I feel like we should grab coffee at some point

by bobbywal, Oak Park, Thursday, April 09, 2026, 22:28 (9 days ago) @ MattG

I don't think anything that you think factored into this, actually factored into it. Your kid is awesome. Whatever happened wrt ND isn't a reflection on him or you or anyone. I think it's the outcome of a Plinko game.

My donation history to ND was the minimal amount to get football lottery for years, and then, when the kids were young and life was too busy it became exactly zero. I've written strongly worded emails to Jenkins about a range of things that upset me well before my kids were accepted.

My daughter is class of '27 and she is awesome. I figured she'd have a "zip code" issue - being from Chicagoland. But, she got in and surprised both my wife and I when she decided to go. I didn't think it was where she wanted to be. Her experience has been good. The women at ND are far more liberal than many of the men, as far as I can tell.

My son, the senior in HS, also was accepted. He got into every school he applied to, with the notable exception of three New England schools (one denial and two waitlists). Plinko? Or we simply didn't fit the profile (despite my east coast upbringing, ha!).

My takeaway? None of this makes any damn sense. You do what you can do. But, in the end, it's a weird coin-flip. But, I don't think your kid is being punished for anything you did (or didn't do).