Is it really that hard to get into college?

[Anonymous]

I discovered this forum last week. Dh and I attended T20 schools and T10 grad schools in the 90s. Oldest is in middle school. I stumbled upon this forum and it sounds insanely competitive to get into college. My kids are well rounded but not super stars at anything. They like to ski, fish, golf, play soccer, tennis, basketball and go boating. They do some academic extracurriculars but aren’t the best at anything.

Are my kids totally screwed because they are too cookie cutter UMC?

They don’t do anything that stands out. I am sure or hope my kids will get good grades in high school and have a good SAT score but it seems everyone does.

[Anonymous]

The number of schools that serve top kids well has drastically increased. There are plenty of seats at those schools for top kids. However, parents who are obsessed with their kids attending schools that are not only top now but were also top 30 years ago, are often shocked.

Your kids will do fine.

[Anonymous]

Top colleges yes, the rest no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I discovered this forum last week. Dh and I attended T20 schools and T10 grad schools in the 90s. Oldest is in middle school. I stumbled upon this forum and it sounds insanely competitive to get into college. My kids are well rounded but not super stars at anything. They like to ski, fish, golf, play soccer, tennis, basketball and go boating. They do some academic extracurriculars but aren’t the best at anything.

Are my kids totally screwed because they are too cookie cutter UMC?

They don’t do anything that stands out. I am sure or hope my kids will get good grades in high school and have a good SAT score but it seems everyone does.[/quote


Your kids will be able to get into colleges, but probably not where you and your DH attended. T20 schools require top scores and all around well rounded and then luck. The “top scores” get your kid a lottery ticket where the acceptance rate is 3-10%

[Anonymous]

It's not hard to get into *a* college, but it might be difficult to get into a *particular* college. As long as you don't bring your biases regarding prestige and "top school or bust" mentality, your child will find a good fit school no matter what choices they make.

[Anonymous]

Assuming you're not a troll, yes, it is hard to get into highly rejective colleges. Especially if you are from a competitive area where your kid is competing against 30 other high stats kids from their class.

My kid with competitive (99%) stats and ECs is going to a T50 school. A very good school, but not what we had expected some 4 years ago at the start of high school. Certainly did not expect the rejections from the competitive colleges that spouse and I went to. Nor some of the schools we might once have considered a safety school.

So it's not that your kids are screwed. They'll get into a good college, and chances are it's even going to be a great college. Just don't expect the T10 colleges to be matches.

Also if your kids are better at networking and doing the sorts of things that bring attention to themselves, like emailing school representatives, then that helps.

[Anonymous]

If you only apply to T50 schools, Ivies, etc and think that your parents’ experience with their college admissions in the 80s, 90s or 2000s has any relevance to your own, then yes, it really is that hard.

If you cast a wide net, apply ED to your first choice if you can (and you only get one shot at it, so don’t make it HYSP if you aren’t a top 1/2% student with massive other qualifying features) and apply to LOTS of schools with several true safeties, then no, it’s not.

One guess which option most of DCUM takes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you're not a troll, yes, it is hard to get into highly rejective colleges. Especially if you are from a competitive area where your kid is competing against 30 other high stats kids from their class.

My kid with competitive (99%) stats and ECs is going to a T50 school. A very good school, but not what we had expected some 4 years ago at the start of high school. Certainly did not expect the rejections from the competitive colleges that spouse and I went to. Nor some of the schools we might once have considered a safety school.

So it's not that your kids are screwed. They'll get into a good college, and chances are it's even going to be a great college. Just don't expect the T10 colleges to be matches.

Also if your kids are better at networking and doing the sorts of things that bring attention to themselves, like emailing school representatives, then that helps.

I am not a troll. Our kids are at a well regarded public school. They have so many smart friends that sound identical to one another on paper. One kid may run track and another May play tennis but none are THAT good to be an athletic recruit.

Hope this is not a completely stupid question but do hobbies help? My kids love to ski, boat and fish. They will never be on a ski team but my son has been skiing on black since he was 9. We also go on tons of fishing trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you're not a troll, yes, it is hard to get into highly rejective colleges. Especially if you are from a competitive area where your kid is competing against 30 other high stats kids from their class.

