Median HS GPA at Big 3?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Similar stats for mine. 3.8. Will have 4 years of 2 (non-English) languages. Recognition on some national competitions. Summer internships/jobs. Won’t even consider applying to any Ivies, or probably even any Top 20. Even if say, Cornell, was in shouting distance, there are at least 20 non-Ivies my DC would rather go to that are slightly less competitive. Any Ivy just for Ivy’s sake is not DC’s mindset.

Wow. Things have indeed gotten WAY tougher since even 5 years ago when our DC applied. The profile above would have been GOLD at all but the top Ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Didn't have their heart set on an Ivy, chose several other schools and was very happy with their options, but just the grade point and ECs are not enough in this environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Yeah. What was the problem? Maybe negative references or bombed interviews?

Nope, highly regarded kid whose quarterly and semester reports are very positive, has been team captain etc.

[Anonymous]

Another Big 3 Senior parent here. 3.7 GPA at time of application with highest rigor, great test scores, ECs, and compelling essays got into an Ivy ED. No regrets in not throwing the hat in the ring for Stanford, Yale, Princeton or Harvard in the early round. PP is correct GPA much higher Junior and Senior year so showed upward trend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Similar stats for mine. 3.8. Will have 4 years of 2 (non-English) languages. Recognition on some national competitions. Summer internships/jobs. Won’t even consider applying to any Ivies, or probably even any Top 20. Even if say, Cornell, was in shouting distance, there are at least 20 non-Ivies my DC would rather go to that are slightly less competitive. Any Ivy just for Ivy’s sake is not DC’s mindset.

Wow. Things have indeed gotten WAY tougher since even 5 years ago when our DC applied. The profile above would have been GOLD at all but the top Ivies.

Indeed they have. Parents of current juniors need to be very prepared, this is not the 1980's, 90's or even 2019. Totally different today than it was even 3 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Yeah. What was the problem? Maybe negative references or bombed interviews?

Nope, highly regarded kid whose quarterly and semester reports are very positive, has been team captain etc.

Eh. Something's wrong with this picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Yeah. What was the problem? Maybe negative references or bombed interviews?

Nope, highly regarded kid whose quarterly and semester reports are very positive, has been team captain etc.

Eh. Something's wrong with this picture.

In the year 2022, this was more the norm than the exception.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worked at a big three for about 10 years. The median I would estimate, having seen data and had faculty meetings re:grading norms, is a b/b+. Students also tend to improve jr sr year when they have more choice in the courses they take. At the end of senior year it’s closer to a b+. Big 3s are hard and most kids are going to be more than fine academically in college. Of the bottom half, usually between 5-10% are academic disasters, most likely this is NOT your kid. 15-25% are middling around a low B and the rest float between a solid 3.0 and a 3.5.

Which big 3? I think they are not the same.

[Anonymous]

I don't know why people are talking around how grading is or has been at each of the Big 3s (i.e., not naming which school specifically). It's not like you'll be saying something that outs anyone or yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Yeah. What was the problem? Maybe negative references or bombed interviews?

Nope, highly regarded kid whose quarterly and semester reports are very positive, has been team captain etc.

Eh. Something's wrong with this picture.

Why? They didn't have their heart set on an Ivy when starting the process and ended up getting into a great school that has the programs they want to pursue. The world doesn't revolve around the Ivy League.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Yeah. What was the problem? Maybe negative references or bombed interviews?

Nope, highly regarded kid whose quarterly and semester reports are very positive, has been team captain etc.

Eh. Something's wrong with this picture.

