Do you need more than one true safety?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS got into our easy-admission flagship through EA. Given that DS likes the flagship, it gave DS more freedom to be aggressive in seeking elite schools with elite financial aid in RD. This strategy worked out well in our particular circumstances because DS got into most of his reaches and likelies.

I think it's rarely a bad idea to apply to a few EA schools so that DC knows by mid December whether they already have 1-2 acceptable admissions. If so, great, DC can be more aggressive in RD. If not, DC should probably apply to more safeties/targets in RD.

What do you mean, "be more aggressive in RD"?
Isn't the thinking that kids need to SCEA to an Ivy (or ED to a very selective school), if they're of that caliber?

[Anonymous]

If they want options, then yes! Can't hurt, plus safety apps often require less info than schools that require a lot of essays.

[Anonymous]

Also, make sure it's one that they are actually excited about attending and would actually consider! DD was in-state for Pitt a few years ago and had really high stats, plus she heard back within two weeks in September, so that was pretty much one-and-done, but Pitt was also a school that she wanted to attend!

[Anonymous]

Yes, have two. You never know if yield projection or some strange quota they were trying to achieve will work against your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS LOVES Pitt engineering. He is planning to apply in August. It’s a safety for him - he’ll also apply to Purdue, Michigan, GT. But he has mixed applying to Case, WPI, RPI, Rochester bc he prefers Pitt to any other place. I figure that we’ll know about $$ and honors college before he the deadlines for other safeties.

are those the usual safeties for engineering?

Some of these are part of a group of schools that are sort of like the LACs of engineering schools: they are small, mostly undergrad focused (some are only undergrad), engineering-only schools. Given that niche, they are self-selecting and so some, but not all, are a little easier to get into by percentages (but not by grades, etc.), than the big universities that also have engineering programs. Some of them include: Olin, RPI, WPI, Rose Hulman, Stevens, Colorado School of Mines, Harvey Mudd, Cooper Union.

ok thanks-this really makes sense, my DD is getting tons of mail from these schools based on Ap comp princ she took as a freshman--which ones would you consider the better in the group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS LOVES Pitt engineering. He is planning to apply in August. It’s a safety for him - he’ll also apply to Purdue, Michigan, GT. But he has mixed applying to Case, WPI, RPI, Rochester bc he prefers Pitt to any other place. I figure that we’ll know about $$ and honors college before he the deadlines for other safeties.

are those the usual safeties for engineering?

Some of these are part of a group of schools that are sort of like the LACs of engineering schools: they are small, mostly undergrad focused (some are only undergrad), engineering-only schools. Given that niche, they are self-selecting and so some, but not all, are a little easier to get into by percentages (but not by grades, etc.), than the big universities that also have engineering programs. Some of them include: Olin, RPI, WPI, Rose Hulman, Stevens, Colorado School of Mines, Harvey Mudd, Cooper Union.

ok thanks-this really makes sense, my DD is getting tons of mail from these schools based on Ap comp princ she took as a freshman--which ones would you consider the better in the group?

PS I have not heard of any of these until i started going into the college board on dcum LOL

[Anonymous]

My DD applied to a few safeties because she wasn't 100% sure which of them was her first choice and we also wanted to see how the merit aid worked out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS LOVES Pitt engineering. He is planning to apply in August. It’s a safety for him - he’ll also apply to Purdue, Michigan, GT. But he has mixed applying to Case, WPI, RPI, Rochester bc he prefers Pitt to any other place. I figure that we’ll know about $$ and honors college before he the deadlines for other safeties.

are those the usual safeties for engineering?

Some of these are part of a group of schools that are sort of like the LACs of engineering schools: they are small, mostly undergrad focused (some are only undergrad), engineering-only schools. Given that niche, they are self-selecting and so some, but not all, are a little easier to get into by percentages (but not by grades, etc.), than the big universities that also have engineering programs. Some of them include: Olin, RPI, WPI, Rose Hulman, Stevens, Colorado School of Mines, Harvey Mudd, Cooper Union.

ok thanks-this really makes sense, my DD is getting tons of mail from these schools based on Ap comp princ she took as a freshman--which ones would you consider the better in the group?

Can't go wrong with any of them. They are really spread all over the country, so geography might be a good way to narrow that down. Also since engineering programs tend to be male-heavy, she may want to compare the M/F ratio (haven't compared recently, but I think WPI has a reputation for being balanced in that regard, as they have had female Presidents for quite a while.) Harvey Mudd is 50/50 but it is a reach for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Two or more is better because even if they only get into their safeties as anticipated, it will make the student feel like they still had choices rather than one single safety being their default school. I think that does a lot of the psyche and gives a better mindset about ending up at a safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS LOVES Pitt engineering. He is planning to apply in August. It’s a safety for him - he’ll also apply to Purdue, Michigan, GT. But he has mixed applying to Case, WPI, RPI, Rochester bc he prefers Pitt to any other place. I figure that we’ll know about $$ and honors college before he the deadlines for other safeties.

My ds applied to Pitt at the end of August and got in three weeks later. It was awesome!

[Anonymous]

3 reaches
3 matches
3 safeties

[Anonymous]

My kid wound up choosing her safety, even though she got into several higher ranked schools.

Your goal should be for them to have options to choose from, and then support their decision.,

[Anonymous]

This is why we need to have ED available at all schools. Students who ED are showing very clearly that they will commit to that school and aren't just using it as a backup/safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS LOVES Pitt engineering. He is planning to apply in August. It’s a safety for him - he’ll also apply to Purdue, Michigan, GT. But he has mixed applying to Case, WPI, RPI, Rochester bc he prefers Pitt to any other place. I figure that we’ll know about $$ and honors college before he the deadlines for other safeties.

Many strong students use Pitt this way, and it's helping to make it quite the hot school. Smart marketing to get kids started on making connections to the school early.

[Anonymous]

Well my daughter had 3 safeties, 4 targets and 3 reaches. She got in to all three safeties and 3 targets. In the end after visits and more research, two of the three safeties became her top two choices! You just never know how it’s going to work out.