Girlie AGDee's College Search Thread

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by GammaGirl1908

We sure are! Go Blue!

But seriously, if that is where she goes, it's a great place where everyone can find their niche. I could have gotten a great education at any one of so many excellent schools in this country -- and I attended other schools for grad school, so I've gotten a good slice of life at a couple of excellent colleges -- and I remain very, very glad I chose U of M.

It's no accident that we have such massive school pride -- it's because it's a place worthy of such pride!

Don't get me wrong, like any large institution it has its pros and cons for darn sure (just tonight, a young friend of mine who's gotten in there for grad school -- and who went to a very small undergrad school -- complained to me about them not having sent her some information she wanted. Me: "Errr ... you should get used to hunting down information on your own. There is very little handholding there. This is how it is, not a glitch."), and there are plenty of ways it might not be the right place for someone ... but if she feels at home there, she will have a blast.

From the first time she stepped foot in Ann Arbor (to meet "Lemony Snicket" for a book signing at Borders), she loved it. She just wants to escape this state and I can't blame her for that. U of M would be the easiest for me, for sure. It's only 45 minutes away...lol. She knows she would be happy there. She loves the restaurants, coffee shops, stores, central campus, etc. She really just wants to leave the state.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by AGDee

From the first time she stepped foot in Ann Arbor (to meet "Lemony Snicket" for a book signing at Borders), she loved it. She just wants to escape this state and I can't blame her for that. U of M would be the easiest for me, for sure. It's only 45 minutes away...lol. She knows she would be happy there. She loves the restaurants, coffee shops, stores, central campus, etc. She really just wants to leave the state.

One of my sisters felt the same way. She had grown up in Bloomington and her father worked for the university. She had a very unusual last name, so everyone on campus knew who her father was, and at times he was not all that popular on campus. She was determined to go out of state until she realized that neither her car nor any of her friends would be going with her and that she would have to fly to and from school which meant fewer trips home. :-) She ended up very happy at IU even though it was the "home" school.

[GammaGirl1908]

Originally Posted by AGDee

From the first time she stepped foot in Ann Arbor (to meet "Lemony Snicket" for a book signing at Borders), she loved it. She just wants to escape this state and I can't blame her for that. U of M would be the easiest for me, for sure. It's only 45 minutes away...lol. She knows she would be happy there. She loves the restaurants, coffee shops, stores, central campus, etc. She really just wants to leave the state.

I feel her -- I wanted to leave Michigan by the time I was done at UM, too, heh -- but you know what? The rest of the world still will be there 3-5 years from now. If the one and only thing wrong with UM is that it's not in Pittsburgh or Miami or DC or Seattle, she can sprint to any of those places with a puff of smoke behind her after college! (... and she'll have the strength of the largest alumni base in the world behind her when she goes.) I know it's hard to think that far ahead when you're 18, but it's so important to try to think long-term when making this decision.

[als463]

Originally Posted by GammaGirl1908

I feel her -- I wanted to leave Michigan by the time I was done at UM, too, heh -- but you know what? The rest of the world still will be there 3-5 years from now. If the one and only thing wrong with UM is that it's not in Pittsburgh or Miami or DC or Seattle, she can sprint to any of those places with a puff of smoke behind her after college! (... and she'll have the strength of the largest alumni base in the world behind her when she goes.) I know it's hard to think that far ahead when you're 18, but it's so important to try to think long-term when making this decision.

I know that Penn State touts the largest DUES PAYING Alumni Association in the nation! I think PSU passed U of M around 2009 or 2010. Penn State also has the largest student-run philanthropy in the world (THON). Too bad AGDee's daughter wasn't interested in becoming a Nittany Lion but, I wish her all the best!

As far as attending schools--I was set on Temple for the longest time (not sure why). I didn't want to attend my alma mater, at first, because I had family members who had worked for the school and growing up I was tired of hearing about how great PSU was. As I got older, I was able to appreciate everything Penn State had to offer. Attending a Big Ten university has definitely opened doors for me and I hope it will continue to do so in the future. Good luck to your daughter!

[AGDee]

She should know all of her results over the next 13 days.

Wellesley- 21st
Barnard- mails them probably next Thursday or Friday
The Ivies all announce on 3/29

Northwestern and American are in there somewhere too.. I want to say around the 25th/26th.

We talked about stress levels tonight. She said it's at the point where she'd rather find out that she didn't get in to most of the schools than to simply NOT know. She's got herself prepared for lots of bad news but the one that will be really tough if she doesn't get in is Barnard. She feels pretty sure she'll get into American. She's really hoping she gets into Barnard. She doesn't think she'll get into Columbia, Brown or Northwestern. She has no idea about Wellesley and is regretting not requesting an "early evaluation", where they send you a "likely", "Possibly" or "Unlikely" response in advance of official decisions. But, two weeks from now we should know where she's going.

[KKGCaroline]

Wishing your daughter, and the rest of the family, all the luck in the world.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by AGDee

She should know all of her results over the next 13 days.

Wellesley- 21st
Barnard- mails them probably next Thursday or Friday
The Ivies all announce on 3/29

Northwestern and American are in there somewhere too.. I want to say around the 25th/26th.

