Big 3 Nightmare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SO all those with supposedly unhooked DC with 1500 should tell us what the secret ingredient was...
Or...perhaps just a bit of luck, because that poster who keeps claiming that applying to more of the top 20/30 schools doesn't statistically increase acceptance rates is probably just a Big 3 college counselor who doesn't know statistics. With acceptance rates in the single digits and many many qualified applicants (remember niece also had exceptional extracurriculars which didn't get discussed!), it's in good part luck of the draw, like in a lottery. And could it be that many of those lower tier colleges might not have accepted niece because they thought she'd place better and they were concerned about yield? Should this girl really have applied ED to BC or her parental legacy to have a shot at a decent outcome? If that is what one has to do after paying 200k+ for a Big 3, won't many people opt out of the private schools?

The point of attending a big 3 is college preparation & socialization. We were under no delusions that paying X amount of money for high school would buy our child a spot at a certain university.

What “socialization” benefit do you believe you derived?

Are you this dense in real life too?

Are you? You come across as a social climber or an elitist without adding context that would show otherwise (such as small class environment)

Yeah…they don’t mean small class environment. They mean creating a personal network that hopefully pays off in life…either rich kids more easily finding each other or just UMC or financial aid kids benefiting from friendships with rich kids to pay off.

Those are perfectly rational reasons even though they don’t sound so nice.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SO all those with supposedly unhooked DC with 1500 should tell us what the secret ingredient was...
Or...perhaps just a bit of luck, because that poster who keeps claiming that applying to more of the top 20/30 schools doesn't statistically increase acceptance rates is probably just a Big 3 college counselor who doesn't know statistics. With acceptance rates in the single digits and many many qualified applicants (remember niece also had exceptional extracurriculars which didn't get discussed!), it's in good part luck of the draw, like in a lottery. And could it be that many of those lower tier colleges might not have accepted niece because they thought she'd place better and they were concerned about yield? Should this girl really have applied ED to BC or her parental legacy to have a shot at a decent outcome? If that is what one has to do after paying 200k+ for a Big 3, won't many people opt out of the private schools?

The point of attending a big 3 is college preparation & socialization. We were under no delusions that paying X amount of money for high school would buy our child a spot at a certain university.

What “socialization” benefit do you believe you derived?

Are you this dense in real life too?

Are you? You come across as a social climber or an elitist without adding context that would show otherwise (such as small class environment)

Yeah…they don’t mean small class environment. They mean creating a personal network that hopefully pays off in life…either rich kids more easily finding each other or just UMC or financial aid kids benefiting from friendships with rich kids to pay off.

Those are perfectly rational reasons even though they don’t sound so nice.

It would seem more helpful to focus on getting your kid into a prestigious college, for such purposes. Like whose professional network is based on having taken biology with such and such rich/famous kid in ninth grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I am a parent of a kid in a Big 3 ish school in another city. Your kid is getting a great education and great preparation for college. From where your (and my) kid is coming, they will be fine no matter where they go. They have tremendous privilege and advantages. It will be ok. Really.

I have 2 kids: one at a LAC and one going to a school ranked 75-100. Neither is Ivy and I’m totally fine with that."

I don't think you really believe this. There are plenty of good public schools and less renowned private schools where your kid could get a great K-12 education. Nobody puts their kids in private if they believe public schools are just as good for K-12. Why would all those other things you value disappear once they go to college? (Prestigious name, exclusivity, less chance of riff-raff, almost everyone you socialize with is from a prominent/wealthy/connected family, smaller setting, individual attention, etc...)

We’re full pay, but I’d pay extra to have my kids not attend schools with people like PP. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, of course. We’re wealthy public school parents who are now full pay at a selective SLAC, and DC complains that a high percentage of his classmates have no idea how the real world works and have never been out of their gross bubble of private schools, private planes, and privilege. One benefit is that it’s really validating our decision to choose public for K-12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should have applied to one of those reaches ED (Barnard, Davidson, Wash U) instead of to HYP SCEA or Brown ED. The UC schools aren't taking hardly any out of state students any more - someone should've told her that.

