How to tell family you're accepted

[1415dr]

Any clever ways to tell your significant others that you finally got accepted? Nothing big and flashy, just a fun way to let them know the wait is over.

[.letmeinplz//]

You could buy them a sweater from where you are planning to go I guess.

 

I was planning on just disappearing and 4 years later returning with a degree.

[MidwesternAloha]

Pinterest baby/wedding announcement surprises and some of them actually work for this type of announcement! I saw one that's a real egg and you Crack it open and it has a note inside with whatever you want it to say!

[jujubea]

I called them on the phone nearly hyperventilating, "I got in! I got in to XYZ school!"

 

Sending something seems so distant/impersonal! You wouldn't just call them and tell them? Or is this not immediate family?

 

I guess there's a difference between getting accepted somewhere, period, and deciding which place you're actually going to go. For the former, I did phone calls of excitement, or texts if they couldn't pick up. But maybe when I decide where to go I'll send them a sweatshirt or something...

[Cheshire_Cat]

I sent my dad the acceptance letter with a note saying we needed to talk and I would call him later, lol.  I mean, I felt like it was a big deal, but I guess I didn't act like it much.

[BeatrizBear]

If I get accepted, I'm going to wait until literally he last moment before telling them, like maybe three weeks before I leave or something. My family will try to involve themselves too much otherwise.

[1Q84]

I would announce it to them in skywriting. Or maybe have the citizens of Australia join hands and spell out the acceptance letter with candles.

[braindump]

I think I waited 0.3 seconds to tell my SO/family - I was way too excited to wait. It involved a lot of hopping up and down. Also: congrats!

If you want to be more creative about it, I'd order them something from the school, like a mug, and let them be pleasantly surprised once they get it.

[maelia8]

When I got into my first choice, I was overseas so I splurged on an expensive overseas call rather than waiting for my mom to get on Skype and called her live, two minutes after getting the acceptance email, just as she was getting out of the hardware store. It was epic

[jujubea]

I think I waited 0.3 seconds to tell my SO/family - I was way too excited to wait. It involved a lot of hopping up and down. Also: congrats!

If you want to be more creative about it, I'd order them something from the school, like a mug, and let them be pleasantly surprised once they get it.

Oh yes. Don't forget the hopping and leaping and bounding part. Crucial.

[LittleDarlings]

I was living at home at the time and just went into my parents room and told them I had been accepted at my top school.  They actually weren't excited at all and questioned how I would get around without them to help me.... Then I told them I got a full scholarship to my third choice and they were super insanely excited and told everyone haha so I guess I just told them normally.

[SLPosteriorCricoarytenoid]

If I get accepted, I am going to give my parents a "congratulations" card with a personable note inside that will let them know that they can sit more comfortable as a cosigner on all of my loans since I'll be able to get a decent paying job after graduate school! Yay for less of a chance of their child not being able to pay bills and them getting harassed by collection agencies!

 

Just kidding. I will likely call them up in a hectic panic if I get in anywhere. They like to live vicariously through me so they would enjoy that. I called them when I got my first interview invitation and I think they may have even been more excited than me. 

[MidwesternAloha]

If I get accepted, my parents might say "oh that's nice."

[Guest]

If I get accepted, my parents might say "oh that's nice."

Yeah, same here.....then the money questions will come afterwards.

[Chubberubber]

I'd just let them read the e-mail for themselves (and watch their reaction )

[Kleene]

I am going to have my parents and my friends over here at the end of April. I would love to see their faces when I tell them that they are welcome to visit next year as well. (Applying to stay at my current institution.)

 

For the sake of my sanity I hope to get the results a month or two earlier, though. :S

[shadowclaw]

When I got accepted to my masters program, I got a giant envelope in the mail. My mom was in the kitchen with me when I opened it, and I just read it to her. She was actually not excited at all... she had one of those "Oh no" kind of looks on her face, but still said something along the lines of, "Oh, well that's good." I immediately called her out on it, and she expressed her desire for me to get a real job. I think my dad was a little more excited. As for my LOR writers, they were out of town. One was in Florida on vacation for spring break, so I shot him an email with the subject "Guess who got accepted to grad school?" and then in the body, I simply wrote "ME!" The other was doing a field course in Belize, so I couldn't get in touch with him. However, I was headed for Belize the next day to do some backpacking and would be meeting up with the group of students at the end of the week. When I finally met up with them, the first thing I said to him was "I got accepted!"

 

This time around, if I'm accpeted, I suppose I will immediate call everyone and scream into the phone, "I'M GOING TO BE A DOCTOR!" 

[BeatrizBear]

I was living at home at the time and just went into my parents room and told them I had been accepted at my top school.  They actually weren't excited at all and questioned how I would get around without them to help me.... Then I told them I got a full scholarship to my third choice and they were super insanely excited and told everyone haha so I guess I just told them normally.

 

Same. My parents are encouraging of me going into higher education, but very discouraging when it comes to me living on my own and are pushing for me to pick a school that's close by. My mom thinks I can't fend for myself despite going to a university out of state for my undergrad.

[Taeyers]

I'm lame and just got in touch with people the quickest way I knew how. Texted mom (who would immediately tell anyone else in the family who should know) and husband, emailed one recommendation writer, Facebooked another, and the third was the person who gave me the news right after the admission committee meeting ended. I tend to avoid drawing attention, so I only told the people whom it would affect in some noticeable way and those involved in the application process.

 

I always worry that making a big thing out of my happy news is the easiest way to set myself up for disappointment in the reactions (whether the reactions are underwhelming in enthusiasm or just confused before getting the point). The nice side of this approach is that when the people hearing the news react very happily and excitedly, that feels extra awesome. Since I know that I didn't project an expectation of that reaction, I can tell how truly excited that person is. 

 

ETA: I do like the suggestion of getting a mug or sweater from your institution of choice, if you can wait that long to spill the beans. That's a really cute idea. 

Edited February 8, 2015 by Taeyers

[ashiepoo72]

I was at work when I snuck a peak at my personal email, saw the acceptance and immediately ran outside to call my aunt (she and her husband are the only people who really supported my PhD ambitions). I was shaking, laughing and crying and she thought something was wrong when she answered. Then I said "I'm getting my PhD!!!" And she started crying, too.

It was not the most elaborate scheme, to say the least, but I'll never forget it.

Edit: the minute I hit submit on this post, I started tearing up again haha seriously, I think any way you tell your family will be great

Edited February 8, 2015 by ashiepoo72

[Sarochan]

I told my SO about my first acceptance by saying "Holy shit!" and then explaining what I was exclaiming about. As for my parents, I just called them. I'm planning on emailing my letter writers sometime soonish, haven't gotten around to it yet though.

 

I do like the idea of a mug/shirt/whatever from the chosen school, but who can wait that long? Not me, I've been freaking out about this and I can't help but share the news when I get it.

[DaDocStruggle]

When I got into my masters I was at home and decided to print out the shortened version of the name and paste it on the garage door windows. thankfuly there was an exact amount of letters to windows. when my parents came home they were nicely surprised!

[Edge]

Me: "Hey mom, I'm bored so I'm gonna go be a doctor"

[1Q84]

[grad_wannabe]

I called my mom and told her. In a blase fashion she said "of course you got in, dear. I had a dream that you would."

 

All rejections have just been texts to them though.

Edited February 18, 2015 by grad_wannabe