she found out that a former teammate who went to public school is a freshman there this year. The friend got in with lower test scores, no AP classes (our public school offers next to none, a key reason we chose private) and a thinner overall resume but a much better class rank, and DD is feeling like she shot herself in the foot by choosing this high-achieving private school where a 4.1 GPA isn't even top 25% and taking Japanese when the in-person language classes are known as easy As and on and on. And I stepped in it big time by mentioning that I feel her second choice would offer more academic and professional/networking opportunity in her field and suggesting that sometimes disappointments end up working out for the best... Too soon! It was the single most teenage-drama moment I have EVER seen from this kid. Fortunately, it seems to have passed quickly enough. Her school is holding a performing arts showcase tonight and she's doing a scene with a friend, so that's kept her busy today. We'll see how she's doing when I meet them for dinner after the show.

I'm sorry. That's rough for her, but I'm sure it's hard for you to watch knowing you can't fix it. This sort of disappointment is so hard on high achieving kids. Sometimes it's just not clear cut how these schools make their decisions.

Fingers crossed that she gets a spot in the RD round.

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

Well, DD was deferred by Wellesley... Not quite rejected, because they do outright reject in the ED round (unlike some schools - I've been told Georgetown defers everyone!), but not a good sign either. I can't believe the numbers I'm seeing from accepted applicants on the College Confidential thread - 1500+ SATs and crazy resumes with national awards and such. That is WAY out of line with their freshman profile numbers so I'm hoping that the "normal" high-achieving kids have a better chance in the regular decision round. The deferral letter said that about 1 in 5 deferred applicants are admitted RD, and DD will have very strong midterm grades and possibly a state-level 4H award to add to her app by the revision deadline. So she's not giving up yet.

It was a rough night, though. She took it hard and was basically second guessing her entire approach to academic life, because she found out that a former teammate who went to public school is a freshman there this year. The friend got in with lower test scores, no AP classes (our public school offers next to none, a key reason we chose private) and a thinner overall resume but a much better class rank, and DD is feeling like she shot herself in the foot by choosing this high-achieving private school where a 4.1 GPA isn't even top 25% and taking Japanese when the in-person language classes are known as easy As and on and on. And I stepped in it big time by mentioning that I feel her second choice would offer more academic and professional/networking opportunity in her field and suggesting that sometimes disappointments end up working out for the best... Too soon! It was the single most teenage-drama moment I have EVER seen from this kid. Fortunately, it seems to have passed quickly enough. Her school is holding a performing arts showcase tonight and she's doing a scene with a friend, so that's kept her busy today. We'll see how she's doing when I meet them for dinner after the show.

I am so sorry for both of you. I checked this morning to see if you had posted good news. I could tell from your posts how excited she was about Wellesley. It's so difficult to figure out what the adcoms are looking for. But deferred is not a no! I really hope she gets in RD. I know it would have been nice to be "done". We went RD on a number of schools due to finances, so I expect to be on this rollercoaser ride until the end of March at least, and that seems like an eternity.

I understand why your daughter is second guessing. It may not make her feel better now, but I suspect your daughter may be more prepared for a successful college journey due to the choices she made to take harder classes and a more rigorous overall curriculum.

My best wishes to you for success in the RD round!!!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Too soon! It was the single most teenage-drama moment I have EVER seen from this kid.

I think the drama and unpredictability is the hardest part of parenting for me.

I hope things work out for the best for your DD, whether that's getting in during round two or pushing her toward what turns out to be a better match.

 

[Colleen27]

I am so sorry for both of you. I checked this morning to see if you had posted good news. I could tell from your posts how excited she was about Wellesley. It's so difficult to figure out what the adcoms are looking for. But deferred is not a no! I really hope she gets in RD. I know it would have been nice to be "done". We went RD on a number of schools due to finances, so I expect to be on this rollercoaser ride until the end of March at least, and that seems like an eternity.

I understand why your daughter is second guessing. It may not make her feel better now, but I suspect your daughter may be more prepared for a successful college journey due to the choices she made to take harder classes and a more rigorous overall curriculum.

My best wishes to you for success in the RD round!!!

And for the life she wants... She clearly felt better about things after tonight's art showcase - she acted in a scene with a friend and also did a short presentation of some of her Japanese calligraphy, and I think that made it "click" for her that the last four years have been about more than just getting into the right college. She packed her clothes in a bag that was a gift from Okaasan (what she calls her Japanese host mother) and got on stage in her yukata and had younger DD record it to share with her friends in Japan, and I think she realized that she wouldn't have had those experiences without the years of struggling through that online Japanese class and the support/confidence that she built in her little private school bubble.

She's also added the first (but I suspect not the last) school to her brand-new regular decision application list - Bryn Mawr, another of the Seven Sisters women's colleges, which is a bit less competitive than Wellesley - and asked if we can do a spur-of-the-moment NOLA road trip over Christmas break if she gets good news from Tulane on the 20th, so I guess she just needed the night to wallow in it before regrouping and moving forward.

