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What is the final decision?


Blue Hen
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The decision is Chatham. Based on scholarships and they have a wonderful Creative Writing program, which is what dd wants to major in. She can finish in five years if picked for it .

 

 

Yay for newbie and daughter! I used to live near Chatham in my grad school days. Not only is it a wonderful school, it's in a great area of Pittsburgh for students. I wish her well there in her creative writing program. Meanwhile, good luck with the portfolio. Summer will go by all too quickly and we will miss these days come autumn despite the craziness now.:)

 

OK, we've ended up changing our plan. DD is going to skip the community college year and go straight on to art school.

 

Wow, that sure is a huge change for your daughter; it sounds so exciting for her! And I certainly understand the extra "fun" of a husband's job change in the midst of college applications. It sounds like you all have found the optimal solution! Good luck to her tomorrow on her summer job interview - what a fun way to spend the summer and earn $$ at the same time. I'm still driving my senior daughter around, too (we will get to that driver's test soon!)

 

 

And the decision is...The College of Wooster.

 

Dear Jane, hugs to you and your son on reaching the big decision. What a wonderful choice!! Senior project work, great food, card playing, archaeology, and bagpipes! What's not to like? And more seriously, congratulations on the merit aid award. Best of luck to him next year!

 

 

He is now focusing on AP exams and finding summer employment.

 

Good luck to him! We're right there with you...

 

What a wild ride we have had this year!

 

You can say that again! Now we need to start planning a support group for the fall.:)

 

~Kathy

Edited by Kathy in Richmond
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And the decision is...The College of Wooster.

My son plans on majoring in archaeology (an unusual major that is not offered by many colleges).

 

Jane

 

You must be relieved and proud. :D

 

A young man from our church graduated from Cornell Univ. in archaeology and is now attending Yale for his PHD.

 

I'm just beginning the process and it's scary (the prices). My ds so far likes physical therapy but there are no longer BS or MS degrees offered. It's Doctorate in PT or PTA (assoc.) - nothing in between - ugh!

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It feels good to have those decisions made, doesn't it?

 

Good luck to all those still pondering and a special prayer for any waitlisted out there.

 

Like others, dd is working on AP test prep. Good health to all.

 

~Moira who feels like it was an age since dd made *her* choice -- way back in March.

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You must be relieved and proud. :D

 

A young man from our church graduated from Cornell Univ. in archaeology and is now attending Yale for his PHD.

 

I'm just beginning the process and it's scary (the prices). My ds so far likes physical therapy but there are no longer BS or MS degrees offered. It's Doctorate in PT or PTA (assoc.) - nothing in between - ugh!

 

Thank you--I am both!

 

How does this work with PT? Do students first earn a BS in another field then attend PT school? Is it like applying to med school?

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Thank you--I am both!

 

How does this work with PT? Do students first earn a BS in another field then attend PT school? Is it like applying to med school?

 

Both options are available. Some schools state once accepted into the program you're in (if you keep a 3.0) and matriculate into the doctorate program (BU, Northeastern). Others you apply to later after you've earned your BS (UConn, MGH); and still others you apply to in soph. or jr years for early acceptance (UMASS Lowell). Some are 6 years; others are 7 years for a DPT.

 

I've been looking today at OT. That has a 5 year MS degree.

 

I don't understand WHY PTs need a doctorate.

 

The programs are very competitive for PT but like anything it depends on how many are applying that year. Most PT programs only accept about 30 students/yr.

 

I don't know anything about applying to med. school so I can't compare.

 

We have a couple of years to figure it out. My neice is a PT (MS) and ds went to work with her. He liked the job.

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I live by Knox. If you come for a visit please let me know. I used to work there and know a lot of the faculty and staff. If you have any questions I can try to answer them for you.

 

:willy_nilly:

 

We just got home! I didn't have internet access on the trip, so I didn't get your note here, or your PM. Wowie, we could have used a little help with navigating that trip. Total culture shock for us.

 

It's likely that my son will end up there, so I will definitely keep in touch. Thank you so much for your kind offer.

 

We asked for, and received, an extension on the May 1 deadline, because we are still negotiating with the first choice school, Lawrence. But honestly, I think E would be quite happy at Knox. The programs are excellent. The only downsides are the food (most vile I have encountered, probably ever) and the dorms, which are fine but a little crowded.

