Lessons learned so far: 2024-2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top private:

-Admission to top schools is MUCH easier for boys than girls. It pretty much SUCKS to be a female applicant in 2025. Boys this year from our school are getting in with stats way below the girls. (I have 2 boys in upcoming admissions years so I don't say this from a point of sour grapes as an only girls mom or anything)

-Being a legacy with parents who are also VIPs or big donors is huge. I mean duh. But wow, it just is.

-ED is such a crap shoot and I'm not sure how to play it best. My kid went for a top10 and lost (deferred) and now I have no idea how far down she'll fall. She's hoping for RD decisions to schools where classmates with GPAs much lower than hers got in ED (like 3.9 RD vs 3.4 ED). What is the right/best way to play ED? I don't know. TBD in our case.

did your school's data show you anything in retrospect? was it truly a longshot? too much in-school competition?
Our private's CCO would have advised an ED1 to a school like Vanderbilt, Rice, WashU, Emory (with ED2 to another) for someone that they KNEW would be a longshot to T10.

[Anonymous]

Another “duh” but ED helps significantly at schools a notch or two below T-10. And at SLAC’s.

[Anonymous]

do your research and if you have a strong application, and get some EA (and merit!) admits in December.

My DD feels GREAT, even with a T20 deferral, given all the love she's received from her safeties/rolling (Pitt, Case, and Vermont) last month.

It's a HUGE ego boost and relief. Don't underestimate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top private:

-Admission to top schools is MUCH easier for boys than girls. It pretty much SUCKS to be a female applicant in 2025. Boys this year from our school are getting in with stats way below the girls. (I have 2 boys in upcoming admissions years so I don't say this from a point of sour grapes as an only girls mom or anything)

-Being a legacy with parents who are also VIPs or big donors is huge. I mean duh. But wow, it just is.

-ED is such a crap shoot and I'm not sure how to play it best. My kid went for a top10 and lost (deferred) and now I have no idea how far down she'll fall. She's hoping for RD decisions to schools where classmates with GPAs much lower than hers got in ED (like 3.9 RD vs 3.4 ED). What is the right/best way to play ED? I don't know. TBD in our case.

Are you referring to both LACs and National Universities ?

Or to just LACs where it is wisely written that boys have an higher chance of admission ?

ah, good question. What I've seen is top20 universities and one top10 LAC.
It's definitely early in the admissions season but so far it feels like much better results for boys than girls from my kid's school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another “duh” but ED helps significantly at schools a notch or two below T-10. And at SLAC’s.

Same poster and it’s is a tough call Re: how and whether to go for ED. My kid did not do ED but it’s hard not to second guess, good luck’s

[Anonymous]

It's can be viewed as a very fluid process. Schools go on the list, schools come off. the list. Acceptances come in, some schools are dropped. Denials mean others are added.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top private:

-Admission to top schools is MUCH easier for boys than girls. It pretty much SUCKS to be a female applicant in 2025. Boys this year from our school are getting in with stats way below the girls. (I have 2 boys in upcoming admissions years so I don't say this from a point of sour grapes as an only girls mom or anything)

-Being a legacy with parents who are also VIPs or big donors is huge. I mean duh. But wow, it just is.

-ED is such a crap shoot and I'm not sure how to play it best. My kid went for a top10 and lost (deferred) and now I have no idea how far down she'll fall. She's hoping for RD decisions to schools where classmates with GPAs much lower than hers got in ED (like 3.9 RD vs 3.4 ED). What is the right/best way to play ED? I don't know. TBD in our case.

did your school's data show you anything in retrospect? was it truly a longshot? too much in-school competition?
Our private's CCO would have advised an ED1 to a school like Vanderbilt, Rice, WashU, Emory (with ED2 to another) for someone that they KNEW would be a longshot to T10.

Data supported it (as much as data can support a top10---i.e. there were a few unhooked applicants admitted within the past 3 years with the same GPA) but the university simply did not take ANY kids so far this year. "Data" only goes so far. You have no idea what a new admissions year will bring.
I disagree with ED1 Vanderbilt and Rice being a much more sure thing. They are as much as a crapshoot as top10s from many high schools, including this one. WashU and Rice are probably a better shot--that is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top private:

-Admission to top schools is MUCH easier for boys than girls. It pretty much SUCKS to be a female applicant in 2025. Boys this year from our school are getting in with stats way below the girls. (I have 2 boys in upcoming admissions years so I don't say this from a point of sour grapes as an only girls mom or anything)

-Being a legacy with parents who are also VIPs or big donors is huge. I mean duh. But wow, it just is.

-ED is such a crap shoot and I'm not sure how to play it best. My kid went for a top10 and lost (deferred) and now I have no idea how far down she'll fall. She's hoping for RD decisions to schools where classmates with GPAs much lower than hers got in ED (like 3.9 RD vs 3.4 ED). What is the right/best way to play ED? I don't know. TBD in our case.

If ED is such a crapshoot, imagine RD!

Talking T50 (mostly privates).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top private:

-Admission to top schools is MUCH easier for boys than girls. It pretty much SUCKS to be a female applicant in 2025. Boys this year from our school are getting in with stats way below the girls. (I have 2 boys in upcoming admissions years so I don't say this from a point of sour grapes as an only girls mom or anything)

-Being a legacy with parents who are also VIPs or big donors is huge. I mean duh. But wow, it just is.