 

[mjkacmom]

And for the life she wants... She clearly felt better about things after tonight's art showcase - she acted in a scene with a friend and also did a short presentation of some of her Japanese calligraphy, and I think that made it "click" for her that the last four years have been about more than just getting into the right college. She packed her clothes in a bag that was a gift from Okaasan (what she calls her Japanese host mother) and got on stage in her yukata and had younger DD record it to share with her friends in Japan, and I think she realized that she wouldn't have had those experiences without the years of struggling through that online Japanese class and the support/confidence that she built in her little private school bubble.

She's also added the first (but I suspect not the last) school to her brand-new regular decision application list - Bryn Mawr, another of the Seven Sisters women's colleges, which is a bit less competitive than Wellesley - and asked if we can do a spur-of-the-moment NOLA road trip over Christmas break if she gets good news from Tulane on the 20th, so I guess she just needed the night to wallow in it before regrouping and moving forward.

That’s a bummer, dd’s boyfriend got deferred by BC (where his parents and brother graduated from, private high school, good grades/scores, Eagle Scout, dancer), but he is absolutely loving Fordham (Dd is visiting now). We are not financially able to send Dd to any reach schools, which makes this process a little easier. All of my kids tended to hang with the brainy crowd in HS, and I remember some disappointment with college acceptances. One friend was salutatorian, and didn’t get into Cornell. However, his mom works for Rutgers, so he went there instead and has zero debt. It’s so competitive these days!

 

[PollyannaMom]

One friend was salutatorian, and didn’t get into Cornell. However, his mom works for Rutgers, so he went there instead and has zero debt.

I bet he'll be glad of that in the long run!

 

[tink1970]

Well, DD was deferred by Wellesley... Not quite rejected, because they do outright reject in the ED round (unlike some schools - I've been told Georgetown defers everyone!), but not a good sign either. I can't believe the numbers I'm seeing from accepted applicants on the College Confidential thread - 1500+ SATs and crazy resumes with national awards and such. That is WAY out of line with their freshman profile numbers so I'm hoping that the "normal" high-achieving kids have a better chance in the regular decision round. The deferral letter said that about 1 in 5 deferred applicants are admitted RD, and DD will have very strong midterm grades and possibly a state-level 4H award to add to her app by the revision deadline. So she's not giving up yet.

It was a rough night, though. She took it hard and was basically second guessing her entire approach to academic life, because she found out that a former teammate who went to public school is a freshman there this year. The friend got in with lower test scores, no AP classes (our public school offers next to none, a key reason we chose private) and a thinner overall resume but a much better class rank, and DD is feeling like she shot herself in the foot by choosing this high-achieving private school where a 4.1 GPA isn't even top 25% and taking Japanese when the in-person language classes are known as easy As and on and on. And I stepped in it big time by mentioning that I feel her second choice would offer more academic and professional/networking opportunity in her field and suggesting that sometimes disappointments end up working out for the best... Too soon! It was the single most teenage-drama moment I have EVER seen from this kid. Fortunately, it seems to have passed quickly enough. Her school is holding a performing arts showcase tonight and she's doing a scene with a friend, so that's kept her busy today. We'll see how she's doing when I meet them for dinner after the show.

I hated to "like" your post because it's so painful. I truly feel that things happen for a reason (--personal story I was accepted to Cornell which was my dream school and didn't attend d/t $$ so attended a public school, had a great time and much better weather, and life went on---but this is 30 years later!) and hopefully this is one of those lessons for your daughter. I feel for you, too, since my DD made a similar choice- attending the IB program and not getting straight As but definitely being prepared for college. I boil it down to hard time/not the best grades in high school trading off for being much more prepared in college. In the end, college grades will be more important, or at least I hope so. Hugs and prayers...

 

[PollyannaMom]

(--personal story I was accepted to Cornell which was my dream school and didn't attend d/t $$ so attended a public school, had a great time and much better weather, and life went on---but this is 30 years later!)

Similar story here. I got in, but chose the smaller school where I'd stand out, instead of the big one where I'd be swallowed up. I don't regret it!

 

[mjkacmom]

Tonight reminded me of something, Dd and 5 of her friends were heading out to Hoboken to celebrate an 18th birthday on the waterfront, we all share apps but I needed to update my uber app credit card info (Omar, they loved him), anyway I set it up years ago and had to change expiration date, my kids all had an uber app at around 14 or so for emergencies, and my older teens/young adults have made use of it. It’s a very handy app in a lot of situations. A large house party will follow this dinner.

 

[soccerdad72]

DU (Univ. of Denver) acceptance came through tonight - strong offer, too, with a $22K scholarship and $3,000 housing grant. It's the most expensive school he's applied too, though so it will be close to the same cost as RIT. That, and it's clear across the country

 

[PollyannaMom]

DU (Univ. of Denver) acceptance came through tonight - strong offer, too, with a $22K scholarship and $3,000 housing grant. It's the most expensive school he's applied too, though so it will be close to the same cost as RIT. That, and it's clear across the country

One of those "congrats and yikes, at the same time" ones, huh? It's such a tough balance between wanting them to find their wings, and seeing them as our "babies."