3.65 unweighted GPA and a 1580 SAT from a BIG 3 - What should realistically be on the list

[Anonymous]

This thread is so bizarre. Some random poster claims that OP must either be “fake, or not at a top private” and a subsequent poster converts that into “fake or not, at a top private” and then gleefully admits over and over that OP confessed to lying. Only on dcum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought just about every school provided access to Naviance. I know NCS does. What schools are NOT willing to let their students see Naviance?

GDS. I don't think Sidwell does either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so bizarre. Some random poster claims that OP must either be “fake, or not at a top private” and a subsequent poster converts that into “fake or not, at a top private” and then gleefully admits over and over that OP confessed to lying. Only on dcum.

Right!? So many reading comprehension fails. My guess as to schools is everything in the top 25 except for HYPSM. Where in that range probably depends on the strength of ECs, Recs, and essays.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell lets you look at Naviance, but only in the presence of a college guidance person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Original Poster here - not a troll at all. Was asking an honest question. Reason being, the College Counselor was all over the map. Naviance is in a grey area. And Im certainly not going to decide my child's entire future on a chat board - at the same time - I know there are people in the know here. People with prior experience. To those who took my question seriously, thank you. A number of you really helped. Its funny how people think an A- average is terrible these days. Sheesh.

Um, Naviance? Which Big 3 gives parents access to Naviance? Not mine.

I say fake.

At our Big 3, the College Counselor shows student and parent data from Naviance in a college meeting (will look up whatever colleges are on your list).

Fake or not really at a "top private."

LMAO!!!

So after five pages of posts, you now acknowledge that you lied with your initial question. Not at a Big 3. Now you're saying a "top private." What's next? Do you actually have a school age child?

TROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've waited years for a troll OP to admit to a lie. Finally!

OP admits to the lie of saying DC is in a Big Three, but is in fact in a "top private." I'm sure that's a lie too. Is there a top private in the DMV that provides Naviance to the parents?

Not sure what this troll is up to, but good to get at least a tiny bit of honesty.

NP here. Is it so hard to imagine a kid logging into Naviance and letting the parents look at it? Or giving the parents their login info?

[Anonymous]

So, we’ve now established that the only Big 3, if it even is a Big 3, that doesn’t allow you to see Naviance is GDS. Guess they don’t want people to see how few green dots there actually are on the Harvard scattergram.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, we’ve now established that the only Big 3, if it even is a Big 3, that doesn’t allow you to see Naviance is GDS. Guess they don’t want people to see how few green dots there actually are on the Harvard scattergram.

Actually Harvard is the only one we are allowed to see since it's just a giant blob of green dots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so bizarre. Some random poster claims that OP must either be “fake, or not at a top private” and a subsequent poster converts that into “fake or not, at a top private” and then gleefully admits over and over that OP confessed to lying. Only on dcum.

Right!? So many reading comprehension fails. My guess as to schools is everything in the top 25 except for HYPSM. Where in that range probably depends on the strength of ECs, Recs, and essays.

Not with that gpa.

a parent with a kid with similar stats and great ecs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so bizarre. Some random poster claims that OP must either be “fake, or not at a top private” and a subsequent poster converts that into “fake or not, at a top private” and then gleefully admits over and over that OP confessed to lying. Only on dcum.

Right!? So many reading comprehension fails. My guess as to schools is everything in the top 25 except for HYPSM. Where in that range probably depends on the strength of ECs, Recs, and essays.

Not with that gpa.

a parent with a kid with similar stats and great ecs

At a top PS with a rank between 10/25%? Absolutely if the ECs are there, by which I mean national or at least state-level awards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so bizarre. Some random poster claims that OP must either be “fake, or not at a top private” and a subsequent poster converts that into “fake or not, at a top private” and then gleefully admits over and over that OP confessed to lying. Only on dcum.

Right!? So many reading comprehension fails. My guess as to schools is everything in the top 25 except for HYPSM. Where in that range probably depends on the strength of ECs, Recs, and essays.

Not with that gpa.

a parent with a kid with similar stats and great ecs

Same. Take it down a rung or two, unless also a recruited athlete or legacy giving serious money (and even then, really depends on the school). Your kid will be fine, but not that fine.

