Happy Day

Glorious, glorious day!
Dear Daughter has finally been admitted to the University!
She will be studying Archaeology and Art history, which is a good starting place to decide what kind of career she wants to build. A second focus she's considering is in the realm of politics. Not to be a politician, to be sure, but rather to make governments work better for their citizens.
just as good news: this university stopped requiring the Studienbeitrag (study fees) last semester. So now, instead of paying Euro 480 per semester (that's total, for you not familiar with the German university system), she pays ZERO.
Zero.
Hard for an American to understand.
If she were admitted to the public university I studied at, Purdue University, she would pay $4,736 per semester. Ironically enough, 10 times what the fees would have been, had the German university not cancelled even those.
She does have to pay Eur 250 per semester for social fees, which cover her miscellaneous costs, but that includes a state-wide train ticket!

Abitur from Gymnasium, not a high school graduation

Taylor received her Abitur this week in a ceremony at the school. It's not the same as graduation in the US, but she did receive her Zeugnis, the equivalent of a diploma. These Zeugnisse from schools and work generally need to be show to a new employer when job hunting. I even had to produce a paper copy of my university degree when I hired on here.
This was a particularly nice ceremony, with the class' jazz band playing (no Pomp and Circumstance here), and good short speeches. The school director made a specific point of enabling parents to take photographs of their child receiving her Zeugnis.

Next up for her is the Abiball, which is not a prom, although the kids dress up, and some schools do a dance. This school is having some sort of event. A must for the Abiball is the Abizeitung, which will apparently roast the teachers. We'll see how this all turns out.

Here are some pictures of her Zeugnis ceremony, and a video with the song the kids did at the end of the ceremony.