Success stories/fairy tale endings please

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it WAS a bloodbath last year, but here’s what you need to know: your child will land somewhere, and it will most likely be the best fit. My DS did not get into his reach schools nor his match schools; however, the school he accepted ended up being perfect for him.

This is true. It CAN (and probably WILL) be a bloodbath again. That's the new reality. But, it doesn't mean your kid won't wind up at a place that works, is a good fit or, a place that they - eventually - love. These two things can be true at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, but your post does sound geared toward true reaches (not the "reach" to a school with a 60% acceptance rate). The best thing you can do for your kid to avoid the "bloodbath" is to help him/her find reaches, targets, and TRUE safeties they'd be happy going to. And if you have a high stats kid, they need to put the work in with the safety just as they would with the reach/match. High stat kids are sometimes sidelined in the yeild protection process.

This is what worries me.

Yep. You have to show them love. I had a high stats kid who did not want T20. She showed the lower ranked schools the love and got into all of them.

What to do though with like a JMU which I don’t think looks at demonstrates interest? It should be a safety for my kid but I worry about yield protection. He actually is interested in the school and while he has the stats for higher ranked schools he’d be happy to go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are some of these success stories from people that checked an URM box because I know nobody that got into a T15-20 with the stats presented in a few of these posts? It would at least explain the difference if they are URM.

I’m wondering that also - posters are likely leaving something out, ie legacy, national recognition, unique musical or athletic, something. Op is going to be given the thought that reaches in the top 20 are a likely prospect. I think DCUM is being untruthful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, but your post does sound geared toward true reaches (not the "reach" to a school with a 60% acceptance rate). The best thing you can do for your kid to avoid the "bloodbath" is to help him/her find reaches, targets, and TRUE safeties they'd be happy going to. And if you have a high stats kid, they need to put the work in with the safety just as they would with the reach/match. High stat kids are sometimes sidelined in the yeild protection process.

This is what worries me.

Yep. You have to show them love. I had a high stats kid who did not want T20. She showed the lower ranked schools the love and got into all of them.

What to do though with like a JMU which I don’t think looks at demonstrates interest? It should be a safety for my kid but I worry about yield protection. He actually is interested in the school and while he has the stats for higher ranked schools he’d be happy to go there.

Yes, JMU does demonstrated interest. You should have a JMYou account - different from the my Madison login for applicants - which tracks demonstrated interest. I think my DS has an 88% - won’t get much higher b/c he doesn’t want to make public comments on the account. The more you watch their videos, visit the school and click on links in their emails to you, the more the % goes up. Just FYI.

[Anonymous]

I see you're getting a lot of advice (some snarky) and not many stories. Welcome to dcum!

For mine, it started off poorly but ended great. True Cinderella story. Kid had high stats and tried for HYPSM in EA. Bummed with rejection (knew it was a longshot but thought it would be deferral). Rejection from an audition program. Rejection from an Oxbrudge college. Acceptances at umd and LAC "likely", then rejection from top LAC. Really started to bank on those 2 acceptances being the only options and (and get excited about those because they are both great schools). But then, at the end of it all, acceptances at 2 top LACs and 3 Ivies/T10. Ended up with lots of choices!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bloodbath narrative comes from the fact parents who went to top schools in a much easier era wishing and praying somehow their kids will get the results they would have gotten in the 1990s or whenever it is you applied. You absolutely must stop engaging in this magical thinking. Your kids will not get admitted to the places they would have if they had been your classmates.

+1. I would go further and say that everything changed once Covid hit and schools went test optional. Regardless, Op you sound way too emotionally invested in the situation. Your job is to keep the perspective that your teenager likely won’t have, which is that there are lots of great schools and what you do in school is more important than where you go. This is not a bloodbath. My DS had a perfect unweighted GPA and a high ACT score. End of the day he didn’t get into any of his top choices and is now at a public school in the honors college, and he loves it! Chill op.

Why shouldn't OP be emotionally invested? It's her kid. I feel you, OP. I offered our experience above. I think the key to eliminating the bloodbath metaphor for your kid's journey is to have likelies they can get truly excited about. Mine would have been ok had the reaches/targets not come through. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are some of these success stories from people that checked an URM box because I know nobody that got into a T15-20 with the stats presented in a few of these posts? It would at least explain the difference if they are URM.

