Teachin'Mine Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 For all of those who have been there and done that and for all of those who are currently here and doing something ... what are you doing? I might need to clarify a bit. So the applications have been sent and you're waiting on results. Final results may not be until sometime in April, and the decision needs to be made by May 1st, and that's not a whole lot of time. If you've managed to endure this waiting and found something which helped to make the decision making easier, or if in hindsight you wish you had done something, what was that something? If you're the mom of a senior, what are you doing during this time? :bigear: :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I am a mom of a senior. I am very glad that applications are done, and I hope that DD's interviews this past weekend were the last ones (she had five total), so that we can go back to regular scheduled programming and concentrate on schoolwork. The new college semester begins tomorrow, for the entire family (parents teaching, kids studying). We are actively discouraging DD from speculating how she would choose before she has all information available. I can not think of anything that we could do now before we have acceptances in hand, since there are way too many variables and the chances of being admitted to most of the schools from which DD does not yet have decisions are so small. There is, however, still some work to do with respect to financial aid. Several schools have financial aid deadlines coming up. We did the FASFA, we have to update the CSS profile, and DD has to write a few scholarship applications in the coming weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 If you're the mom of a senior, what are you doing during this time? We're getting on with life as usual, with an undercurrent of waiting and expectation. ;) DH has done the FASFA, and has the CSS profile ready to go once we get a couple of tax documents. We may ask DS if he wants to take a few Saturdays or Sundays and visit his top three schools again, just to casually walk around each campus and visit the area. They're all within a three hour drive, so we could make a day trip to each of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 All of my son's applications are done. However, he still has work to do on some scholarship applications and prep and scheduling and, ultimately, travelling to do for program and scholarship auditions. So, he (we) will continue to be busy through sometime in early March. I've spent most of today updating and reformatting his performance resume so that it will be ready for the scholarship auditions he has coming up in a couple of weeks. At the moment, I'm finding audio for his two audition songs to put on my phone so he can listen to them/practice in the car. Tomorrow, we need to buckle down and finish the applications for two big scholarships, one school-specific and one corporate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I am eating a lot of chocolate. And drinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 :lol: So to sum up what we have so far ... Not a clue Be glad applications are done Get back to schoolwork Do college interviews Discourage speculation regarding choices Do FAFSA and CSS Apply for scholarships Get on with life Wait with expectation Visit schools Prepare for scholarship auditions Update resume Eat lots of chocolate Drink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbeth Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Dd decided pretty early on where she wanted to go. We had their admission decision in July as I recall and knew her guaranteed institutional scholarships. What we've done since: 1)Work on non-institutional scholarships. I wouldn't generally recommend spending lots of time on this BUT we happen to have a couple of very generous local foundations that awards a ton to students in our community. The apps. are extensive, but it is highly likely dd can pull about 20k extra in (5k for 4 years) so it's been worth it. Dd's chosen school does allow you to "stack", so she will be able to keep any private ones. 2)Apply for a couple niche honors programs/fellowships at her chosen school. Investigate other extra-curric. options. 3)Choose housing/network for roomates as her school allows you to pick your own. 4)Work on getting ready for rush (my least favorite item on the list). Work on sorority rec packets and attempt to locate alums willing to write recs. This has been a HUGE time suck and since I'm not personally totally won over on her idea of rushing, so it's been draining. 5)Help her to finish strong. She's got an extremely challenging dual-enrollment year, so just generally offering support for her academics. 6)Finish up FAFSA 7)Drink wine and be in total denial that she will be 5ish hours from home next year. :( I'm sporadically successful at this one, then out of the blue it hits again like a ton of bricks. Next steps: Lots more #7, 8) Help her write a val/sal speech (we home school but use an umbrella which does graduation and it was confirmed last week she'll be either val. or sal.) 9)Figure out how to house the up-teen out of town houseguests that will converge on us in May Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 At this time last year dd was working madly on several scholarship essays. You can help by creating a chart showing due dates for scholarships and other things like housing deposits, etc. so you have a roadmap to follow. It was also fun hunting around online for some of the things needed for her dorm room and getting a few items in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Dd is 1) working on a scholarship application 2) polishing pieces for her remaining audition and a competition 3) starting to think about her senior recital (we have a place reserved but nothing else done) 4) doing some schoolwork 5) enjoying life -- the applications are DONE! And as for me -- 1) I am in the wine and chocolate crowd. 2) I am trying really hard NOT to be envious of all of the lovely acceptances I am hearing about, both here and IRL. With our approval, she did make the decision not to apply to any schools that would give her an answer before Christmas, so the wait isn't a surprise! 3) I'm planning summer vacations! 4) I am treasuring every moment with dd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 For all of those who have been there and done that and for all of those who are currently here and doing something ... what are you doing? Yes, chocolate was big here! When my daughter was a senior, she also made some college trips between January and April 1. She attended an invitation only scholarship weekend at one college. She also flew cross country to visit another college where she was being considered for a scholarship and then took Amtrak to visit the college she ultimately attended. It was her third visit to that last college but the first while classes were in session. She spent the night with the daughter of a woman I'd met online through a now defunct high school to college forum since the college was not offering overnight accommodations to prospective students at that time (late March). Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 She spent the night with the daughter of a woman I'd met online through a now defunct high school to college forum since the college was not offering overnight accommodations to prospective students at that time (late March). I had totally forgotten about that forum, though I keep up with a gal I met there whose son went to my dd's college. That was a great forum - small but powerful :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 For all of those who have been there and done that and for all of those who are currently here and doing something ... what are you doing? I might need to clarify a bit. So the applications have been sent and you're waiting on results. Final results may not be until sometime in April, and the decision needs to be made by May 1st, and that's not a whole lot of time. If you've managed to endure this waiting and found something which helped to make the decision making easier, or if in hindsight you wish you had done something, what was that something? If you're the mom of a senior, what are you doing during this time? :bigear: :lurk5: Just an FYI - most schools will release decisions BEFORE April 1. This is the time to hunker down on school work, enjoy your student's last semester as a high school student, go on long walks together, read good books together - IOW anything and everything to keep your minds off the fact you won't hear anything for two more months ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Well, dd was working on a near space weather balloon project and a rather stout end of year paper. So, we kept academics going at the fore front. She had her equestrian lessons, and volunteer work as well, and I was fortunate enough to be homeschooling three younger boys, and working as a 4-H leader. I tried to keep a lot of projects at hand from mentoring 4-H kids, to quilting, to working with a couch surfer (as Nan and I refer to the fledgling teens who have spent time at our homes getting some much needed emotional help, as well as assistance pulling their lives together), etc. It flew by because we were so busy, and I promised myself that I every time I started to get antsy, I'd find something to do and not dwell on it. The time does go fast if you can keep yourself busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 The universities here have until May to respond, but Calvin has heard from four of his five already. He has conditional offers in hand, but now he has to work hard to pass the exams to fulfil them. So somehow I need to encourage/facilitate his working really hard without nagging him every minute of the day. Chocolate and Gin and Tonics sound like the only way. I'd walk, but my ankle is messed up. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Love your sig, Laura. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 So somehow I need to encourage/facilitate his working really hard without nagging him every minute of the day. :lol: My oldest is a junior this year but this perfectly sums up how I feel about looming college related issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.