decisions, decisions (lyn)

I wake up this morning agonizing over Alexander’s college decision.  He’s debating between Vanderbilt and Cornell, having eliminated Northwestern and Wash U (their grant money wasn’t even close to the other two).

Yesterday we went to a Cornell event for NY-area admitted kids.  Aside from the two pieces of chocolate chip biscotti that I ate, it was a good meeting.  But I worry about Cornell being the best fit for Alexander.  Will the pressure be too much for him?  Will he freak out when he sees how hard he has to work for B’s?  How much is he being influenced by the name and the ivy-status?  Will the school be too big for him?  Will he be assertive enough to take advantage of all that Cornell offers?  Will he get lost in the large classes?  Will the bad winter weather get to him? 

But then I wonder, too, about Vanderbilt.  Is it too Southern (49% of the kids are from the South or Southwest)?  Is it too far from home?  Is it the right place to go if Wall Street is his hoped-for destination?

Perhaps I’m over thinking all this.  Alexander is going to visit Cornell later this week and perhaps he’ll find his answer there.

In the meantime, all this thinking has made me hungrier than usual.  Once Alexander makes his decision, I’ll make a corresponding one to eat fewer sweets.  For now, it helps with the angst.  I had no idea that a good piece of Lloyd’s carrot cake could be so comforting.