Top 20%/1500 isn't all that great, sorry.

Only in your mind is this not great.

I know what I'm talking about. Our unhooked DD had a 3.9+/1570 at a Big 3 school and was told that HYP was unlikely so the better play was to apply ED to another top school because RD is a crapshoot.

I'm not saying the kid isn't great, but the stats aren't.

Those stats are absolutely fine for HYP…but the CCO knew there were 10 double legacy kids to those schools and athletes, etc applying and those schools are only taking X kids from the school…because that is all they take year in and year out

Yes you just hit the nail on the head. Students are competing with their classmates. Need to be savvy about not applying where others have hooks better than yours. Student in my kid’s class is a triple legacy at Stanford and also really bright in their own right so that school is completely off the table for my high stats kid.

Ok i like where this discussion is headed because we are getting deep and real now.

We have a Big 3 3.8+!1500 kid who was rejected at all reaches (including a legacy REA) and admitted at two targets and safeties.

What I wish CCO did with us was to be very upfront about what you say. Instead we noticed a lot of double talk and no clear guidance. Never was told I would not apply to X because there is a VIP double legacy and a works class athlete applying there. And that college only ever takes one from our school if any. Instead was told “it will be tough but if it’s in your heart, then apply”.

Maybe inspect too much from CCO and they can’t be that honest. I found that the busy body parents were subtly gathering info on where top academic kids were applying early at parent cocktail parties. Their kids were too

We are also at the school where they don’t use data or share scattergrams at all. So we and 17 year old were left reading tone and body language over zoom from our CCO. Never given factual or hard data driven advice.

That said it’s all a lottery and my kid didn’t win a reach lottery.

One more thing - this thread discusses whether we have kids there at BUg 3 to get onto T20. Answer for me - sort of. First priority is a great education. But for a kid in the top 10-12 kids in the class, I did actually expect back when our kid started 10 years ago at this Big 3 that being legacy at a HYP and being from a Big 3 would help with Top 20.

It didn’t for us. I’m not upset at the Big 3 for that. The game changed entirely after class of 2019 and those attributes our kid had were no longer what institutional priorities are at T20. Just a very solid academic EC kid but not a world class anything. and not URM.

Our kid will still have an amazing life so zero bitterness here. Kid has a great education, will go to a solid university and will hopefully shine there.

I do have some lingering bitterness at the CCO at our Big 3 not being more data driven, direct and clear in list formation. That’s very specific to our school that is known for its “relax” and “trust the kid’s feelings and their heart” attitude. I truly dislike that and found that lack of clear communication actually way stressed out the process because I actually ended up not trusting time at all and not being relaxed.

When the next kid goes through this we will be much more direct asking CCO hard questions about who else applying VIP multi hooked and using ED more wisely and actuallly not trusting Big 3 CCO platitudes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SO all those with supposedly unhooked DC with 1500 should tell us what the secret ingredient was...
Or...perhaps just a bit of luck, because that poster who keeps claiming that applying to more of the top 20/30 schools doesn't statistically increase acceptance rates is probably just a Big 3 college counselor who doesn't know statistics. With acceptance rates in the single digits and many many qualified applicants (remember niece also had exceptional extracurriculars which didn't get discussed!), it's in good part luck of the draw, like in a lottery. And could it be that many of those lower tier colleges might not have accepted niece because they thought she'd place better and they were concerned about yield? Should this girl really have applied ED to BC or her parental legacy to have a shot at a decent outcome? If that is what one has to do after paying 200k+ for a Big 3, won't many people opt out of the private schools?

The point of attending a big 3 is college preparation & socialization. We were under no delusions that paying X amount of money for high school would buy our child a spot at a certain university.

What “socialization” benefit do you believe you derived?

