Likely / foundation schools for very top students ? (Not in VA/MD)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are not in VA or. MD so aren’t in state for those schools. Trying to figure out some likely / foundational schools for a student w very top grades; rigor / AP scores, test scores , ECs. Would like to find some schools they’d be excited about where admissions are more probable given how hard admissions have gotten

- enjoy small classes w really engaged peers
- want a campus but open to either a city - city adjacent campus or someplace outside a city that has great outdoor opportunities
- interested in stem but also wants to pursue non-stem interests
- wants to do research as an undergraduate and study abroad
- not a big partier but social
- sports / school spirit is a positive but not required

what are the AP scores so far?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this an NCS kid? Your use of the word foundational makes me think it is.
I think safety schools would be Drexel, Pitt, Vermont, Syracuse, William and Mary, Tulane.

Given OP's posts, I think those are "too low" ranking.

There's 7 sisters up north for high-performing DDs. But if DD has a perfect academic record and is national recognized in a STEM (especially in CS), she's a shoo-in for most top CS schools (who would be fumbling over each other to grab a nationally recognized female CS applicant).

So UW, GT, CMU could be her safeties, IMO.

OP did not say that the awards were in CS or any STEM----we have no idea what they're in.
Also, she also did not say the grades were perfect. Just "very top". If this is NCS "very top" could be mean something different to many people as no one really knows what top grades are at the school or in any given graduating class. And likewise, some colleges appreciate the rigor and others do not. It's not as simple as walking into CMU for CS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not in VA or. MD so aren’t in state for those schools. Trying to figure out some likely / foundational schools for a student w very top grades; rigor / AP scores, test scores , ECs. Would like to find some schools they’d be excited about where admissions are more probable given how hard admissions have gotten

- enjoy small classes w really engaged peers
- want a campus but open to either a city - city adjacent campus or someplace outside a city that has great outdoor opportunities
- interested in stem but also wants to pursue non-stem interests
- wants to do research as an undergraduate and study abroad
- not a big partier but social
- sports / school spirit is a positive but not required

what are the AP scores so far?

All 5s - BC calc , APush, comp Sci etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this an NCS kid? Your use of the word foundational makes me think it is.
I think safety schools would be Drexel, Pitt, Vermont, Syracuse, William and Mary, Tulane.

Given OP's posts, I think those are "too low" ranking.

There's 7 sisters up north for high-performing DDs. But if DD has a perfect academic record and is national recognized in a STEM (especially in CS), she's a shoo-in for most top CS schools (who would be fumbling over each other to grab a nationally recognized female CS applicant).

So UW, GT, CMU could be her safeties, IMO.

OP did not say that the awards were in CS or any STEM----we have no idea what they're in.
Also, she also did not say the grades were perfect. Just "very top". If this is NCS "very top" could be mean something different to many people as no one really knows what top grades are at the school or in any given graduating class. And likewise, some colleges appreciate the rigor and others do not. It's not as simple as walking into CMU for CS.

The grades are perfect to date, but still have some tough courses to go

[Anonymous]

Op here. A collaborative, friendly culture is also important. She’s taken a lot of hard classes and likes the feeling of community and the idea that everyone’s in it together and helps each other vs competing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this an NCS kid? Your use of the word foundational makes me think it is.
I think safety schools would be Drexel, Pitt, Vermont, Syracuse, William and Mary, Tulane.

Given OP's posts, I think those are "too low" ranking.

There's 7 sisters up north for high-performing DDs. But if DD has a perfect academic record and is national recognized in a STEM (especially in CS), she's a shoo-in for most top CS schools (who would be fumbling over each other to grab a nationally recognized female CS applicant).

So UW, GT, CMU could be her safeties, IMO.

OP did not say that the awards were in CS or any STEM----we have no idea what they're in.
Also, she also did not say the grades were perfect. Just "very top". If this is NCS "very top" could be mean something different to many people as no one really knows what top grades are at the school or in any given graduating class. And likewise, some colleges appreciate the rigor and others do not. It's not as simple as walking into CMU for CS.

The grades are perfect to date, but still have some tough courses to go

PPP here. As you mentioned in a prior post, BC Calc is done, and that's probably the hardest (except for maybe Physics C). Her application is based on her completed courses anyways.

Anyways, depending on her national recognitions, I stand by my UW/GT/CMU as safeties. But if she is academically perfect so far (is she a presidential scholar semi-finalist?), she has a good chance at HYPSM.

[Anonymous]

How many OPs are we replying to? This post is getting confusing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh checks all criteria you mentioned. My DC is a current student and feels it is the best place for her and also loves Pittsburgh very much. Based on the information you gave about your daughter’s credentials, she would have a great chance of getting into CMU, especially if it isn’t CS. Please look closely at CMU.

She is interested in CS and knows CMU is great at it but feels like at CMU it would be difficult to explore areas outside CS or change majors if she decided to…and she knows CMU is a reach for everyone in CS

CMU requires at least one major and one minor. So one can do the minor outside of CS. Many students do double major (and hence one of them is outside of CS.). In addition, there is required University Core that spreads over different schools plus some general electives are required (totally a student’s interest what courses to take).

[Anonymous]

I don’t think anyone can really assume they have a good chance at HPYSM, CMU, etc. it makes sense to have actual likely schools that you’d be excited to go to

[Anonymous]

I think William & Mary is definitely worth a look. Seems to match the “vibe” your child is interested in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does top scores mean? Perfect A+s, 1600, national awards (science and math olympiads) winner?

If all of those, aim for Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc...

Some posters on this site complain that their not-so-top in the nation but still excellent students are being denied admissions to these top colleges, but most of that is just sour grapes. There are 50,000 valedictorians in the country. Not all of them should be going to HYPSM.

Very top student like you say and national recognition in two different areas…..very interested in Stanford , Princeton , brown , and maybe Dartmouth but they know those are all a gamble

Dartmouth ED gives you the best odds, followed by Brown ED. No point in going REA at Stanford or Princeton because it just prevents you from ED somewhere and not much difference in acceptance rates.

[Anonymous]

By no means safeties, but Northwestern, Duke,Vanderbilt

[Anonymous]

Duke? Ah, we’re gonna need a clarification on just what the ¥#%k “foundational” means.

[Anonymous]

Again , I don’t think anyone can assume Duke and Northwestern are likelies

[Anonymous]

any lower ranked SLAC would work as a foundational school — Skidmore, Kenyon, Lafayette, Connecticut College.

But it might be a better play to apply to one rolling admission school like Pitt, get an acceptance early on, and then she can concentrate only on options she would prefer to that school, rather than having to build out a bigger list.