Where do Above average Kids go to College from Jackson Reed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is probably in that category you describe. Ivy was never a goal and had a 4.0 (weighted, so not all that great) going into Senior year. Senioritis ensures she'll graduate below that. She applied to lots of schools early action because we weren't convinced she'd have much luck with so many kids with higher GPAs and more impressive extra curriculars. Remarkably she was accepted at 14 schools, waitlisted at 3 and rejected by just one. Accepted at places like Penn State, University Park, VT, IU Bloomington, Maryland (but only starting in Spring Semester 2025--uh thanks, no thanks), UMass Amherst, UConn, etc. No hooks. I think JR kids get in all sorts of places. Good luck.

That's fantastic--congratulations!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your student has access to this information through Naviance.

He would be transferring in so no accounts yet unfortunately. Debating between staying at private or changing to JR.

It is a mistake to transfer to JR midway through HS because you have some idea that your student is going to have better college acceptances. It is a big decision and fairly disruptive for the student. There are so many more things to consider. Send your student where they will thrive.

This is OP and my kid is asking to change schools, or he thinks he wants to anyway. Working on finishing up the year and then will put energy into deciding but what I don't want to do is hurt any college or academic options. Grading and how many honors/AP courses are offered at the private are different from JR so trying to make sure a switch won't be too damaging academically. Socially is another story.

If it were me, I'd let him go. We have several friends at St. Alban's who have ended up at the same schools that my JR kids did. While they have many more ivy admits, if you're not in that realm, then it won't make a difference wrt application. If kid thinks he would be better off socially, that would be the deciding factor for me. IMO, kid happier, I'm happier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on acceptances and commitments this year at JR, it seems the popular schools are Penn State, UofCO Boulder, Tulane, Wisconsin, Oregon

My kid had a 3.5 from a local very rigorous private, not with the most rigorous course load, and was rejected from Boulder and Wisconsin and WL at Penn State. I find it hard to believe that average kids from JR would get into Wisconsin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your student has access to this information through Naviance.

He would be transferring in so no accounts yet unfortunately. Debating between staying at private or changing to JR.

It is a mistake to transfer to JR midway through HS because you have some idea that your student is going to have better college acceptances. It is a big decision and fairly disruptive for the student. There are so many more things to consider. Send your student where they will thrive.

This is OP and my kid is asking to change schools, or he thinks he wants to anyway. Working on finishing up the year and then will put energy into deciding but what I don't want to do is hurt any college or academic options. Grading and how many honors/AP courses are offered at the private are different from JR so trying to make sure a switch won't be too damaging academically. Socially is another story.

If it were me, I'd let him go. We have several friends at St. Alban's who have ended up at the same schools that my JR kids did. While they have many more ivy admits, if you're not in that realm, then it won't make a difference wrt application. If kid thinks he would be better off socially, that would be the deciding factor for me. IMO, kid happier, I'm happier.

yes, but the STA kids have been taught to write, read, analyze and think. I'm one of the few parents who has had kids at both and the difference in academic skills upon high school graduation is vast. I do agree on the happier kid part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your student has access to this information through Naviance.

He would be transferring in so no accounts yet unfortunately. Debating between staying at private or changing to JR.

It is a mistake to transfer to JR midway through HS because you have some idea that your student is going to have better college acceptances. It is a big decision and fairly disruptive for the student. There are so many more things to consider. Send your student where they will thrive.

This is OP and my kid is asking to change schools, or he thinks he wants to anyway. Working on finishing up the year and then will put energy into deciding but what I don't want to do is hurt any college or academic options. Grading and how many honors/AP courses are offered at the private are different from JR so trying to make sure a switch won't be too damaging academically. Socially is another story.

If it were me, I'd let him go. We have several friends at St. Alban's who have ended up at the same schools that my JR kids did. While they have many more ivy admits, if you're not in that realm, then it won't make a difference wrt application. If kid thinks he would be better off socially, that would be the deciding factor for me. IMO, kid happier, I'm happier.

yes, but the STA kids have been taught to write, read, analyze and think. I'm one of the few parents who has had kids at both and the difference in academic skills upon high school graduation is vast. I do agree on the happier kid part.

If they already have a couple of years of STA HS under their belt, then the kid has those skills and they will stick with the the kid. You get to have your cake and eat it too...so to speak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on acceptances and commitments this year at JR, it seems the popular schools are Penn State, UofCO Boulder, Tulane, Wisconsin, Oregon

My kid had a 3.5 from a local very rigorous private, not with the most rigorous course load, and was rejected from Boulder and Wisconsin and WL at Penn State. I find it hard to believe that average kids from JR would get into Wisconsin.