Are you this dense in real life too?

Are you? You come across as a social climber or an elitist without adding context that would show otherwise (such as small class environment)

Yeah…they don’t mean small class environment. They mean creating a personal network that hopefully pays off in life…either rich kids more easily finding each other or just UMC or financial aid kids benefiting from friendships with rich kids to pay off.

Those are perfectly rational reasons even though they don’t sound so nice.

It would seem more helpful to focus on getting your kid into a prestigious college, for such purposes. Like whose professional network is based on having taken biology with such and such rich/famous kid in ninth grade?

Believe me...they were focused on that too. But when that doesn't work out the way you expected...you have to claim "that's not why I chose a Big3". Even though that was always part of the plan too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SO all those with supposedly unhooked DC with 1500 should tell us what the secret ingredient was...
Or...perhaps just a bit of luck, because that poster who keeps claiming that applying to more of the top 20/30 schools doesn't statistically increase acceptance rates is probably just a Big 3 college counselor who doesn't know statistics. With acceptance rates in the single digits and many many qualified applicants (remember niece also had exceptional extracurriculars which didn't get discussed!), it's in good part luck of the draw, like in a lottery. And could it be that many of those lower tier colleges might not have accepted niece because they thought she'd place better and they were concerned about yield? Should this girl really have applied ED to BC or her parental legacy to have a shot at a decent outcome? If that is what one has to do after paying 200k+ for a Big 3, won't many people opt out of the private schools?

The point of attending a big 3 is college preparation & socialization. We were under no delusions that paying X amount of money for high school would buy our child a spot at a certain university.

What “socialization” benefit do you believe you derived?

Are you this dense in real life too?

Are you? You come across as a social climber or an elitist without adding context that would show otherwise (such as small class environment)

Yeah…they don’t mean small class environment. They mean creating a personal network that hopefully pays off in life…either rich kids more easily finding each other or just UMC or financial aid kids benefiting from friendships with rich kids to pay off.

Those are perfectly rational reasons even though they don’t sound so nice.

It would seem more helpful to focus on getting your kid into a prestigious college, for such purposes. Like whose professional network is based on having taken biology with such and such rich/famous kid in ninth grade?

Believe me...they were focused on that too. But when that doesn't work out the way you expected...you have to claim "that's not why I chose a Big3". Even though that was always part of the plan too.

So true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should have applied to one of those reaches ED (Barnard, Davidson, Wash U) instead of to HYP SCEA or Brown ED. The UC schools aren't taking hardly any out of state students any more - someone should've told her that.

Top 20%/1500 isn't all that great, sorry.

Only in your mind is this not great.

I know what I'm talking about. Our unhooked DD had a 3.9+/1570 at a Big 3 school and was told that HYP was unlikely so the better play was to apply ED to another top school because RD is a crapshoot.

I'm not saying the kid isn't great, but the stats aren't.

Those stats are absolutely fine for HYP…but the CCO knew there were 10 double legacy kids to those schools and athletes, etc applying and those schools are only taking X kids from the school…because that is all they take year in and year out

Yes you just hit the nail on the head. Students are competing with their classmates. Need to be savvy about not applying where others have hooks better than yours. Student in my kid’s class is a triple legacy at Stanford and also really bright in their own right so that school is completely off the table for my high stats kid.

Ok i like where this discussion is headed because we are getting deep and real now.

We have a Big 3 3.8+!1500 kid who was rejected at all reaches (including a legacy REA) and admitted at two targets and safeties.

What I wish CCO did with us was to be very upfront about what you say. Instead we noticed a lot of double talk and no clear guidance. Never was told I would not apply to X because there is a VIP double legacy and a works class athlete applying there. And that college only ever takes one from our school if any. Instead was told “it will be tough but if it’s in your heart, then apply”.