 

Thanks again!

 

Nicole

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:willy_nilly:

 

We just got home! I didn't have internet access on the trip, so I didn't get your note here, or your PM. Wowie, we could have used a little help with navigating that trip. Total culture shock for us.

 

It's likely that my son will end up there, so I will definitely keep in touch. Thank you so much for your kind offer.

 

We asked for, and received, an extension on the May 1 deadline, because we are still negotiating with the first choice school, Lawrence. But honestly, I think E would be quite happy at Knox. The programs are excellent. The only downsides are the food (most vile I have encountered, probably ever) and the dorms, which are fine but a little crowded.

 

Thanks again!

 

Nicole

 

Extension? Oh Nicole, I came here assuming that I'd find The Decision. :toetap05:

 

You are made of tougher stuff than I. Extension?!?!?

 

Jane (who assumes that your nerves are frayed)

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I was about to PM you and see how the whirlwind trip went.

 

Sorry about the food--we're already figuring out some workarounds for dd to supplement the caf. It's pretty tough when a kid is used to much healthier fare.

 

Sending up prayers as you all finish out negotiations.

 

{{Nicole and family}}

 

Val

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:willy_nilly:

 

We just got home! I didn't have internet access on the trip, so I didn't get your note here, or your PM. Wowie, we could have used a little help with navigating that trip. Total culture shock for us.

 

It's likely that my son will end up there, so I will definitely keep in touch. Thank you so much for your kind offer.

 

We asked for, and received, an extension on the May 1 deadline, because we are still negotiating with the first choice school, Lawrence. But honestly, I think E would be quite happy at Knox. The programs are excellent. The only downsides are the food (most vile I have encountered, probably ever) and the dorms, which are fine but a little crowded.

 

Thanks again!

 

Nicole

 

Aw, I'm sorry I missed you. If you have any questions or need anything please let me know.

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I was about to PM you and see how the whirlwind trip went.

 

Sorry about the food--we're already figuring out some workarounds for dd to supplement the caf. It's pretty tough when a kid is used to much healthier fare.

 

Sending up prayers as you all finish out negotiations.

 

{{Nicole and family}}

 

Val

 

Workarounds? Do tell.

 

We had a long talk with an Environmental Studies prof who was really amazing. He's working on setting up a CSA to the downtown area, and has lots of energy and good ideas. We hadn't eaten in the cafeteria yet when we spoke to him, so I didn't ask whether there was any interest in working with local farmers on that front. My son is allergic to eggs, and I didn't realize how easy it is here in the northwest to rustle up grub for him. Almost everywhere you turn you can find vegan baked goods, and folks in food service here are accustomed to being asked about ingredients. That was not so much the case in Galesburg.

 

Before this trip, it also did not occur to me that there would be campuses in the United States that served swill, thinking it was "coffee." I did not realize what a coffee snob I am. Humbling.

 

Thanks for your kind words. I will be thinking about this workaround thing.

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After a month of considering her choices carefully, my daughter has chosen to attend Stanford University in the fall as a mathematics major. Yay for decisions!

 

It came down to choosing between MIT, Princeton, and Stanford. These schools offered her the best financial aid packages and were her top personal choices anyway. Chicago and William & Mary both would have required a lot more $$ than we cared to spend (no non-loan aid at all offered from W&M, our state school, and pretty poor aid offered from Chicago). Caltech got crossed off the list due to her preferring MIT if it came down to a techy school.

 

Academically, MIT requires a core curriculum of lots of science and lab courses. The more she thought about her interests in Latin, classics, painting & drawing, the more she realized that something would have to give if she chose MIT. It was a hard dream to let go, though, as she'd always pictured herself following her big brother there. It's also the campus that she's visited umpteen times, has the most friends at, and feels totally at home roaming. Their College Preview Weekend was tons of fun for her - I'm not sure she even slept more than a few hours over the three days. She fits in with those kids and enjoys their ideas of fun - ie, she could have a fulfilling social life without the drinking scene, which is terribly important to her.

