I wouldn't get into my alma mater today - what chance do my kids have?

[Anonymous]

I still would, but I’m really good at taking tests. Very good short term memory.

The older you get, the less valuable being good at test taking becomes.

My kid is not like me, he will never be top of the class, and we don’t care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Having said that, getting a D in PE is a sign of being a spoiled brat. And colleges will see that, so while you don't need to harp on them for straight A's, you do need to communicate that that's not acceptable. Because colleges care a lot more about character now than they did then.

What? I'm not athletic. We were graded on physical ability, and it was horrific. I couldn't run a mile without stopping at the end of that class, hence the D. I'm not a spoiled brat.

Gym class these days is just “show up and participate.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you even want your kids to go to your alma mater? You are not raising mini-mes.

I'm not. But if I wouldn't get into my safety school, what chance do they have at getting into a quality college?

My safety school (UCLA) and my sibling's safety school (UT - Austin) have both totally changed, and now offer an education that's at least as good as what I got at my T10 school so many years ago. And their admissions statistics match that, and the caliber of their student body match that.

There are so many "quality colleges". If your kids are similar to you as students, they will have options that are just as high quality, and just as selective, with just as bright peers as you did. The name on the diploma will just be different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Having said that, getting a D in PE is a sign of being a spoiled brat. And colleges will see that, so while you don't need to harp on them for straight A's, you do need to communicate that that's not acceptable. Because colleges care a lot more about character now than they did then.

What? I'm not athletic. We were graded on physical ability, and it was horrific. I couldn't run a mile without stopping at the end of that class, hence the D. I'm not a spoiled brat.

Your experience is what kids who are learning English and have LD's or lower IQ's have in every other subject. The expectation is that they do extra homework, and work harder. Why didn't you run outside of school to be able to pass the test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My concern is they already have interest in a few colleges (Purdue, West Point, GA Tech). All unlikely unless they're straight A students.

So you can enlighten them. "Those are unlikely unless you're a straight A student, and even then it's like a lottery! Let's also find some other great options that you're likely to get into and that you would be happy to attend."

You can let their interest serve as an inspiration to work a little harder while also preparing them for the realistic range of outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This gives my kids a chance I think - https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/analysis/looming-enrollment-cliff-poses-serious-threat-to-colleges/

Depends on the type of school:

"But not all colleges will feel the pain equally. Demand for elite institutions — the top 50 colleges and 50 universities, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report — is projected to drop by much less during the 2025 to 2029 period (18 years following the birth dearth). And student demand for elite institutions may be 14 percent higher in 2029 than it was in 2012."

https://hechingerreport.org/college-students-predicted-to-fall-by-more-than-15-after-the-year-2025/

^ this and the looming enrollment cliff can and will be supplemented by international students who will do a full pay to go to a U.S. university. Something a lot of colleges would like to have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Having said that, getting a D in PE is a sign of being a spoiled brat. And colleges will see that, so while you don't need to harp on them for straight A's, you do need to communicate that that's not acceptable. Because colleges care a lot more about character now than they did then.

What? I'm not athletic. We were graded on physical ability, and it was horrific. I couldn't run a mile without stopping at the end of that class, hence the D. I'm not a spoiled brat.

Your experience is what kids who are learning English and have LD's or lower IQ's have in every other subject. The expectation is that they do extra homework, and work harder. Why didn't you run outside of school to be able to pass the test?

You're kidding, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not an alum of a super selective school, either. Purdue, class of 1999, engineering, OOS. 4.8 weighted GPA, 3.4 unweighted. 1205 SAT, 33 ACT.

My kids are freshman and 8th grade, so we have time, but the things I've been reading lately are scary - namely, that I would be unlikely to be accepted into the program I graduated from with my unweighted GPA. And that's from back when PE, health class, the arts, and whatever else weren't factored in, so my unweighted GPA would be much lower today! (I got D's in PE and C's in mandatory art/music)

Is there hope anymore for kids with stats like mine? Do I really need to harp on them for straight A's? I can't handle four years of anxiety, so please ease my mind or tell me they'll be fine at a less selective school.

