Rigor with 3.3 UW/ 4.0 WGPA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes we’ve adjusted expectations. Counselors at big high schools aren’t helpful but agree the list was not balanced - the inflated expectations were his, we’ve been trying to tell him to add more safeties since the summer and the reality is just now sinking in for him. Rejected from in-state UMD College Park, WL at Wisconsin Madison, IN at Pitt, thanks for the link on other schools still accepting applications.

He must be pretty happy about the Pitt admit, that's great!

If he decides to take a gap year and reapply, I recommend having him use College Vine to develop a more appropriate list of targets and safeties. He can enter his stats and see for himself what's possible/likely. https://www.collegevine.com

[Anonymous]

Enroll at Pitt then transfer to a LAC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes we’ve adjusted expectations. Counselors at big high schools aren’t helpful but agree the list was not balanced - the inflated expectations were his, we’ve been trying to tell him to add more safeties since the summer and the reality is just now sinking in for him. Rejected from in-state UMD College Park, WL at Wisconsin Madison, IN at Pitt, thanks for the link on other schools still accepting applications.

Would he really rather take a gap year than go to Pitt?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In this competitive environment, I’m not sure that the rigor is helping my DS get into a decent top 50 college . 11 IB classes, 3 AP, full IB diploma expected. Will land with 27 B’s, 23 As, 5 Cs and 1 D. Lots of leadership and ECs coming from a large MCPS HS. Worked part time and matured alot through gradual leadership positions in HS. Test optional, prefers mid-Atlantic, Northeast urban school. Acceptances to schools with 20-30% acceptance rates are not coming in. He doesn’t want to do gap year but that might not be a bad option. He gets an A for effort on my book. Undecided major, not STEM oriented (his words). Any ideas of schools or gap year programs ?

What happened with in-state options and safeties? I'm sorry, but that's a pretty low GPA (plus test optional doesn't help) for 20-30% acceptance rate schools. The reality is that your DS is competing with 3.8-4.0 UW students submitting good test scores for that level of school. Didn't his guidance counselor advise a balanced list of schools. You seem to be mentioning reaches more than targets or safeties.

This is correct. I find it hard to believe any counselor would have advised your DC he had a good shot at T-50 schools. The stats simply don't support it. "A for effort" has no play with admissions committees.

Even a cursory glance at Naviance would have given them the lay of the land.

Plus, even though MCPS doesn't report class rank any more, they do provide GPA bands as part of their standard school data. And these days a weighted 4.0 may not even crack the top quarter of the class, even at non-magnet IB schools like BCC or Einstein.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid OP and their kid may have been sucked in by the sometimes-overblown promises that "colleges love IB diplomas." My MPCS junior is on the IB diploma track, and I'm a huge IB fan (definitely NOT the troll who loves to swoop into all the MCPS threads whenever anyone mentions IB!), but we don't have any illusions about it being a magic bullet for college admissions. It might tip the balance over an applicant with similar stats, or get their application a closer look, at some schools; but it won't negate the problem of a GPA that's relatively low for that college.

Rigor is important, of course; but if your GPA puts you at the bottom of the applicant pool, you won't even make it to a review for rigor at a highly selective university. Especially if you're not even in the top quarter of your own high school class. Not saying it doesn't suck for kids like this, who take on a challenge and (mostly) meet it instead of taking the easy way out with honors-for-all, but it's reality.

But if OP and their kid can get past the prestige thing, there are plenty of solid schools that will meet him where he is, and help him further the maturity and growth he's already begun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes we’ve adjusted expectations. Counselors at big high schools aren’t helpful but agree the list was not balanced - the inflated expectations were his, we’ve been trying to tell him to add more safeties since the summer and the reality is just now sinking in for him. Rejected from in-state UMD College Park, WL at Wisconsin Madison, IN at Pitt, thanks for the link on other schools still accepting applications.

I can't believe you're throwing blame at counselors. Common sense says a kid with Cs and a D isn't getting into UMD.

He has Pitt. He's going to colleges. Celebrate that and don't dwell on the other schools.

[Anonymous]

What is he looking for in a college? Pitt seems like a great option unless he wants a smaller school.

[Anonymous]

Pitt OOS has a 32% admit rate. Seems like a great outcome for your kid, OP!

[Anonymous]

OP, where did you get the impression that rigor was the only thing that matters when it comes to top college acceptance? It’s both rigor AND performance. That’s a given. You have to have both. Your kid doesn’t.

[Anonymous]

Try Pitt. If it sux, try transferring.

[Anonymous]

He was very lucky to get into Pitt. Not going to beat that with any further maneuvers.

[Anonymous]

Try college of Wooster if you’re willing to consider liberal arts colleges. They sent some comms a week or two ago indicating they’re still accepting applications.

People have great things to stay about Wooster and it’s listed as a college that changes lives.

[Anonymous]

Pitt is GREAT!

U Arizona can still be an option

GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try college of Wooster if you’re willing to consider liberal arts colleges. They sent some comms a week or two ago indicating they’re still accepting applications.

People have great things to stay about Wooster and it’s listed as a college that changes lives.

Lol being “listed as a college that saves lives” means nothing except they’ve signed on to that ridiculous third tier liberal arts college marketing scheme.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, the current landscape doesn't allow for admissions offers to kids with far better grades and not TO. (Going TO, everything else was weighted much more in his applications, which means his lower grades were weighted even more.)

I have no idea why a gap year would be preferred over PITT.

[Anonymous]

The reality is that it's unlikely your kid can do better than Pitt, OP. If there isn't a specific reason for not liking it, he should be happy to attend. As others said, if he performs well freshman year he can always try to transfer.