Skip Ivies & focus on other T20 to improve chances and avoid heartache/stress
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Anonymous
USNewsWR is fixed. Colleges can use a formula to boost their ranking. Some lower on their list are much harder to get into. The use of "Tier' is more accurate. |
Anonymous
Because so many adults do actually care, for some strange reason, about the rankings. It's really unhealthy. Parents somehow feel their worth is based on "where their kid gets into college". Majority of kids who think they have a chance at a T50 school will do well wherever they land---these are motivated kids who will succeed in life and where they go doesn't really matter. Much more important that they be happy where they are and they find the correct fit! Yet we as a society have driven our HS kids to be miserable all in the name of getting into the best college. Kids no longer choose what to do/take in HS because it interested them, they do it to check boxes or because "it's what you do to go to a T20 school". I'm happy my own kid chose their own path in HS. It may have hurt them when applying to T20 schools (talking about not taking beyond Spanish 3 as AP Spanish was with a TERRIBLE teacher kid had previously, and opting instead for more AP STEM courses as a future engineer). But so what---if that's why my kid got rejected at T20 schools, my kid was happier and more engaged in HS by taking the advanced courses they wanted to take, not what they thought they Needed to take. My kid ended up where they belong and were thrilled with their choice the moment they first stepped onto campus. Yes, it was not their "top choice"---that was a T10 school. But it was a close 2nd and they will go far in life |
Anonymous
They are in fact better than the top 10 schools. US News follows a formula, and some of the Ivies don't fit the formula as well as some other schools that are ranked in the top. Still, many top students in the US apply and rank these Ivies higher than the other non-Ivy top 10 schools. |
Anonymous
I am the PP and I was not being rude or calling names. I was using the word ignorant to mean a lack of knowledge about the college process- not as a pejorative. |
Anonymous
It doesn’t even make the top 50 list of schools with the lowest acceptance rates, so you needn’t worry. |
Anonymous
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Look at the top 100 -- are there any bad schools where your specific child will not get out of it what they put in? Any where you will worry that they aren't employable or eligible for grad school because of the college name on the resume? Of course not.
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Anonymous
And, you were wrong, making you uniformed and turning the assignation into a pejorative. |
Anonymous
Ok, so forget about Ivy and advise people to skip the top 20 altogether if you care about being consistent. The Ivies are scattered throughout the top 20 schools with lowest acceptance rates. In fact Penn doesn’t even make top 20. |
Anonymous
Better what? Your mom told you that? |
Anonymous
Well... simply because your DD is skipping Ivies doesn't mean she will then be a shoo-in for the other T20s (just went through this admissions cycle). Best to pick a mix of reaches, targets, and likelies, then go from there. I do know a kid who wanted Penn, but was told her chances were not great as no hook, etc. so she doubled down on Northwestern and was successful in ED1. She really pitched herself, tailored her app, and was a compelling candidate. Yet it is also luck as a few other similar kids were not successful. |
Anonymous
There is probably no difference between school #89 and school #46. Ah, the insecurities of suburbanites |
Anonymous
For comparison take #47 and #83: Villanova and Marquette---both similar sized Jesuit urban schools. I have first hand knowledge of one, as my kid graduated from MU. I'd say the biggest difference would be the "level" of student overall will be higher at the one with the higher gpa/sat scores and lower admission rate. MU acceptance rate is over 80%, SAT is 1240, GPA 3.62. Villanova acceptance rate is 28%, 1395 and 3.86. So smart kids at both schools, and at MU there will be kids with drive/gpa/sat similar to those at Villanova---it just wont be as many kids. My kid graduated with a 3.3 GPA and that was the highest of all their friends (25+ students for a reference point). All have jobs or are into grad school, some into Medical grad school (DPT/OT). However, all wanted to have a nice balance of school and social life while at college (yeah, their thursday/friday/sat nights at the bars were important to them and Sunday's watching football was as well) ---they were fine with some B's and a few C's. Yet I know there are plenty of MU students who know they need a 3.7+ GPA to go onto med school/DPT/OT/Dental/etc or are just that driven of students and are not satisfied with B's/C's. Those students are striving for and earning 3.7+ gpas and spending 90% of their time focused on academics and extra curricular that are essential for their future endeavors. Yes, they have fun and party, but you might find them not partying if they have a big exam on Monday. I suspect that the Honors students at MU across the board are more similar to the average student at Villanova. So there are plenty of smart kids at MU and Villanova, I believe there will be a wider range of students at Marquette. All go on to succeed in life. And for the "smarter" (I hesitate to say that---but really mean the more academically focused/driven student/one who strives for all A's and isn't happy to get a C if they didn't work 110% for and get it), the honors program at MU would provide the student a group of like minded students. |
Anonymous
Yes, my mom told me that. She happens to be all knowing. |
Anonymous
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No.
Harvard or bust. |
Anonymous
Great point OP. T20 is a piece of cake. 
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