We live in kind of a shady neighborhood, (no I'm not referring to lots of trees), my daughter has always attended our struggling public schools. In spite of these obstacles she has worked very hard, and found opportunities such as the Classic Upward Bound / Trio programs, and managed to excel in every way. So much so that she has been accepted to an Ivy League College!
She joined the facebook page for this university and is becoming intimidated as she reads about how accomplished many of her prospective future classmates are. Students who have attended all of the best college prep schools, had advanced classes available in every subject, speak as many as four languages, have had private lessons in music, dance, theater, sports, or anything else that has interested them...it is quite overwhelming for a young midwestern girl.
She is feeling pressure to accept this awesome opportunity because so many of us are so proud of her, and according to one of the rankings this is the seventh best school in the United States. She and I are planning a trip to the Ivy League campus soon, and signed up for a tour and information session to get a feel for the area before she must make her decision.
Prior to receiving her acceptance notification to this university, she was planning to attend a nearby private college. This college is on a quite small campus, is very friendly, and she will assuredly be able to continue participating in orchestra, which is doubtful at the Ivy League University as she has only been playing violin for three years. She has a natural talent and has become quite accomplished in those years, but again it is intimidating to consider students who have had private lessons for most of their lives.
We are waiting to learn about the amount of financial aid that she will receive at the Ivy League school, which has an excellent reputation for making it possible for students to graduate in four years without being buried in debt. The local small college has been very generous with both academic and music scholarships already, but there is not a "free-ride" on the table at this point.
We continue to play the waiting game, knowing that her decision must be made by May first. I am and will continue to be incredibly proud of her regardless of which school she chooses. I am concerned that she may always wonder, and perhaps be regretful should she choose not to accept the Ivy League school, but I feel that she would have much less stress at the local school, less opportunities perhaps as well, but possibly an overall sense of belonging and a more simple happiness? I don't know, but I pray that she makes the best decision for herself, not to impress anyone else, or to stay close to her perhaps overly-attached mom.
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