My kid with competitive (99%) stats and ECs is going to a T50 school. A very good school, but not what we had expected some 4 years ago at the start of high school. Certainly did not expect the rejections from the competitive colleges that spouse and I went to. Nor some of the schools we might once have considered a safety school.

So it's not that your kids are screwed. They'll get into a good college, and chances are it's even going to be a great college. Just don't expect the T10 colleges to be matches.

Also if your kids are better at networking and doing the sorts of things that bring attention to themselves, like emailing school representatives, then that helps.

I am not a troll. Our kids are at a well regarded public school. They have so many smart friends that sound identical to one another on paper. One kid may run track and another May play tennis but none are THAT good to be an athletic recruit.

Hope this is not a completely stupid question but do hobbies help? My kids love to ski, boat and fish. They will never be on a ski team but my son has been skiing on black since he was 9. We also go on tons of fishing trips.

Fishing, skiing and boating won’t matter to top schools unless you win a national competitive award with public recognition in them. Many applicants are captains of varsity teams and at the top tiers, even they’re a dime a dozen.

Hobbies may help at match or safety schools to give a picture of a more well-rounded applicant, maybe. More important are SAT scores (so use paid prep if you can afford it and your kid needs it), volunteer and service hours (helpful if they can be targeted toward the intended field of study), where you live (it helps to come from an underrepresented state to the school, as schools do keep track of that and often publish the geographical breakdown in future admissions materials) and, the biggest factor of all — luck, which is why the “more applications than you think you need” advice is so important.

[Anonymous]

This is such an irritating post, OP. You can read the posts on this forum for your vague question or, better yet, read some books about it since your kids have years before they apply.

[Anonymous]

Right now, yes. The chance of your kids getting into a t20 school is nonexistent. But who knows what will happen in a few years and what strengths your kids might develop by that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right now, yes. The chance of your kids getting into a t20 school is nonexistent. But who knows what will happen in a few years and what strengths your kids might develop by that time.

+1. True. But it wouldn’t hurt to start exposing them to more interesting and less suburban things. See if they have a passion for art or bag pipes or urban horticulture. Get them involved in volunteer work now and see what develops.

Okay, so what I am about to write is not directed at your kids because I don’t know them but the chance of any suburban kid finding their passion and talent playing video games, watching TV, and playing weekend soccer is fairly nonexistent. We have to get our kids out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right now, yes. The chance of your kids getting into a t20 school is nonexistent. But who knows what will happen in a few years and what strengths your kids might develop by that time.

+1. True. But it wouldn’t hurt to start exposing them to more interesting and less suburban things. See if they have a passion for art or bag pipes or urban horticulture. Get them involved in volunteer work now and see what develops.

Okay, so what I am about to write is not directed at your kids because I don’t know them but the chance of any suburban kid finding their passion and talent playing video games, watching TV, and playing weekend soccer is fairly nonexistent. We have to get our kids out there.

My kid totally found his passion from youtube.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you're not a troll, yes, it is hard to get into highly rejective colleges. Especially if you are from a competitive area where your kid is competing against 30 other high stats kids from their class.

My kid with competitive (99%) stats and ECs is going to a T50 school. A very good school, but not what we had expected some 4 years ago at the start of high school. Certainly did not expect the rejections from the competitive colleges that spouse and I went to. Nor some of the schools we might once have considered a safety school.

So it's not that your kids are screwed. They'll get into a good college, and chances are it's even going to be a great college. Just don't expect the T10 colleges to be matches.

Also if your kids are better at networking and doing the sorts of things that bring attention to themselves, like emailing school representatives, then that helps.

I am not a troll. Our kids are at a well regarded public school. They have so many smart friends that sound identical to one another on paper. One kid may run track and another May play tennis but none are THAT good to be an athletic recruit.

Hope this is not a completely stupid question but do hobbies help? My kids love to ski, boat and fish. They will never be on a ski team but my son has been skiing on black since he was 9. We also go on tons of fishing trips.

Sure they help Everything that makes the kid the person that s/he is helps Just get past the T20 obsession and you'll be fine

[Anonymous]

Top schools (think T20-T30) this year had admissions rates in the 4% - 15% range.

The numbers tell the story. When anywhere between 85% - 96% of applicants are rejected from a top school, it means that, yes it is UNBELIEVABLY hard to be admitted to top schools.