-ED is such a crap shoot and I'm not sure how to play it best. My kid went for a top10 and lost (deferred) and now I have no idea how far down she'll fall. She's hoping for RD decisions to schools where classmates with GPAs much lower than hers got in ED (like 3.9 RD vs 3.4 ED). What is the right/best way to play ED? I don't know. TBD in our case.

did your school's data show you anything in retrospect? was it truly a longshot? too much in-school competition?
Our private's CCO would have advised an ED1 to a school like Vanderbilt, Rice, WashU, Emory (with ED2 to another) for someone that they KNEW would be a longshot to T10.

Data supported it (as much as data can support a top10---i.e. there were a few unhooked applicants admitted within the past 3 years with the same GPA) but the university simply did not take ANY kids so far this year. "Data" only goes so far. You have no idea what a new admissions year will bring.
I disagree with ED1 Vanderbilt and Rice being a much more sure thing. They are as much as a crapshoot as top10s from many high schools, including this one. WashU and Rice are probably a better shot--that is true.

It's all so school-dependent. At ours, Rice, Emory, and WashU would be the best ED1 shot.
Never Vanderbilt.
And no T10, unless legacy or hooked in the early round.
Sad.

[Anonymous]

Boys have an easier admission to LACs, but they DO NOT have an easier admission to business schools and engineering. Example, the upper middle class, northern Virginia white boy with college educated parents who tries to apply to Virginia Tech for business. Better have impeccable stats. Meanwhile, a girl in his class with much lower stats got accepted for a Classics major.

Kid is fine and doing well at an oos school w a great business program, but don’t tell me that all boys have it easier.

[Anonymous]

As the parent... be excited about several options and do not solely focus on the reach schools. Find a gem your kid will love at each level of difficulty: safety, target AND reach. Try to be authentically excited about all three. Your kid will take cues from you so even if you have to FAKE it - get excited about multiple schools at a variety of levels.

Discuss $$$ early on. No reason for heartbreak if your kid gets into a school and you cannot pay for it. Avoid this at all costs (literally and figuratively!) This also makes the entire process more enjoyable - if you are realistic about money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top private:

-Admission to top schools is MUCH easier for boys than girls. It pretty much SUCKS to be a female applicant in 2025. Boys this year from our school are getting in with stats way below the girls. (I have 2 boys in upcoming admissions years so I don't say this from a point of sour grapes as an only girls mom or anything)

-Being a legacy with parents who are also VIPs or big donors is huge. I mean duh. But wow, it just is.

-ED is such a crap shoot and I'm not sure how to play it best. My kid went for a top10 and lost (deferred) and now I have no idea how far down she'll fall. She's hoping for RD decisions to schools where classmates with GPAs much lower than hers got in ED (like 3.9 RD vs 3.4 ED). What is the right/best way to play ED? I don't know. TBD in our case.

Agree with all of this - especially the gender divide! It’s striking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boys have an easier admission to LACs, but they DO NOT have an easier admission to business schools and engineering. Example, the upper middle class, northern Virginia white boy with college educated parents who tries to apply to Virginia Tech for business. Better have impeccable stats. Meanwhile, a girl in his class with much lower stats got accepted for a Classics major.

Kid is fine and doing well at an oos school w a great business program, but don’t tell me that all boys have it easier.

Business/ CS / Engineering are male-dominated majors.

Makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Some folks don't understand that the game is really in early action. They see early action and regular decision and think they're equal. Many, many schools have much reduced odds by doing regular decision. So if you do regular decision, the kid is doing the same work, essays, etc and have a much lower chance. I've been surprised by the amount of parents who didn't know this. Basically, go in with the mentality that all apps will be due Nov 1 (plus or minus a few weeks). Of course, some don't have early action, so reg decision is fine obviously.

2. For all of the emphasis you'll hear on demonstrated interest, I was suprised how many of the schools my kid applied to didn't track demonstrated interest (you can see on every schools "common data set" whether they consider demonstrated interest in admissions). So check common data set before you force yourself to fly across country to make sure you have demonstrated interest.

3. Before the search begins and all along the way, emphasize over and over that we're not looking for a dream school. We need to identify 4-5 schools you'd be excited to attend. Watching the "dream school" kids be disappointed even when they end up at good schools is rough.

4. Understand your budget before ever letting a kid look at a school. Schools that would never be affordable (even with merit or aid it'd be too much) aren't on the table.

Excellent Advice!

I do not comprehend why people don't follow #1. It's simple, if EA is offered, you need to apply EA. There is no reason not to, and it demonstrates you are on task, organized and want to attend.
And nope, "waiting for higher grades 1st semester senior year" is not a valid reason for 99% of people.

Definately do not have a "Dream School" without tempering it with---it's a lottery and most will get denied. So sure, apply put 120% effort into it with ED1/ED2/EA, but have a great list of Targets and Safeties that your kid really likes and wants to attend, because 98%+ chance that is what will happen.

[Anonymous]

If unhooked and eyeing the most rejective schools, get your own counselor if you can afford it. Yes, of course it’s possible to get in without one, but it makes the odds so much better and the process so much easier (especially for parents since the counselor does all the nagging). Love my DC to death, but frankly not sure they would‘ve made the cut without the counselor’s inside knowledge, making them write and rewrite an ungodly number of drafts of each prompt and even the activities/awards sections, etc. DC was accepted early to first choice HYPSM.