[Anonymous]

I think some of the experienced private school parents posting in this thread had kids in HS more than a couple of years ago, and they don't understand how much more competitive college admissions has gotten in the last few years for UMC, unhooked kids in the DMV. My oldest DD graduated HS in 2015, had 3.5 UW GPA/35 ACT/NMF and got into schools like Duke and Swarthmore. My youngest is now a HS junior with a 3.87 UW GPA/1560 SAT and has been told both those schools are reaches and unlikely to admit her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think some of the experienced private school parents posting in this thread had kids in HS more than a couple of years ago, and they don't understand how much more competitive college admissions has gotten in the last few years for UMC, unhooked kids in the DMV. My oldest DD graduated HS in 2015, had 3.5 UW GPA/35 ACT/NMF and got into schools like Duke and Swarthmore. My youngest is now a HS junior with a 3.87 UW GPA/1560 SAT and has been told both those schools are reaches and unlikely to admit her.

Thank you. If your experience and anecdotes are dated (and dated truly means more than 2 years old) please don't share, or at least include the year your kid graduated from HS.

[Anonymous]

UVA does know the difference between the harder courses taught at the Big 3. Maybe it's because they are so close and know the schools better. My friend's child from a Big 3 was asked why they didn't take the harder course load. Of course, not all the schools know the difference between the classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a dream. Based on having 3 kids go through this in the past 5 years, and seeing where they and their friends ended up.

My kid is a senior at a big 3. Yes. It's a dream. This kid can get into q good school, but think Colby or WashU. Not Ivies or Bowdoin. And not UVA either because it really doesn't give much of a grade break for big 3.

Might be different if a great lax player or a legacy. And full pay will help at some schools. But some of the schools listed here are a pipe dream.

UVA makes clear that it cares more about grades than SAT scores, and I know from personal experience that they mean it. One of my kids (in state) got in off the wait list with a 1260 on the SAT but with very high grades. Many, many of her classmates were denied admission with much higher SATs but lower grades. And she had no hook whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so bizarre. Some random poster claims that OP must either be “fake, or not at a top private” and a subsequent poster converts that into “fake or not, at a top private” and then gleefully admits over and over that OP confessed to lying. Only on dcum.

Right!? So many reading comprehension fails. My guess as to schools is everything in the top 25 except for HYPSM. Where in that range probably depends on the strength of ECs, Recs, and essays.

+1

I have a senior this year in a Big 3 who just went through the college admissions process. Our experience with our child and his/her friends is exactly this. Many kids with these type of stats (including GPA) got into top colleges, including some Ivies (but not HYPSM). The admissions at these colleges is truly holistic, so ECs, essays, recommendations, etc. will make the difference. I think people who are doubting don’t realize how hard it is to get As and A-s at these schools. Fortunately, admissions offices at the popular colleges applied to from these schools know that. Our counselor also recommended matches and likelies for our child to look at. She said she assumed we knew about the reaches, but wanted to make sure we saw other schools that would be a good fit for our child too that we might not know as much about. That might explain why the colleges your counselor recommended seemed all over the place.

Also, our Big 3 gives parents access to Naviance, but the information available to students is a little more detailed.

Congratulations to your DC, OP, on doing so well in school and on the SAT. (S)he may not get into the very tippy-too colleges, but, with an overall strong application, will likely have very good options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think some of the experienced private school parents posting in this thread had kids in HS more than a couple of years ago, and they don't understand how much more competitive college admissions has gotten in the last few years for UMC, unhooked kids in the DMV. My oldest DD graduated HS in 2015, had 3.5 UW GPA/35 ACT/NMF and got into schools like Duke and Swarthmore. My youngest is now a HS junior with a 3.87 UW GPA/1560 SAT and has been told both those schools are reaches and unlikely to admit her.

I think it’s wrong to say college admissions has gotten more competitive. The number of kids hasn’t increased that much and they haven’t gotten smarter. The difference is more kids have stats above what used to be high enough for top 25 schools. The stats are inflated due to easier tests and prepping. Your oldest’s 35 from 4 years ago is a much better score percentile-wise than your dd’s 1560 today.