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Friday, October 15, 2010

College #1- Rock Star Treatment

I love the upper echelon of academia. Today Mac and I visited the first of his college choices. For those of you who are not familiar with the States post secondary school system, we have 4 year Universities which are, for the most part, the same as a college. You can get a 4 year professional degree from both types of schools.

Mac wants to go to law school, but he has to do a 4 year program before he can go to law school. He's looking at 1 state university and then 4 private colleges. He's thinking of an undergraduate degree with a double major in international politics and pre-law.

He was treated like a rock star today at College #1. When we arrived we were warmly greeted and offered continental breakfast and he was given a college t-shirt. A student ambassador took us to chapel (this is a religious based school) and then we were able to sit in on a political science class. After class we had lunch and a campus tour. Mac and I then met with the Pre-Law/ Political Science Department Chair and capped the day with a meeting with financial aid.

I was very impressed and they should be applauded at how they sell their school. It has everything Mac is looking for in a school so it's a top choice. He also wonders if the other schools will "wow" him like this one did.

As a parent, I was impressed with everything, but I know that's the job. But here's what the admissions departments can't control: the student body. They can't tell them all what to say and how to behave. And I was impressed with the students: how they interacted with each other, with professors, and their own personal behavior. This school has an emphasis on faith and learning and then carrying the both ideas into the community and work place. From what I observed, it seems to actually "take." This is a campus for a Christian. There is no room for non-believers here. And I certainly have no qualms about this. It's a choice and if it makes Mac happy, then I'm happy. I can see him fitting there, and being quite happy.

Because it's a small school, he will have an opportunity to be a "big fish in a little pond". There are opportunities for internships at the local, state and federal level in politics. He could be hired to be a Teaching Assistant or a Research Assistant for the Political Science Department- and this is as an undergrad. He could be an active participant in the Student Senate. He could realistically be a real mover and shaker. He also knows he wants to immerse himself into politics but he knows he wants a stress reliever like theater or band or vocal, which he would have a chance to do.

Today, Mac held his own in a conversation with the department chair and the man told Mac he would certainly remember him and hopes to see him on campus in the fall because his department can "certainly use people" of his "caliber". Mac and this guy ended up talking about imperialism in Burma as well as the historical importance of literature like Frankenstein. Yeah. This was supposed to be a causal meet and greet, let the dept., chair "sell" his program and he and MY kid get into an intellectual discussion, which ran over the allotted 20 minutes, into an hour, to the point where the Financial Aid department called the Prof to see if we were still there. My kid WOWed them right back. I was so proud of him I about burst. Not kidding, there were almost bloody pieces of Maggie all over the place...

I'm so proud of the person he's become and the one he's continuing to evolve into. I'm honored to be his mother.

This post was really going to be about me waxing poetic about my love of the atmosphere of colleges and I was going to parallel Rock Stars to our treatment today. I like the direction this post took instead. I can do the other stuff later.

Mac's Mom,
Maggie

6 comments:

Curley said...

Way to go Mac. Doesn't surprise me a bit. Sounds alot like his Mom. Can talk to anyone about anything.

Amy said...

Way to go Mac! Way to go mom! for raising such a confident young man!

When my daughter became a Senior in High school I cried because I knew she was leaving soon. After a while I began to see how she was growing into a beautiful, intelligent, strong young woman. That made me so proud and overshadowed any feelings I had about her leaving. It was time for her to "spread her wings". It sounds cliche but when you are there with your kids you know it's true! They need to leave to become the people they are capable of becoming.

Sounds like Mac is on his way! Congrats mom!

Wiley said...

Awesome! Props to him for making such an impression - and to you for raising him so well. There's much to be said for being a big fish in a small pond, especially at such a potentially stressful period of life. Sounds like he's on a good course though.

I'm loving his choice of studies, too. I'll have to come visit one day so I can debate international politics with him. I am a total dork when it comes to that stuff. And your post really makes me want to go back to school. There is something heady about college campuses. Although I still don't really understand the difference between colleges and universities, but that'll keep.

Evil Pixie said...

I was once a law major. It's good that Mac is thinking about a double major, and international politics will be just the ticket! It will increase his chances of getting a good job with plenty of bells and whistles (which he'll need for those law school student loans).

Jimmie Earl said...

I can see you in him so much. The older he gets, the more he's you! That is quite a compliment to you as his mom!
I hope Mac gets to go where is is the most comfortable. It's too bad college is so damn expensive. Dollars seem to dictate most things in this life anymore. Isn't that a shame?
JE

Gulo said...

He's such a show-off ! ;)