My kid isn't getting in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s tough. I’m very sorry. My son was a very average kid, academically. It made it easier in a way. Applied to 12 schools, 10 were state flagships. He got into 10/12 schools and felt really good about himself for the first time in a long time (with respect to school). He attended a large state flagship and is doing very well in college.
My daughter is more of a 90 percentile kid. We will be steering her to similar schools as her brother, however, for a multitude of reasons including taking the damn pressure off a bit that is so woven into living in this area.

As I’m sure I’ll be asked, his schools:

Admitted (29 ACT and 3.4 GPA)
U of SC
Penn State (summer program)
Clemson (summer program)
Alabama
Auburn
Indiana
Ole Miss
UC Boulder
Pitt
TCU

Not admitted: Ohio State and U of GA [/quote

Great list of schools! Is he private or public HS?

Private. But not sure that mattered?

It does. My private school child (3.8 UW) has been deferred/waitlisted at a few of the same schools your child was accepted and Public school friend with equal stats admitted. Both were test optional. Mine has more ECs, leadership and volunteer. It will all work out…. I think but very confused but the process.

I get what you’re saying. May be yield protection? But our consultant also said in our general demographic test optional is a red flag. My son’s test scores weren’t amazing but not horrible for these schools either. They largely comport with his grades. He had some very serious difficulties that influenced grades that were outlined in essays but I’m pretty sure these big schools don’t look at essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I say no choices I mean- his only choice is CP. It will certainly get the job done. But he is left feeling like a failure and a loser going to the only school he got into instead of someone who was wanted by multiple schools and got to pick his best fit (which would probably still be CP). It would make his 4 years in CP much better knowing it was a choice to be there.

I agree that it sucks to feel like it is by default rather than a choice. However, UMD-CP was ridiculously competitive this year. Did you see the 32 plus page thread on DCUM? Your son is a really good student and while it may not seem like it, students that have slightly lower, but still competitive stats, than your son were either denied or offered spring admission at UMD. Fall with scholars is nothing to sneeze at. I also know from speaking with other parents with older kids, especially for STEM fields, if they did get into one of the well regarded, smaller private schools there was little to no merit involved and no financial aid so UMD ended up being the only practical choice.

Good luck to your son. If he was only accepted into one school, UMD-CP was a darn good option that is relatively affordable. Channel that scrappy, underdog mentality to do great things!

[Anonymous]

Op...you are not making sense.

UMD is a better school than UofSC or Alabama or Miami of Ohio. And it’s cheaper since you’re in state.

Your son get into his target school thwt ias affordable, plus eh tried for some reaches.

Seems like a good strategy to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s tough. I’m very sorry. My son was a very average kid, academically. It made it easier in a way. Applied to 12 schools, 10 were state flagships. He got into 10/12 schools and felt really good about himself for the first time in a long time (with respect to school). He attended a large state flagship and is doing very well in college.
My daughter is more of a 90 percentile kid. We will be steering her to similar schools as her brother, however, for a multitude of reasons including taking the damn pressure off a bit that is so woven into living in this area.

As I’m sure I’ll be asked, his schools:

Admitted (29 ACT and 3.4 GPA)
U of SC
Penn State (summer program)
Clemson (summer program)
Alabama
Auburn
Indiana
Ole Miss
UC Boulder
Pitt
TCU

Not admitted: Ohio State and U of GA [/quote

Great list of schools! Is he private or public HS?

Private. But not sure that mattered?

It does. My private school child (3.8 UW) has been deferred/waitlisted at a few of the same schools your child was accepted and Public school friend with equal stats admitted. Both were test optional. Mine has more ECs, leadership and volunteer. It will all work out…. I think but very confused but the process.

I get what you’re saying. May be yield protection? But our consultant also said in our general demographic test optional is a red flag. My son’s test scores weren’t amazing but not horrible for these schools either. They largely comport with his grades. He had some very serious difficulties that influenced grades that were outlined in essays but I’m pretty sure these big schools don’t look at essays.

Someone asked where he ended up. IU. Didn’t get into Kelley as Freshman but did as sophomore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this is a joke or not. From accepted ivy thread:

3.4 GPA
29 ACT
1 AP Class
No EC
Legacy URM

URM it maybe true

+1

And therein lies the real reason OP’s kid with truly excellent stats did not get where the stats would indicate. Bottom line is that the last two years have been a total crap shoot for high stat kids. No way in hell these stats get a non connected white kid into an Ivy. No way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not alone. I wish DD who is also 1500, 4.4 and has math and science APs had concentrated on the state schools and tried to get merit. Results so far --UVA, no. Defers at Georgetown and Richmond. Yes from MD, Pitt, and Penn State. All good schools. Something will work out. I wish we had gone the Alabama, SC, etc. route. Hang in there.

A defer from Richmond??

Wow. That's rough. Maybe that's an example of the school not thinking your DD will really show up there.

My DS got into Richmond with 32 ACT and 3.76uw, 4.4w. But no merit.

I am the poster who mentioned deferral from Richmond. I don't think it's yield protection type situation. I don't think they have time for that. I don't know if she stands out. They probably have hundreds with similar stats just like her to choose from. I didn't read her essays, she managed all of that herself. So I don't know. She has some great options. She is hoping for VT. We will see.

Just curious if your DD applied ED to UVA? My DD has almost identical stats and probably doesn’t stand out otherwise. She was second guessing applying ED but I think that is what made the difference. Sorry for your DD and good luck with VT!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel for him, OP—that stinks. His stats are great and clearly he’s worked really hard. Yes, UMD is a great school but it would be nice for him to see some more acceptances if only to help validate what a great job he’s really done.

