Big 3 Nightmare
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
They have only 2 options in the top 200 schools? Seriously doubt that. 90% of those ranked 100-200 have acceptance rates over 75%. They would get into almost every school ranked 100-200 with those statistics. Heck, they would get into most of the 50-100 schools. |
Anonymous
THe PP made these facts up---absolutely no way a kid from Sidwell (or the like) in top 20% with those stats would not get into most schools ranked 50-200. Step outside the top50 and they would be getting into most places. I call BS |
Anonymous
I’m in Maine and fascinated by this strategy. It’s true that there are lots of coastal towns but generally the schools are pretty bad in the rural areas, and if you’re in the “good schools” towns near Portland you’re not getting any “rural kid’ bump. But if you’re rural in Maine…well there’s just not a lot of opportunity. So - is this working for them? |
Anonymous
Not the PP. My Big 3 kid with very similar stats rejected or WLd at all top 50. And most were not top 20. Kid is into a number of 50-100 |
Anonymous
Will know in a year when kid applies. Rural town that has non summer population < 500 or 1000. Those exist as you know. |
Anonymous
In order to be admitted to most of the schools ranked 50-200, my niece would have needed to first apply to those schools, would she not? She in fact did not. I believe she applied to just a couple. Like I said, a state flagship and a school in the realm of Boston College. Didn't get in. She didn't apply to dozens of schools in the 100 range because, I pretty sure, she really thought she'd get a Yes from one of the dozen schools she applied to T1-T30. That's the whole point of this thread and my post. |
Anonymous
Thank you for providing data to prove my point. Once you get out of T50, the acceptance rates go up and if you do it right, show demonstrated interest and make the AO think it's your top choice, you will get into several in that range. It would be many more than 2, as it sounds like your kid did get into multiple in the 50-100. You didn't even have to go into the 100-200 range. |
Anonymous
And your niece's attitude/mentality is precisely why things end up "a nightmare". All schools 1-30 have low acceptance rates, most are single digits or close to it. That means it is a big reach for everyone. Applying to all 30 does not statistically increase your chances of admission, unless you have a true hook as in "did real research, won a regeneron completion/award, something that really shows you are unique". Hence why every kid needs 2-4 true Targets (with acceptance rates over 25% and kid at/+ 50-75%) and 2-4 true safeties (acceptance rates over 50%, with a few over 70-75% and your states at/+ 80-90%) But it didn't have to be that way. It's the arrogant attitude that schools with acceptance rates under 15% are "not a reach for me, I will get in" So since she didn't include those targets and safeties, she gets to select from schools that are still admitting. While there are typically some decent schools on that list, I can understand the frustration with picking your college that way---much better to formulate a better list of realistic reach/target/safety schools that is balanced so you actually want to attend your target and safety schools. |
Anonymous
I *think* I am the poster to whom you are referring. I never said anything about GDS and Sidwell because I don’t know outcomes there. I didn’t mean that to be disparaging but rather didn’t want to speak to a topic I don’t have first-hand info. I hope they are having great outcomes. I am pretty sure the non-athlete kids are both legacy and non-legacy. I know for a fact that several are non-legacy but don’t know the entire universe of parents’ alma maters. I can’t speak to full pay though I would argue there are just as many full pay kids at the W schools in MCPS or close-in Virginia suburbs. People want to sell the narrative that privates are bad - don’t get me wrong they can be - but I take issue with the “bloodbath” idea. |
Anonymous
I do believe that and my kids are both going to smaller, private colleges, mostly because I think they will get a more personal experience. I’m not about the prestige, just a good education. |
Anonymous
Just reading this. I'm another parent who can make this claim (over $40K for one and large over-crowded middle of the road public for the other). We do exist and there are reasons people make these choices so save the judgement. |
Anonymous
I don't think elimination of APs has anything to do with this. Test optional, inflated GPAs and common app have driven admission rates to most "targeted" schools to single digits. Generally speaking UMC kids from private schools are not what the Ivy's and T20 are generally looking for. It is a sea change over the past 5 years. If kids are expecting T20 results after going to "Big3" type schools, those days are over. It isn't the schools fault, it is societal. |
Anonymous
Schools aren’t looking for umc unhooked kids generally, the public v, private part is immaterial. |
Anonymous
|
I wouldn’t dismiss PP niece’s story and I certainly wouldn’t think of her approach as arrogant. It is no doubt no different that what students at these schools with her stats have been doing for years. Things have changed in the last few years and these high schools have not caught up in their thinking.
Moving to a rural town from a tony private school in NYC junior year has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have heard in some time. do they think the colleges just don’t notice dalton on the transcript? |
Anonymous
Don’t think it’s a big “3”, but take a look at the Instagram page for the holton class of 2023… these kids are going to tons of highly selective schools. Some are athletes, some are legacies and some are just hard working smart kids who go to a rigorous school ( which dropped APs)… |