Maybe inspect too much from CCO and they can’t be that honest. I found that the busy body parents were subtly gathering info on where top academic kids were applying early at parent cocktail parties. Their kids were too

We are also at the school where they don’t use data or share scattergrams at all. So we and 17 year old were left reading tone and body language over zoom from our CCO. Never given factual or hard data driven advice.

That said it’s all a lottery and my kid didn’t win a reach lottery.

One more thing - this thread discusses whether we have kids there at BUg 3 to get onto T20. Answer for me - sort of. First priority is a great education. But for a kid in the top 10-12 kids in the class, I did actually expect back when our kid started 10 years ago at this Big 3 that being legacy at a HYP and being from a Big 3 would help with Top 20.

It didn’t for us. I’m not upset at the Big 3 for that. The game changed entirely after class of 2019 and those attributes our kid had were no longer what institutional priorities are at T20. Just a very solid academic EC kid but not a world class anything. and not URM.

Our kid will still have an amazing life so zero bitterness here. Kid has a great education, will go to a solid university and will hopefully shine there.

I do have some lingering bitterness at the CCO at our Big 3 not being more data driven, direct and clear in list formation. That’s very specific to our school that is known for its “relax” and “trust the kid’s feelings and their heart” attitude. I truly dislike that and found that lack of clear communication actually way stressed out the process because I actually ended up not trusting time at all and not being relaxed.

When the next kid goes through this we will be much more direct asking CCO hard questions about who else applying VIP multi hooked and using ED more wisely and actuallly not trusting Big 3 CCO platitudes.

What is a target for a kid like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should have applied to one of those reaches ED (Barnard, Davidson, Wash U) instead of to HYP SCEA or Brown ED. The UC schools aren't taking hardly any out of state students any more - someone should've told her that.

Top 20%/1500 isn't all that great, sorry.

Only in your mind is this not great.

I know what I'm talking about. Our unhooked DD had a 3.9+/1570 at a Big 3 school and was told that HYP was unlikely so the better play was to apply ED to another top school because RD is a crapshoot.

I'm not saying the kid isn't great, but the stats aren't.

Those stats are absolutely fine for HYP…but the CCO knew there were 10 double legacy kids to those schools and athletes, etc applying and those schools are only taking X kids from the school…because that is all they take year in and year out

Yes you just hit the nail on the head. Students are competing with their classmates. Need to be savvy about not applying where others have hooks better than yours. Student in my kid’s class is a triple legacy at Stanford and also really bright in their own right so that school is completely off the table for my high stats kid.

Ok i like where this discussion is headed because we are getting deep and real now.

We have a Big 3 3.8+!1500 kid who was rejected at all reaches (including a legacy REA) and admitted at two targets and safeties.

What I wish CCO did with us was to be very upfront about what you say. Instead we noticed a lot of double talk and no clear guidance. Never was told I would not apply to X because there is a VIP double legacy and a works class athlete applying there. And that college only ever takes one from our school if any. Instead was told “it will be tough but if it’s in your heart, then apply”.

Maybe inspect too much from CCO and they can’t be that honest. I found that the busy body parents were subtly gathering info on where top academic kids were applying early at parent cocktail parties. Their kids were too

We are also at the school where they don’t use data or share scattergrams at all. So we and 17 year old were left reading tone and body language over zoom from our CCO. Never given factual or hard data driven advice.

That said it’s all a lottery and my kid didn’t win a reach lottery.

One more thing - this thread discusses whether we have kids there at BUg 3 to get onto T20. Answer for me - sort of. First priority is a great education. But for a kid in the top 10-12 kids in the class, I did actually expect back when our kid started 10 years ago at this Big 3 that being legacy at a HYP and being from a Big 3 would help with Top 20.

It didn’t for us. I’m not upset at the Big 3 for that. The game changed entirely after class of 2019 and those attributes our kid had were no longer what institutional priorities are at T20. Just a very solid academic EC kid but not a world class anything. and not URM.

Our kid will still have an amazing life so zero bitterness here. Kid has a great education, will go to a solid university and will hopefully shine there.