We already said Wisconsin was the only outlier on this thread. All of the those other schools those kids are getting into, like all of them this year if they applied.

[Anonymous]

For every one of those kids on the IG at those schools, they got into one or more of the others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on acceptances and commitments this year at JR, it seems the popular schools are Penn State, UofCO Boulder, Tulane, Wisconsin, Oregon

My kid had a 3.5 from a local very rigorous private, not with the most rigorous course load, and was rejected from Boulder and Wisconsin and WL at Penn State. I find it hard to believe that average kids from JR would get into Wisconsin.

Are you full pay or not? That seems to be a major factor with admissions this year and likely related to the FAFSA problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks and yeah I have looked at the Instagram I just don’t know what grades the kids have to go to ivies (not my kids goal) vs UMD, etc.

My 3.5 GPA kid at a DCPS applied/accepted at Liberal Arts Schools that are mid-tier (example - Kenyon, Macalester, Occidental)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your student has access to this information through Naviance.

He would be transferring in so no accounts yet unfortunately. Debating between staying at private or changing to JR.

It is a mistake to transfer to JR midway through HS because you have some idea that your student is going to have better college acceptances. It is a big decision and fairly disruptive for the student. There are so many more things to consider. Send your student where they will thrive.

This is OP and my kid is asking to change schools, or he thinks he wants to anyway. Working on finishing up the year and then will put energy into deciding but what I don't want to do is hurt any college or academic options. Grading and how many honors/AP courses are offered at the private are different from JR so trying to make sure a switch won't be too damaging academically. Socially is another story.

You can explain away that in the college application.
In the college application you have that space.
If you think transferring to JR is the right decision for your child / family, do it.
But do not do it because you think the college application process will have different outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks and yeah I have looked at the Instagram I just don’t know what grades the kids have to go to ivies (not my kids goal) vs UMD, etc.

My 3.5 GPA kid at a DCPS applied/accepted at Liberal Arts Schools that are mid-tier (example - Kenyon, Macalester, Occidental)

These are the same schools for a 3.5 (class average) from NCS or Sidwell. Although those kids will work about 5 times (more?) as hard for the same GPA. To begin with, they will have needed a 4.0 from Deal (and top extracurriculars) to even get into NCS/Sidwell, then they will have worked exceedingly hard for 4 years---no late work ever (or it's a zero), no retakes, long (10 and 20 page) papers that are graded like they're in an upper level college course, 3 hours of homework a night, 1500+ SAT, multiple 5s on APs). But then they'll end up in the same schools as a JR kid who completely phones in high school and gets a 3.5.

It's interesting. Or something. I've had kids at both and we're deliberating what to do with kid 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks and yeah I have looked at the Instagram I just don’t know what grades the kids have to go to ivies (not my kids goal) vs UMD, etc.

My 3.5 GPA kid at a DCPS applied/accepted at Liberal Arts Schools that are mid-tier (example - Kenyon, Macalester, Occidental)

These are the same schools for a 3.5 (class average) from NCS or Sidwell. Although those kids will work about 5 times (more?) as hard for the same GPA. To begin with, they will have needed a 4.0 from Deal (and top extracurriculars) to even get into NCS/Sidwell, then they will have worked exceedingly hard for 4 years---no late work ever (or it's a zero), no retakes, long (10 and 20 page) papers that are graded like they're in an upper level college course, 3 hours of homework a night, 1500+ SAT, multiple 5s on APs). But then they'll end up in the same schools as a JR kid who completely phones in high school and gets a 3.5.

It's interesting. Or something. I've had kids at both and we're deliberating what to do with kid 3.

Well, everyone says they don't pick the HS based on college outcomes...which I always suspected is what people say after the fact when unhappy with their college choices. If the Sidwell kid gets into Harvard, well then the plan has worked exactly as scripted.

My JR kid is at a Top 10 school and doing very well in a STEM major. College has lots of options for classes, so admittedly my kid isn't much interested in classes with multiple 30 page papers when there is an equally interesting class (or maybe the same class with a different professor) with a more manageable workload.

I honestly don't understand the philosophy you describe above for HS at Sidwell or NCA. Classes should be "rigorous enough"...but beyond that, what's the point? I know kids then say that college was easy, but seems like college shouldn't be easier than high school, no? What's interesting is I know kids at top NYC privates that allow retakes and late work...it's not official policy, but teachers seem more flexible.

