What are your high stat kid’s safeties?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Super important that folks are conservative when it comes to definition of reach/safety/target for your student. Reaches are a dime a dozen. Targets can be elusive. Safeties can be hard to find.

And high stats kids have many, many true safeties to choose from that are comparable to elite colleges in many ways, including quality of education. Interestingly, the only place there's a huge difference is in financial aid packages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are Wake and Colgate really safeties? I have a kid at STA who is middle of the class. Those are his targets with Colgate being a high Target. Are they easier to get in than we think?

What is his GPA? Wake and Colgate are not target schools for middle kids at STA. Middle kids from STA who applied ED to these schools and similar have been rejected. Times have changed. GPA matters, lots of colleges don’t really care that they are coming from STA. Hard truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UCLA, Imperial in London, and UCSF.

UCSF is mostly a grad school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are Wake and Colgate really safeties? I have a kid at STA who is middle of the class. Those are his targets with Colgate being a high Target. Are they easier to get in than we think?

What is his GPA? Wake and Colgate are not target schools for middle kids at STA. Middle kids from STA who applied ED to these schools and similar have been rejected. Times have changed. GPA matters, lots of colleges don’t really care that they are coming from STA. Hard truth.

Isn’t a target school one where some are accepted and some rejected? I don’t see how some being rejected is evidence that it isn’t a target.

It’s like the thread where people express shock that their kid got rejected from a target with an 18% acceptance rate ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety: UMd

No interest in paying big $$ for a school that is not notably better than UMd (will be a Stem major). Therefore he took a swing at a few heavyweights and if it doesn't work out, UMd it is. 1530/4.3w, private.

I can't even imagine paying somewhere like BU (or many others) a truckload of money for an education that is not *notably and substantially* better or more prestigious than UMd and *is* notably less prestigious than HYP/Rice/Penn. And this is no knock on BU, its a very fine school probably better in some fields then UMd but is it 150-200K+ better?

+1
We feel the same way. Know someone who is paying a boatload of money to attend Northeastern (??) when they could have gone to their very good state school instead and gotten an excellent education for far less money.

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. Some kids really want to go to get out of the DMV to go to school. Mine included. If you have the ability to pay and your kid wants to go to school in Boston and Northeastern is the right fit and their top choice, then you send them to Northeastern. Or BU. Or wherever it is that they really want to be. Jeez.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety: UMd

No interest in paying big $$ for a school that is not notably better than UMd (will be a Stem major). Therefore he took a swing at a few heavyweights and if it doesn't work out, UMd it is. 1530/4.3w, private.

I can't even imagine paying somewhere like BU (or many others) a truckload of money for an education that is not *notably and substantially* better or more prestigious than UMd and *is* notably less prestigious than HYP/Rice/Penn. And this is no knock on BU, its a very fine school probably better in some fields then UMd but is it 150-200K+ better?

+1
We feel the same way. Know someone who is paying a boatload of money to attend Northeastern (??) when they could have gone to their very good state school instead and gotten an excellent education for far less money.

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. Some kids really want to go to get out of the DMV to go to school. Mine included. If you have the ability to pay and your kid wants to go to school in Boston and Northeastern is the right fit and their top choice, then you send them to Northeastern. Or BU. Or wherever it is that they really want to be. Jeez.

DP here. I would want my child to attend college with students from all over the country and world. We are in VA. UVA is like 70% in state? My selfishness wants my child to stay close for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are Wake and Colgate really safeties? I have a kid at STA who is middle of the class. Those are his targets with Colgate being a high Target. Are they easier to get in than we think?

What is his GPA? Wake and Colgate are not target schools for middle kids at STA. Middle kids from STA who applied ED to these schools and similar have been rejected. Times have changed. GPA matters, lots of colleges don’t really care that they are coming from STA. Hard truth.

Isn’t a target school one where some are accepted and some rejected? I don’t see how some being rejected is evidence that it isn’t a target.

It’s like the thread where people express shock that their kid got rejected from a target with an 18% acceptance rate ED.

True, although I would define a target more conservatively (above a 25% acceptance rate). Everyone can define for themselves, but for us, in order to have a small list to apply to (and less supplementals) that's how we do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety: UMd

No interest in paying big $$ for a school that is not notably better than UMd (will be a Stem major). Therefore he took a swing at a few heavyweights and if it doesn't work out, UMd it is. 1530/4.3w, private.

I can't even imagine paying somewhere like BU (or many others) a truckload of money for an education that is not *notably and substantially* better or more prestigious than UMd and *is* notably less prestigious than HYP/Rice/Penn. And this is no knock on BU, its a very fine school probably better in some fields then UMd but is it 150-200K+ better?

+1
We feel the same way. Know someone who is paying a boatload of money to attend Northeastern (??) when they could have gone to their very good state school instead and gotten an excellent education for far less money.

Apples and oranges, but you most certainly know that.

Not at all. Northeastern is so overhyped as to be absurd. But you most certainly know that.

Why do you say that??
It's on par with many of the elite schools in major metrics.
It's actually under-ranked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are Wake and Colgate really safeties? I have a kid at STA who is middle of the class. Those are his targets with Colgate being a high Target. Are they easier to get in than we think?

What is his GPA? Wake and Colgate are not target schools for middle kids at STA. Middle kids from STA who applied ED to these schools and similar have been rejected. Times have changed. GPA matters, lots of colleges don’t really care that they are coming from STA. Hard truth.

Isn’t a target school one where some are accepted and some rejected? I don’t see how some being rejected is evidence that it isn’t a target.

It’s like the thread where people express shock that their kid got rejected from a target with an 18% acceptance rate ED.

