I can’t say this to my kid’s face, of course, but...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you read his essay? I truly don't get this.

I know kids with much lower SATs who got into the schools on your list.

I'm not convinced that these stats are truthful. Something is not being said.

It could be 1 B+ and a bunch of A-s. They are As, but....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is everyone else doing in his school? Is it the school or there’s something wrong with his application that you haven’t noticed.

This is OP. It has been tough at his school but kids have certainly got in places.

I won’t tell you his entire list in case anyone is reading this and can figure out who he is, but here is a partial.

Waitlist: Case, Tulane, VErmont
Rejected: Northeastern, Vandy, Tulane, Emory

Damn. I'm sorry. It sucks. Try hard for those WL schools. I really think one could work out. Best of luck.

NU is super difficult to get into. The top students at our DCUM-prestigious public school were denied. I don't think parents realize how hard it is.

All in all, and we are going through this also, safeties are now targets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you read his essay? I truly don't get this.

I know kids with much lower SATs who got into the schools on your list.

I'm not convinced that these stats are truthful. Something is not being said.

It could be 1 B+ and a bunch of A-s. They are As, but....

What I want to know is what classes did he take in high school and what APs, etc., were taken. It seems like a lot of info. was left out. All we are getting is the SAT score and a GPA, with very little else in between. Perhaps once these are known, things might click more. Not saying that they will, but this all seems odd. Something is off.

[Anonymous]

So 1530 and a 3.6. Still great but not uncommon for the pool applying to these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you read his essay? I truly don't get this.

I know kids with much lower SATs who got into the schools on your list.

I'm not convinced that these stats are truthful. Something is not being said.

Someone is going to fall on the wrong side of the stats.
If all these schools have a very low admission rate for someone with OP's kid's (tippy top) stats, someone is going to fall into the unlucky percentage of each and every school at the same time. ​
There may be nothing to it except spectacularly bad luck.

I've been in the very unlucky 1% for a medical condition. Once you're been there once you can clearly see how it happens in all walks of life.

[Anonymous]

Could it be that admissions counselors feel that someone with the privileges he has should have no problem getting these grades and scores, and that getting them in that social context is far from the impressive feat that many people assume it must be? The system is set up to reward those with the good fortune like you, me, and our kids to be born into stable families with educated parents and access to great schools and financial stability. Could it be that simply following orders to maintain an extremely comfortable lifestyle is not the key ingredient of success? You have given no hints about the things that motivate your DC and make him unique.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, yield protection is real. Case and Emory are definitely practicing yield protection. Your DC might have a good outcome in the end from the waitlist if a commitment to a school can be demonstrated.

I agree with one PP that for the rest of the world, stats are the determining factor, and the process is more predictable.

I don't know. It really depends on what private OP is talking about. If it's ilke a Whittle, McLean School, or Burke, Emory would be a reach regardless of GPA. If she's talking St. Albans or Sidwell, that's a different story.

This is what the SAT is for. He got a 1550. How is that not an automatic in at Emory if that was his first choice?

So everyone who gets a 1550 on the SAT should be automatically admitted to a school if they declare it a first choice? That would be interesting.

No, I was saying the SAT is for when admissions don't know much about the kid's school. It's hard to compare schools and grades at different schools. So I thought that was what SAT and AP tests are for.

It's not like OP's kid is some unicorn. As we said in the other thread with the disappointed kid, there are a thousand of kid in the DMV with that score/APs/ECs. Multiply that across America's urban areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, yield protection is real. Case and Emory are definitely practicing yield protection. Your DC might have a good outcome in the end from the waitlist if a commitment to a school can be demonstrated.

I agree with one PP that for the rest of the world, stats are the determining factor, and the process is more predictable.

I don't know. It really depends on what private OP is talking about. If it's ilke a Whittle, McLean School, or Burke, Emory would be a reach regardless of GPA. If she's talking St. Albans or Sidwell, that's a different story.

This is what the SAT is for. He got a 1550. How is that not an automatic in at Emory if that was his first choice?

So everyone who gets a 1550 on the SAT should be automatically admitted to a school if they declare it a first choice? That would be interesting.

No, I was saying the SAT is for when admissions don't know much about the kid's school. It's hard to compare schools and grades at different schools. So I thought that was what SAT and AP tests are for.

It's not like OP's kid is some unicorn. As we said in the other thread with the disappointed kid, there are a thousand of kid in the DMV with that score/APs/ECs. Multiply that across America's urban areas.

