What kind of college applicant is this?
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Anonymous
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Please help me understand how my son will be viewed as a college applicant and what kinds of schools he should realistically be aiming for. I see terms like "Target" and "Reach" and I wonder what bands of schools would match that for him. He's not going for very elite schools, but what about schools in the top 30-50 range? Top 100? And which bands of schools might be below his level academically? He's intrigued by a particular school that ranks in the low 200s nationally and another that ranks in the 20s regionally. Am I right in feeling these are below him, or do I need to get real about who he is as a student? I went to a very selective school, so my metrics might be off when it comes to a less competitive student. When I go to US News and World Report or a similar site, what rankings of school should I be looking at? What level of selectivity? His profile:
We're in the NYC suburbs, decent but not top-ranked public school, "most demanding" transcript designation with all AP courses junior year, GPA is 3.5 unweighted, SAT should crack 1400 but I don't expect much over that. He's been consistently involved in some school activities since freshman year like playing in a music ensemble, joining in the school musical every year, and a couple of clubs, but he's not president or leader of anything. He's also involved in his school's science research program (most schools around here seem to have a program like this) and is doing well, but I don't expect him to win any awards. And he does some volunteer work, 1-2 hours a week. |
Anonymous
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College rankings don't matter for your kid. You want to help a kid with a good track record to develop themselves as much as possible and be a great candidate for the job they want. You need to focus on:
1) Schools that will intellectually develop your kid based on his habits and strengths as a student. Is he proactive and organized and would do fine in bigger classrooms? Does he need close attention from a professor in a small college? Does he want intellectual mentoring and deep conversations or just to check the box of completing college? 2) Schools with strong regional job placement in his possible majors. This is where your issues of regional #20 and Top 200 get considered. Some local schools have very strong reputations and good pull with local employers. Scrape whatever career websites the schools have for insights. Look at LinkedIn bios if you use LinkedIn. Ask parents you know what they've heard. 3) What types of extracurriculars, internships, and research experiences are available at the school? These experiences can play a big role in happiness, making friends, and developing career priorities. I don't have good knowledge of NY options, but based on what I've read and researched, take a look at Syracuse, SUNY Binghamton, Drexel, and maybe St. Joe's in Philly for a wide range of majors. If your kid wants to apply to a lottery ticket school, let them. It's worth it to know. |
Anonymous
| Your kid is a run-of-the-mill solid student. Good, but not exceptional. Not top 20. Worry less about prestige and more about finding a school he really likes. |
Anonymous
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PP. Also...the real shortcut here is to look at the pattern of last year's seniors at your high school. Except for very elite high schools that are sending kids all over the U.S., most schools follow a regional pattern.
In my district, which is between UMC and MC, a huge number of kids with 3.5 or above go to our 2nd hardest state school to get into. A few, with 3.8s and the fancy resume, go to the hardest state school to get into. Beyond those, any kid who wants to go to college can find one. This repeats every year. Few kids leave the state because local schools are affordable. If your school has the application software packages Naviance or SCOIR, you can quickly investigate how different applicants have fared based on GPA/SAT. You and your kid should have fun with this process. If you are not scrapping for let's say Top 30, there are lots of choices and you just have to find the right combo of attributes. Also, don't underestimate the value of being a geographic diversity candidate somewhere far away. That might be a good hook. |
Anonymous
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Would he be interested in Rutgers? SB and Bing are getting a little bit unpredictable nowadays. Genesco or Buffalo may be a little bit too cold for some kids. Then there is CUNY options.
Rutgers is an amazing school for all different kinds of kids. I believe they offer certain amount of merit so that COA will be roughly the same as your in-state. One hour train ride to NYC. One of the oldest colleges (Queen's college) in the country. If they didn't become a public u, they would have been an ivy for sure. For sure! |
Anonymous
| Your kid has lots of options. Talk to people, do the research and visit different kinds of schools . |
Anonymous
Not top 50 either. |
Anonymous
| At our school, that profile would get into places like Virginia Tech, U Tampa, Penn State, Indiana (not Kelley), UC Boulder, Loyola Maryland, maybe a shot ED to a Tulane or U Miami. |
Anonymous
| UGA, USC (South Carolina), NC State, Auburn, Alabama, Furman, UT |
Anonymous
+1 OP didn’t provide a lot of information about her son’s interests. For example, if the kid is into hands on environmental studies, consider Paul Smith’s College in upstate NY. Probably not, but there are a lot of schools that aren’t hard to get into that are good for kids with a particular interest. For example, there are schools for kids into various crafts, like masonry in SC, I think. Just putting this out there in case the kid has an interest that he wants to pursue outside of the STEM/engineering emphasis here. Might be a good idea for him to have an evaluation as to his interests and how they relate to possible fields of study. |
Anonymous
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As a suggested approach, this student might do well by researching "Moderately Selective" or "Very Selective" colleges as defined in this site:
Categories of College Selectivity https://share.google/YilsMtsla3v3eYBga See what appeals to him in these selectivity zones. If he finds a few desirable schools, he can create a core list of potentially suitable choices. |
Anonymous
Your DS sounds great. We need more info. What is your son's likely or intended major? Is he humanities (Eng/Hist/Phil), sciences, social sciences (Anthropology, Poli Sci, Psychology, Econ), Engineering, Fine Arts, etc.? What kind of environment is your DS seeking? Big state school, small boarding-school type atmosphere (small LAC), mid-sized private? In city or suburb or rural? Artsy, nerdy, sporty, not sure? Does he want to stay in Northeast? Mid-west? Northwest? Southwest? Southeast? US or Canada? |
Anonymous
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Your son is taking "most demanding" course load and still getting a 3.5. Knowing zero about his intended major, consider these:
Tulane: I'd suggest all males apply EA (non-binding), Target CU Boulder, Safety DU Denver University: Safety Vermont: Skidmore: Target Occidental: Target Dickinson: Target Clarke University Macalester: Target |
Anonymous
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A couple schools that come to mind with somewhat limited info about his interests and what he’s looking for in a college.
Syracuse Penn State Pitt URI Delaware JMU Elon |
Anonymous
| 40-75 range (30-40 would be reaches for him) |