Getting shut out of selective/competitive private schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, 33 ACT is weak for this list.
I’d apply TO to most of these schools

+1

Ridiculous, the score is respectable and a better score wouldn’t turn any heads.

The issue isn’t simply competing with classmates but that he’s not top of his class (probably not even very close to). Even if the HS is very well regarded, this isn’t the sort of list that says ‘we must have someone from that HS every year.’ These are schools who will take note of a valedictorian from a prestigious HS.

Second the rec of Kenyon. That’s the sort of school that will take a mid-pack candidate from a known private, simply to maintain the relationship. DS may bring more to the table, but it’s not relevant with the schools listed for the most part. These are schools that will get applications from your HS next year even if they reject everyone who applies this year.

State schools will be more of a lottery. They take more kids, they’re more about meeting a threshold, but they spend much less time on each application, spend no time cultivating a solitary, out-of-state, private.

OP here. Great points. Appreciate the detailed and thoughtful candor. Will re-look at Kenyon.

Yes, his school told him to submit - one and done test score. CCO has also indicated which of the aforementioned colleges are “seeking students” from our private, to help really focus and improve supplemental essays. Schools like Vandy have way too many applicants from our svhool so almost certainly a ding.

Less so on LACs - our selective private is so small that kids generally don’t want to go small again but usually a few get into to the top 4-5 LACs easily each year. Likely greatest chances at LACs or random one off.

Anecdotally, have been told brokering by CCO will happen after April 1 with waitlists/deferrals as in past years. We just don’t want to have to rely on that (e.g, story of the 29 ACT admitted off Vandy waitlist in May last year after student had accepted at U-Miami ….so many stories like that abound it’s almost an urban legend).

Thx again for the helpful advice. Hope it’s helpful to others too.

Marginal private high school candidates are the largest beneficiaries of waitlists.

If you can wait that long it all might work out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, 33 ACT is weak for this list.
I’d apply TO to most of these schools

+1

Ridiculous, the score is respectable and a better score wouldn’t turn any heads.

The issue isn’t simply competing with classmates but that he’s not top of his class (probably not even very close to). Even if the HS is very well regarded, this isn’t the sort of list that says ‘we must have someone from that HS every year.’ These are schools who will take note of a valedictorian from a prestigious HS.

Second the rec of Kenyon. That’s the sort of school that will take a mid-pack candidate from a known private, simply to maintain the relationship. DS may bring more to the table, but it’s not relevant with the schools listed for the most part. These are schools that will get applications from your HS next year even if they reject everyone who applies this year.

State schools will be more of a lottery. They take more kids, they’re more about meeting a threshold, but they spend much less time on each application, spend no time cultivating a solitary, out-of-state, private.

OP here. Great points. Appreciate the detailed and thoughtful candor. Will re-look at Kenyon.

Yes, his school told him to submit - one and done test score. CCO has also indicated which of the aforementioned colleges are “seeking students” from our private, to help really focus and improve supplemental essays. Schools like Vandy have way too many applicants from our svhool so almost certainly a ding.

Less so on LACs - our selective private is so small that kids generally don’t want to go small again but usually a few get into to the top 4-5 LACs easily each year. Likely greatest chances at LACs or random one off.

Anecdotally, have been told brokering by CCO will happen after April 1 with waitlists/deferrals as in past years. We just don’t want to have to rely on that (e.g, story of the 29 ACT admitted off Vandy waitlist in May last year after student had accepted at U-Miami ….so many stories like that abound it’s almost an urban legend).

Thx again for the helpful advice. Hope it’s helpful to others too.

Marginal private high school candidates are the largest beneficiaries of waitlists.

If you can wait that long it all might work out.

+100000

[Anonymous]

Good lord this is a fine list.If he cannot get in one I would ask for my money back from the private.. His GPA is excellent and scores are fine but some school might be a TO choice. Also his supplemental should be well thought and not cookie cutter. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid with similar stats and interests who just went through this process. From that vantage, I think your DS is wasting his time on Williams and Brown. Rice, Vanderbilt, Emory, and Wash U are very unlikely; so are Middlebury, Colgate, and Wake unless he's applying ED. Most of the schools on your list fill 60-70 percent of their entering class via ED, which means in RD your DS will be competing for very few remaining seats among a much larger pool.