The thing is, if you went to high school now, your stats would be higher. Wherever you were in your class (%ile) would be the same, and your stats would correspond. The hand wringing over "I wouldn't get into my alma mater today" is overblown. I mean, you probably wouldn't get in-- but you would be competitive to.

Yeah, no. Please don't lie to OP. Grade inflation exists, but not enough to transform those grades into straight As.

OP, it's a financial issue. Not an educational one. Do you have the funds to pay for 80K a year of undergrad, for two kids? Because this is what it might cost if they can't get into their in-state flagship and can't get into lesser state universities. UVA only accepts very high gpas now. A student with your grades would not definitely get in.

So if there's at all a financial angle to this, please get their gpas up. Pay for tutors now! It might make the difference between 50K a year in-state and possibly 100K a year private or out of state. My senior's preferred school costs 80K+ TODAY. Your kids are younger. Do the math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not an alum of a super selective school, either. Purdue, class of 1999, engineering, OOS. 4.8 weighted GPA, 3.4 unweighted. 1205 SAT, 33 ACT.

My kids are freshman and 8th grade, so we have time, but the things I've been reading lately are scary - namely, that I would be unlikely to be accepted into the program I graduated from with my unweighted GPA. And that's from back when PE, health class, the arts, and whatever else weren't factored in, so my unweighted GPA would be much lower today! (I got D's in PE and C's in mandatory art/music)

Is there hope anymore for kids with stats like mine? Do I really need to harp on them for straight A's? I can't handle four years of anxiety, so please ease my mind or tell me they'll be fine at a less selective school.

The thing is, if you went to high school now, your stats would be higher. Wherever you were in your class (%ile) would be the same, and your stats would correspond. The hand wringing over "I wouldn't get into my alma mater today" is overblown. I mean, you probably wouldn't get in-- but you would be competitive to.

Yeah, no. Please don't lie to OP. Grade inflation exists, but not enough to transform those grades into straight As.

OP, it's a financial issue. Not an educational one. Do you have the funds to pay for 80K a year of undergrad, for two kids? Because this is what it might cost if they can't get into their in-state flagship and can't get into lesser state universities. UVA only accepts very high gpas now. A student with your grades would not definitely get in.

So if there's at all a financial angle to this, please get their gpas up. Pay for tutors now! It might make the difference between 50K a year in-state and possibly 100K a year private or out of state. My senior's preferred school costs 80K+ TODAY. Your kids are younger. Do the math.

Aren't some kids just not smart enough to make straight A's, especially in AP classes?

[Anonymous]

Florida is like California in that it has a very robust and normalized path from 2-year to 4-year schools.

[Anonymous]

Move to North Carolina and go to chapel hill in state. I am not kidding. Impossible to get into out of state but pretty achievable for in state. Also, Michigan. If you can change locations and this really matters. And the demographic shift ia real. I have a 9th grader and a senior and am hoping to get a little relief in 3 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Move to North Carolina and go to chapel hill in state. I am not kidding. Impossible to get into out of state but pretty achievable for in state. Also, Michigan. If you can change locations and this really matters. And the demographic shift ia real. I have a 9th grader and a senior and am hoping to get a little relief in 3 years.

Not as easy as you think. The kids getting in instate from Michigan & NC are kids at the top of their class from places like Grosse Point, Chapel Hill, Ann Arbor, Bloomfield Hills, Northville etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not an alum of a super selective school, either. Purdue, class of 1999, engineering, OOS. 4.8 weighted GPA, 3.4 unweighted. 1205 SAT, 33 ACT.