We talked about stress levels tonight. She said it's at the point where she'd rather find out that she didn't get in to most of the schools than to simply NOT know. She's got herself prepared for lots of bad news but the one that will be really tough if she doesn't get in is Barnard. She feels pretty sure she'll get into American. She's really hoping she gets into Barnard. She doesn't think she'll get into Columbia, Brown or Northwestern. She has no idea about Wellesley and is regretting not requesting an "early evaluation", where they send you a "likely", "Possibly" or "Unlikely" response in advance of official decisions. But, two weeks from now we should know where she's going.

Are you going to make any final visits to be sure, after she's received all the decisions? I'm holding spring break open for that purpose, just in case.

That early evaluation deal is a great idea...I wonder how they can manage to do that, along with the regular admissions process. It's probably a quick look at your stats, etc.

I feel your stress! I can't wait for the next 2 weeks be over!

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

Are you going to make any final visits to be sure, after she's received all the decisions? I'm holding spring break open for that purpose, just in case.

That early evaluation deal is a great idea...I wonder how they can manage to do that, along with the regular admissions process. It's probably a quick look at your stats, etc.

I feel your stress! I can't wait for the next 2 weeks be over!

The only ones we might need to visit are Wellesley and American University. She spent a week at Barnard at their Young Women's Leadership Institute last summer so she has a very good feel for that campus and Columbia. She really loved Northwestern and Brown comes in a very close second to her Barnard-Northwestern preference.. very, very close. I don't know how we'll find the time or money to visit either of those that we haven't yet though, quite honestly. Spring break is a cruise to Honduras, Belize and Cozumel with several of her friends and their moms (me too!) Honestly, if Barnard is a yes, it's clear to me where her heart is. She loves the "empowering women" atmosphere there. But, her eyes light up when she talks about Northwestern and Brown too. I think she's assuming she isn't getting into either of those two though.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

She should know all of her results over the next 13 days.

Wellesley- 21st
Barnard- mails them probably next Thursday or Friday
The Ivies all announce on 3/29

Northwestern and American are in there somewhere too.. I want to say around the 25th/26th.

We talked about stress levels tonight. She said it's at the point where she'd rather find out that she didn't get in to most of the schools than to simply NOT know. She's got herself prepared for lots of bad news but the one that will be really tough if she doesn't get in is Barnard. She feels pretty sure she'll get into American. She's really hoping she gets into Barnard. She doesn't think she'll get into Columbia, Brown or Northwestern. She has no idea about Wellesley and is regretting not requesting an "early evaluation", where they send you a "likely", "Possibly" or "Unlikely" response in advance of official decisions. But, two weeks from now we should know where she's going.

Hang in there. She'll do great.

[AZTheta]

This is so exciting! I am living vicariously through you, Dee. Your daughter has so many choices and opportunities ~ Greek or not, I expect you to keep us updated as she progresses through undergraduate school.

[AGDee]

Her stress levels are quite high right now. At a band festival on Saturday, she had a solo and halfway through her solo piece, she said she just froze and stopped playing. She said she played part of the rest of the piece wrong also. She's been doing this for years and this has never happened before. Later that day, we went shopping and she hated everything she tried on. Then she finally admitted "I am not in the right mind frame to shop." That evening, she was laying on the couch and I asked her if she was ok. She said "No. I'm pretty sure none of the other schools I've applied to are going to accept me." I told her that if that happened, I was sure that if she went to Michigan, she was going to have a great time there.

I'm kind of wishing she had applied to fewer of these highly selective schools and more schools that would have offered her full scholarships and been delighted to have her.

She was much better on Sunday so it may have been simply exhaustion or hormones or something on Saturday, but she was dark on Saturday.

[KSUViolet06]

Dee, I'm lazy. Can we get a master list of where she applied, where she's been admitted, and who she's still waiting on?

[southbymidwest]

AGDee, it could also be that the reality of going away to college is hitting her in the face, regardless of what school is lucky enough to have her as a student. As much as many kids talk about how excited they are to go to college and live (more) independently (and they truly are excited and looking forward to it), they also start getting angst about moving away from everything and everyone that is familiar, especially if they are the oldest without an older sib to help calm their jitters. It is a big step. It is new. Some are better at transitioning than others. It will work out. But in the meantime, it might make both of you nutty.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Some Northwestern SAI's in my yoga class yesterday...I thought of you :-)

[AOT767]

Originally Posted by southbymidwest

AGDee, it could also be that the reality of going away to college is hitting her in the face, regardless of what school is lucky enough to have her as a student. As much as many kids talk about how excited they are to go to college and live (more) independently (and they truly are excited and looking forward to it), they also start getting angst about moving away from everything and everyone that is familiar, especially if they are the oldest without an older sib to help calm their jitters. It is a big step. It is new. Some are better at transitioning than others. It will work out. But in the meantime, it might make both of you nutty.

sidenote/ I was the epitome of "excited to go to college and get away from everything" and what happened when I got there? I spent the first night bawling in my room while my roommate stared at me thinking I was insane. I just wanted to go home. I'm happy NOW, but I was miserable those first few days.

Anyway, AGDee, reading all of this is incredible! She sounds like such a fantastic woman, the opportunities she has ahead of her seem astounding. I'll send happy thoughts her (and your!) way, hoping that her decision is a difficult one (for all the RIGHT reasons)!