Chicago ED 2 - Regret

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Can you give us some insight on whether it was your kid’s decision or your decision to apply ED2. To the extent it was your decision that your kid went along with but wasn’t excited about, how much did desperation/anxiety to go to a brand name school play into that? And was that desperation driven by your desire to tell others that your kid is at a brand name school or do you honestly think that he will have a better life as a result and thus it was worth overriding what your child actually wanted?

Op here. Dc's decision on EDII. TBH, after not getting in ED, a kind of panic set in about bot getting in to a good school. Hence EDII.

Is your kid worried or just you? Not judging, just asking because I am more stressed than my kid!
It's a great school and city- he should be proud. If he is unhappy, as others said, he can always transfer. Grass is always greener
Is there a school he got into EA or RD that he's a lot more excited about? Or no, but he's just second guessing.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree, amazing school and hope he feels proud!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Can you give us some insight on whether it was your kid’s decision or your decision to apply ED2. To the extent it was your decision that your kid went along with but wasn’t excited about, how much did desperation/anxiety to go to a brand name school play into that? And was that desperation driven by your desire to tell others that your kid is at a brand name school or do you honestly think that he will have a better life as a result and thus it was worth overriding what your child actually wanted?

Op here. Dc's decision on EDII. TBH, after not getting in ED, a kind of panic set in about bot getting in to a good school. Hence EDII.

Is your kid worried or just you? Not judging, just asking because I am more stressed than my kid!
It's a great school and city- he should be proud. If he is unhappy, as others said, he can always transfer. Grass is always greener
Is there a school he got into EA or RD that he's a lot more excited about? Or no, but he's just second guessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Can you give us some insight on whether it was your kid’s decision or your decision to apply ED2. To the extent it was your decision that your kid went along with but wasn’t excited about, how much did desperation/anxiety to go to a brand name school play into that? And was that desperation driven by your desire to tell others that your kid is at a brand name school or do you honestly think that he will have a better life as a result and thus it was worth overriding what your child actually wanted?

Op here. Dc's decision on EDII. TBH, after not getting in ED, a kind of panic set in about bot getting in to a good school. Hence EDII.

Is your kid worried or just you? Not judging, just asking because I am more stressed than my kid!
It's a great school and city- he should be proud. If he is unhappy, as others said, he can always transfer. Grass is always greener
Is there a school he got into EA or RD that he's a lot more excited about? Or no, but he's just second guessing.

OP will have to pull the RD applications now that ED2 at UChicago is materialized. So OP and kid will never know about the RD results. OP, UChicago is good. Be happy and proud!! Go visit the admitted students day and enjoy Chicago!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Can you give us some insight on whether it was your kid’s decision or your decision to apply ED2. To the extent it was your decision that your kid went along with but wasn’t excited about, how much did desperation/anxiety to go to a brand name school play into that? And was that desperation driven by your desire to tell others that your kid is at a brand name school or do you honestly think that he will have a better life as a result and thus it was worth overriding what your child actually wanted?

Op here. Dc's decision on EDII. TBH, after not getting in ED, a kind of panic set in about bot getting in to a good school. Hence EDII.

Is your kid worried or just you? Not judging, just asking because I am more stressed than my kid!
It's a great school and city- he should be proud. If he is unhappy, as others said, he can always transfer. Grass is always greener
Is there a school he got into EA or RD that he's a lot more excited about? Or no, but he's just second guessing.

Just second guessing!

[Anonymous]

University of Chicago alum here. Congratulations to your kid, OP. Have faith in them! It's an awesome opportunity, and if it turns out not to be the best choice, then transfer.

[Anonymous]

Is there an admitted student day? A visit would probably perk him right up.

[Anonymous]

I get OP. It’s very easy to doubt a kid’s chance for an admit to a great school. Enter ED. But, once your kid gets admitted ED, you tend to think the process was too easy/your kid is that great and wonder what other opportunities might have materialized - just imagine a slew of EA and RD admissions to the best schools and their competing financial aid offers! In that reverie, it’s easy to feel remorse for your binding good fortune.

As others have said, your musings are just that. Chicago is great. Embrace the decision and commit to it. If it really doesn’t work, transfer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS had same feeling after ED1 last year. Buyers remorse is common. He’s now loving it as a first year student. The buyers remorse started to wane last year after he saw many of the RD rejections. By late March he was relieved, and by October he was having a great time. Every kid is different of course, but that’s our experience in case it’s informative.

