Selective college + how many Bs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

If your child was accepted into a highly selective college, how many Bs did they have?
If you don't mind, could you name the school?

I know this is a silly question as admissions is holistic, but trying to gauge which schools we should target early decision/early action. There are differing opinions in our family!

Seeking these anecdotes will not help you. A single "B" at some high schools puts kids outside the top20%, because the average grade in the honors and AP classes is an A- or an A. If those high schools only get highly selective admissions from the top 5-10%, the kids with a B or so do not have a chance.
Students with 2-3 Bs at some rigorous non-inflated high schools can be within the top 5-10%, and if that high school has many unhooked kids into highly selective schools deep into the top 25% of that high school, then the top10% kids with Bs are fine.

[Anonymous]

My kid graduated (last year) from FCPS (not TJ). Several A-, 2 B. Very high rigor. Just an ordinary kid with ordinary ECs. In at 2 T15’s along with UVA and some great OOS flagships. High SATs. Great essays (I read them).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amended to ask—If your kid is an IB diploma candidate, how many Bs?

IB school. this year really tough for colleges

One B plus Freshman year in French, getting a B plus in physics senior year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid graduated (last year) from FCPS (not TJ). Several A-, 2 B. Very high rigor. Just an ordinary kid with ordinary ECs. In at 2 T15’s along with UVA and some great OOS flagships. High SATs. Great essays (I read them).

and URM and first gen

[Anonymous]

One -- a B+ in AP World, and she's still furious about it. Got into Cornell, Columbia Dual BA, bunch of UCs, GW... a few other places. She's a smart kid but there is most definitely some grade inflation going on at her school.

I wouldn't stress over a B or two or three if grades are high enough to show that s/he can do the work at a given school. A 4.0 vs. someone else's 3.98 isn't going to be some massive competitive advantage; the deciding factor won't be that 0.02 -- it's going to be something in "fit", which is mysterious and subjective. School profile and rigor are obviously going to make a difference, too.

The College Admissions Talk podcast is pretty interesting if you're into such things -- with AOs from various schools talking about their process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:one B in AP Calc
Brown, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern

how?

kid is highly intelligent. Likely showed in his essays. But I am biased so take it with a grain of salt.
His SAT scores were sufficient - in the 50th-75th percentile of those schools. Recommendations were really reflective of who he was (grateful to his recommenders).
But I honestly think the essays and the recommenders carried it through. The essay topics were pretty benign... no rising from the ashes story... the kid lives an average american life... kind of hard to tell hardship stories from that. But he was genuine and the essays made me laugh (i hope they made they AO's laugh too). Also, not one adult touched the essays. Not even his AP Lit teacher that edited it. He submitted his original. So the voice probably carried.

Good for him. So he got a B in one of the toughest high school classes. They aren’t looking for computer brains they are looking for smart capable students with something to offer.

[Anonymous]

Zero, straight As or A pluses all four years, got in EA to Michigan and going there.

[Anonymous]

Kid 1 -- 2 Bs, admitted to 3 T15

Kid 2 -- 2 Bs, admitted to T10 early

MCPS magnets

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Zero, straight As or A pluses all four years, got in EA to Michigan and going there.

Why are you posting on this thread? [facepalm]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

If your child was accepted into a highly selective college, how many Bs did they have?
If you don't mind, could you name the school?

I know this is a silly question as admissions is holistic, but trying to gauge which schools we should target early decision/early action. There are differing opinions in our family!

Seeking these anecdotes will not help you. A single "B" at some high schools puts kids outside the top20%, because the average grade in the honors and AP classes is an A- or an A. If those high schools only get highly selective admissions from the top 5-10%, the kids with a B or so do not have a chance.
Students with 2-3 Bs at some rigorous non-inflated high schools can be within the top 5-10%, and if that high school has many unhooked kids into highly selective schools deep into the top 25% of that high school, then the top10% kids with Bs are fine.

This does not take rigor into account at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

If your child was accepted into a highly selective college, how many Bs did they have?
If you don't mind, could you name the school?

I know this is a silly question as admissions is holistic, but trying to gauge which schools we should target early decision/early action. There are differing opinions in our family!

Seeking these anecdotes will not help you. A single "B" at some high schools puts kids outside the top20%, because the average grade in the honors and AP classes is an A- or an A. If those high schools only get highly selective admissions from the top 5-10%, the kids with a B or so do not have a chance.
Students with 2-3 Bs at some rigorous non-inflated high schools can be within the top 5-10%, and if that high school has many unhooked kids into highly selective schools deep into the top 25% of that high school, then the top10% kids with Bs are fine.

This does not take rigor into account at all.

True. while OP is lookong for a panacea and many are willing to give examples, the truth is that your child is competing against the very top kids in their own high school (and then nationwide, and then against the full pay international students) so it really comes down to top credentials across the board. Take UVA, for example. We know the applicant needs to be in top 6% of the high school class, have taken the most rigorous courses offered by that high school, have taken four years of foreign language, scored a 34 or better on the ACT, has superlative ECs and national honors, gives back to the community, walks on water and has a 4.51 GPA (75th percentile of last year's incoming class). That doesn't leave much room for a few Bs in regular core classes. I'm not saying the system is right. it just is what it is. Unless your kid is hooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

If your child was accepted into a highly selective college, how many Bs did they have?
If you don't mind, could you name the school?

I know this is a silly question as admissions is holistic, but trying to gauge which schools we should target early decision/early action. There are differing opinions in our family!

Seeking these anecdotes will not help you. A single "B" at some high schools puts kids outside the top20%, because the average grade in the honors and AP classes is an A- or an A. If those high schools only get highly selective admissions from the top 5-10%, the kids with a B or so do not have a chance.
Students with 2-3 Bs at some rigorous non-inflated high schools can be within the top 5-10%, and if that high school has many unhooked kids into highly selective schools deep into the top 25% of that high school, then the top10% kids with Bs are fine.

This does not take rigor into account at all.

True. while OP is lookong for a panacea and many are willing to give examples, the truth is that your child is competing against the very top kids in their own high school (and then nationwide, and then against the full pay international students) so it really comes down to top credentials across the board. Take UVA, for example. We know the applicant needs to be in top 6% of the high school class, have taken the most rigorous courses offered by that high school, have taken four years of foreign language, scored a 34 or better on the ACT, has superlative ECs and national honors, gives back to the community, walks on water and has a 4.51 GPA (75th percentile of last year's incoming class). That doesn't leave much room for a few Bs in regular core classes. I'm not saying the system is right. it just is what it is. Unless your kid is hooked.

NP.

OP asked for posters to name the high school so they could put it into context. Clearly they understand it depends on the school the student is coming from.

[Anonymous]

I agree it depends on the school. At ours, a few B’s are ok…but only if you are taking the most rigorous course load.

Otherwise, no beuno. In other words, a B in AP Pysch? Or APES? No. A B in Calc BC? That’s fine. (As long as you’re not stem)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't crowdsource this question here. I'd talk with your school counselor or hire a consultant.

Also remember,

“C’s” earn degrees !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't crowdsource this question here. I'd talk with your school counselor or hire a consultant.

Also remember,

“C’s” earn degrees !

Hahaha right. But not from good colleges.