The College Decision

Well, Banana Girl is officially going to college. In September. Like, we’ve committed and everything. 

We knew she was going. She applied, and was accepted to, five schools. So she was definitely going somewhere. We’ve known that since November, when the first acceptance came in. She’d even narrowed it down to two of the five, although she wasn’t willing to turn down the other three. It was just a matter of her deciding between her two favorites.

I had a clear preference, and she knew it, even though I tried to hide it. PSA, I don’t hide things well (yeah, I know, you knew that already). But I attempted to provide her objective guidance and let her come to her own decision. My husband took her to the Admitted Student Days at both schools—one right after the other, which made comparisons easy.

And from the moment she came back from the first visit, I knew her decision was made, even though she didn’t know it at the time. And it was not my preference. But you know what? After listening to her talk about the school, after getting a report from my husband that provided the answers to all of my questions (and some of them were BIG questions), and after studying her face and mannerisms while she talked about that school, I knew it was the right place for her. 

And I was okay with it.

Then she went to see the other school, the one I’d thought was her first choice. And she just didn’t click with it, despite her best attempts (and even though she liked the food there better, which, if you know Banana Girl, is a BIG deal).

Still, she wouldn’t make an immediate decision. 

If you have college-aged children, you have some idea of the pins and needles we were on until she decided. Everyone talks about how “you’ll know immediately” when you visit the “right” school. Yes, that’s true. But it’s a big decision, and my kid is a thinker and a planner and an evaluator. So even though she knew, she needed to be sure.

She surprised me on my birthday with her decision, and it was the best present I could ask for (although my necklace is beautiful and I love it!).

So I’ll have an empty nest in September. Now, to figure out how to fill up all that time…