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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is in a similar boat. 3.9 GPA at a Big 3, perfect ACT score (36 on all sections), waitlisted at UChicago, WashU and Emory so far. College counselor had called Emory a match/likely for him.

Then get that damned counselor on the phone with Emory admission today and make them get him off the waitlist or he will discourage any kid from your HS from applying there in the future.

And yes, this actually matters. Colleges do not like to see applicants from good HS drop off.

Why does he want to be locked to Emory? Ivies have not come out yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. DS did the virtual tours and meetings and such. We did not travel during the pandemic. He is at a Big 3 or 5 depending on your definition.

He emailed his counselor to talk about next steps. She said, quote, "this year has been shocking" and they have an appointment to meet. I guess they will talk about waitlists and maybe she will try to help him to have a different perspective. She did say, "this is great for the schools that normally wouldn't get a stellar student like you."

That did NOT make him feel better. He did talk to his friends and I heard him laughing so something they said helped.

OP - Is this counselor the articulate one or the less articulate one [my bet]?

[Anonymous]

Mid-1500s in the SAT is not what it used to be.

Is your kid Asian? Because otherwise I don't see how a mid-1550, single B+ student only gets into a school that "is a safety for every" by which I assume you mean GMU. Or perhaps they didn't apply to match schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mid-1500s in the SAT is not what it used to be.

Is your kid Asian? Because otherwise I don't see how a mid-1550, single B+ student only gets into a school that "is a safety for every" by which I assume you mean GMU. Or perhaps they didn't apply to match schools.

Does half-asian count?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. DS did the virtual tours and meetings and such. We did not travel during the pandemic. He is at a Big 3 or 5 depending on your definition.

He emailed his counselor to talk about next steps. She said, quote, "this year has been shocking" and they have an appointment to meet. I guess they will talk about waitlists and maybe she will try to help him to have a different perspective. She did say, "this is great for the schools that normally wouldn't get a stellar student like you."

That did NOT make him feel better. He did talk to his friends and I heard him laughing so something they said helped.

So that means that if he wants off a waitlist, then HE needs to craft a loci immediately and try to make contact with the admin office and regional rep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mid-1500s in the SAT is not what it used to be.

Is your kid Asian? Because otherwise I don't see how a mid-1550, single B+ student only gets into a school that "is a safety for every" by which I assume you mean GMU. Or perhaps they didn't apply to match schools.

Does half-asian count?

This was my guess. Lots of stats and research out there support the fact that there are many Asian students with somewhat similar stats. Emory can be tough given the high percentage of Asian applicants and the fact that it’s big on pre med. Sort of becoming a lot more aligned with Duke, imho.
Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still would like to know what OP’s DC did with respect to EF EA. Some of these schools - Tulane or Emory for example - become exponentially more difficult at RD so they go from being likely to reach.

Emory is not a likely for anyone.

Yes it is for some. So is Harvard, MIT, Stanford.

Unhooked? Nope.

Unhooked, yes. You have to have significant achievements though (obviously).

Significant achievements are hooks.

[Anonymous]

OP, I also want to say that your kid’s hard work is going to pay off. He is going to be a success in life no matter where he goes to school because he has drive. What he is developing right now is the grit. Those two things will serve him well. I am sorry he is disappointed but I have a feeling his future is super bright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still would like to know what OP’s DC did with respect to EF EA. Some of these schools - Tulane or Emory for example - become exponentially more difficult at RD so they go from being likely to reach.

Emory is not a likely for anyone.

Yes it is for some. So is Harvard, MIT, Stanford.

Unhooked? Nope.

Unhooked, yes. You have to have significant achievements though (obviously).

Significant achievements are hooks.

Then vast majority admits at HYPSM have hooks. That's not what hooks mean. Anyways, you know what I meant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I also want to say that your kid’s hard work is going to pay off. He is going to be a success in life no matter where he goes to school because he has drive. What he is developing right now is the grit. Those two things will serve him well. I am sorry he is disappointed but I have a feeling his future is super bright.

+2 I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an excellent opportunity to teach him resilience. At least he has one acceptance so he is going somewhere. Maybe an attitude adjustment is needed for both of you.

I agree with this. He’s got an opportunity to go to college. Let’s get excited! What a wonderful opportunity. Your education is what you make of it. Go to this school and rock it. If after one year it is not the right place - transfer.

I graduated from your average state school. Got my first job making the same money doing the same thing with kids who graduated from
Ivy leagues. It is all fine. Congrats!

[Anonymous]

I have no skin in this game yet but will soon. Truthfully, I think in today’s political climate within Top Tier colleges and universities being a white or Asian male is going to seriously erode your chances no matter what your grades, test scores, accomplishments, etc. Coming from a Top Tier private high school is soon going to be passé.

These schools are looking for diversity and equity on campus. They need to follow the new fashionable liberal and woke ideologies on that higher education is embracing. You are going to see fewer and fewer upper middle class high star white and Asian acceptance. Only the Uber connected will get admitted. It is time to start preparing our kids that it is a different world and they need to have back up plans and to be self reliant. Times are about to get tough for kids who thought merit counted. Because it doesn’t anymore. Merit is considered entitled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no skin in this game yet but will soon. Truthfully, I think in today’s political climate within Top Tier colleges and universities being a white or Asian male is going to seriously erode your chances no matter what your grades, test scores, accomplishments, etc. Coming from a Top Tier private high school is soon going to be passé.

These schools are looking for diversity and equity on campus. They need to follow the new fashionable liberal and woke ideologies on that higher education is embracing. You are going to see fewer and fewer upper middle class high star white and Asian acceptance. Only the Uber connected will get admitted. It is time to start preparing our kids that it is a different world and they need to have back up plans and to be self reliant. Times are about to get tough for kids who thought merit counted. Because it doesn’t anymore. Merit is considered entitled.

I mean, it isn’t new that Asian kids are disadvantaged in admissions at top schools. The joke at my high school was that Asian kids had 100 points deducted from their SAT scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I also want to say that your kid’s hard work is going to pay off. He is going to be a success in life no matter where he goes to school because he has drive. What he is developing right now is the grit. Those two things will serve him well. I am sorry he is disappointed but I have a feeling his future is super bright.

+2 I agree.

This is an excellent attitude and true. Best wishes to him.

[Anonymous]

OP, something very similar happened to my brother (graduated HS in 2000). He had great grades and high test scores. Ended up only getting into our very highly-ranked state flagship, though he really thought he'd get into a more competitive private.

He ended up having a great college experience and then getting into Harvard Law School. He also met his now-wife in college.

TBH, I think he was better off going to in-state public, where he was able to live with friends. He was prone to high stress in HS, and I think he learned to manage it all better by staying close to home for college.