Colleges for the B+ student?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious, respectfully, about the backgrounds of the posters who are predicting with some certainty where OP's son can and cannot gain admittance. Are you parents who have done a lot research, admissions staffers, etc.

I ask because ny neighbor's son has the same credentials as OP's son and he is headed to Duke in the fall. I'm not so sure I would take every suggestion here as gospel and would certainly add at least one reach school to the mix.

Emory and Bates as both excellent schools. While not absolutely top tier they are very competitive. Maybe it's you that doesn't know how hard it is to get into some schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting thread for me. My DC has a 3.3 UW GAP (4.0 weighted), interesting extracurriculars, 2400 (perfect) SATs, and a 5 on DC's NSL AP exam. (Other AP scores, from this year, not yet in.)

Given his GPA, we have been looking at mid-tier schools. Should I raise the bar?

Since you mention NSL I assume you are in MCPS. That's a low GPA for a smart kid in MCPS so colleges might question the gap between scores and achievement. I posted that mine had a 3.9 UW, which was a 4.6 weighted and that was pretty typical for the kids applying to competitive colleges. Did your DC have a bad freshman year and then improvement soph and junior year? That might help explain the gap.

There are schools that are pretty focused on scores so those might be worth looking at. Otherwise the mid tier schools are a good target.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting thread for me. My DC has a 3.3 UW GAP (4.0 weighted), interesting extracurriculars, 2400 (perfect) SATs, and a 5 on DC's NSL AP exam. (Other AP scores, from this year, not yet in.)

Given his GPA, we have been looking at mid-tier schools. Should I raise the bar?

Since you mention NSL I assume you are in MCPS. That's a low GPA for a smart kid in MCPS so colleges might question the gap between scores and achievement. I posted that mine had a 3.9 UW, which was a 4.6 weighted and that was pretty typical for the kids applying to competitive colleges. Did your DC have a bad freshman year and then improvement soph and junior year? That might help explain the gap.

There are schools that are pretty focused on scores so those might be worth looking at. Otherwise the mid tier schools are a good target.

PP here. DC has significant learning disabilities. DC's GPA reflects a combination of very challenging classes; struggles with writing; organizational challenges; and average processing speed. DC has limited accommodations in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious, respectfully, about the backgrounds of the posters who are predicting with some certainty where OP's son can and cannot gain admittance. Are you parents who have done a lot research, admissions staffers, etc.

I ask because ny neighbor's son has the same credentials as OP's son and he is headed to Duke in the fall. I'm not so sure I would take every suggestion here as gospel and would certainly add at least one reach school to the mix.

Emory and Bates as both excellent schools. While not absolutely top tier they are very competitive. Maybe it's you that doesn't know how hard it is to get into some schools?

The PP said 'respectfully.' Maybe it's you who couldn't get into a top ten school which explains why you're being such a jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious, respectfully, about the backgrounds of the posters who are predicting with some certainty where OP's son can and cannot gain admittance. Are you parents who have done a lot research, admissions staffers, etc.

I ask because ny neighbor's son has the same credentials as OP's son and he is headed to Duke in the fall. I'm not so sure I would take every suggestion here as gospel and would certainly add at least one reach school to the mix.

Emory and Bates as both excellent schools. While not absolutely top tier they are very competitive. Maybe it's you that doesn't know how hard it is to get into some schools?

The PP said 'respectfully.' Maybe it's you who couldn't get into a top ten school which explains why you're being such a jerk.

While Emory and Bates are great schools, there is nothing wrong, especially if one has scores like OP's son, with widening the net with a reach or two. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Montgomery College

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting thread for me. My DC has a 3.3 UW GAP (4.0 weighted), interesting extracurriculars, 2400 (perfect) SATs, and a 5 on DC's NSL AP exam. (Other AP scores, from this year, not yet in.)

Given his GPA, we have been looking at mid-tier schools. Should I raise the bar?

Since you mention NSL I assume you are in MCPS. That's a low GPA for a smart kid in MCPS so colleges might question the gap between scores and achievement. I posted that mine had a 3.9 UW, which was a 4.6 weighted and that was pretty typical for the kids applying to competitive colleges. Did your DC have a bad freshman year and then improvement soph and junior year? That might help explain the gap.

There are schools that are pretty focused on scores so those might be worth looking at. Otherwise the mid tier schools are a good target.

PP here. DC has significant learning disabilities. DC's GPA reflects a combination of very challenging classes; struggles with writing; organizational challenges; and average processing speed. DC has limited accommodations in school.

In that case you really need to focus on schools that are a good fit academically and will provide appropriate support, not the rankings. College can be a challenge for kids with significant LDs who don't get adequate support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. At this point we're casting a wide net so will look at everything as far west as Illinois and as far south as Atlanta/New Orleans. Btw, any opinions on Tulane or Emory?

I think Tulane and Emory would be good choices. Bates had its most competitive class ever this year, I don't think a Bplus without super extras will cut it there.

With a 2270 on the SAT? That's a first tier school test score. I think OP's kid has an excellent chance at Tulane, a pretty good chance at Bates and a fair chance at Emory especially if the student in question is male. Good EC's are pretty much a requirement at all first and second tier schools although the very top schools are probably looking for some kind of national recognition.