This was my DC’s experience too last year. Buyer’s remorse… until she saw her friends get rejected in the RD rounds. Some of her friends were much higher stats, and DC felt really bad for them. That experience made her feel more relieved and grateful for her own ED admission. She felt lucky and still does, even as a 3rd year there now. Loves it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re basically posting a bogus expression of regret to get everyone to tell you what a fantastic school your kid has gotten into and how great s/he must be. B/c if you’re serious, you’re an idiot.

Hello, captain obvious, on many levels. (a) this entire forum involves people trying to get validation of whatever they’re obsessed about and (b) yes, OP is an idiot.

More than likely it is the resident DCUM anti-UChicago troll. If you haven't noticed, UChicago, WashU and NEU get attacked by the same woman, constantly, in and out of context.

+1 Also Tulane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re basically posting a bogus expression of regret to get everyone to tell you what a fantastic school your kid has gotten into and how great s/he must be. B/c if you’re serious, you’re an idiot.

OP here. No. No desire for anonymous public acclaim. And I do feel like a bit of an idiot. It is a very good school of course. Hopefully, this is merely buyer's remorse.

OP - can you give us an idea of *why* you are feeling buyers remorse? It sounds like its more you than your DC... or are they feeling this way as well? I'm just curious - it's obviously a lottery ticket school, your kid shot their shot and got in. Is it financial woes?

OP here. Not financial issues. Honestly, worried that DC may not be up to the Chicago challenge.

NP, mom of UChicago third-year here (admitted on ED1). It is a hell of a hard school and I do think my kid would have continued in pre-med classes if my kid was going to a smaller less intense school. DC had struggles. But a couple of things: DC is proud of their school. It's saying something to go there, it's saying you had to really work hard. I can say that people are impressed by it, eyebrows go up, because of the rigor: "hard school!"

OP, if my DC can do it, your DC can do it. Your kid does not have to be one of the quirky brilliant kids. Your kid may struggle, but they will impress themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re basically posting a bogus expression of regret to get everyone to tell you what a fantastic school your kid has gotten into and how great s/he must be. B/c if you’re serious, you’re an idiot.

OP here. No. No desire for anonymous public acclaim. And I do feel like a bit of an idiot. It is a very good school of course. Hopefully, this is merely buyer's remorse.

OP - can you give us an idea of *why* you are feeling buyers remorse? It sounds like its more you than your DC... or are they feeling this way as well? I'm just curious - it's obviously a lottery ticket school, your kid shot their shot and got in. Is it financial woes?

OP here. Not financial issues. Honestly, worried that DC may not be up to the Chicago challenge.

Hugs, OP. My kid is a first year there (got in RD).

A couple of things I have found:

1. All the kids are smart and driven. Yes, it’s humbling but it’s also uplifting to be around so much energy.

2. If your kid was admitted, they can make it. They may be stressed. They may do less than perfectly. They may question themselves. But they are capable of graduating. Just remind them of that - often.

3. It is not at all a competitive environment. If your kid learned to compare themselves to others through high school, they will unlearn it. The kids come in driven but through their time at school, they learn to find the things that drive them from inside rather than from competition. This development of the self is truly wonderful to watch.

4. Not going to lie and say there haven’t been some tears. But it is the right fit for my kid and I know they will grow and become a better version of the young adult I sent off to school.

5. Nothing is irrevocable. If by this time next year your kid is miserable, they can transfer.

Welcome! I hope you guys enjoy the end of high school and the summer. See you on campus!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My twins got into harvard REA, but now we're really regretting applying there. They don't know if they should be happy while they wait on others. This is really stressing our family out right now.

Same with my triplets who got into Caltech. The stress is nauseating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hope your kid likes cold weather

Enough with the cold weather fear mongering.

OK. Hope your kid likes out of control crime?

[Anonymous]

OP: Regret after ED admit by a high schooler is normal. Your kid will make it given the inside information I have (about the academic level of some students who are going to UChicago). I know two brilliant students who are going to attend UChicago (both are thinking about Honors Analysis, one of the most difficult math classes in any college), and even these two are having some regrets (for giving up the chance to know if some similarly tough colleges will admit them). But these two are the exceptions.