^I immediately thought of Lanny’s daughter as well 😞 So thoughtful of you to look up flight info.

@Sebastian (a lady) - I appreciate your analysis. I probably should have been clearer. I was just thinking that kids who do have good scores would have a leg up on those who have no scores or choose not to submit. It seems as though that might be construed to be an unfair advantage, however.

@sebastian - what are your thoughts as to whether kids who DO have scores will be at an advantage? I’ve a friend with a daughter who is aiming high. She has a 35 ACT and and 1,500 SAT. Seems like that may be of extra benefit this year instead of the norm since some kids either won’t have scores or will not have reached their desired scores on tests taken before the shutdowns. She was one and done on both of them. Lots of prep.

@Roadrunner - when my ds was at Stanford he claimed that, “About 15% of the students here are scary-smart. The rest are all about like me.” The latter part meaning, “average excellent student.” Your description of “top grades, top scores, a good extracurricular and that’s about it,” is accurate. Which is why most folks rightly feel the process is most unpredictable.

I copied this from someone on FB, but I wanted to share this here for any students who are going to be living in dorms at a college that is going to have them move to a different place to quarantine if they test positive. The sentence, “It would be so much easier to ask a roommate to grab ‘the blue Nike bag in my closet and my laptop’ than to try to figure out what he or she will want for two weeks,” really stood out to me. Your list may look different but having a separate bag all packed and ready to go seemed wise to me. If you have a student returning to campus, this is important: Have them pack an emergency COVID go-bag in case they test positive and have to quarantine. In these uncertain times, the possibility exists that your child may test positive, and have to leave his or her dorm for a quarantine location. It's a good idea to have a pre-packed bag in his or her closet. It would be so much easier to ask a roommate to grab "the blue Nike bag in my closet and my laptop" than to try to figure out what he or she will want for two weeks. Here's what to pack: Extra cell phone charger List of important peoples’ phone numbers written out and a list of any allergies 2 or more complete changes of comfortable clothes: sweats, PJ pants, T's, underwear, socks Fleece throw Cough drops Tylenol to bring fever down, help with aches Vicks Vap O Rub Mucinex DM or Robitussin Cough & Chest Congestion Thermometer Body lotion, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, hair brush, hair ties Prescription meds Tissues Snacks Masks Some sort of distraction -- e.g., a coloring or sketch book with crayons or colored pencils, deck of cards Pulse Oximeter -- it is important to monitor your oxygen level A copy of your medical power of attorney and HIPAA waiver -- both very important, as you want your parents to be able to know what's going on and make decisions for you in the event you cannot

My ds was accepted to Georgetown (though he did not attend), but my info may now be dated as he applied in the 2013-2014 cycle. At the time, students did apply to the college they wanted to attend (he applied to the School of Foreign Service - SFS), they did not use the Common App, and an alumni interview was required. He applied regular decision there. As someone mentioned above, SFS is a harder admit than some of the other colleges. I think Georgetown highly values class rank and high test scores. They were the only school that “suggested,” three Subject Tests rather than two. They are not known for being generous with money. Are all these schools in range price-wise for your friends’ dd? Back then, Georgetown deferred MANY of their Early Action applicants. They were the only school I knew of that had a higher acceptance rate for RD than EA. A young woman from our same general area applied EA and to SFS and was deferred. She was then either waitlisted or denied in the Regular Decision round (I can’t remember). She was accepted to Columbia and Stanford in RD and attended Stanford with my ds. She and my ds had the same alumni interviewer for Georgetown. I personally think she was not accepted there because her rank and scores were not super high. She was an excellent writer (12 on the essay section of the ACT), but her other “numbers” weren’t super strong. I don’t think Georgetown is as holistic as some of the more highly ranked schools. Just speculation on my part, however. Her story also demonstrates how random the acceptance process is. Georgetown was absolutely this young woman’s number one choice. She majored in International Relations. She had significant leadership roles on Stanford’s campus. G’town missed a good one; it was Stanford’s gain for sure. Without more specific info about your friends’ dd’s actual numbers, it’s hard to offer much specific advice. However, it is worth pointing out that even if she is in range for those schools based on her objective stats, that isn’t enough for those types of schools. I’m sure you know this. I’m also sure you know how hard it is to convince people of this.

https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/06/03/stanford-plans-to-house-half-of-undergrads-on-campus-per-quarter-next-school-year/ Stanford’s plans. 50% of students on campus at a time utilizing the summer quarter. Sounds like many classes will still be online. I know they are doing their best, but this sounds incredibly complex to execute. I think the best news out of this article is it seems any admitted freshman can take a gap year as long as they notify Stanford by June 15th. I just want to say that I am so sorry for those of you going through this challenging season of uncertainty. I fear there is much hopeful optimism that may not work in application/execution. Honestly, my biggest concern is that students return to campus only to have a resurgence of cases in the fall that necessitates sending them home again. 😞

@regentrude and others who are college and university professors: I am curious as to how faculty are feeling about returning to in-seat instruction in the fall? I have a professor friend who is close to 70 and has high blood pressure. She says she will refuse to return to in-seat classrooms in the fall even if her university opens. I am going to be interested to see what the repercussions of such a stance will be for her. She believes her university MUST allow her to teach online if that is what she wants to do. I’m not sure about that and what legal implications might come into play. Anyway... Are any of you giving thought to how you will personally proceed if your institution makes a choice different from what you feel comfortable with? Also, if you have never taught online before, how have your recent experiences impacted your perception of online instruction, in general? I understand that everyone is focused on their children and their hopes and expectations of the college experience. I’d like to hear what faculty are thinking about their work hopes and expectations going forward.