Fixed it for you....."It's not like OP's kid is some unicorn. As we said in the other thread with the disappointed kid, there are a thousand of kid in the DMV with that score/APs/ECs. Multiply that across America." Kids outside of urban areas are smart and accomplished as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could it be that admissions counselors feel that someone with the privileges he has should have no problem getting these grades and scores, and that getting them in that social context is far from the impressive feat that many people assume it must be? The system is set up to reward those with the good fortune like you, me, and our kids to be born into stable families with educated parents and access to great schools and financial stability. Could it be that simply following orders to maintain an extremely comfortable lifestyle is not the key ingredient of success? You have given no hints about the things that motivate your DC and make him unique.

No. Smart is smart.

[Anonymous]

Have you reached out to school counselor to follow up at selected schools?

[Anonymous]

Understand, pp. It was also about the competitiveness of parents and kids in the urban areas who are disappointed. I *think* it's less competitive outside of urban/suburban areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could it be that admissions counselors feel that someone with the privileges he has should have no problem getting these grades and scores, and that getting them in that social context is far from the impressive feat that many people assume it must be? The system is set up to reward those with the good fortune like you, me, and our kids to be born into stable families with educated parents and access to great schools and financial stability. Could it be that simply following orders to maintain an extremely comfortable lifestyle is not the key ingredient of success? You have given no hints about the things that motivate your DC and make him unique.

No. Smart is smart.

My brother had lowish high school grades and astoundingly high SAT scores. It reads to admissions folks as "lazy as hell." In my brother's case it was true. Today, you might also assume that someone was prepped a lot to get the high SAT scores. But a 3.6 and high SAT scores reads a bit like "he could have gotten A's but he's kind of lazy." My brother only got into one college, the really expensive one. Good thing my parents made a lot of money. I don't and my kids would have been screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, yield protection is real. Case and Emory are definitely practicing yield protection. Your DC might have a good outcome in the end from the waitlist if a commitment to a school can be demonstrated.

I agree with one PP that for the rest of the world, stats are the determining factor, and the process is more predictable.

I don't know. It really depends on what private OP is talking about. If it's ilke a Whittle, McLean School, or Burke, Emory would be a reach regardless of GPA. If she's talking St. Albans or Sidwell, that's a different story.

This is what the SAT is for. He got a 1550. How is that not an automatic in at Emory if that was his first choice?

So everyone who gets a 1550 on the SAT should be automatically admitted to a school if they declare it a first choice? That would be interesting.

No, I was saying the SAT is for when admissions don't know much about the kid's school. It's hard to compare schools and grades at different schools. So I thought that was what SAT and AP tests are for.

It's not like OP's kid is some unicorn. As we said in the other thread with the disappointed kid, there are a thousand of kid in the DMV with that score/APs/ECs. Multiply that across America's urban areas.

Fixed it for you....."It's not like OP's kid is some unicorn. As we said in the other thread with the disappointed kid, there are a thousand of kid in the DMV with that score/APs/ECs. Multiply that across America." Kids outside of urban areas are smart and accomplished as well.

Yes, but for kids from rural areas geography is a hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you read his essay? I truly don't get this.

I know kids with much lower SATs who got into the schools on your list.

I'm not convinced that these stats are truthful. Something is not being said.

You don’t know if those kids with lower stats are athletes of otherwise hooked

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could it be that admissions counselors feel that someone with the privileges he has should have no problem getting these grades and scores, and that getting them in that social context is far from the impressive feat that many people assume it must be? The system is set up to reward those with the good fortune like you, me, and our kids to be born into stable families with educated parents and access to great schools and financial stability. Could it be that simply following orders to maintain an extremely comfortable lifestyle is not the key ingredient of success? You have given no hints about the things that motivate your DC and make him unique.

No. Smart is smart.

My brother had lowish high school grades and astoundingly high SAT scores. It reads to admissions folks as "lazy as hell." In my brother's case it was true. Today, you might also assume that someone was prepped a lot to get the high SAT scores. But a 3.6 and high SAT scores reads a bit like "he could have gotten A's but he's kind of lazy." My brother only got into one college, the really expensive one. Good thing my parents made a lot of money. I don't and my kids would have been screwed.

He applied to the wrong schools. Lowish GPA and high tests scores is a good chunk of applicants. They will get into plenty of schools