My kids are freshman and 8th grade, so we have time, but the things I've been reading lately are scary - namely, that I would be unlikely to be accepted into the program I graduated from with my unweighted GPA. And that's from back when PE, health class, the arts, and whatever else weren't factored in, so my unweighted GPA would be much lower today! (I got D's in PE and C's in mandatory art/music)

Is there hope anymore for kids with stats like mine? Do I really need to harp on them for straight A's? I can't handle four years of anxiety, so please ease my mind or tell me they'll be fine at a less selective school.

The thing is, if you went to high school now, your stats would be higher. Wherever you were in your class (%ile) would be the same, and your stats would correspond. The hand wringing over "I wouldn't get into my alma mater today" is overblown. I mean, you probably wouldn't get in-- but you would be competitive to.

Yeah, no. Please don't lie to OP. Grade inflation exists, but not enough to transform those grades into straight As.

OP, it's a financial issue. Not an educational one. Do you have the funds to pay for 80K a year of undergrad, for two kids? Because this is what it might cost if they can't get into their in-state flagship and can't get into lesser state universities. UVA only accepts very high gpas now. A student with your grades would not definitely get in.

So if there's at all a financial angle to this, please get their gpas up. Pay for tutors now! It might make the difference between 50K a year in-state and possibly 100K a year private or out of state. My senior's preferred school costs 80K+ TODAY. Your kids are younger. Do the math.

Aren't some kids just not smart enough to make straight A's, especially in AP classes?

PP you replied to. Sure. My own senior currently has a C in AP Calc BC. It was his first non-A, ever, in all his school career. My point was that kids these days need to put in the work. There is no lackadaisical high school experience anymore. Kids must try to reach their potential, whatever it is, because otherwise you and they will rue it come college admissions times.

Unless you can afford to send your kids to any college, in which case it does not matter so much, since there are thousands of colleges that will provide an undergrad education to practically anyone who shows up in exchange for a ton of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Florida is like California in that it has a very robust and normalized path from 2-year to 4-year schools.

If you can stomach the politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not an alum of a super selective school, either. Purdue, class of 1999, engineering, OOS. 4.8 weighted GPA, 3.4 unweighted. 1205 SAT, 33 ACT.

My kids are freshman and 8th grade, so we have time, but the things I've been reading lately are scary - namely, that I would be unlikely to be accepted into the program I graduated from with my unweighted GPA. And that's from back when PE, health class, the arts, and whatever else weren't factored in, so my unweighted GPA would be much lower today! (I got D's in PE and C's in mandatory art/music)

Is there hope anymore for kids with stats like mine? Do I really need to harp on them for straight A's? I can't handle four years of anxiety, so please ease my mind or tell me they'll be fine at a less selective school.

The thing is, if you went to high school now, your stats would be higher. Wherever you were in your class (%ile) would be the same, and your stats would correspond. The hand wringing over "I wouldn't get into my alma mater today" is overblown. I mean, you probably wouldn't get in-- but you would be competitive to.

Yeah, no. Please don't lie to OP. Grade inflation exists, but not enough to transform those grades into straight As.

OP, it's a financial issue. Not an educational one. Do you have the funds to pay for 80K a year of undergrad, for two kids? Because this is what it might cost if they can't get into their in-state flagship and can't get into lesser state universities. UVA only accepts very high gpas now. A student with your grades would not definitely get in.

So if there's at all a financial angle to this, please get their gpas up. Pay for tutors now! It might make the difference between 50K a year in-state and possibly 100K a year private or out of state. My senior's preferred school costs 80K+ TODAY. Your kids are younger. Do the math.

Aren't some kids just not smart enough to make straight A's, especially in AP classes?

PP you replied to. Sure. My own senior currently has a C in AP Calc BC. It was his first non-A, ever, in all his school career. My point was that kids these days need to put in the work. There is no lackadaisical high school experience anymore. Kids must try to reach their potential, whatever it is, because otherwise you and they will rue it come college admissions times.

Unless you can afford to send your kids to any college, in which case it does not matter so much, since there are thousands of colleges that will provide an undergrad education to practically anyone who shows up in exchange for a ton of money.

But he's already accepted somewhere, correct?