Not unless OP's kids has hooks. Tulane's admission is unpredictable and Emory will be a reach. Don't know about Bates. No matter how you look at it, that GPA will be problematic. Either viewed as a smart but lazy kid or a low performer who got lucky on exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. At this point we're casting a wide net so will look at everything as far west as Illinois and as far south as Atlanta/New Orleans. Btw, any opinions on Tulane or Emory?

I think Tulane and Emory would be good choices. Bates had its most competitive class ever this year, I don't think a Bplus without super extras will cut it there.

With a 2270 on the SAT? That's a first tier school test score. I think OP's kid has an excellent chance at Tulane, a pretty good chance at Bates and a fair chance at Emory especially if the student in question is male. Good EC's are pretty much a requirement at all first and second tier schools although the very top schools are probably looking for some kind of national recognition.

Not unless OP's kids has hooks. Tulane's admission is unpredictable and Emory will be a reach. Don't know about Bates. No matter how you look at it, that GPA will be problematic. Either viewed as a smart but lazy kid or a low performer who got lucky on exams.

How can you be sure about all of this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. At this point we're casting a wide net so will look at everything as far west as Illinois and as far south as Atlanta/New Orleans. Btw, any opinions on Tulane or Emory?

I think Tulane and Emory would be good choices. Bates had its most competitive class ever this year, I don't think a Bplus without super extras will cut it there.

With a 2270 on the SAT? That's a first tier school test score. I think OP's kid has an excellent chance at Tulane, a pretty good chance at Bates and a fair chance at Emory especially if the student in question is male. Good EC's are pretty much a requirement at all first and second tier schools although the very top schools are probably looking for some kind of national recognition.

Not unless OP's kids has hooks. Tulane's admission is unpredictable and Emory will be a reach. Don't know about Bates. No matter how you look at it, that GPA will be problematic. Either viewed as a smart but lazy kid or a low performer who got lucky on exams.

How can you be sure about all of this?

All of what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting thread for me. My DC has a 3.3 UW GAP (4.0 weighted), interesting extracurriculars, 2400 (perfect) SATs, and a 5 on DC's NSL AP exam. (Other AP scores, from this year, not yet in.)

Given his GPA, we have been looking at mid-tier schools. Should I raise the bar?

Since you mention NSL I assume you are in MCPS. That's a low GPA for a smart kid in MCPS so colleges might question the gap between scores and achievement. I posted that mine had a 3.9 UW, which was a 4.6 weighted and that was pretty typical for the kids applying to competitive colleges. Did your DC have a bad freshman year and then improvement soph and junior year? That might help explain the gap.

There are schools that are pretty focused on scores so those might be worth looking at. Otherwise the mid tier schools are a good target.

PP here. DC has significant learning disabilities. DC's GPA reflects a combination of very challenging classes; struggles with writing; organizational challenges; and average processing speed. DC has limited accommodations in school.

This sounds very much like my dc. I keep hearing American has very good supports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a long thread along these lines on the independent school forum. The take-away was that B+ students go on to many, many different colleges of greater or lesser selectivity, depending on many, many variables including the rigor or ease of the the student's high school courseload, whether the high school is known for grade inflation or deflation, scores on standardized tests, strength of recommendation letters, strength of extracurricular honors, prizes and awards, and essays, as well as whether the student is "hooked" (i.e., an URM, athlete and/or legacy). FWIW, B+ student was accepted at the same highly-selective university (USNWR top 5) as his sibs with higher GPAs. He was unhooked, but had everything else going for him.

OK, now I can't resist asking. Is this school Columbia? Because if that's the case, then maybe my unhooked B+ kid with great extracurriculars and lots of magnet and AP classes has a chance by dint of having an older sibling there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a long thread along these lines on the independent school forum. The take-away was that B+ students go on to many, many different colleges of greater or lesser selectivity, depending on many, many variables including the rigor or ease of the the student's high school courseload, whether the high school is known for grade inflation or deflation, scores on standardized tests, strength of recommendation letters, strength of extracurricular honors, prizes and awards, and essays, as well as whether the student is "hooked" (i.e., an URM, athlete and/or legacy). FWIW, B+ student was accepted at the same highly-selective university (USNWR top 5) as his sibs with higher GPAs. He was unhooked, but had everything else going for him.

OK, now I can't resist asking. Is this school Columbia? Because if that's the case, then maybe my unhooked B+ kid with great extracurriculars and lots of magnet and AP classes has a chance by dint of having an older sibling there.

Nothing beats a miss but a try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious, respectfully, about the backgrounds of the posters who are predicting with some certainty where OP's son can and cannot gain admittance. Are you parents who have done a lot research, admissions staffers, etc.

I ask because ny neighbor's son has the same credentials as OP's son and he is headed to Duke in the fall. I'm not so sure I would take every suggestion here as gospel and would certainly add at least one reach school to the mix.

Emory and Bates as both excellent schools. While not absolutely top tier they are very competitive. Maybe it's you that doesn't know how hard it is to get into some schools?

The PP said 'respectfully.' Maybe it's you who couldn't get into a top ten school which explains why you're being such a jerk.

My intention wasn't to be a jerk. With kids who have just gone through this process I am constantly amazed by posters who think college admissions hasn't changed in the last 5 years let alone the last 10 or 15. As you me I went to Columbia, but it was a long time ago. I know I couldn't get in there now.

[Anonymous]

^^As for me not As you me.