Selective college + how many Bs

[Anonymous]

my kid was valedictorian, Eagle Scout, perfect GPA, 36 ACT, etc., national
honors, but boring white kid i guess in today's new world of college admissions. Deferred at Princeton REA; waitlisted at four Ivies (legacy at two of them). Got in to UVA, Purdue and Ga Tech all for aerospace engineering and picked UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Asian (with an Asian name), so absolutely no hooks, no first gen and definitely not URM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Asian (with an Asian name), so absolutely no hooks, no first gen and definitely not URM.

Congrats!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

This is where the AO's often say that the students are reviewed in the context of their region/high school. It is irrelevant if prep school from NYC uses a 1-5 grading scale and rural school from South Dakota uses A-F with as many or as little increments delineating the As and the Bs.

Admissions do not evaluate based on absolute values. That's why this question of how many B's (presumably to assess the acceptable number of B's for anyone to have to have a chance at certain schools) is not helpful because the answer is always... it depends.

If there is anything I learned about this admissions cycle is that absolutely nothing is predictable. So everyone go apply to wherever you want to apply and let the cards fall where they may. Most chances are improbable yet anything is possible.