Sharon in MD Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I promised I would update so here it is.....at last.... DS has been accepted to Drexel University's High School Summer Mentorship Program. I had posted back in March when we sent off all the application materials and y'all asked me to let you know....so here we are, doing the happy dance!!! ( if I could find that darned snoopy happy dance smilie I'd stick it here!!!) Now for the melodrama part.....this is "the untold story....why we really thought we'd been rejected" Please don't feel like you have to read this....it is purely for those who are interested in the full story :nopity: We had been told the program was highly competitive and that top applicants would be contacted for an interview. Well....we didn't hear anything by 3/4 of the way through to the notify deadline. So I sent off an email asking when would students be informed of their status. They replied, really quickly, saying students would hear by the end of last week. Well, we didn't hear anything....so I sent another email late afternoon on Friday, asking if they had notified students of their status and saying that we had not heard anything yet....no response. Hmmm....maybe not so good....Sent a second email mid day Monday, asking if they had gotten the Friday email.....No reply....hmmmmm.....really not so good, probably means a pleasantly worded rejection letter is in the mail. So I tell ds he should probably send off the other summer application whose deadline has not yet passed because the chances not looking good for Drexel. We still had not heard anything by noon today and left for rehearsal for our school's Main Stage Production. We got home at about 6:00 and he found an email from Drexel that came just after noon saying he'd won an appointment to the program... :svengo: ....Whoa....major surprise....we'd just been getting our hearts used to the idea that he didn't make it.....WOW!!!! :w00t::hurray::party::willy_nilly: We have two ideas about why we didn't do the interview part....A)It was new this year and they decided that they just couldn't squeeze that in afterall. B) DS met with two professors, for more than 1 hour each, when we visited the campus in Feb....perhaps they talked with these profs, whom he referenced in his application, and thus waived the interview..... Who knows...it doesn't really matter, cause the BOY IS GOING!!!!:auto: YIPPEEEEEE!!! We are so proud of him and I feel so relieved that he really is competitive against other traditionally schooled kids.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimber Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Way to Go !!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms. Riding Hood Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Oh Sharon, that's fantastic news! Know how much he's been hoping for this. Congrats!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Grinning very broadly for you! That's great news! He should learn SO much -- what an exciting summer for him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 You should have heard the whooping and hollering here last night! We are so excited about this. Hey Gwen, we don't know yet what research project he'll be assigned to, but they asked them to provide a list of their top picks on the applications....he listed two materials science professors because he thinks that is where he'd like to major. We'll see what they pick for him, I'll let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaNY Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Awesome! So happy for you! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Hey, Sharon! I have a more *important* question for you than anything about your son.... :toetap05: . . . . . How'd you get 7 (yes, seven!) smilies to show up in your post?!?!?! ;) :lol: Seriously, very big congrats to both of you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Congratulations!!! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne/Ankara Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 That's just great, Sharon! Way to go, all around!!! Terrific news. Now, please keep us informed after he finishes the program. My ds is very interested in scientific/engineering things, and since we also live in PA, Drexel's program might be something to apply to. Great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 Hey, Sharon! I have a more *important* question for you than anything about your son.... :toetap05: . . . . . How'd you get 7 (yes, seven!) smilies to show up in your post?!?!?! ;) :lol: Seriously, very big congrats to both of you!! I just clicked away.....just lucky I guess? Thanks though! It is such a relief! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Congratulations! Now, I'm anxious to hear how it all goes cause we live close to Drexel too, and DS is looking at them. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 That's just great, Sharon! Way to go, all around!!! Terrific news. Now, please keep us informed after he finishes the program. My ds is very interested in scientific/engineering things, and since we also live in PA, Drexel's program might be something to apply to. Great job! What did you all decide to do for this summer? I'm sorry, I can't remember which programs you had decided to look at. On a different subject....we used to live near Pittsburgh when I was little and our family's favorite candy treat was the chocolate covered strawberries that Horne's and Gimball's used to sell. Now the only place to get them that I know of is Three Rivers Candy. My mom sent me a surprise birthday package of them yesterday....mmmmmm....chocolate heaven in a box! :drool5: This is turning into a really nice week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 Hi Carole, If you are interested in them for engineering types of things, they had a really nice program that we went to in Feb called High School Day. It was probably mostly meant for area school kids, but there were a good many of us who came from out of town too. They had demonstrations and group activities for the kids , lunch and a campus tour. We contacted the girl who was the recruiter for the engineering college and she set up additional tours for us with the materials science and mechanical folks. We had a wonderful time. Alex got to meet two professors who toured him around their departments and really took interest in him personally....we were flabbergasted by the level of personal attention. We felt so welcomed. They say they try to be a big school with a small school feel....they certainly succeeded with us in that sense. They also encouraged us to come back any time and they would set up any tours we