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The 2017 Acceptance Thread

The Girls' Mom

By The Girls' Mom,
in The College Board

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Sebastian (a lady)

Sebastian (a lady)

Posted
Posted

Exactly! This is much of what I was trying, with much less elegance and success, to get at.  

 

Application and scholarship results are unpredictable and often make no logical sense from our side of the action.  I think the kids represented here on the board have some wonderful successes but are not immune from less than positive results.

 

Too often we, the parent educators, take that as a personal hit and reflection on our own success.  Our kids also feel it and wonder what they did wrong.  Together we wonder if homeschooling was a success and how this all reflects on the reputation of homeschoolers in general.  We, parents and kids, together have a huge personal investment in the educational process and the results it produces.  For those of us with multiple kids we repeat this process over again with each child.  With each new experience comes new celebrations and new frustrations as unique as the individuals involved.  As Sebastian pointed out, those thick and thin envelops are not a statement on your worth as a human being or a predictor of what your life will become down the road.  

 

As kids make exciting choices this month and get ready to head off to colleges, jobs, internships, and other opportunities we should be celebrating the commencement of the next phase of their lives and proud of how we've prepared them to face the challenges ahead.

 

The college application process is fraught with frustrations; some based on acceptance rates, some based on scholarship results, and some based on finding the best financial path forward.  There is elation and disappointment.  It is important to remember there will be both.

 

I'm jumping back on the college crazy train later this month with my son-a totally different set of goals, academic and career plans, and desires than the first kid I helped through the process.  Time to review transcripts, write new course descriptions, gather financial info, research schools and scholarships. We will have challenges, good news and bad news, and some tense moments in the next year. At the end he will have a plan forward for the future and at this point I can't tell what that will be but he'll have one.

 

In the meantime, congratulations to the WTMBoards Class of 2017 and their families-such amazing opportunities lie ahead!  You all have so very much to be proud of and celebrate looking at these lists.

  :party:

 

I thought your post was quite eloquent.  And I really appreciated it.  

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quark
quark

DS was accepted to UC Berkeley (early announcement) and invited to apply for the Regents scholarship.   I wanted very much for this announcement to be a prime number post (and reason for post 310).

creekland
creekland

:party: Off Wait-List!  Officially U of Rochester Med School bound this fall!!!  PLENTY of celebrating going on here!!!  :party:   (One had to wonder how a med school could waitlist their own colleg

SabrinainPA
SabrinainPA

Can a member of the forum who rarely posts but has relied on this board for so, so much guidance over the years share an amazing accomplishment? My son was just accepted to his top choice, College of

Ann.without.an.e

Ann.without.an.e

Posted
Posted (edited)

Dd did not get the departmental award at Davidson. It was the scholarship she wanted the most. She would have traded all of her other merit aid offers for this one. It is still a great option for her and she had so much contact with the department over the weekend. Also they named her their honorary recipient, meaning she gets the privileges but not the money. She has so much need aid that the scholarship would have removed work study and that is all. So she still has what she wanted about the scholarship - a writing mentor, first dibs on English classes, etc.

Edited by Attolia
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elfgivas

elfgivas

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dd#3 is Berkeley bound!!!  she loved Cal Day.  

 

the college of chemistry is an amazing place with amazing people, and small enough that she won't get lost in the shuffle.  i can see her there easily.  the college of chemistry is one of the few colleges where you apply with your major declared.  they had a meet and greet friday before CalDay, and we spent two hours speaking with current students, advisors, and the incoming class of 2021.  

 

(someone asked about wait lists; stanford says wait list students will begin to hear the middle of may.  no idea what dd will do if that actually happens.... which is not at all likely... )

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creekland

creekland

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:party: Off Wait-List!  Officially U of Rochester Med School bound this fall!!!  PLENTY of celebrating going on here!!!  :party:

 

(One had to wonder how a med school could waitlist their own college's highest recommended student who ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude AND who got University-wide awards for both Academics and Residential Life... but we won't bother dwelling on it anymore - just a story to tell around the fire later and a WARNING to all to beware of faulty pre-med advising.  PS  The Dr who called him told him he could reapply for MSTP after his first two years of med school if he still wants to - his application is really strong...)

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freesia

freesia

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:party: Off Wait-List!  Officially U of Rochester Med School bound this fall!!!  PLENTY of celebrating going on here!!!  :party:

 

(One had to wonder how a med school could waitlist their own college's highest recommended student who ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude AND who got University-wide awards for both Academics and Residential Life... but we won't bother dwelling on it anymore - just a story to tell around the fire later and a WARNING to all to beware of faulty pre-med advising.  PS  The Dr who called him told him he could reapply for MSTP after his first two years of med school if he still wants to - his application is really strong...)

 

What a wonderful ending to your saga! I am so, so happy for your ds!

