Where did your 3.6 GPA child get in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Things you have going for you:
- private school (use your college counselor)
- ambitious kid who hopefully knows he's got to kick some as* on the standardized tests and write amazing essays
- hire private essay coaches this summer

Things against you:
- major selection (change that if you can asap)
- are there a lot of kids in class competing against each other/"clustering" for ED choice? If so, that will backfire.

This. Kid MUST change major.......then the advantages of the private might help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try:
Case Western
NYU
Tufts (ED?)
Lehigh
Wake
Santa Clara

Given the results I have been tracking along with my senior DC, specifically the rejections of very high stats at UMD and more popular T50 schools, I would not assume a T50 acceptance unless there is something very special hidden behind or accompanying that 3.6. I would show a lot of interest at any the above schools to get on their radar. To be fair, we are at a public and I don't know if privates are able to secure T50 admissions for their kids. But unless they are, manage expectations and get to work on demonstrated interest at target schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try:
Case Western
NYU
Tufts (ED?)
Lehigh
Wake
Santa Clara

This is a good list. Thank you...

I had brought up NYU for ED. I also mentioned he look into UMD and AU and he guffawed like I had insulted him. I hope his college counselor gives him more hard truths in the Fall so he hears it from someone else.

he's in for a rude awakening. Same thing happened to my DC, magnet 4.0 uwpga, 4.92 wgpa, 1580 SAT kid. Thought they would get into some T20. Nope. They didn't listen to me, either.

Where is your DC now?

Interesting that one of these kids said to parents, "it's different now." My experience has been that parents don't recognize that "it's different now" and grossly overestimate how easy it will be for their kid to get into their Ivy/T20 school. Legacy can def help, but it is not a couple pounds on the scale. Perhaps a light touch of a finger, but that's it. Of course there are legacy exceptions for prominent families, major donors, etc.

Just curious what this kid thinks "is different now."

Watching things play out at a top private this year I'd say that legacy can give some kids a 0.1% GPA bump. So if Yale (random example) usually only takes 3.9 kids from that private then a 3.8 legacy may get in. Of course, only a small number of the legacy applicants get in because there are so many at these top schools (easily 10 in a class from Yale and Yale is not going to take 10 kids--each year they only take 1-2 total).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try:
Case Western
NYU
Tufts (ED?)
Lehigh
Wake
Santa Clara

This is a good list. Thank you...

I had brought up NYU for ED. I also mentioned he look into UMD and AU and he guffawed like I had insulted him. I hope his college counselor gives him more hard truths in the Fall so he hears it from someone else.

he's in for a rude awakening. Same thing happened to my DC, magnet 4.0 uwpga, 4.92 wgpa, 1580 SAT kid. Thought they would get into some T20. Nope. They didn't listen to me, either.

Public high school ppl. Truly, everything is high school dependent

DP. Not totally. My magnet kid had slightly lower stats and got into T10. The stats are a starting point. You can't judge your school because your high stat kid didn't get in. That is more likely related to your kid's app materials, other kids at your kid's magnet and institutional priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try:
Case Western
NYU
Tufts (ED?)
Lehigh
Wake
Santa Clara

This is a good list. Thank you...

I had brought up NYU for ED. I also mentioned he look into UMD and AU and he guffawed like I had insulted him. I hope his college counselor gives him more hard truths in the Fall so he hears it from someone else.

he's in for a rude awakening. Same thing happened to my DC, magnet 4.0 uwpga, 4.92 wgpa, 1580 SAT kid. Thought they would get into some T20. Nope. They didn't listen to me, either.

Where is your DC now?

Interesting that one of these kids said to parents, "it's different now." My experience has been that parents don't recognize that "it's different now" and grossly overestimate how easy it will be for their kid to get into their Ivy/T20 school. Legacy can def help, but it is not a couple pounds on the scale. Perhaps a light touch of a finger, but that's it. Of course there are legacy exceptions for prominent families, major donors, etc.

Just curious what this kid thinks "is different now."

PP here.. They are at a state flagship (which is actually T20 for Eng/cs, and T50 overall, depending on what ranking site you look at) with merit and seems pretty happy there. But, they thought they could get into a T20 overall, and a T10 for Eng/CS. They applied to all T10s for CS/Eng, and the state flagship as a "safety". This was last year. Today, I'm reading/hearing that kids with super high states are getting rejected to this state flagship for this major. It. Is. Brutal. for these types of kids. A 3.6 is not going to cut it unless there is some serious major hook.

They thought their high stats would carry them; they did have some decent e.c.s with one national leadership position, but even that wasn't enough for a highly competitive major like Eng/CS.