I do have some lingering bitterness at the CCO at our Big 3 not being more data driven, direct and clear in list formation. That’s very specific to our school that is known for its “relax” and “trust the kid’s feelings and their heart” attitude. I truly dislike that and found that lack of clear communication actually way stressed out the process because I actually ended up not trusting time at all and not being relaxed.

When the next kid goes through this we will be much more direct asking CCO hard questions about who else applying VIP multi hooked and using ED more wisely and actuallly not trusting Big 3 CCO platitudes.

What is a target for a kid like this?

Well, you can target schools that don't give a bump to legacy...MIT, Amherst, CalTech (not sure what others...just listing some tops). MIT & CalTech don't really care about sports either...MIT does care, but not nearly as much as Ivy schools. You could also target Top 20 that have fairly high ED acceptance rates... Wash U is one of those. Imagine there are a couple of others with 40%+ ED rates.

Just some examples...if all you really care about is Top 20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should have applied to one of those reaches ED (Barnard, Davidson, Wash U) instead of to HYP SCEA or Brown ED. The UC schools aren't taking hardly any out of state students any more - someone should've told her that.

Top 20%/1500 isn't all that great, sorry.

Only in your mind is this not great.

I know what I'm talking about. Our unhooked DD had a 3.9+/1570 at a Big 3 school and was told that HYP was unlikely so the better play was to apply ED to another top school because RD is a crapshoot.

I'm not saying the kid isn't great, but the stats aren't.

Those stats are absolutely fine for HYP…but the CCO knew there were 10 double legacy kids to those schools and athletes, etc applying and those schools are only taking X kids from the school…because that is all they take year in and year out

Yes you just hit the nail on the head. Students are competing with their classmates. Need to be savvy about not applying where others have hooks better than yours. Student in my kid’s class is a triple legacy at Stanford and also really bright in their own right so that school is completely off the table for my high stats kid.

Ok i like where this discussion is headed because we are getting deep and real now.

We have a Big 3 3.8+!1500 kid who was rejected at all reaches (including a legacy REA) and admitted at two targets and safeties.

What I wish CCO did with us was to be very upfront about what you say. Instead we noticed a lot of double talk and no clear guidance. Never was told I would not apply to X because there is a VIP double legacy and a works class athlete applying there. And that college only ever takes one from our school if any. Instead was told “it will be tough but if it’s in your heart, then apply”.

Maybe inspect too much from CCO and they can’t be that honest. I found that the busy body parents were subtly gathering info on where top academic kids were applying early at parent cocktail parties. Their kids were too

We are also at the school where they don’t use data or share scattergrams at all. So we and 17 year old were left reading tone and body language over zoom from our CCO. Never given factual or hard data driven advice.

That said it’s all a lottery and my kid didn’t win a reach lottery.

One more thing - this thread discusses whether we have kids there at BUg 3 to get onto T20. Answer for me - sort of. First priority is a great education. But for a kid in the top 10-12 kids in the class, I did actually expect back when our kid started 10 years ago at this Big 3 that being legacy at a HYP and being from a Big 3 would help with Top 20.

It didn’t for us. I’m not upset at the Big 3 for that. The game changed entirely after class of 2019 and those attributes our kid had were no longer what institutional priorities are at T20. Just a very solid academic EC kid but not a world class anything. and not URM.

Our kid will still have an amazing life so zero bitterness here. Kid has a great education, will go to a solid university and will hopefully shine there.

I do have some lingering bitterness at the CCO at our Big 3 not being more data driven, direct and clear in list formation. That’s very specific to our school that is known for its “relax” and “trust the kid’s feelings and their heart” attitude. I truly dislike that and found that lack of clear communication actually way stressed out the process because I actually ended up not trusting time at all and not being relaxed.

When the next kid goes through this we will be much more direct asking CCO hard questions about who else applying VIP multi hooked and using ED more wisely and actuallly not trusting Big 3 CCO platitudes.