Pick one school - not one of the super reachy ones - and apply ED. Check their scores to decide whether he goes TO (I know that sounds crazy, but every school's scores have been pushed higher by TO.) And think about adding some other mid-pack LACs : in addition to Vassar, Kenyon, Conn College, I'd look at Denison, Oberlin, Macalester, Bates, Lafayette, Gettysburg etc etc.

At a competitive private where 10-15% of class goes Ivy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He needs to pick one off his List that has ED2 - which there are many or hope bucknell comes through.

+1

[Anonymous]

I think people are underestimating the school and the college counselors. A 3.62 at some of these privates — especially if it’s a northeast boarding-type with a strong track record at these colleges — might actually do the trick for several.

I think LACs are probably a little more likely to see that, though, so I might throw in a few more. Colby, Davidson, Hamilton, Kenyon might fit well.

[Anonymous]

I am a college consultant. Pick 2 or 3 schools and help him do a very deep dive on the application. On the supplemental essays, laser focus on for example why WashU - what class, what professor, what club then circle back and tie in the common app essay and the activities so that the entire application hangs well together. Rinse and repeat for the next school. This is exhausting so hard to do for every school on your list. Many students think that once the common app essay and activities are complete that they are set in stone. GL

[Anonymous]

What are the strong pointy EC’s?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

He’s already gotten into Pitt; MSU; Indiana; Miami-Ohio.

Waiting on some other big 10/pac 12 state schools.

This list is great, and the other list is great but it’s like you are applying for two different kids, or you made a list of schools you want and then picked some random safeties to make his counselor happy.

[Anonymous]

You need a couple of safety schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

He’s already gotten into Pitt; MSU; Indiana; Miami-Ohio.

Waiting on some other big 10/pac 12 state schools.

This list is great, and the other list is great but it’s like you are applying for two different kids, or you made a list of schools you want and then picked some random safeties to make his counselor happy.

This.

This is why schools are right in limiting the number of applications and requiring that a good number not be reaches. Make kids do the hard work of thinking about what they want, instead of throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid with similar stats and interests who just went through this process. From that vantage, I think your DS is wasting his time on Williams and Brown. Rice, Vanderbilt, Emory, and Wash U are very unlikely; so are Middlebury, Colgate, and Wake unless he's applying ED. Most of the schools on your list fill 60-70 percent of their entering class via ED, which means in RD your DS will be competing for very few remaining seats among a much larger pool.

Pick one school - not one of the super reachy ones - and apply ED. Check their scores to decide whether he goes TO (I know that sounds crazy, but every school's scores have been pushed higher by TO.) And think about adding some other mid-pack LACs : in addition to Vassar, Kenyon, Conn College, I'd look at Denison, Oberlin, Macalester, Bates, Lafayette, Gettysburg etc etc.

At a competitive private where 10-15% of class goes Ivy?

Maybe I missed it but I don't see where the OP said 10-15% of the class goes Ivy. OP says it's a selective non-DMV private HS and in a follow-up post she says it's very small and a few kids get into top LACs "easily" every year. If it's a name-brand school, that might change my answer, but there are literally thousands upon thousands of private schools, and probably less than 100 have any real juice in today's college admissions process.

Also don't hold your breath on WL. Look at the Common Data Sets for the schools on your list - some don't take a single person off the WL.

The ED2 choice is key here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the whole list?

Why no true matches/safeties?

He’s already gotten into Pitt; MSU; Indiana; Miami-Ohio.

Waiting on some other big 10/pac 12 state schools.

Think a small school suits him; but he’s also focused on atmosphere/peers/vibe/fit.

Yes, will likely ED2. Emory allows changing the previously submitted RD app to ED2 until Jan 10, I think. Same for Tulane.

Would he be happy attending one of the schools he has already been accepted to?

Also, I think I have was that ED2 at Emory is much more selective than ED1 but maybe that is true most places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS with 3.82 (high rigor); 33 ACT and non-Stem /business /Econ major (true humanities major) with strong pointy related ECs.
Private selective non-DMV high school.

He’s finished with his RD apps.
Deferred from both NU (ED) and Tulane (EA).

He’s got a bunch of decisions from large flagships coming in next month. Concerned he falls into that middle space and may get dinged everywhere else.

Thoughts on chances for these reaches:

Colgate
Bucknell
Middlebury
Wesleyan
Williams
Wake
Emory
Vanderbilt
Wash U
Rice
Brown

Thoughts on chancing him?

Maybe Colgate and Bucknell.

No for the others.

[Anonymous]

Kids with these stats are getting rejected and deferred from state schools. Your list needs major adjustments.