IMO, part of the problem is that this area has so many high achieving kids, it's hard to really stand out in these types of majors, especially if you are an UMC white/Asian male, which I'm going to assume OP's DC is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try:
Case Western
NYU
Tufts (ED?)
Lehigh
Wake
Santa Clara

Given the results I have been tracking along with my senior DC, specifically the rejections of very high stats at UMD and more popular T50 schools, I would not assume a T50 acceptance unless there is something very special hidden behind or accompanying that 3.6. I would show a lot of interest at any the above schools to get on their radar. To be fair, we are at a public and I don't know if privates are able to secure T50 admissions for their kids. But unless they are, manage expectations and get to work on demonstrated interest at target schools.

At our private, this year, we had success with 3.6 range at NYU, Case, Santa Clara and Lehigh.
Not Wake or Tufts (need 3.7+ at least)....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try:
Case Western
NYU
Tufts (ED?)
Lehigh
Wake
Santa Clara

This is a good list. Thank you...

I had brought up NYU for ED. I also mentioned he look into UMD and AU and he guffawed like I had insulted him. I hope his college counselor gives him more hard truths in the Fall so he hears it from someone else.

he's in for a rude awakening. Same thing happened to my DC, magnet 4.0 uwpga, 4.92 wgpa, 1580 SAT kid. Thought they would get into some T20. Nope. They didn't listen to me, either.

Where is your DC now?

Interesting that one of these kids said to parents, "it's different now." My experience has been that parents don't recognize that "it's different now" and grossly overestimate how easy it will be for their kid to get into their Ivy/T20 school. Legacy can def help, but it is not a couple pounds on the scale. Perhaps a light touch of a finger, but that's it. Of course there are legacy exceptions for prominent families, major donors, etc.

Just curious what this kid thinks "is different now."

PP here.. They are at a state flagship (which is actually T20 for Eng/cs, and T50 overall, depending on what ranking site you look at) with merit and seems pretty happy there. But, they thought they could get into a T20 overall, and a T10 for Eng/CS. They applied to all T10s for CS/Eng, and the state flagship as a "safety". This was last year. Today, I'm reading/hearing that kids with super high states are getting rejected to this state flagship for this major. It. Is. Brutal. for these types of kids. A 3.6 is not going to cut it unless there is some serious major hook.

They thought their high stats would carry them; they did have some decent e.c.s with one national leadership position, but even that wasn't enough for a highly competitive major like Eng/CS.

IMO, part of the problem is that this area has so many high achieving kids, it's hard to really stand out in these types of majors, especially if you are an UMC white/Asian male, which I'm going to assume OP's DC is.

Engineering/CS is brutal....its the major.
Entirely diff story if kid had different interests/major and same stats....

[Anonymous]

How about WPI, Rose Hulman, or Purdue?

[Anonymous]

Boston University ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is his intended major?

Engineering. Particular interest in Robotics

He should check out Lehigh, Lafayette, WPI, Stevens, Union, Rose Hulman. Some of these might even be a little reachy. U Rochester/Case for reach.

Clarkson for safety. Or LACs with engineering-- York, Manhattan, Elizabethtown.

He won't get into UMD engr with 3.6. UMBC would be best hope in state.

add RPI and RIT

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Lots of good suggestions here. We have a little bit of time and I'm going to discuss a major change with him or else change what schools he's targeting. He's completely delusional, he wanted to focus on Top 20s and have a couple Top 50s as his "back up"... I told him Top 50s needed to be his reaches.

A neighbor of ours had their son from public get into CalTech and because of the college placement from his private school, my son believes some of these schools are more attainable than they truly are. However, college placement is important to his school and I think even if he won't listen to me, they'll get through to him that he needs some other choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. He's very much influenced by his peers who all seem certain they'll get into Ivies or Top 20s. At his private, they ALL seem to go far and wide with no one attending college nearby. I suspect he cares more about prestige of the school over the best engineering program for him (sigh). His school does not particpate in AP classes but it is known to be a rigorous school. I could have pushed him for better grades but he has extensive after school commitments, wouldn't get home until after 9pm and having a happy son was also important to me. He also hopes to play at college, so maybe a recruitment will break his way, but that also feels like a long shot to me. I just figured he'll goto a Top 50 if he's lucky and was not expecting this level of delusion from him. Maybe this is part of the process and once he's really in it this fall he'll realize he needs to cast a wider net.

He can take the AP exams independently; talk with Capital Educators.

Stevenson University ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless there is a hook, 3.6 is a long shot for T20 . T50 is possbile.

That’s ridiculous if true. That’s a b+ mostly A’s and few Bs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless there is a hook, 3.6 is a long shot for T20 . T50 is possbile.

That’s ridiculous if true. That’s a b+ mostly A’s and few Bs.

Welcome to college admissions post-COVID edition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless there is a hook, 3.6 is a long shot for T20 . T50 is possbile.

That’s ridiculous if true. That’s a b+ mostly A’s and few Bs.

Welcome to college admissions post-COVID edition.

+1 especially students from this high achieving area. If they were in most of the rest of the country, then absolutely, they'd have a shot. But from this area? Very difficult.