Son of AGDee's College Search Thread

[AGDee]

Thanks MC I will wear my mother's pin proudly!

Halo has two interviews coming up. He has a phone interview with a Brown alumna on Friday night and an alumnus interview for Northwestern on Saturday. That one is in person- in the metro Detroit area. Interestingly, the Brown alumna is now a PhD candidate and TA at Brown. That should be a very good experience for him.

[Sciencewoman]

Good luck to Halo!

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Thanks MC I will wear my mother's pin proudly!

You should!

I'm realizing I probably need to go back and study this thread. Sophomore son has started getting letters from colleges—the first came Wednesday (Washington U. in St. Louis), and then three more yesterday, including one in-state. They're all basically invitations to take their on-line surveys/inventories, and oh-by-the-way get to know us, but suddenly college seems real. I need to learn from the master.

[Sciencewoman]

^^^ Get a big tub/box ready for the blizzard of envelopes, brochures, postcards, etc. I remember tossing them in a deep drawer in my bedroom when I was in HS, but the marketing has substantially increased.

My daughter and I did have a fun time examining the brochures for these requisite images:

1. Picture of students engaged in an artistic endeavor (usually painting).
2. Picture of an athletic team at play.
3. Picture of an idyllic arboreal landscape on campus, with no people, or perhaps 1-2 students walking down a scenic path.
4. Picture of a professor helping 1-3 students, so you can be assured of personal attention.
5. Picture of several students of diverse ethnicities smiling and chatting together.
6. Picture of the nicest looking (or iconic) building on campus.
7. Picture of the marching band, if there is one.
8. Picture of goggle-clad students working in a "state-of-the-art" science lab.

Depending on the campus, there may be more pictures of artistic endeavors, sporting events, or students wearing fan gear/face paint and cheering in stadiums. In West Point's case, there was a picture of students wallowing in a muddy obstacle course. At least they're honest!

I will say that it was the brochure that brought W&L to my daughter's attention...if not for the brochures, she wouldn't have known about it. The image of the sorority row was appealing! It was one of the only brochures that emphasized Greek Life.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Thanks MC I will wear my mother's pin proudly!

Halo has two interviews coming up. He has a phone interview with a Brown alumna on Friday night and an alumnus interview for Northwestern on Saturday. That one is in person- in the metro Detroit area. Interestingly, the Brown alumna is now a PhD candidate and TA at Brown. That should be a very good experience for him.

Good luck to Halo! Please tell him not to be nervous!! I'm sure his sister has been great at showing him the ropes, though.

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

^^^ Get a big tub/box ready for the blizzard of envelopes, brochures, postcards, etc. I remember tossing them in a deep drawer in my bedroom when I was in HS, but the marketing has substantially increased.

My daughter and I did have a fun time examining the brochures for these requisite images:

1. Picture of students engaged in an artistic endeavor (usually painting).
2. Picture of an athletic team at play.
3. Picture of an idyllic arboreal landscape on campus, with no people, or perhaps 1-2 students walking down a scenic path.
4. Picture of a professor helping 1-3 students, so you can be assured of personal attention.
5. Picture of several students of diverse ethnicities smiling and chatting together.
6. Picture of the nicest looking (or iconic) building on campus.
7. Picture of the marching band, if there is one.
8. Picture of goggle-clad students working in a "state-of-the-art" science lab.

Depending on the campus, there may be more pictures of artistic endeavors, sporting events, or students wearing fan gear/face paint and cheering in stadiums. In West Point's case, there was a picture of students wallowing in a muddy obstacle course. At least they're honest!

I will say that it was the brochure that brought W&L to my daughter's attention...if not for the brochures, she wouldn't have known about it. The image of the sorority row was appealing! It was one of the only brochures that emphasized Greek Life.

Sounds like a drinking game for the parents...

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Good luck to Halo! Please tell him not to be nervous!! I'm sure his sister has been great at showing him the ropes, though.

His interview went for an hour and a half. I thought he was never going to emerge from his room. I think it went well. She wasn't a Brown undergrad, but is a current grad student from our area. In fact, she started her undergrad at one of the schools where he's been accepted and then transferred.

Originally Posted by WCsweet<3

Sounds like a drinking game for the parents...

The whole process should be a drinking game for the parents... lol.

In general, Halo is much more outgoing and less shy than Hypo. Hypo does fine, but is more shy at first. Halo is just naturally glib and always has been. I don't think interviews will ever be nerve wracking for him.

Both of my kids approached the college brochures differently and it's really quite indicative of their personalities in general. Hypo saved every brochure and organized them into like and dislike piles but kept them ALL until she'd gotten all of her acceptances. Halo though- he had a system. If the letter was the standard format with an ID number in one corner, saying the same thing as the others, it got tossed. He is not a saver of fluff. He is practical. He saves money, but he carefully evaluates what else he saves! He has kept the information from the schools where he applied.

[Benzgirl]

Dee, you have great kids; you raised them well.

[AGDee]

Aww, thanks. I have to say- maybe I laid a good foundation when they were young, but they've been pretty easy to raise for the most part.

[AGDee]

Two interviews done. Now we just wait.

[AGDee]

It is March! Within the next 4 weeks, we will have all decisions in hand, financial aid packages in hand, and Halo will be faced with a major decision. The last two weeks are going to be crazy busy too. He turns 18 on the 17th. (what?????) Ironically, that's the same day that my last grad term officially ends too. He has finals that week and Hypo will be home for spring break. He has BPA states the weekend of March 21st. The following week, he should hear from all three schools. Ivy admission notification day is March 27th. Oberlin mails their decisions out around the same time and Northwestern does theirs online, usually toward the end of that week.

His quiz bowl team made it to states but that won't be until April. After finals, when grades come in, he'll find out whether he maintained his status as Salutatorian. AND, he got a part in the spring play so he has play practice almost every day.

If we both weren't so busy, we'd probably be going crazy with anticipation.

[DubaiSis]

I'm still in bed while reading this and may have to stay here. You exhausted me just READING that!

[AGDee]

Today is Halo's 18th Birthday. He has finals this week for the second trimester a within the next 10 days to 2 weeks:
1. He'll know whether he will maintain his status as salutatorian (it's very shaky thanks to AP Calc)
2. He should receive the remainder of his college application decisions
3. He has Business Professionals of America state competition

*fingers crossed* It's a big month!

[Sciencewoman]

Who is more anxious...Mom or Halo? Now that you're done with your master's, you have more time on your hands to think about all of this!

[UWyoKD]

Hello AGDee! And Happy Birthday to Halo!

While I haven't yet posted, I have been following your son's college search here. Just want to wish him (and you) the best during these final nerve-wracking days of waiting. Hang in there! He sounds like an amazing young man with a bright future who will certainly wind up in the place where he will flourish.

Two years ago, we were in your shoes; my daughter is now a sophomore at Northwestern.

And go Eagle Scouts! Congratulations to your son and to you from another Eagle Scout mom (my son earned his Eagle 10 years ago last month). It is an understatement to say that alone is QUITE an achievement - especially when added to your son's other accomplishments!

So keep on taking deep breaths and get some rest when you can! The time of waiting will end soon and Halo can begin actively planning the next great chapter in his life. Good luck to all!