What is a target for a kid like this?

Well, you can target schools that don't give a bump to legacy...MIT, Amherst, CalTech (not sure what others...just listing some tops). MIT & CalTech don't really care about sports either...MIT does care, but not nearly as much as Ivy schools. You could also target Top 20 that have fairly high ED acceptance rates... Wash U is one of those. Imagine there are a couple of others with 40%+ ED rates.

Just some examples...if all you really care about is Top 20.

Although...I realize you may have been using the phrase "target" in the traditional college application sense...those are more reaches above admittedly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should have applied to one of those reaches ED (Barnard, Davidson, Wash U) instead of to HYP SCEA or Brown ED. The UC schools aren't taking hardly any out of state students any more - someone should've told her that.

Top 20%/1500 isn't all that great, sorry.

Only in your mind is this not great.

I know what I'm talking about. Our unhooked DD had a 3.9+/1570 at a Big 3 school and was told that HYP was unlikely so the better play was to apply ED to another top school because RD is a crapshoot.

I'm not saying the kid isn't great, but the stats aren't.

Those stats are absolutely fine for HYP…but the CCO knew there were 10 double legacy kids to those schools and athletes, etc applying and those schools are only taking X kids from the school…because that is all they take year in and year out

Yes you just hit the nail on the head. Students are competing with their classmates. Need to be savvy about not applying where others have hooks better than yours. Student in my kid’s class is a triple legacy at Stanford and also really bright in their own right so that school is completely off the table for my high stats kid.

Ok i like where this discussion is headed because we are getting deep and real now.

We have a Big 3 3.8+!1500 kid who was rejected at all reaches (including a legacy REA) and admitted at two targets and safeties.

What I wish CCO did with us was to be very upfront about what you say. Instead we noticed a lot of double talk and no clear guidance. Never was told I would not apply to X because there is a VIP double legacy and a works class athlete applying there. And that college only ever takes one from our school if any. Instead was told “it will be tough but if it’s in your heart, then apply”.

Maybe inspect too much from CCO and they can’t be that honest. I found that the busy body parents were subtly gathering info on where top academic kids were applying early at parent cocktail parties. Their kids were too

We are also at the school where they don’t use data or share scattergrams at all. So we and 17 year old were left reading tone and body language over zoom from our CCO. Never given factual or hard data driven advice.

That said it’s all a lottery and my kid didn’t win a reach lottery.

One more thing - this thread discusses whether we have kids there at BUg 3 to get onto T20. Answer for me - sort of. First priority is a great education. But for a kid in the top 10-12 kids in the class, I did actually expect back when our kid started 10 years ago at this Big 3 that being legacy at a HYP and being from a Big 3 would help with Top 20.

It didn’t for us. I’m not upset at the Big 3 for that. The game changed entirely after class of 2019 and those attributes our kid had were no longer what institutional priorities are at T20. Just a very solid academic EC kid but not a world class anything. and not URM.

Our kid will still have an amazing life so zero bitterness here. Kid has a great education, will go to a solid university and will hopefully shine there.

I do have some lingering bitterness at the CCO at our Big 3 not being more data driven, direct and clear in list formation. That’s very specific to our school that is known for its “relax” and “trust the kid’s feelings and their heart” attitude. I truly dislike that and found that lack of clear communication actually way stressed out the process because I actually ended up not trusting time at all and not being relaxed.

When the next kid goes through this we will be much more direct asking CCO hard questions about who else applying VIP multi hooked and using ED more wisely and actuallly not trusting Big 3 CCO platitudes.

What is a target for a kid like this?

The starting target list was
Santa Clara
Occidental
Mid tier UCs (Davis and Irvine)
Wm and Mary
Case Western
Brandeis
Vermont
Overseas schools in UK
Etc

PP here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should have applied to one of those reaches ED (Barnard, Davidson, Wash U) instead of to HYP SCEA or Brown ED. The UC schools aren't taking hardly any out of state students any more - someone should've told her that.