 

Princeton, on the other hand, offers the academics she's looking for and a way to combine them all. She spent ten days living there last summer and taking part in a learning/research program in their awesome math department. And their Classics, Latin, art departments are all she hoped for. She stayed in the dorms with math friends over Preview Weekend and had a lot of fun. Food, castle-like buildings, a safe community all were positives. But there was something she just couldn't put her finger on that wasn't working for her there. Maybe it was the tour of the Eating Clubs, where we checked out the photo boards of the current members and found that a couple had a real lack of Asians or minorities; or maybe it was the accepted students' party we attended in Richmond, where the older alumni warned her against MIT or Stanford (as in, "don't go there, you'd have to work hard" - not that we think Princeton is a cake walk by any means; it was just something in their tone). One other thing that disturbed her a bit was that when she attended the Catholic students' events during the weekend (and she went to a couple to give it a fair shot), the Princeton boys surrounded her and made her feel uncomfortable (I was with her one of the times and it wasn't her imagination:tongue_smilie:).

 

So by now we feel like we're living the story of the three little bears: this school is too hot, this one is too cold,...hopefully the next one will be just right...;)

 

Since Stanford was a last-minute addition to dd's college list and the school we know the least about, we decided on a five-day visit at the end of April during their Admitted Student weekend. Dd only knows one Stanford student well, and since he's a he, he arranged for dd to stay with two girls in his dorm.

 

Stanford was founded in 1891 as an untraditional coeducational university whose purpose was to "produce cultured and useful citizens" at a time when the East Coast elite schools were interested primarily in the former. All weekend long, speakers told the kids and parents that they were selected not only on the basis of their smarts, but also on their niceness and desire to give back to the world. They want kids who will think outside-the-box and take advantage of opportunities even when it might not feel comfortable to them. My dd had the opportunity to eat lunch with her admissions officer (the same officer reads all the homeschooled applicants). He spoke very highly of homeschoolers! And she thought that it was absolutely neat to finally meet the person at the other end of what often seemed the black hole of application essays.

 

Academically, Stanford has all the pure mathematics her heart desires. She sat in on several classes and found them to her liking. I attended one and was impressed with the students - no one pulled out a laptop or iPhone to surf the internet that I could see during class; instead, they seemed engaged and the teaching was clear. Stanford is on a quarter system and its distribution requirements are flexible enough that my daughter could easily work in Latin or art or even dancing classes (Richard Powers offers wonderful 1-unit social dancing classes; the one I watched was so much fun!).

 

Extracurricular-wise, dd was looking for ways to have fun and socialize without partying and to be part of her faith community and have opportunities to give back to the community. She signed up for info about the tap dance group on campus. Her good friend took her out with his gang to a partner dancing event one evening...a wonderful time for her, and she was relieved to meet lots of students who had that idea of fun on the weekends. They stayed up (too) late talking and playing games, just like she enjoys at summer camps. The Catholic community was large and vibrant, with much going on from Bible studies to retreats to dinners to daily rosary to Mass in Memorial Church (and the boys were nicer!). She even met a fellow homeschooled Catholic girl (with the same first name), and they spent some friendly time together exploring the campus. And she's selected her first volunteer opportunities: a group of kids who go into one of the local city elementary schools and tutor children using Singapore :) math books, and Splash, a group of undergraduates who teach informal classes to local middle and high-school age students a couple times a year.

 

So I think she's found her home. She just clicked with the school and the people. The sunny CA weather, beautiful setting, and excellent food (and her new Jamba Juice addiction) surely didn't hurt, either. It will be far, but she's a good and experienced traveler. Even with the cost of flying back and forth, we will come out ahead financially over her other choices. She will graduate loan-free. (And just a note to others: if you at all think you might qualify for need-based aid, don't rule out schools like Stanford on the basis of their stated costs. Their financial aid is truly wonderful! Also, apply to several schools, as the aid packages they will calculate based on your FAFSA and Profile forms will vary wildly. In our case, the scholarship/grant amounts for similar-cost schools varied up to $18,000 per year!)

 

We will miss having her at home, but it's time to give her wings to fly away. One good thing: her older brother will be interning near Stanford in the fall semester. So if anything happens or she just wants to get away for a day, she can easily visit him.

 

Thanks to all here who offered help and support during our college application adventures. It's been a roller-coaster year and I appreciate everyone who's shared it with us:001_smile:

 

~Kathy

Edited by Kathy in Richmond
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After a month of considering her choices carefully, my daughter has chosen to attend Stanford University in the fall as a mathematics major. Yay for decisions!

