Does DS need a safeties

[Anonymous]

He will not get into Stanford so might as well take it off if he’s feeling overwhelmed by applications. (And add in a safety!)

[Anonymous]

I think he has a fair shot at Emory ED. He can probably wait for some safeties until he hears from them. Many of the rest are random even for a top candidate Stanford is just like getting struck by lightening.

[Anonymous]

Yes, for now or for the often unspoken but common depression that one feels at college. He will have an easy time if he gaps a semester or wants to transfer.

[Anonymous]

His list as-is puts him in danger of a big fat wake up call. His 1580, while obviously fantastic, isn't as helpful as it was in the old days, before test optional. In some ways, it might work against him at slightly lower-ranked schools that yield protect; from what I understand, the score goes into the yield algorithm.

Look at it this way: what would his target and safety schools be if he didn't have a test score? It may not be an easy question to answer, but it's important. A lot depends on what he's looking for in a school.

Is he intending to be premed? Can you afford full pay, or need aid?

[Anonymous]

He sounds like an impressive kid.TBH,his grades are a little low (i.e., considering his test scores). His list does not reflect his reality. Maybe Naviance could help him?

Ask him to find schools with an acceptance range that will allow him to glide in with that GPA

[Anonymous]

He looks like a premed to me. These top schools are flooded with premed students, so it’s a more competitive admissions process for them.

[Anonymous]

Of course. How is this a question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He looks like a premed to me. These top schools are flooded with premed students, so it’s a more competitive admissions process for them.

He is pre med. We'll just add UCSB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: He thinks his list is too long already.

Bay Area public school:

Intended Major: Biochem/Chem

GPA: 3.73 UW, 4.2W -

No class rank

Freshman: 3.41 UW 3.75W (5 B's 1 C) -> Sophomore: 4.0 UW 4.33W (all A's) -> Junior: 3.92 UW 4.59W (1 B+ in meaningless class)


SAT: 1580 // 780/800

APs: Micro 5, Macro 4, Stats 5, Bio 4, Chem 5, BC 5 and planning on taking APES, Physics 1, Lit;



ECs:

Tennis Varsity Captain (our team is current league champion)

ChemE internship (1 year)

Tutoring organization head officer(3 years)

DECA Chapter Officer and placed as a world finalist twice, 2nd at states once (3 years)

Founder of Biology/Chem Club at my school with large presence on campus (2 years)

Private tennis coach (4 years)

Shadowed physician (2 months)

Commercial laboratory assistant (1 year)



Tufts

Emory (ED1)

WashU

Rice

Northwestern

Vanderbilt

UNC Chapel Hill (EA)

University of Michigan (EA)

Cornell University

Stanford University

UCLA

UC Berkeley

​

He needs both matches and safeties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He looks like a premed to me. These top schools are flooded with premed students, so it’s a more competitive admissions process for them.

He is pre med. We'll just add UCSB.

UCSB isn't a safety. Has a 28% acceptance rate and is test-blind.

[Anonymous]

He sounds like a very bright kid but I think you and he need a major reality check. My child has similar sat and ECs and much higher gpa and would think this list was absurdly optimistic. I’d go back the drawing board for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He sounds like a very bright kid but I think you and he need a major reality check. My child has similar sat and ECs and much higher gpa and would think this list was absurdly optimistic. I’d go back the drawing board for sure.

+1. Overly optimistic. A few reaches is fine. Way too many reaches. Start looking for targets (and safeties of course)

[Anonymous]

Yes, he needs a couple of safeties with a list like that, and a couple of UCs like UCSB, UCSD or Davis which are matches (not reaches like Berkeley and UCLA).

I know a couple of kids with similar profiles who applied to all reach schools (which is what your list is) and were completely shut out. Be smarter than them.

[Anonymous]

Add Cal Poly Pomona and UCSC as safeties.

[Anonymous]

Should never be a question, yes to safeties for EVERY kid, even the perfect stat, star athlete valedictorian.