Top 20%/1500 isn't all that great, sorry.

Only in your mind is this not great.

I know what I'm talking about. Our unhooked DD had a 3.9+/1570 at a Big 3 school and was told that HYP was unlikely so the better play was to apply ED to another top school because RD is a crapshoot.

I'm not saying the kid isn't great, but the stats aren't.

Those stats are absolutely fine for HYP…but the CCO knew there were 10 double legacy kids to those schools and athletes, etc applying and those schools are only taking X kids from the school…because that is all they take year in and year out

Yes you just hit the nail on the head. Students are competing with their classmates. Need to be savvy about not applying where others have hooks better than yours. Student in my kid’s class is a triple legacy at Stanford and also really bright in their own right so that school is completely off the table for my high stats kid.

Ok i like where this discussion is headed because we are getting deep and real now.

We have a Big 3 3.8+!1500 kid who was rejected at all reaches (including a legacy REA) and admitted at two targets and safeties.

What I wish CCO did with us was to be very upfront about what you say. Instead we noticed a lot of double talk and no clear guidance. Never was told I would not apply to X because there is a VIP double legacy and a works class athlete applying there. And that college only ever takes one from our school if any. Instead was told “it will be tough but if it’s in your heart, then apply”.

Maybe inspect too much from CCO and they can’t be that honest. I found that the busy body parents were subtly gathering info on where top academic kids were applying early at parent cocktail parties. Their kids were too

We are also at the school where they don’t use data or share scattergrams at all. So we and 17 year old were left reading tone and body language over zoom from our CCO. Never given factual or hard data driven advice.

That said it’s all a lottery and my kid didn’t win a reach lottery.

One more thing - this thread discusses whether we have kids there at BUg 3 to get onto T20. Answer for me - sort of. First priority is a great education. But for a kid in the top 10-12 kids in the class, I did actually expect back when our kid started 10 years ago at this Big 3 that being legacy at a HYP and being from a Big 3 would help with Top 20.

It didn’t for us. I’m not upset at the Big 3 for that. The game changed entirely after class of 2019 and those attributes our kid had were no longer what institutional priorities are at T20. Just a very solid academic EC kid but not a world class anything. and not URM.

Our kid will still have an amazing life so zero bitterness here. Kid has a great education, will go to a solid university and will hopefully shine there.

I do have some lingering bitterness at the CCO at our Big 3 not being more data driven, direct and clear in list formation. That’s very specific to our school that is known for its “relax” and “trust the kid’s feelings and their heart” attitude. I truly dislike that and found that lack of clear communication actually way stressed out the process because I actually ended up not trusting time at all and not being relaxed.

When the next kid goes through this we will be much more direct asking CCO hard questions about who else applying VIP multi hooked and using ED more wisely and actuallly not trusting Big 3 CCO platitudes.

What is a target for a kid like this?

The starting target list was
Santa Clara
Occidental
Mid tier UCs (Davis and Irvine)
Wm and Mary
Case Western
Brandeis
Vermont
Overseas schools in UK
Etc

PP here.

Those were RD targets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I am a parent of a kid in a Big 3 ish school in another city. Your kid is getting a great education and great preparation for college. From where your (and my) kid is coming, they will be fine no matter where they go. They have tremendous privilege and advantages. It will be ok. Really.

I have 2 kids: one at a LAC and one going to a school ranked 75-100. Neither is Ivy and I’m totally fine with that."

I don't think you really believe this. There are plenty of good public schools and less renowned private schools where your kid could get a great K-12 education. Nobody puts their kids in private if they believe public schools are just as good for K-12. Why would all those other things you value disappear once they go to college? (Prestigious name, exclusivity, less chance of riff-raff, almost everyone you socialize with is from a prominent/wealthy/connected family, smaller setting, individual attention, etc...)

