The size of Villanova coupled with the Common Data Set responses Barbara H quoted lead me to believe that a visit right now will not affect the undergraduate admissions process at all. What I would consider doing is updating an essay to reflect the evolution of your dd's thinking. Try to get it to an admissions person who will update her file. If your dd is still in "the mix" of those being considered for admission, perhaps it will provide a boost to her application. This is the economical "it couldn't hurt to try", and your dd is strengthening her application rather than spending her parents' money :-). I wouldn't discourage a visit to campus, though. Your dd's view of its fit might change after she actually spends some time there. Beth

I served for 14 years as a trustee of a small public university with a low graduation rate. All of the other posters have raised very good points, and they are all things you should look into. I will add the number one reason that our graduation rate was low: we served an extremely high percentage of first generation college students, and well more than half of our student population came from homes who had a $0 Estimated Family Contribution from the FAFSA. Students who are on the edge with family support--both financial and cultural/emotional, often have problems persisting in higher ed. It doesn't mean they will never graduate, nor does it mean they somehow "bring down" the quality of the school's offerings. Their path may look very different from the traditional "go away to school for four years and graduate" kind of path. If your school's student body resembles the university I served, look into the supports that are in place for keeping these kids in school. A school should be addressing the special needs of this group through residence life, student affairs, wellness services and academic counseling that does not take a "sink or swim" approach. Also check into honors programming so that a motivated student can find a like-minded cohort. If these supports are in place (plus all of the other issues have checked out), I would not let the graduation rate stop me from attending. A good student can really run with the opportunities that a school like this affords. Being a leader on campus can be an invaluable experience for the right student.

OMG! Your daughter and that puppy are sweet, adorable overload! Those photos are perfect in every way!

Congratulations!!!!!! :hurray: :thumbup1: :thumbup: :lol: :biggrinjester: :party: :D :cheers2: Terrific news! Beth

I agree. It is scary to do this the first time, but you'll be able to arm your dc with an itinerary, pre-paid shuttle reservation, loaded debit card, etc. I have one dd doing this right now, and I received a funny call yesterday when she was looking for the airport shuttle desk in Houston. She called to ask me where it was? :confused1: No idea. Never been there! She figured it out. :coolgleamA: We also did not visit the distant or inconvenient colleges until dd's had already applied. Too much $$ for that early in the decision making process. In the early high school years, we only visited schools that were close, on our way to somewhere else, and/ or inexpensive to visit. These schools served to give dd's a basis for comparison when they were seriously looking at schools during their senior year.

I am having my kitchen redone, and I will have a mix. My glass will be seeded to help hide what is behind it.

I am a program manager for a non-profit that resettles refugees--formerly a corporate attorney. Passion. My thoughts: Know where the salary would come from and how much it would be. At my agency, you probably would make around $27,000-$30,000. Better salaries go with larger non-profits. Also, if the position is tied in any way to grant funds or government contracts, expect to lose your job when priorities change. Would you be joining and existing capital group or starting your own? Many of the micro-lending groups I've seen are started by social entrepreneurs. That means hard work, low pay, and risk. Be realistic about the average work week. Mine is similar to my life as a big firm corporate lawyer--just for anfraction of the salary. I love my job, though. Hard work, but very rewarding!

And if you're like me, Spamalot! (perhaps not so family friendly--I'm fuzzy on recalling the details)

Mozart's Bakery Cafe, Columbus, OH This restaurant is also open for dinner, but the "breakfast/lunch only" concept is very popular here in OH. If you found that people still wanted bakery items after the kitchen closed, would you be able to keep just the bakery open longer?

One of my favorites is when they show a picture of the stone columned entrance to the school and photo shop your dc's name in the stone as though it's been carved there! I don't think this strategy is completely new, we've been seeing these marketing ploys at least since oldest dd searched for colleges 5 years ago.

Breathe in, breathe out.........I'm sorry about the big school merit scholarship :sad: . This mix of merit aid, music acceptance, and academic acceptance is so tricky, and it's rare to get everything you hope for (at least it has been that way for us). Don't pressure yourself by thinking that every piece of the puzzle has to be in place in order for things to work out. You will just feel more anxiety, and your dd will feel like she's not measuring up. It's all going to be ok. A path will present itself--perhaps not perfectly, but well enough. And well enough will still give your dd a chance to soar. What performance area is your dd auditioning for? Does she have more auditions after this weekend? One benefit to this pressure cooker is that your dd will really crystallize her priorities before this is all over. Music vs. Academics vs. Affordability. She will own her decision in a way that many kids never do. I know that's small consolation in the midst of watching your beautiful child be judged at every turn--often on subjective criteria! I also understand how emotional it is to think about your dd going off to school. That will be ok, too. Different, but ok. We moms can grow right along with them, and then they can become our cheerleaders. It's a really cool process that I have loved sharing with my dd's. Remember that there is no one "be all and end all" school or program for any degree--even performing arts. If you can believe that yourself, you may be able to smooth out some of the peaks and valleys of the rollercoaster. Try to keep that objective knowledge in mind so that you can be the rock for your daughter and not get swept into the tide of her disappointments. (Believe me, I realize that these words are much easier said than done!) One other thing that seems to help us is not to talk about college/auditions, rather to keep conversation fairly superficial during this time. We also don't compare notes with others who are auditioning right now (except dd#3 can't avoid it because she's with those kids daily.) I also find that talking to other moms of auditioning kids really fuels my anxiety. I always let the posturing psych me out. Just keep swimming. Your dd will share this experience with every other music student she meets. Sort of an initiation :scared: . Beth

