(07-08-2011, 02:53 PM)jacketree link Wrote:I really doubt Dome mystique has much sway over OSHA officials, judging from OSHA officials I've known. Also I have to say that all of my interactions with the University of South Bend alumni have been very pleasant. They (the university, not the alumni) sent my son a lot of literature. They didn't make his "short" (any kid applying to fewer than ten schools is probably screwed these days) list, but it wouldn't have bothered me if they did.
I'm always curious as to where kids will apply these days, their reasoning and their thought processes, given that I have a son who recently went through the process and another son who will go through it in a few years.
Back in the Stone Age, I applied to two schools. My thought process was: Apply to Stanford and Santa Clara. Don't apply to the UC system because the fee was fifty ($50) dollars! Yikes! Got into Santa Clara, didn't get into Stanford. Go to SCU. Pretty cut and dried.
My kid on the other hand, had a process that went like this:
1)Â Consider academically-inclined schools with Econ departments that played reasonably high level volleyball
and recruited him and where it was likely he would make the team:Â Harvard, Princeton, UC San Diego.
2)Â Consider academically-inclined schools that played varsity volleyball
and were acceptable to him, where either it was (a) unlikely he would make the team (UCLA, Stanford) or (b) he found boring as all get-out (MIT) or © too esoteric (NYU).
3) Consider the myriad of UC options: high level volleyball/good academics: UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara. Club-level volleyball, great academics: UC East Bay. Club level volleyball, decent academics: UC Davis, Cal Poly SLO (CSU, I know) UC Santa Cruz (technically DIII but more like a really good club team). Lots of pros and cons.Â
4)Â Briefly consider and reject all vb-recruiting colleges that didn't fall into one of the prior three categories (about a dozen).
5) Would not consider USC. Period. End of Story. Did not apply there.
6) Rejected with prejudice all schools in Northern California ("Okay, Dad, I'll apply to Kal, but I will only go there if I literally don't get into any other school I apply to"), schools with STDs named after them (seriously), schools that had nonexistent social scenes, schools known chiefly for engineering. Incidentally, the kid wasn't anti-Kal, he just wanted to get out of Northern California.
7)Â Would have been last guy on the bench at Stanford and would have spent twice as much time playing volleyball at any MPSF school (Stanford, UCs) than the EIVA schools (Harvard, Princeton).Â
8) Harvard coach reserved letters of intent for middles. Wanted him, but would not guarantee admission. The coach had only two guarantees per year, but stated he had influence over the process. Sure enough, at least six players were admitted to Harvard that year. The Princeton coach really wanted/needed an outside hitter (my son's position) and offered a "likely" letter, which is the Ivy version of a letter of intent. Very interesting letter...signed by the Director of Admissions, it essentially states that if you keep your grades up, don't drop any classes and don't commit a felony, you're in. My wife argued that it couldn't possibly be the likely letter because it was so casually written. So, she stressed from October (when we received it) until April (when we received the formal letter of admission).
9) Son was accepted to all UCs. Decided that if something happened with Princeton, UCLA would be his first school of choice. Had a great tour there.
10) Ultimately did not apply to Stanford despite Dad's exhortations, despite 1/2 dozen Stanford alums in immediate family. Has stated a desire to attend grad school there, though.
