3.75 1500+ aiming for T20

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

Junior or Senior?

[Anonymous]

Last year college counseling at our private told my child to stop at a 1530 (2 attempts) but then we saw it play out and kids with a >1580 had an easier time with admissions despite having the same GPA. It definitely adds to the entire application and I'll do things differently with kid #2. There is little down side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

Junior or Senior?

Junior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

Did he apply to any of the below (and if so, what majors). Any EA/ED schools?

Cornell
Penn
Northwestern
Brown
Columbia
Vanderbilt
Emory
WashU
Rice
UChicago


Imo, no shot at HYPSM, or Duke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year college counseling at our private told my child to stop at a 1530 (2 attempts) but then we saw it play out and kids with a >1580 had an easier time with admissions despite having the same GPA. It definitely adds to the entire application and I'll do things differently with kid #2. There is little down side.

I hear you but correlation ≠ causation. The kids with higher test scores likely edged out applicants in the other criteria, which gives the illusion of higher test scores drastically improving admissions. Correct me if I'm wrong though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

You're really going to have to ask your own college counseling and look at your school's data. That all sounds great but at the school my kids attend (top DC private, one graduated, second a junior) all that is negated by the 3.7. You would think not but the line for a top20 admission is really high despite there not being any 4.0 graduates but it really is except for Chicago and Michigan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year college counseling at our private told my child to stop at a 1530 (2 attempts) but then we saw it play out and kids with a >1580 had an easier time with admissions despite having the same GPA. It definitely adds to the entire application and I'll do things differently with kid #2. There is little down side.

Our CCO says the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year college counseling at our private told my child to stop at a 1530 (2 attempts) but then we saw it play out and kids with a >1580 had an easier time with admissions despite having the same GPA. It definitely adds to the entire application and I'll do things differently with kid #2. There is little down side.

I hear you but correlation ≠ causation. The kids with higher test scores likely edged out applicants in the other criteria, which gives the illusion of higher test scores drastically improving admissions. Correct me if I'm wrong though!

No, several had identical GPAs, worse extracurriculars but a sky high SAT. Michigan, for example, took the sky high SATs in EA and deferred the rest. There was a definite pattern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

Did he apply to any of the below (and if so, what majors). Any EA/ED schools?

Cornell
Penn
Northwestern
Brown
Columbia
Vanderbilt
Emory
WashU
Rice
UChicago


Imo, no shot at HYPSM, or Duke.

Yes, DC is not applying to HYPSM or Duke. And the list you gave is ironically a near exact match of DC's current list/schools of interest (minus targets + safeties). They're eying ED to Brown or Columbia as they're still a junior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

Junior or Senior?

Junior

Oh, you still have time.
I'd actually pivot a bit on the major - more healthcare social policy and less whatever else you were doing? Rice has a good major here. So does WashU. Northwestern's Social Policy major etc.
Get an internship this summer with a Congressperson (district office) or Senate or Gov (in state) or state dept of public health to show the policy piece.
And focus on healthcare access for one very niche/specific population group - lots of ideas for that one - but find the connection in the other activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

You're really going to have to ask your own college counseling and look at your school's data. That all sounds great but at the school my kids attend (top DC private, one graduated, second a junior) all that is negated by the 3.7. You would think not but the line for a top20 admission is really high despite there not being any 4.0 graduates but it really is except for Chicago and Michigan.

NP. Which school, may I ask?

[Anonymous]

have you seen the data from your school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year college counseling at our private told my child to stop at a 1530 (2 attempts) but then we saw it play out and kids with a >1580 had an easier time with admissions despite having the same GPA. It definitely adds to the entire application and I'll do things differently with kid #2. There is little down side.

I hear you but correlation ≠ causation. The kids with higher test scores likely edged out applicants in the other criteria, which gives the illusion of higher test scores drastically improving admissions. Correct me if I'm wrong though!

No, several had identical GPAs, worse extracurriculars but a sky high SAT. Michigan, for example, took the sky high SATs in EA and deferred the rest. There was a definite pattern.

Different major? Essays? Recommendation?
SAT is just a one time test, once you cross the line, no one cares 1500 or 1580.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a 3.75 uw, 1500+, with near-maximum rigor at a top private feeder. High impact ECs and excellent writing. They're applying to health & society/public health and adjacent majors as a non-pre-med. Aiming for a T20 (non-HYPSM) -- do they have good chances? All anecdotes/feedback/input is appreciated!

Is your child top 15-20% in school? Private feeder to which colleges?

OP here; yes, likely top 20% (since class rank factors in rigor). Feeder to all T20s

Is this a max 4.0 school or is there a weighted GPA? Need more info than just 1500+ and info on ECs

Max 4.0 (which nobody ever achieves at DC’s private), 1530, ECs include high impact work/fundraising at public health nonprofits, healthcare policy, projects at hospitals, independent project about healthcare access

Junior or Senior?

Junior

Oh, you still have time.
I'd actually pivot a bit on the major - more healthcare social policy and less whatever else you were doing? Rice has a good major here. So does WashU. Northwestern's Social Policy major etc.
Get an internship this summer with a Congressperson (district office) or Senate or Gov (in state) or state dept of public health to show the policy piece.
And focus on healthcare access for one very niche/specific population group - lots of ideas for that one - but find the connection in the other activities.

Noted, thank you! All of this sounds great.