We’re full pay, but I’d pay extra to have my kids not attend schools with people like PP. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, of course. We’re wealthy public school parents who are now full pay at a selective SLAC, and DC complains that a high percentage of his classmates have no idea how the real world works and have never been out of their gross bubble of private schools, private planes, and privilege. One benefit is that it’s really validating our decision to choose public for K-12.

I could not roll my eyes more at this arrant self-absorbed nonsense and my DC attended a public school I am positive you would never let your kids step foot in.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:SO all those with supposedly unhooked DC with 1500 should tell us what the secret ingredient was...
Or...perhaps just a bit of luck, because that poster who keeps claiming that applying to more of the top 20/30 schools doesn't statistically increase acceptance rates is probably just a Big 3 college counselor who doesn't know statistics. With acceptance rates in the single digits and many many qualified applicants (remember niece also had exceptional extracurriculars which didn't get discussed!), it's in good part luck of the draw, like in a lottery. And could it be that many of those lower tier colleges might not have accepted niece because they thought she'd place better and they were concerned about yield? Should this girl really have applied ED to BC or her parental legacy to have a shot at a decent outcome? If that is what one has to do after paying 200k+ for a Big 3, won't many people opt out of the private schools?

The point of attending a big 3 is college preparation & socialization. We were under no delusions that paying X amount of money for high school would buy our child a spot at a certain university.

What “socialization” benefit do you believe you derived?

Are you this dense in real life too?

Are you? You come across as a social climber or an elitist without adding context that would show otherwise (such as small class environment)

Yeah…they don’t mean small class environment. They mean creating a personal network that hopefully pays off in life…either rich kids more easily finding each other or just UMC or financial aid kids benefiting from friendships with rich kids to pay off.

Those are perfectly rational reasons even though they don’t sound so nice.

It would seem more helpful to focus on getting your kid into a prestigious college, for such purposes. Like whose professional network is based on having taken biology with such and such rich/famous kid in ninth grade?

Who are you to tell people what they should be focused on?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Are there a lot going ED2 to Chicago or similar schools again this year?

Not a lot in ED2

Interesting, more rolling the dice with RD this year.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:SO all those with supposedly unhooked DC with 1500 should tell us what the secret ingredient was...
Or...perhaps just a bit of luck, because that poster who keeps claiming that applying to more of the top 20/30 schools doesn't statistically increase acceptance rates is probably just a Big 3 college counselor who doesn't know statistics. With acceptance rates in the single digits and many many qualified applicants (remember niece also had exceptional extracurriculars which didn't get discussed!), it's in good part luck of the draw, like in a lottery. And could it be that many of those lower tier colleges might not have accepted niece because they thought she'd place better and they were concerned about yield? Should this girl really have applied ED to BC or her parental legacy to have a shot at a decent outcome? If that is what one has to do after paying 200k+ for a Big 3, won't many people opt out of the private schools?

The point of attending a big 3 is college preparation & socialization. We were under no delusions that paying X amount of money for high school would buy our child a spot at a certain university.

What “socialization” benefit do you believe you derived?

Are you this dense in real life too?

Are you? You come across as a social climber or an elitist without adding context that would show otherwise (such as small class environment)

Yeah…they don’t mean small class environment. They mean creating a personal network that hopefully pays off in life…either rich kids more easily finding each other or just UMC or financial aid kids benefiting from friendships with rich kids to pay off.

Those are perfectly rational reasons even though they don’t sound so nice.

It would seem more helpful to focus on getting your kid into a prestigious college, for such purposes. Like whose professional network is based on having taken biology with such and such rich/famous kid in ninth grade?

Believe me...they were focused on that too. But when that doesn't work out the way you expected...you have to claim "that's not why I chose a Big3". Even though that was always part of the plan too.

Nah we live in DC (in a “good” school zone) and its because the public schools are a zoo from 6th grade onwards. People get uncomfortable when that is said plainly as I did, though.