Hi Elise, I'm sorry for being so slow to weigh in on this thread, but I just wanted to tell you and dd congratulations on a great first audition/interview and to send good vibes your way for the remaining ones!!! :hurray: I also saw your post on the Chat board about everything going on causing you some sleeplessness, and I just wanted to tell you to hang in there! This year is my 3rd go around with the audition process, and there is no question about it, it's tough on everyone! My only words of wisdom are that these things tend to work themselves out for the best, even if the results don't seem happy at the time. I've lived through months with a very disheartened senior who got waitlisted at the program of her choice, only to have her thrive at the school where she ended up. I believe that God's vision is certainly much clearer than mine :) . In short, all of your worry on behalf of dd won't change the outcome--you'll just wear yourself out. Have fun at big state university this weekend! I would offer a "break a leg", but since I literally broke a leg last week, I'll never use that phrase again. Ouch! Beth

Joanne, I am so very sorry that you have been dealt such a difficult hand. I have watched you handle it in such an emotionally healthy way, and I appreciate your sharing the journey so that we could also learn from it. My prayers are with you and yours.

I bought my Oscillo just in case the flu appears in our home, but for colds I've used zinc successfully for years. It's much cheaper. My preferred form is the Zicam cheek spray, and I start using it at the first sign of sniffles and sneezes. As others have said about Oscillo, I use it for all viruses--I figure that it can't hurt, and any immune boosting should be beneficial, right?

Every church in the United States should have at least two adults present whenever youth outings are planned in order to protect both the kids and the youth pastor/church. One false accusation, and his life could be changed forever. Being alone with minors is a tremendous risk to the adult.

Dd is auditioning, so we didn't visit any before she auditioned unless she was going to take a trial lesson with a teacher. We'll do it all at once. In the past we have done some as offshoots of family trips, some in advance, and others once we receive acceptances. It's a cost/benefit analysis. Like Jane says, though, visiting is critical.

On the change in administration issue, see if the Board hired the President after a national search (even if the new President was an internal candidate). I recently went through this process as a trustee of a public university, and it was very reassuring. In a typical search, there will be many people who weigh in on the process, and our result was excellent. I even represented a school without a great deal of economic buying power ;) Also read the President's bio. He or she will have built a network of professional colleagues from which (s)he may choose the cabinet. Also, it isn't necessarily better that a President has held that position previously. Sometimes experienced, but new blood, is the best fit. Mostly, I wouldn't worry about it. As others have said, it's very common to have a lot of change after a presidential leaves.

Try MyYogaOnline: $9.95 per month unlimited streaming. I just signed up, because I liked that the videos were all different types and lengths. (Some are 10 minute quick videos). You can cancel at any time. Despite the sound of this post, I have no affiliation with the yoga site. I'm an absolute beginner (and an old one, to boot!) :rofl: Beth

I completely agree. Particularly for a regional audition--it's the young ones who are willing to travel :001_cool: As for dress, I can't speak to what these particular individuals were wearing, but I know that my view of "appropriate" has loosened up a lot since we began the college process five years ago. Even my view of "office professional" has evolved since re-joining the workforce. The range of acceptable women's dress clothes are is much broader, and generally less conservative than it was when I practiced law 25 years ago.

The expo is at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, which is just off I-71. Dublin would not be an easy drive, but the Worthington hotels at Rt.23/Crosswoods and I-71/Polaris Parkway are safe and fairly close. Do not stay off of I-71 any closer than 270 to the north and downtown business hotels to the south. While that corridor certainly has some safe places, you need to know what you're doing with regard to hotels. In particular, some of the Dublin-Granville/I-71 hotels have been the site of drug trade in recent years, with several killings occurring. Likewise, avoid Morse Rd (my office is there)--it's fine during the day, but the hotels would not be a place to stay with your dd. Campus area hotels in the High Street area would also be fine; those that are on Olentangy River Road will have a difficult crosstown drive to get to I-71. Edited to add: Take a look at this Worthington Holiday Inn: It's around $100 per night. The residential neighborhood is great with easy and close freeway access. (Panera Bread and Kroger across the street). I know the property well from the outside, and it looks well maintained (have never seen the rooms--I leave that up to you!). It is an older hotel and a bit off the beaten path, so I suspect that affects the price. Have fun!

Dd #3 has applied to 7 schools as a dual degree applicant. For the conservatories, that's two wholly separate applications to different schools--one academic and one music. She has passed her pre-screen auditions at all of the music schools so far (still waiting on one), so she will be doing college auditions every weekend from mid-January until the end of February. She won't really have any final information about the acceptances until the end of March. While she has some wonderful potential opportunities, it is very painful to wait until the very end to know anything! 2 are safety schools, 1 is middle, the rest are reach. We could end up with a strange mix of academic but not music acceptances, and vice versa. Who knows!

We just watched this last night. I had a hard time imagining her with a career in engineering. :bored:

We are in the midst of replacing our counters, and I, too, love the look and idea of soapstone. My countertop company told me that they will only sell it without warranty and with liability waivers. Apparently, it cracks easily, and sometimes even does so before installation. This advice was contrary to what I had been reading, but I'm not willing to buy without warranty, so I won't be using it. Ask some real-life contractors and see what they say. It is beautiful, though.

Five enthusiastic thumbs up here. Film buffs in the family were able to nitpick, but they loved it nonetheless. (We love the book and the stage show, too). I thought the movie did an admirable job of capturing some of the depth of the book. Huzzah!

I suffer from this type of mouth sore pretty frequently. This Orajel Hydrogen Peroxide rinse takes the pain away very quickly, and the whole thing heals within a couple of days. It's the only thing I've ever found that works, and I've tried a lot of remedies.