Not really. You could remove the "bottom" 75% of the students who applied to Harvard this year, and the remaining kids in the aggregate would have had roughly the same percentage chance of getting into Harvard as they would have had in 1990. The acceptance rate this year was something like 3%. Yes, a ton of the kids applying this year had no shot and wouldn't have had a shot in 1990, but it would't surprise me if that top 25% of the 2022 applicant pool had qualifications comparable to those admitted 30 years ago. It's like picking the admitted class as you would have in 1990, and then having to reject 85% of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Similar stats for mine. 3.8. Will have 4 years of 2 (non-English) languages. Recognition on some national competitions. Summer internships/jobs. Won’t even consider applying to any Ivies, or probably even any Top 20. Even if say, Cornell, was in shouting distance, there are at least 20 non-Ivies my DC would rather go to that are slightly less competitive. Any Ivy just for Ivy’s sake is not DC’s mindset.

Wow. Things have indeed gotten WAY tougher since even 5 years ago when our DC applied. The profile above would have been GOLD at all but the top Ivies.

PP here. I don’t know if they have or not. I’ve just heard too many anecdotes that the Ivies+ want “angular” kids with a “spike” these day. The best cellist on the eastern seaboard, or whatever. I’m just not interested in curating my DC’s life to create that, nor is my DC interested in becoming hyperspecialized at 15-16 years old. I know many parents do this, its just not for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Similar stats for mine. 3.8. Will have 4 years of 2 (non-English) languages. Recognition on some national competitions. Summer internships/jobs. Won’t even consider applying to any Ivies, or probably even any Top 20. Even if say, Cornell, was in shouting distance, there are at least 20 non-Ivies my DC would rather go to that are slightly less competitive. Any Ivy just for Ivy’s sake is not DC’s mindset.

Wow. Things have indeed gotten WAY tougher since even 5 years ago when our DC applied. The profile above would have been GOLD at all but the top Ivies.

PP here. I don’t know if they have or not. I’ve just heard too many anecdotes that the Ivies+ want “angular” kids with a “spike” these day. The best cellist on the eastern seaboard, or whatever. I’m just not interested in curating my DC’s life to create that, nor is my DC interested in becoming hyperspecialized at 15-16 years old. I know many parents do this, its just not for me.

As the parent of a young child, I don't know how I would do this if I tried.

Like, do parents just seek out the best basket weaving academy and then pray their kid likes it long term?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Similar stats for mine. 3.8. Will have 4 years of 2 (non-English) languages. Recognition on some national competitions. Summer internships/jobs. Won’t even consider applying to any Ivies, or probably even any Top 20. Even if say, Cornell, was in shouting distance, there are at least 20 non-Ivies my DC would rather go to that are slightly less competitive. Any Ivy just for Ivy’s sake is not DC’s mindset.

Wow. Things have indeed gotten WAY tougher since even 5 years ago when our DC applied. The profile above would have been GOLD at all but the top Ivies.

or maybe there's been grade inflation at school??? What matters is class rank and rigor of courses. GPA alone says very little

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is graduating with something very close to a 3.8 from a "big 3" and had ZERO chance at Harvard, or any Ivy, despite many varsity letters, leadership in clubs, regional awards and summer employment.

Really? I would have thought your DC would have a modest shot, no? Not at Harvard, but a couple of the lower ranked Ivies perhaps?

Similar stats for mine. 3.8. Will have 4 years of 2 (non-English) languages. Recognition on some national competitions. Summer internships/jobs. Won’t even consider applying to any Ivies, or probably even any Top 20. Even if say, Cornell, was in shouting distance, there are at least 20 non-Ivies my DC would rather go to that are slightly less competitive. Any Ivy just for Ivy’s sake is not DC’s mindset.

Wow. Things have indeed gotten WAY tougher since even 5 years ago when our DC applied. The profile above would have been GOLD at all but the top Ivies.

PP here. I don’t know if they have or not. I’ve just heard too many anecdotes that the Ivies+ want “angular” kids with a “spike” these day. The best cellist on the eastern seaboard, or whatever. I’m just not interested in curating my DC’s life to create that, nor is my DC interested in becoming hyperspecialized at 15-16 years old. I know many parents do this, its just not for me.

As the parent of a young child, I don't know how I would do this if I tried.

Like, do parents just seek out the best basket weaving academy and then pray their kid likes it long term?

pretty much