wanted and would set up opportunities to talk to current students to get the nitty-gritty from their perspective. Obviously, this greatly influenced our decision to apply to this summer program. Now we will have a chance to see the nitty-gritty for ourselves I guess! We'll definitely let you all know what we think...good and bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 A hearty congratulations to your son! That is so exciting! Sometimes news like that is even sweeter when you have come to believe it won't happen and pried your heart from around it! Then . . . wah la! It's given *back* to you! Many blessings, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 Thank you, Lisa. Your bouncy sheep always makes me smile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 thanks so much....sounds like both our familird are having remarkably blessed weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 There is a lot of truth in what you said, Lisa :iagree: God has been very good to us and we truly feel blessed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 I promised I would update so here it is.....at last.... DS has been accepted to Drexel University's High School Summer Mentorship Program. the BOY IS GOING!!!!:auto: YIPPEEEEEE!!! We are so proud of him and I feel so relieved that he really is competitive against other traditionally schooled kids.... Congratulations!!!!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maura in NY Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Doin' the Happy Dance for you!:party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilary Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Sharon, that's wonderful news!! I remember your post back in March. I think I shared with you that we were waiting on the decision re: our state's Governor's Scholars Program that my older son applied to in January. We had had a similar period of agony getting all the application material together, and a similar huge sigh of relief once everything was in. We too got good news on April 16 ... my son is accepted, although we have yet to hear which campus and academic focus area he'll be attending. And we had a similar experience with expecting bad news ... although ours was not so protracted. Last spring, he was accepted in the Governor's summer arts program, and the good news came in a nice, plump, promising-looking manilla envelope; whereas my DD, who was rejected for GSP a couple of years ago, got her news in a sad, small, flat envelope. So when my son got a similar sad, small, flat envelope last month, we were virtually certain it was a rejection, until he opened it up. Turns out the big, promising-looking envelope was sent several days later. So, ya never know! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmittgirlz Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Way to go! Your hard work is inspiring, thank you for taking the time to share! Clare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne/Ankara Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 What did you all decide to do for this summer? I'm sorry, I can't remember which programs you had decided to look at. On a different subject....we used to live near Pittsburgh when I was little and our family's favorite candy treat was the chocolate covered strawberries that Horne's and Gimball's used to sell. Now the only place to get them that I know of is Three Rivers Candy. My mom sent me a surprise birthday package of them yesterday....mmmmmm....chocolate heaven in a box! :drool5: This is turning into a really nice week! Chocolate covered strawberries are delicious! We just made some ourselves last week for dd's violin recital as refreshments, and they were gone in a minute! I'll have to check out Three River's Candy! Our summer plans, science-wise, developed nicely: ds will do a weeklong day camp at Univ. Pittsburgh's Biotechnology Center studying Tissue Engineering (great program, we did it last year too), then another week, residential, at Robert Morris University studying engineering design (CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping stuff-- which by the way was funded by some grant so only costs $75 for 5 days!), then in late July he will do the Johns Hopkins summer camp in Fast-Paced Biology, which is residential. He really enjoyed it there last summer, so he's looking forward to returning. We also have our usual art and music activities, and then true family vacation in August to Turkey. So it will be a busy summer! Can't wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in MD Posted May 5, 2008 Author Share Posted May 5, 2008 I don't think I'd have the stamina to do three camps in one summer. Plus, I don't think our son would go for it either. He is one of those kids who really needs to have some down time. He chose this year to really push the envelope academically and extra curricular too. My husband and I agreed to let him do it so that he would hopefully discover his limits a little.....he's been pretty unhappy about not having any free time this year. It has been run, run, run, study, study, study, then run again. Even I've been miserable and I'm notorious for being busy! So....I think he got the picture. I think, hope...pray...he got the idea that if you overbook yourself, even though they are wonderful things that you love, you can make yourself miserable. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.... About the strawberries... These are a unique Pittsburgh thing from what I've been able to find out. They really aren't chocolate covered strawberries in the traditional sense that most people think of. They are really a strawberry cordial....like chocolate covered cherries. They are enormous. You get about 6 in one pound. If you picture a good sized kiwi, it is about that big, but with a flat bottom and pointy top....two layers of milk chocolate, then lots of juicy strawberry liquid and a squishy strawberry inside. To die for.....I don't even want to know if anyone has the calorie, fat or carb count on them... I hope your son enjoys his camps. They sound terrific. I'm sure it will be a wonderful experience for him. We are really excited about the Drexel thing....I hope it will help our son with deciding if Drexel is his top pick for college too. I'm also really hoping that doing this program will help bring in some scholarship money for him because he is gonna need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Sharon, oh my goodness, the suspense! But I'll bet the acceptance was so much sweeter as a result. Congratulations to you both! BArb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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