True, although I would define a target more conservatively (above a 25% acceptance rate). Everyone can define for themselves, but for us, in order to have a small list to apply to (and less supplementals) that's how we do it.

I posted above with the student that is applying to 11 target schools. This is why, we call them hard targets to recognize they are hard to get into with all the right stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety: UMd

No interest in paying big $$ for a school that is not notably better than UMd (will be a Stem major). Therefore he took a swing at a few heavyweights and if it doesn't work out, UMd it is. 1530/4.3w, private.

I can't even imagine paying somewhere like BU (or many others) a truckload of money for an education that is not *notably and substantially* better or more prestigious than UMd and *is* notably less prestigious than HYP/Rice/Penn. And this is no knock on BU, its a very fine school probably better in some fields then UMd but is it 150-200K+ better?

+1
We feel the same way. Know someone who is paying a boatload of money to attend Northeastern (??) when they could have gone to their very good state school instead and gotten an excellent education for far less money.

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. Some kids really want to go to get out of the DMV to go to school. Mine included. If you have the ability to pay and your kid wants to go to school in Boston and Northeastern is the right fit and their top choice, then you send them to Northeastern. Or BU. Or wherever it is that they really want to be. Jeez.

+1
My kid had the stats for UVA but didn’t have the class rank. Why would they want to go to JMU if we can afford to send them to an out of state school that has a more similar academic reputation as UVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety: UMd

No interest in paying big $$ for a school that is not notably better than UMd (will be a Stem major). Therefore he took a swing at a few heavyweights and if it doesn't work out, UMd it is. 1530/4.3w, private.

I can't even imagine paying somewhere like BU (or many others) a truckload of money for an education that is not *notably and substantially* better or more prestigious than UMd and *is* notably less prestigious than HYP/Rice/Penn. And this is no knock on BU, its a very fine school probably better in some fields then UMd but is it 150-200K+ better?

+1
We feel the same way. Know someone who is paying a boatload of money to attend Northeastern (??) when they could have gone to their very good state school instead and gotten an excellent education for far less money.

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. Some kids really want to go to get out of the DMV to go to school. Mine included. If you have the ability to pay and your kid wants to go to school in Boston and Northeastern is the right fit and their top choice, then you send them to Northeastern. Or BU. Or wherever it is that they really want to be. Jeez.

+1
My kid had the stats for UVA but didn’t have the class rank. Why would they want to go to JMU if we can afford to send them to an out of state school that has a more similar academic reputation as UVA?

Same here. With merit aid offers cost is actually less than in-state (UVA or W&M) even when factoring in flight costs to/from school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back in the day, I would have put Boston University and not even Northeastern as a safety. We can full pay private so looking to add some safeties.

Depends on where you are applying from:
NE: UPitt rolling/ in the South: Texas A & M;

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back in the day, I would have put Boston University and not even Northeastern as a safety. We can full pay private so looking to add some safeties.

Depends on where you are applying from:
NE: UPitt rolling/ in the South: Texas A & M;

A & M is only a safety if you are in Texas and have the class rank that guarantees admission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety: UMd

No interest in paying big $$ for a school that is not notably better than UMd (will be a Stem major). Therefore he took a swing at a few heavyweights and if it doesn't work out, UMd it is. 1530/4.3w, private.

I can't even imagine paying somewhere like BU (or many others) a truckload of money for an education that is not *notably and substantially* better or more prestigious than UMd and *is* notably less prestigious than HYP/Rice/Penn. And this is no knock on BU, its a very fine school probably better in some fields then UMd but is it 150-200K+ better?

+1
We feel the same way. Know someone who is paying a boatload of money to attend Northeastern (??) when they could have gone to their very good state school instead and gotten an excellent education for far less money.

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. Some kids really want to go to get out of the DMV to go to school. Mine included. If you have the ability to pay and your kid wants to go to school in Boston and Northeastern is the right fit and their top choice, then you send them to Northeastern. Or BU. Or wherever it is that they really want to be. Jeez.

DP here. I would want my child to attend college with students from all over the country and world. We are in VA. UVA is like 70% in state? My selfishness wants my child to stay close for college.

W
It’s less than 70% in state. What you fail to recognize is that VA is one of the most diverse states in the country (especially NoVA) due to the influx of international families and those from all over the country who come to work in DC. The non VA students are very geographically diverse as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety: UMd

No interest in paying big $$ for a school that is not notably better than UMd (will be a Stem major). Therefore he took a swing at a few heavyweights and if it doesn't work out, UMd it is. 1530/4.3w, private.

I can't even imagine paying somewhere like BU (or many others) a truckload of money for an education that is not *notably and substantially* better or more prestigious than UMd and *is* notably less prestigious than HYP/Rice/Penn. And this is no knock on BU, its a very fine school probably better in some fields then UMd but is it 150-200K+ better?

+1
We feel the same way. Know someone who is paying a boatload of money to attend Northeastern (??) when they could have gone to their very good state school instead and gotten an excellent education for far less money.

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. Some kids really want to go to get out of the DMV to go to school. Mine included. If you have the ability to pay and your kid wants to go to school in Boston and Northeastern is the right fit and their top choice, then you send them to Northeastern. Or BU. Or wherever it is that they really want to be. Jeez.

DP here. I would want my child to attend college with students from all over the country and world. We are in VA. UVA is like 70% in state? My selfishness wants my child to stay close for college.

W
It’s less than 70% in state. What you fail to recognize is that VA is one of the most diverse states in the country (especially NoVA) due to the influx of international families and those from all over the country who come to work in DC. The non VA students are very geographically diverse as well.

45% of my kid's friends went to UVA, 45% went to VT.

We were fortunate to get our kids to get the heck out of VA.

One in Boston and One in LA.