Congrats! Your senior must have received a likely letter from Stanford! Any idea what the final decision will be?

I understand your frustration. But, looking at it from the perspective of the colleges, they are already contending with a LOT of information from each and every student that has applied. Requesting something that might or might not be needed down the road would only create MORE digital paper. There would also be the potential for confusion as to which letters are for what purposes. Lastly, and I don’t know what types of programs your dd is applying to, the scholarships and/or programs may want a LOR that speaks to something much more specific to the scholarship/program for which she is being considered. As an example, if it is based on leadership, they may want someone who can speak *specifically* to that. Or if it is it for research, civic engagement, club involvement, a certain academic discipline. An overall LOR may not provide the detail they are seeking. But, I am happy to give you the JAWM virtual hug of understanding. It is a protracted process, and it is easy to grow weary. You are almost there!

My type-2 diabetic cousin has had great success with this. I think she uses Dr. Fung’s recommendations? She has been at it since last April, and has has lost about 90 lbs. Her blood sugar is in range now, and her doctor said she would take her off her Metformin if that holds steady at her next check. She does 5-2 fasting plus one other 16 hour fast during the week.

So were mine. I don’t know anyone who does this.

Not everyone has a “choice” about the number of children they have. Not every Boomer has made a “choice” about retirement - many are forced into it because of ageism. Someone else mentioned (I’m not smart enough to do multi-quote) Boomers not stepping up to help with the care of grandchildren. My ds has chosen to live on the opposite coast. To be fair, we moved from where his childhood home was in flyover country, but he was never planning to return there anyway, and we are on now on the opposite coast. He has no SO, so I have to assume I am a long way from grandchildren, but if he makes the choice to stay where he is, I cannot afford to relocate and live in California just to help care for grandchildren. Yep, I’m a Boomer, so I might be a tad defensive. My point is that it isn’t always the Boomers who are making the “choices.”

Is it your son who is wanting to come home often or is it your wanting him to come home often? If it is the former, he will likely find out quickly that he neither wants to come home that often nor has the time to do so. Was this an up and back trip in one day? I agree that is a lot and something I would not do frequently (ever). There are going to be many differences between Baylor and Hendrix. Size, student population, school spirit levels, vibe. What was it about Hendrix that appealed to him? ETA: Our ds attended college 1,800+ miles away. Other than his initial move in (so he could have his digital piano), and getting his car to him junior year, he/we only flew. He came home TG, Christmas, and Spring break his freshman year. After that, he only came home at Christmas. We went to him for two TGs. If you are concerned about distance because of challenges related to the ASD, that needs to be discussed with him.

Thanks for clarifying!

@plansrme - kinda harsh. Alabama offers nice merit money for high stats students. I know of at least one boardie’s kid who had a great experience there who had a wonderful outcome. It was a safety and early acceptance for my ds. He didn’t choose to attend, but it has a lot of redeeming features.

I woke up thinking about this thread! So glad he went and has hopefully had enough stern lectures that he will be more attentive to his health.

She will not change. You can only change how you choose to react to her. Easier said than done, I know. I’m very sorry. Is she expecting that you will ask to come up to meet them? And will she be angry if you don’t initiate making that happen? Definitely sounds like a no-win, manipulative situation. Why are you going to visit her? If you feel compelled to reply, I would reply, “Thanks for letting me know your travel plans. We’ll see you [whenever date].” If your son is 16 (as is indicated in your signature), I wouldn’t try to keep anything from him. My fil was an a$$. Not nearly to the level of your mother, however, and his behaviors were different. When ds was little, I did not say anything disparaging to ds about his grandpa. As ds got older, I quit “protecting” fil. If your son indicates he is hurt by her behavior, support those feelings. “I know, son. I have spent a lifetime of being hurt by her. I wish it were different, but she isn’t going to change.”

You fill up the space you have. We downsized and are in a 935 sq ft condo. I finished up going through the entire place yesterday after starting January 1. Took it at a nice easy pace, yet it still got tiresome. I probably purged 300 “items,” but only a third were things that I could donate. Lots of expired food, spices, medicine, make-up, etc. Everyone needs to find a purging system that works for them, but I am a fan of the “a little bit each day,” approach. Good luck to all!

Swarthmore requires the CSS Profile as well.

Does he understand that gaining acceptance to an unaffordable school is going to force him into a gap year? Was the ED school (was it Vassar??) going to be affordable if he got in? I am confused on whether Dad is willing to contribute at all or only for certain schools or ????

What about the University of Tampa? He seemingly qualifies for a scholarship there (though I couldn’t tell if there was a deadline that has already passed for it). It only requires the FAFSA. Tuition is actually lower than Eckerd to begin with. It’s slightly larger than he wants. Idk what area of the state you are in. I have no idea what it’s like - just throwing something else out there to consider.

Thanks. I was finally able to somehow login yesterday evening. The notification of issues was up there today. Wonder what causes stuff like that to happen??

I can get to their website, their articles, etc. However, I cannot get into the forums. It suggested trying to login again, but that didn’t work either. Thanks!

It might help if you listed schools where she has already applied. Some schools are going to have priority deadlines for scholarships that may have already passed - November 1st or 15th are common. As an example, I found a competitive one at Grove City, but it had a November 11th deadline for applying.