+1

I'm a mom who has the mental facility to hold two thoughts in her head at once! UMD Scholars is _great_ and if he attends he will be brilliantly set up for grad school and surrounded by some serious brainpower, like all the kids from Blair magnet whose parents need aid.

but I also completely understand how this objectively excellent -- yet sole -- option can nevertheless feel like a repudiation of all his hard work.

[Anonymous]

OP, I feel,your pain. We did all that you did and my kid has similar stats. It’s been tough seeing her get deferred and rejected from schools she would have been a shoo-in to just a few years ago (another Richmond deferral).

[Anonymous]

OP, thanks for not blaming the URM boogeyman like most of the grievance-,filled DCUM posters do when their DC doesn't get admitted to his/ her college of choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, thanks for not blaming the URM boogeyman like most of the grievance-,filled DCUM posters do when their DC doesn't get admitted to his/ her college of choice.

God damn it. Some of you act like admissions standards aren't quantifiably lower for URMs and first gens. The data is readily available: they are. And each of those acceptances means one fewer acceptance for students -- many of them sons and daughters of people who post here -- not in favored demographic groups but with much higher stats. It's bull crap. And just to preempt the response I'm sure is coming, yes, legacies have gotten the same favorable treatment for many years. That's bull crap too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it doesn't help with DS's experience of rejection, but here's an additional perspective. I have been teaching at UMD in recent years after having gone to a top SLAC and taught at an Ivy and a top UC and I am SO IMPRESSED with the kids at UMD. Everything about the experience of teaching there has been a pleasant surprise to me. The faculty will be delighted to have him in class and he will be plenty stimulated by his peers.

PP, this is really nice of you to share this perspective. I hope it cheers OP up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this is a joke or not. From accepted ivy thread:

3.4 GPA
29 ACT
1 AP Class
No EC
Legacy URM

URM it maybe true

+1

Maybe but it’s most likely a disgruntled mom of a high stats kid.

Literally nobody has no ECs

This. The demographics of this board does not have lots of URMs from what I’ve seen AND if by some chance that was the truth, what purpose would that serve to put that out there. That’s like throwing chum in the water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it doesn't help with DS's experience of rejection, but here's an additional perspective. I have been teaching at UMD in recent years after having gone to a top SLAC and taught at an Ivy and a top UC and I am SO IMPRESSED with the kids at UMD. Everything about the experience of teaching there has been a pleasant surprise to me. The faculty will be delighted to have him in class and he will be plenty stimulated by his peers.

If you see this: Are you in your 40s to 60s?

If so: In the real world, does it seem as if the incoming students at the top UC and UMD are a lot better than the incoming students would have been at those places in the 1980s; a little better; worse; or roughly the same?

In other words: When we see that Super Duper School X has a 5% admissions rate, and even UMD is getting to be snooty, is that mostly a mirage, because the kids are using the internet to apply to more schools; mainly because the current cohorts are, say, 40% bigger, due to the Echo Boom and an increase in the number of international students; or mainly due to the fact that there are really a lot more spectacularly brilliant, accomplished students?

I'm the PP who's taught recently at UMD. I'm in my 50s. I don't have enough perspective on how UC undergrads have changed over the long haul, but for UMD, I'm speaking from the perspective of having grown up in this area. UMD was on nobody's radar even as a safety when I was applying to college, and when I taught at an Ivy I never, ever saw an application to our grad programs from UMD grads. They just weren't competitive. Of course, I wasn't on the ground teaching at UMD back then (80s-early 2000s), so I can't compare today's students to UMD's students then. But I can definitely say that I do not dumb down my curriculum or expectations at all when I teach at UMD, and the students completely rise to the occasion. The very, very top might not be as ostentatiously brilliant at at Berkeley or an Ivy, but the general standard is as high as you could wish.

From my experience in academe more generally, I would say that both larger cohorts of students applying and a dismal job market for professors have pushed really, really excellent people, student and teachers, way, way down the rankings lists. From a teacher's perspective, I can't imagine that there's anything to choose between the kid you'd get in class at UVA vs. UMD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, thanks for not blaming the URM boogeyman like most of the grievance-,filled DCUM posters do when their DC doesn't get admitted to his/ her college of choice.

God damn it. Some of you act like admissions standards aren't quantifiably lower for URMs and first gens. The data is readily available: they are. And each of those acceptances means one fewer acceptance for students -- many of them sons and daughters of people who post here -- not in favored demographic groups but with much higher stats. It's bull crap. And just to preempt the response I'm sure is coming, yes, legacies have gotten the same favorable treatment for many years. That's bull crap too.

A poor brown kid did not steal your kid’s spot. Try harder next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not alone. I wish DD who is also 1500, 4.4 and has math and science APs had concentrated on the state schools and tried to get merit. Results so far --UVA, no. Defers at Georgetown and Richmond. Yes from MD, Pitt, and Penn State. All good schools. Something will work out. I wish we had gone the Alabama, SC, etc. route. Hang in there.

A defer from Richmond??

Wow. That's rough. Maybe that's an example of the school not thinking your DD will really show up there.

My DS got into Richmond with 32 ACT and 3.76uw, 4.4w. But no merit.

I am the poster who mentioned deferral from Richmond. I don't think it's yield protection type situation. I don't think they have time for that. I don't know if she stands out. They probably have hundreds with similar stats just like her to choose from. I didn't read her essays, she managed all of that herself. So I don't know. She has some great options. She is hoping for VT. We will see.

Just curious if your DD applied ED to UVA? My DD has almost identical stats and probably doesn’t stand out otherwise. She was second guessing applying ED but I think that is what made the difference. Sorry for your DD and good luck with VT!

Did not apply ED to UVA. Out of state and weighing finances.