Mission accomplished

The College Road Trip did what it was supposed to do: bring clarity. It was also fun, mostly.

Long, long drive down to Wise, in the rain. Lot's of snow hanging around from December's big storm, some still pretty, some not. Near Radford a farm field of concentric furrows, with snow in the troughs, was particularly striking. Not many trucks on the road, thankfully - not much traffic at all. 27.7 m.p.g. in the Chevy truck; not bad, but hardly green.

Wise is pretty remote, a little town up in the mountains. Definitely coal country. Must be really beautiful in the Spring and Fall. UVa-Wise surprised by being thoroughly modern. Liked the school and liked the people, but Goldilocks would have understood: it was too small. Thought that would be an attraction, but it wasn't.

Liked Longwood U. a lot when she visited it last year, but was generally underwhelmed this time around. Did like the chair of one of the prospective majors, but that wasn't enough. Farmville is bigger than Wise, but somehow neither the town nor the school rang her bell this year.

But Radford! Loved Radford. Loved the size - big enough to offer a lot of variety, small enough to still be personal. Loved the look, rather what Hollywood thinks a college should be. Liked the majors, and really impressed by some of the faculty. Liked the amenities, liked the town. Had lunch with the daughter of a friend who's a senior there, and what she had to say just added to the enthusiasm. Will take real commitment, especially to being proactive in seeking help - tutors, profs, library, etc., but I'm pretty sure she gets it. And the help seems to be there for those who seek it.

Decision made.

And I didn't embarrass her.

College Road Trip

We're going on a college road trip!

Daughter worried that she'd never get into college, but dutifully sent in early admission apps to three schools. Minor snafu when the high school counselor forgot to send in transcripts, but that was resolved in time.

Pick up the phone at work; daughter screaming. First thought: something terribly wrong! Second thought: no, wonderfully right!

Admitted! To her first choice school. About a week later, another letter: admitted to a school she didn't think would accept her. (Still waiting to hear form the third.)

Much fretting over which to accept. A slowly dawning smile when I reminded her that a couple of weeks earlier she worried about never getting into college. This is a far, far better dilemma.

So we're leaving Sunday. Four days, three schools, a lifetime to chart.

I'm told that under no circumstances am I to sing "Double Dutch Bus." Or anything else to embarrass her.