 

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Gratia271

Gratia271

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:party: Off Wait-List!  Officially U of Rochester Med School bound this fall!!!  PLENTY of celebrating going on here!!!  :party:

 

(One had to wonder how a med school could waitlist their own college's highest recommended student who ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude AND who got University-wide awards for both Academics and Residential Life... but we won't bother dwelling on it anymore - just a story to tell around the fire later and a WARNING to all to beware of faulty pre-med advising.  PS  The Dr who called him told him he could reapply for MSTP after his first two years of med school if he still wants to - his application is really strong...)

 

Yay!! So happy for all of you!

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creekland

creekland

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Thanks all!  We are all very grateful for whoever/however it worked out.  The lad bought a car today (needed now that he's not going to be living on campus - it's his first car ever) and we went out for a steak dinner.  It's nice to be celebrating with him.

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Bristayl

Bristayl

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:party: Off Wait-List!  Officially U of Rochester Med School bound this fall!!!  PLENTY of celebrating going on here!!!  :party:

 

(One had to wonder how a med school could waitlist their own college's highest recommended student who ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude AND who got University-wide awards for both Academics and Residential Life... but we won't bother dwelling on it anymore - just a story to tell around the fire later and a WARNING to all to beware of faulty pre-med advising.  PS  The Dr who called him told him he could reapply for MSTP after his first two years of med school if he still wants to - his application is really strong...)

 

So relieved and happy for you guys!

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Hoggirl

Hoggirl

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Thanks all! We are all very grateful for whoever/however it worked out. The lad bought a car today (needed now that he's not going to be living on campus - it's his first car ever) and we went out for a steak dinner. It's nice to be celebrating with him.

Well-deserved!!

 

I've been off the boards for a few days on a fun girls' trip and was thrilled to return and see your post that your ds got off the med school waitlist!! Wonderful, wonderful news! Many congrats to all!!

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Ann.without.an.e

Ann.without.an.e

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:party: Off Wait-List!  Officially U of Rochester Med School bound this fall!!!  PLENTY of celebrating going on here!!!  :party:

 

(One had to wonder how a med school could waitlist their own college's highest recommended student who ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude AND who got University-wide awards for both Academics and Residential Life... but we won't bother dwelling on it anymore - just a story to tell around the fire later and a WARNING to all to beware of faulty pre-med advising.  PS  The Dr who called him told him he could reapply for MSTP after his first two years of med school if he still wants to - his application is really strong...)

 

 

 

Creekland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am over-the-top excited for your ds.  I was gut-wrenched and honestly angry about the situation your ds was in and this is awesome, awesome, awesome news.  

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FaithManor

FaithManor

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:party: Off Wait-List!  Officially U of Rochester Med School bound this fall!!!  PLENTY of celebrating going on here!!!  :party:

 

(One had to wonder how a med school could waitlist their own college's highest recommended student who ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude AND who got University-wide awards for both Academics and Residential Life... but we won't bother dwelling on it anymore - just a story to tell around the fire later and a WARNING to all to beware of faulty pre-med advising.  PS  The Dr who called him told him he could reapply for MSTP after his first two years of med school if he still wants to - his application is really strong...)

Do the wave, happy dance across the floor, clink the glasses, and scream for joy!!!

 

:hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:  

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creekland

creekland

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I'm still happy, so thoroughly happy for Creekland and her DS. It's like the world is brighter now that he is going to be doing what he should have been planning on doing months ago.

 

:wub:

 

((Creekland))

 

Thanks. We're heading back to Rochester next week so he can sign a lease and get needed medical stuff (vaccines, titers checked, etc).  He's also getting sized for his white coat.  ;)

 

Me, too! I had been just feeling ill every time I thought about what had happened to him--and it was such a joyous thing to hear the good news! It makes me smile every time I think about it.

 

I kept banging my head about not continuing on with my guidance counselor role too so he could have had better advice.  I've completely skipped the "parental involvement in college" thread because I wish I had been more involved (with that part alone), but also really think students who go to their college advisers regularly (as he did) shouldn't need parental involvement.  A college shouldn't have advisers for things like Pre-Med if those advisers know nothing about their job - no experience in it themselves, nothing.  At least then students would know they're on their own figuring it out instead of believing inaccurate advice from folks they are supposed to be able to trust (by title of their job).

 

It's all a good "life lesson" I suppose, but a very infuriating one.  I still haven't decided if we're going to donate any money to URoc after youngest's college is paid next year.  My guy loved everything else about the school - still does - and we do too, but that incident is just burned into my mind.  I have a year to decide.  Our original plan was to continue donating to all three of my boys' schools after we were done paying college bills in gratitude to the terrific financial aid they have given us making the schools affordable - and our kids have loved their experiences.  I'd like our donations to go toward helping others afford the schools.

