Selective college + how many Bs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1 - B in AP Calc AB (but got A in BC Calc the next year) in at Stanford (REA), UVA and Vanderbilt. Didn't apply anywhere else. FCPS (not TJ)

What major? STEM or humanities? How many APs? What do you think set your DC apart at Stanford?

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I am a corporate recruiter who has specialized in college recruiting in my career.

I hired MBAs from top schools incl Ivies and the very good ones like Duke/UVA.

Repeat this after me - College is only college. There are 1000000 kids who graduate from a top tier university. In fact, I swear to you, everyone recruits from all the schools even lowly Radford (where DH graduated) Talent is needed everywhere. Now, I grant you, certain companies recruit out of certain schools. When I was at Northrop, we did VA Tech annually. But everyone is recruiting out of almost all the B/C students and furthermore, even if you weren't recruited as a senior in college, if you apply to a job you might really like that and you had good internships and know how to present yourself, I GUARANTEE your kid will find a job.

College is college. You have to actually build a career and move up the ladder and that is NOT something college will give you. It's never where you start, it's where you end.

Do not stress.

[Anonymous]

Sorry - I meant recruiting B/C schools for students ^

You all must chill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks to those who have shared far. I was getting concerned bc Princeton's common data set says 68% of the freshman class had a 4.0 in HS.

I don't think our high school counselor will have any advice for us. We are checking naviance (which isn't completely accurate), and keeping notes on where the senior class is headed this year.

Well, if you are "getting nervous" because Princeton might be out of reach, you are approaching the process wrong.

Most applicants will be rejected from highly selective colleges. Do the math.

Your kid has to find a range that he/she can imagine being their new home for the next few years. Make that your goal, not achieving perfection to ensure admission to at T20. That is the wrong goal.

You want a place that will take you kid. Where your kid will be happy and finish growing to adulthood, while receiving a strong education.

Yeah, you just can't build your whole outlook around one college.

+1 I am an alumni interviewer for Princeton. So many of these applicants are exceptional (not a B in sight) but there's also a lot with hooks (legacies, athletes, children of boldface names/rich people). If you don't have those hooks, you need to be exceptional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a corporate recruiter who has specialized in college recruiting in my career.

I hired MBAs from top schools incl Ivies and the very good ones like Duke/UVA.

Repeat this after me - College is only college. There are 1000000 kids who graduate from a top tier university. In fact, I swear to you, everyone recruits from all the schools even lowly Radford (where DH graduated) Talent is needed everywhere. Now, I grant you, certain companies recruit out of certain schools. When I was at Northrop, we did VA Tech annually. But everyone is recruiting out of almost all the B/C students and furthermore, even if you weren't recruited as a senior in college, if you apply to a job you might really like that and you had good internships and know how to present yourself, I GUARANTEE your kid will find a job.

College is college. You have to actually build a career and move up the ladder and that is NOT something college will give you. It's never where you start, it's where you end.

Do not stress.

I agree! Jobs are more about "how do you show up, present yourself, social skills than where you went to school.

SPend money on therapy and life coaching for having your kids meet their highest social potential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 - B in AP Calc AB (but got A in BC Calc the next year) in at Stanford (REA), UVA and Vanderbilt. Didn't apply anywhere else. FCPS (not TJ)

What major? STEM or humanities? How many APs? What do you think set your DC apart at Stanford?

Thank you!

11 or 12 APs. STEM major. I think DC had excellent rec letters that made the difference and got very lucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA pretty much said it's not an either/or for all As and rigor. It's an AND for them.

Well, yes, but UVA still has test optional. It is a "AND" for boring entitled white kids like mine applying, but it's not an "and" for URM and first generation, etc.

My 2024 FCPS DC had 3 Bs after end of junior year, plus 2 Bs first semester senior year. Accepted by UVA and W&M. 10 AP courses in total.

[Anonymous]

Also had 1500 SAT, so not TO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

If your child was accepted into a highly selective college, how many Bs did they have?
If you don't mind, could you name the school?

I know this is a silly question as admissions is holistic, but trying to gauge which schools we should target early decision/early action. There are differing opinions in our family!

Zero (A- in 7th grade algebra and Spanish 4-FCPS)
Waitlisted at UVA and NEU
Denied H and Penn
Accepted at BU, CWRU, Lehigh, UMD, WM, Pitt, Ohio St and UMN

Public school right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get so tired of the "in publics everyone should get an A b/c of retakes" nonsense. Our school does allow retakes, but only up to an 80. That isn't going to get you an A. Maybe it's helping a kid not get a C.

So your kid goes to APS where an -A is 4.0 and a B+ is a 3.5 (when it should be a 3.3)? Plus retakes. I think that really helps pad the gpa.

At my kid’s privates, there are no retakes and you earn the appropriate gpa points for your work. -A=3.7, B+=3.3 B=3.0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

If your child was accepted into a highly selective college, how many Bs did they have?
If you don't mind, could you name the school?

I know this is a silly question as admissions is holistic, but trying to gauge which schools we should target early decision/early action. There are differing opinions in our family!

Zero (A- in 7th grade algebra and Spanish 4-FCPS)
Waitlisted at UVA and NEU
Denied H and Penn
Accepted at BU, CWRU, Lehigh, UMD, WM, Pitt, Ohio St and UMN

Test scores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA pretty much said it's not an either/or for all As and rigor. It's an AND for them.

Well, yes, but UVA still has test optional. It is a "AND" for boring entitled white kids like mine applying, but it's not an "and" for URM and first generation, etc.

My 2024 FCPS DC had 3 Bs after end of junior year, plus 2 Bs first semester senior year. Accepted by UVA and W&M. 10 AP courses in total.

Any hooks? First gen? URM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a handful of students that get into T20s with a bunch of B’s but their essays or extracurriculars are usually stellar. Easy to stretch the truth on those though…

Um, no.

Private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

If your child was accepted into a highly selective college, how many Bs did they have?
If you don't mind, could you name the school?

I know this is a silly question as admissions is holistic, but trying to gauge which schools we should target early decision/early action. There are differing opinions in our family!

Zero (A- in 7th grade algebra and Spanish 4-FCPS)
Waitlisted at UVA and NEU
Denied H and Penn
Accepted at BU, CWRU, Lehigh, UMD, WM, Pitt, Ohio St and UMN

Public school right?

Yes. Fairfax County (not TJ)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

If your child was accepted into a highly selective college, how many Bs did they have?
If you don't mind, could you name the school?

I know this is a silly question as admissions is holistic, but trying to gauge which schools we should target early decision/early action. There are differing opinions in our family!

Zero (A- in 7th grade algebra and Spanish 4-FCPS)
Waitlisted at UVA and NEU
Denied H and Penn
Accepted at BU, CWRU, Lehigh, UMD, WM, Pitt, Ohio St and UMN

Test scores?

800M/720V
780M/760V
Superscore 1560