 

~Kathy

 

Congrats to you and your daughter, Kathy! Stanford is a great school and Palo Alto is gorgeous. One of my good friends attended grad school at Stanford. He really appreciated the Catholic community and the support he found there (although this was a looooong time ago).

 

So what is on your horizon for the fall? Inquiring minds wonder what Kathy's next adventure shall be!

 

Jane

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..my daughter has chosen to attend Stanford University in the fall as a mathematics major. Yay for decisions!...

 

Yay indeed! It sounds as though she has made a well thought out decision. Best wishes to her.

 

 

(And just a note to others: if you at all think you might qualify for need-based aid, don't rule out schools like Stanford on the basis of their stated costs. Their financial aid is truly wonderful! Also, apply to several schools, as the aid packages they will calculate based on your FAFSA and Profile forms will vary wildly. In our case, the scholarship/grant amounts for similar-cost schools varied up to $18,000 per year!)

 

I second this suggestion to apply widely. My daughter's financial aid packages also varied tremendously (in her case on the order of $10,000 per year.)

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Congratulations to you, Kathy, and to your dd on Stanford! It sounds like a wonderful fit for her--yay, indeed! Ds would have really liked to apply there, but somehow CA ended up seeming just too far for him. I'm so happy to hear your dd was able to connect with such a vibrant faith-based group as well, which will provide wonderful support. We're with you in that our dc will also be looking for ways to socialize and have fun without the partying. We're hoping ds can get involved with a strong Christian group at CMU.

 

And congratulations Jane on your ds's decision. I know nothing about College of Wooster, but again it sounds like a great fit!

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And... Opportunity Knox: E answers! He wrote his deposit check today. I'm proud and happy and slightly nauseous.

 

Nicole, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you on this. I'm in progress on it. I'll PM you when some of the ideas (and sources) come to fruition.

 

Val

 

No problem! We have several months to work that out, eh? :D Galesburg may have seemed like a foreign country, but they do have postal service to carry care packages, and they have a living, breathing Well Trained Mom, to boot! (I'm still giggling about the fact that the truly wonderful folks in the Admission Office sent us to a restaurant that specializes in quiches and crepes when we asked for a recommendation for a boy who is allergic to eggs. Is that bad of me?)

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And... Opportunity Knox: E answers! Cute!

 

I'm still giggling about the fact that the truly wonderful folks in the Admission Office sent us to a restaurant that specializes in quiches and crepes when we asked for a recommendation for a boy who is allergic to eggs. Is that bad of me?) Remarkable, isn't it!

 

You mentioned care packages...I'm thinking it may come to some of that, and some drop-shipping, and a 'stock up' run or two when possible...we have several concerns, but all are much easier than being allergic to eggs! Gracious!

 

Congrats to you and to him!

 

Drumroll, please....

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

My daughter's college and your son's have the same COLORS!

 

 

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Are we the last to post a final decision? ::big sigh and relief::

 

Ds will be going to Florida State University. He was accepted into the Honors Medical Scholar Program, which allows him to do undergrad in 3 years and then go into the College of Medicine. He is excited beyond belief and we are praising the Lord for this opportunity. Between state and university scholarships, his undergrad will be debt-free.

 

Ds has long wanted to pursue medical missions, and 2 months in Cameroon last summer really gave him vision. He returned a mature young man with purpose. He has already completed a bit more than a year, dual-enrolled at two state universities.

 

I remain so humbled from our year and watching as the Lord worked in and through ds, while I played a lesser and lesser role.

 

Kathy and Nicole -- wonderful news on both fronts! I stand amazed at the talent and hard work of our students. It has been so exciting to see the decisions and it's a thread that should be tagged for younger families that need a good dose of faith in their decision to home educate.

 

Lisa

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Congrats to you both, and what a wonderful direction! :w00t: My good friend here in DFW has a dd who is 3 years (+/-) into med school, did her undergrad at Rice; she wants to go back to P*k*st*n as an OB. Such need! The dd says that scrubs aren't that different from a shalwar-kameez. :lol: (spelling is certainly off on that, sorry!)

 

Congrats to him, and a big hug for mom! Amazing!

 

 

Ds will be going to Florida State University. He was accepted into the Honors Medical Scholar Program, which allows him to do undergrad in 3 years

 

Ds has long wanted to pursue medical missions,

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Congratulations to all of you! What wonderful examples you and your students are. I'm following this with interest because I'll have a senior next year, a year off, then another senior, followed by another the next year. Although I have already graduated one, I find that each son is so different...