 

The med school gave him a small scholarship and a five figure grant toward costs.  He'll still have a ton of loans when he graduates, but not as much of a ton.  Maybe we'll direct our money toward helping him pay off his loans instead - then perhaps donate to the med school.  I'm not sure at this point.  At least I have a year to decide.

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FaithManor

FaithManor

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Creekland, I wish college advising was decently reliable. We have found out that this is SOOOOOOOOO not true! GRRRR...says the mom of a kid who will probably need an extra semester to finish his four year degree, all paid for out of pocket because his scholarship is only for eight semesters, and the college fully admits he had bad, bad, bad advice from two different advisers, but hey...it's a money maker for them so they don't really care!!! 

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creekland

creekland

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Creekland, I wish college advising was decently reliable. We have found out that this is SOOOOOOOOO not true! GRRRR...says the mom of a kid who will probably need an extra semester to finish his four year degree, all paid for out of pocket because his scholarship is only for eight semesters, and the college fully admits he had bad, bad, bad advice from two different advisers, but hey...it's a money maker for them so they don't really care!!! 

 

But it's not a money maker for URoc to keep horrid med school advisers.  When it affects top notch kids like my guy so negatively, it lowers their stats on entrance to med school - a negative for them that one would think they'd want to fix.  Higher stats would be better for their status.  

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Frances

Frances

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But it's not a money maker for URoc to keep horrid med school advisers. When it affects top notch kids like my guy so negatively, it lowers their stats on entrance to med school - a negative for them that one would think they'd want to fix. Higher stats would be better for their status.

I'm guessing the difficulty is finding well-qualified people to take what is likely a fairly low-paying job. When my husband was in pharmacy school, they had two people who arranged the final year internships, although they used a computer program to actually assign the students, due to the number of factors being considered and the number of internships required. My husband had already been in academia for many years by that time, but he said their level of incompetence was almost unbelievable. They had no background in anything medically related and seemed to have no idea what they were doing. The really galling part was that fourth year tuition was by far the highest because students were paying for a full-year of off-campus internships minus one six week break. All that money was obviously not going to find and compensate competent placement people.

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creekland

creekland

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I'm guessing the difficulty is finding well-qualified people to take what is likely a fairly low-paying job. When my husband was in pharmacy school, they had two people who arranged the final year internships, although they used a computer program to actually assign the students, due to the number of factors being considered and the number of internships required. My husband had already been in academia for many years by that time, but he said their level of incompetence was almost unbelievable. They had no background in anything medically related and seemed to have no idea what they were doing. The really galling part was that fourth year tuition was by far the highest because students were paying for a full-year of off-campus internships minus one six week break. All that money was obviously not going to find and compensate competent placement people.

 

Probably true.  One would think such an expensive school could afford to pay nicely for qualified people in important fields like that (status fields), but they aren't hurting for applicants, so I suppose it isn't important enough.

 

I doubt this is the only school where one can have problems.  This is probably why outside/private consultants are able to stay in business.  I'll admit to wishing we'd gone that way in hindsight - or that I had done the research myself.  I put way too much trust in the way life should be rather than the way it actually is.

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Sunshine State Sue

Sunshine State Sue

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I kept banging my head about not continuing on with my guidance counselor role too so he could have had better advice.

I think you should smack yourself upside the head because you don't have any doctors in your family.  If you had just done that, he would have been accepted without issue. 

 

Be gentle with yourself, okay?  You are human, after all, not omniscient.  ;)

 

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creekland

creekland

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I think you should smack yourself upside the head because you don't have any doctors in your family.  

 

Well... we are now in the process of fixing that oversight.   :coolgleamA:

 

We (multiple family members and some close neighbors) have, of course, warned him ahead of time that many of us will be expecting advice.  As we choose which boy's basement is our future home, his might be up there at the top of the list.   :lol:

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daijobu

daijobu

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I'm mad on behalf of Creekland, too. I relied on a friend who applied one year ahead of me. The in house med school admissions counselor was good for 2 things:. She could read my LORs for me and pick which ones were the best. She also told me which state schools I ought to apply to, since most don't consider oos applicants.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

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creekland

creekland

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I'm mad on behalf of Creekland, too. I relied on a friend who applied one year ahead of me. The in house med school admissions counselor was good for 2 things:. She could read my LORs for me and pick which ones were the best. She also told me which state schools I ought to apply to, since most don't consider oos applicants.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

Interesting thing to mention.  My lad and I were talking today about it all and I told (reminded) him this board is the only one I've shared it on publicly - and that's solely due to wanting to warn others who might come behind us (any school).  He said to tell everyone that his best advice is to talk with students who are already in (or accepted to) med school.  They know what is current - and what is expected, etc.  He's been helping several peers behind him.  There are many (since he's been an RA for three years and has oodles of contacts in the student body).

 

It seems not much changes over the years (meaning where the best advice comes from - not meaning the app itself).

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