I’m wondering that also - posters are likely leaving something out, ie legacy, national recognition, unique musical or athletic, something. Op is going to be given the thought that reaches in the top 20 are a likely prospect. I think DCUM is being untruthful.

Yes, I am the above high stats poster. Kid had a national award and several regional awards in addition to NMSF, 5s on APs, sports/club leadership, etc. It was So. Much. Work. She for sure paid in sweat equity and anxiety. So glad she didn't do all that just for college apps as it may not have worked out.

[Anonymous]

I have two success stories
Two kids, no hooks, not athletic at all, local activities that they enjoyed but nothing super special.
Both were high stats ( 1550+ sat, all 5s on >10 AP classes, and one was a National merit winner)

One at Stanford (RD) and one at HYP (REA)

So it can be done. But I wouldn’t count on it!

Good luck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, but your post does sound geared toward true reaches (not the "reach" to a school with a 60% acceptance rate). The best thing you can do for your kid to avoid the "bloodbath" is to help him/her find reaches, targets, and TRUE safeties they'd be happy going to. And if you have a high stats kid, they need to put the work in with the safety just as they would with the reach/match. High stat kids are sometimes sidelined in the yeild protection process.

This is what worries me.

Then apply ED. The only people complaining about "yield protection" are those who didn't bother to apply ED and still thought they'd get in.
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your snowflake won’t melt at JMU or wherever.

Stupid comment considering plenty of students consider JMU a reach and many don't get in - including my son.

Is your DS fine at "wherever"!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, but your post does sound geared toward true reaches (not the "reach" to a school with a 60% acceptance rate). The best thing you can do for your kid to avoid the "bloodbath" is to help him/her find reaches, targets, and TRUE safeties they'd be happy going to. And if you have a high stats kid, they need to put the work in with the safety just as they would with the reach/match. High stat kids are sometimes sidelined in the yeild protection process.

This is what worries me.

Yep. You have to show them love. I had a high stats kid who did not want T20. She showed the lower ranked schools the love and got into all of them.

What to do though with like a JMU which I don’t think looks at demonstrates interest? It should be a safety for my kid but I worry about yield protection. He actually is interested in the school and while he has the stats for higher ranked schools he’d be happy to go there.

DP. This is why JMU really needs ED. There are plenty of kids for whom JMU is their first choice. They should be able to show that by applying ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are some of these success stories from people that checked an URM box because I know nobody that got into a T15-20 with the stats presented in a few of these posts? It would at least explain the difference if they are URM.

I’m wondering that also - posters are likely leaving something out, ie legacy, national recognition, unique musical or athletic, something. Op is going to be given the thought that reaches in the top 20 are a likely prospect. I think DCUM is being untruthful.

What?! This has never happened before!
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t a good strategy (just hoping they will get in to a reach).

You need to be strategic. My DS got into what would have been a reach in RD by applying ED.

Yes, same here. And we steered him toward it bc we looked carefully at the data and determined it was the best prospect for him (within his very vague preferences for schools.) The fairy tale ending is that it actually turns out to be a great fit for him, academically and socially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, but your post does sound geared toward true reaches (not the "reach" to a school with a 60% acceptance rate). The best thing you can do for your kid to avoid the "bloodbath" is to help him/her find reaches, targets, and TRUE safeties they'd be happy going to. And if you have a high stats kid, they need to put the work in with the safety just as they would with the reach/match. High stat kids are sometimes sidelined in the yeild protection process.

This is what worries me.

Then apply ED. The only people complaining about "yield protection" are those who didn't bother to apply ED and still thought they'd get in.
DP

This is typical DCUM tone deaf. Not everyone can chance going ED if it means full pay at $80/year. Why is that so difficult to grasp?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, but your post does sound geared toward true reaches (not the "reach" to a school with a 60% acceptance rate). The best thing you can do for your kid to avoid the "bloodbath" is to help him/her find reaches, targets, and TRUE safeties they'd be happy going to. And if you have a high stats kid, they need to put the work in with the safety just as they would with the reach/match. High stat kids are sometimes sidelined in the yeild protection process.

This is what worries me.

Then apply ED. The only people complaining about "yield protection" are those who didn't bother to apply ED and still thought they'd get in.
DP

This is typical DCUM tone deaf. Not everyone can chance going ED if it means full pay at $80/year. Why is that so difficult to grasp?

You have an out if they can’t meet EFC.