 

I'll be looking at Wooster because it sounds like a place where ds#3 might find a niche. Ds#2 still doesn't know what he wants to do (except graduate) and has no compassion for my stress about it:tongue_smilie:

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Congratulations to all of you! What wonderful examples you and your students are. I'm following this with interest because I'll have a senior next year, a year off, then another senior, followed by another the next year. Although I have already graduated one, I find that each son is so different...

 

I'll be looking at Wooster because it sounds like a place where ds#3 might find a niche. Ds#2 still doesn't know what he wants to do (except graduate) and has no compassion for my stress about it:tongue_smilie:

 

Congrats to Nicole, Lisa and their children! Incredible opportunities!

 

Cynthia, I'll keep you posted on Wooster and how things enfold for my dear one.

 

Jane

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I'm following this with interest because I'll have a senior next year, a year off, then another senior, followed by another the next year. Although I have already graduated one, I find that each son is so different...

 

I feel your pain Cynthia! I feel like a mother bird watching her fledglings perched on a limb, jumping off one after the other.

 

Lisa

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Congrats to him, and a big hug for mom! Amazing!

 

Thanks so much. I wanted to post after he received the phone call and e-mail, but held out for the letter! One of my first reactions was huge relief that someone else would be guidance counseling him from now on! :D

 

Lisa

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someone else would be guidance counseling him from now on! :D

 

Lisa

Won't that be nice!?!?!

 

:iagree: Although, being the overachiever that I am, I worked dd through both the degree plans and had her pick out a schedule that would work three or four different ways, since I wasn't really sure how the advising would go during her registration two weeks ago. If she were simply majoring in one thing and honors minoring, I would have relaxed a bit, but she wants to double major (at least for now), but by definition the honors minor is a second minor, and, she's a freshman trying to register for sophomore level art classes--not straightforward at all.

 

Her advisors were excellent; I shouldn't have worried. She has a schedule that has all 8 or 8:30 classes, which she doesn't mind, but she's gonna have to remember to go to bed! :toetap05: She may learn not to do that (early classes) the second semester, since so much planned fun goes on late at night!

 

 

Congrats again!

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One of my first reactions was huge relief that someone else would be guidance counseling him from now on! :D

 

Lisa

 

I agree with Valerie and would urge a little caution here. At my son's school, the freshman have mandatory meetings once/semester with their adviser in groups of about 20 kids. If your situation is typical and you don't come in with many transfer or AP credits, this is probably fine, but my son had to request a separate one-on-one meeting with the adviser to discuss some issues with transfer credits. He also had to take the initiative to seek out the special adviser that deals with H & SS courses, as he had some transfer courses worth 3 credits, while the same courses at his new college are 4 credits. Given what we're paying for his education now, I intend to keep an eye on what he registers for each term.

 

I also had a situation when I was a naive freshman at college where an adviser told me to take a course that ended up being useless towards my degree. I had some transfer credits, so this did not turn into more time or money at college, but if I didn't have those credits, it could have. I also had a friend in college who had to do an extra semester because he ended up one course short towards his major. If an adviser had helped him realize that, he could have taken an extra course one semester or over the summer and graduated on time.

 

Brenda

Edited by Brenda in MA
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I would just like to post a big CONGRATULATIONS to all of you!:hurray:

 

It has been exciting and encouraging to follow this thread and this community of homeschoolers.

 

I'm still 2 years away from my first one graduating but you are all such an inspiration.

 

I rejoice with all of you.:party:

 

Blessings,

Maury:grouphug:

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And... Opportunity Knox: E answers! He wrote his deposit check today. I'm proud and happy and slightly nauseous.

 

 

 

No problem! We have several months to work that out, eh? :D Galesburg may have seemed like a foreign country, but they do have postal service to carry care packages, and they have a living, breathing Well Trained Mom, to boot! (I'm still giggling about the fact that the truly wonderful folks in the Admission Office sent us to a restaurant that specializes in quiches and crepes when we asked for a recommendation for a boy who is allergic to eggs. Is that bad of me?)

 

:party: We are so doing the happy dance for your awesome son. He will make the most of the situation because that is the type of young man he is. :grouphug: You and E have done it! Congratulations.

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