by Keri Rozansky | Oct 9, 2024 | Blog
Our life is being taken over by our senior son’s college application process. I don’t remember much about my own over 20 years ago, but for some reason I feel like it wasn’t this involved. Times change. His school started getting them familiar with the process late last year, and fall of senior year is when all the real action begins.
We’re touring schools, attending admissions days and open houses, and he’s started applying to his schools of choice. Some will keep him local, or at least in state, while his dream school takes him over 2,000 miles from home.
His school hosts “college workshops” every week, guiding the students through the process. A summary email last week encouraged students to have most of their applications in by October 15! That’s less than two weeks away. He has already applied to one school, his favorite that keeps him in town.
“Back in my day…” or “Back when your dad and I were applying to college…” have been phrases uttered in our house for months now. Well, back when I was applying for college, there was no application on a website. It didn’t take 20 minutes to submit all the information and get a reply back in a couple weeks. There was no portal where you could apply to multiple schools at once with a single application. There were no fee “waiver codes.” His high school can email or fax his records in a blink. Instead, there was a stack of papers thicker than a book, a paper check, and the U.S. post office to send in an application. My high school had to mail my transcripts as well, and that took time. Then the waiting game. Depending where you applied, your application may take a week to get there, another week for processing, and even longer to get it to the right people for review. You waited months for a response – the “big” envelope – stuffed with more papers for roommate selection, housing reservations, and all the rest, or the “little” envelope: “Dear Student, we regret to inform you…”
Instead, he logs in to an application portal to receive the good or bad news. Either way, we will be there to support him.
What was your college application process like (if you went to college)? Did you go to your dream school, or did you take a more practical option? What were your requirements for your school?
Let’s talk on Facebook!
by Keri Rozansky | Oct 2, 2024 | Blog
It’s already October! The days and weeks or September seem to have flown by – so much I can’t seem too keep up. Thankfully, some processes can be automated, but there are others that just can’t. One of those is spending time with friends and family and making memories.
The weekend of September 20 was that weekend for us. All the way back in May of this year, an ad somehow crossed my personal Facebook feed. It was for a ‘supercar experience’ – driving cars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porches, and more around local racetracks. May happens to be the month of my husband’s birthday, and he’s always loved cars. The moment I saw the ad, I thought it’d be a perfect gift for him. We’re at the point in our relationship where we ‘double up’ on gifts (this is was his birthday AND Father’s Day gift).
I know gifts are best left as surprises, but I wanted to make sure he drove his dream car, if possible. He chose the car he wanted, albeit not completely his dream car: a Hellcat. The only thing was, he’d have to wait. We planned all this in June and he’d have to wait until the third weekend in SEPTEMBER to enjoy his gift.
Enjoy it he did, when he was able. The date of his original drive, September 20, ended up being rained out. Due to safety concerns and their “no experience necessary” policy of participation, the company called off all experiences due to severe rain and lighting. Lighting subsided, but the rain wasn’t going away. As a concession, participants still got to ride in a Hellcat Charger with an experienced driver/instructor. Great time. We rescheduled for the next day – sunny, clear and 85 – and his ride seemed to be going off without a hitch. Until there was a decision to be made.
This generous company not only had the ability to allow him to drive early, but they wanted to upgrade his experience. Instead of sitting behind the wheel of a Hellcat Charger, he drove a Ferrari. Three laps around their modified route at the track. The result: he has to do it again, and chip away at their list of available cars.
The Saturday experience washed away the frustration of the Friday experience. The only drawback: having to wait an entire season to do it again.
Have you ever had an adrenaline-pumping experience? Was it a gift or did you pursue it yourself? What is your dream car? Let’s talk on Facebook!