Hopefully, the NCS/Sidwell kid has a strong network that helps professionally. That is a major reason to attend a Big3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks and yeah I have looked at the Instagram I just don’t know what grades the kids have to go to ivies (not my kids goal) vs UMD, etc.

My 3.5 GPA kid at a DCPS applied/accepted at Liberal Arts Schools that are mid-tier (example - Kenyon, Macalester, Occidental)

These are the same schools for a 3.5 (class average) from NCS or Sidwell. Although those kids will work about 5 times (more?) as hard for the same GPA. To begin with, they will have needed a 4.0 from Deal (and top extracurriculars) to even get into NCS/Sidwell, then they will have worked exceedingly hard for 4 years---no late work ever (or it's a zero), no retakes, long (10 and 20 page) papers that are graded like they're in an upper level college course, 3 hours of homework a night, 1500+ SAT, multiple 5s on APs). But then they'll end up in the same schools as a JR kid who completely phones in high school and gets a 3.5.

It's interesting. Or something. I've had kids at both and we're deliberating what to do with kid 3.

Well, everyone says they don't pick the HS based on college outcomes...which I always suspected is what people say after the fact when unhappy with their college choices. If the Sidwell kid gets into Harvard, well then the plan has worked exactly as scripted.

My JR kid is at a Top 10 school and doing very well in a STEM major. College has lots of options for classes, so admittedly my kid isn't much interested in classes with multiple 30 page papers when there is an equally interesting class (or maybe the same class with a different professor) with a more manageable workload.

I honestly don't understand the philosophy you describe above for HS at Sidwell or NCA. Classes should be "rigorous enough"...but beyond that, what's the point? I know kids then say that college was easy, but seems like college shouldn't be easier than high school, no? What's interesting is I know kids at top NYC privates that allow retakes and late work...it's not official policy, but teachers seem more flexible.

Hopefully, the NCS/Sidwell kid has a strong network that helps professionally. That is a major reason to attend a Big3.

I agree with you---We chose NCS/Sidwell for one kid because that is what the kid wanted and this child was completely treading water at Deal/DCPS.. But I'm not convinced that the level of rigor at NCS/Sidwell is necessary or great. It's pretty bruising and exhausting. Who needs to be writing 20 page literary critiques (and getting Bs on them because the teacher doesn't give As) in high school? It's not instinctive as a parent to say "rigorous academics are bad"--that goes contrary to what I've always believed) but I often find myself thinking this. I'm not sure about any network yet. We shall see. lol. School friends' parents are definitely all movers and shakers in their respective high end careers so who knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks and yeah I have looked at the Instagram I just don’t know what grades the kids have to go to ivies (not my kids goal) vs UMD, etc.

My 3.5 GPA kid at a DCPS applied/accepted at Liberal Arts Schools that are mid-tier (example - Kenyon, Macalester, Occidental)

These are the same schools for a 3.5 (class average) from NCS or Sidwell. Although those kids will work about 5 times (more?) as hard for the same GPA. To begin with, they will have needed a 4.0 from Deal (and top extracurriculars) to even get into NCS/Sidwell, then they will have worked exceedingly hard for 4 years---no late work ever (or it's a zero), no retakes, long (10 and 20 page) papers that are graded like they're in an upper level college course, 3 hours of homework a night, 1500+ SAT, multiple 5s on APs). But then they'll end up in the same schools as a JR kid who completely phones in high school and gets a 3.5.

It's interesting. Or something. I've had kids at both and we're deliberating what to do with kid 3.

Your kids aren’t entitled to anything because you paid $70k a year for HS. Also, that’s really $hitty to say that kids are dialing it in at that level. If that was the case everyone would have a 4.4w and be looking at top-25 schools. This isn’t an arms race. If you don’t like JR’s college placement that’s on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on acceptances and commitments this year at JR, it seems the popular schools are Penn State, UofCO Boulder, Tulane, Wisconsin, Oregon

My kid had a 3.5 from a local very rigorous private, not with the most rigorous course load, and was rejected from Boulder and Wisconsin and WL at Penn State. I find it hard to believe that average kids from JR would get into Wisconsin.

Wisconsin has an 18% OOS acceptance rate. Not easy but definitely not impossible and I would imagine more kids from JR are likely to accept an offer.