Acceptance to more selective schools based on merit at T40-T50 schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year (2025)
Generous merit (max available at each school): Georgia, Vermont, Clemson, Pittsburgh,
In (no merit): Wisconsin, Michigan, UVA, UNC, UCLA, Columbia, Middlebury
Terminally waitlisted: Notre Dame, Boston College, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Emory
Rejected: Stanford, Cornell, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Brown, Berkeley

This is a GREAT outcome!!! Congratulations!!

1 T15, 2 T20, 3 T30, 1 Top lac.
AMAZING outcome.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year (2025)
Generous merit (max available at each school): Georgia, Vermont, Clemson, Pittsburgh,
In (no merit): Wisconsin, Michigan, UVA, UNC, UCLA, Columbia, Middlebury
Terminally waitlisted: Notre Dame, Boston College, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Emory
Rejected: Stanford, Cornell, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Brown, Berkeley

This is a GREAT outcome!!! Congratulations!!

1 T15, 2 T20, 3 T30, 1 Top lac.
AMAZING outcome.

Yes, I'm the parent and we were quite happy.
Just sharing these to show that RD can be a crapshoot even with great results early on.
UGA, Vermont, Clemson, Pitt were all honors programs along with max merit.
Also received Honors Carolina and UVA Echols (full pay but honors programs at each).
But then almost all rejections RD.

RD is just tough.
Again, not complaining, just showing these stats to answer OP's question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year (2025)
Generous merit (max available at each school): Georgia, Vermont, Clemson, Pittsburgh,
In (no merit): Wisconsin, Michigan, UVA, UNC, UCLA, Columbia, Middlebury
Terminally waitlisted: Notre Dame, Boston College, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Emory
Rejected: Stanford, Cornell, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Brown, Berkeley

This is a GREAT outcome!!! Congratulations!!

1 T15, 2 T20, 3 T30, 1 Top lac.
AMAZING outcome.

Yes, I'm the parent and we were quite happy.
Just sharing these to show that RD can be a crapshoot even with great results early on.
UGA, Vermont, Clemson, Pitt were all honors programs along with max merit.
Also received Honors Carolina and UVA Echols (full pay but honors programs at each).
But then almost all rejections RD.

RD is just tough.
Again, not complaining, just showing these stats to answer OP's question.

What was your kid’s final choice?

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not. Schools like BU, UMD, Ohio State, Univ of Rochester (which are top 40-50, per your OP) give out merit routinely.

It has zero connection to your chances of getting into highly selective universities.

Sorry

[Anonymous]

For DS, no.

Top 40 with merit.

Rejected at T20 -- cs/math major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For DS, no.

Top 40 with merit.

Rejected at T20 -- cs/math major.

Any luck with T20-30?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Merit (generous): Case; Elon; Pitt; Boulder; Vermont

Admitted in EA/RD: UVA (OOS); Michigan (OOS); Vanderbilt; Cornell; Northwestern; Rice (and a few others lower ranked)

Rejected: Stanford; Dartmouth; Yale; Duke

Applied to 20 schools

Where did your kid end up attending?

Northwestern. Humanities major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Merit (generous): Case; Elon; Pitt; Boulder; Vermont

Admitted in EA/RD: UVA (OOS); Michigan (OOS); Vanderbilt; Cornell; Northwestern; Rice (and a few others lower ranked)

Rejected: Stanford; Dartmouth; Yale; Duke

Applied to 20 schools

Where did your kid end up attending?

Northwestern. Humanities major.

Makes sense! Why did your kid apply to so many safeties?

[Anonymous]

Accepted w/ merit at W&M (Monroe)

Accepted: Cornell, Rice, Tufts

Denied: Yale, Williams, Pomona

WL: Amherst, Dartmouth

1570, near top of class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Accepted w/ merit at W&M (Monroe)

Accepted: Cornell, Rice, Tufts

Denied: Yale, Williams, Pomona

WL: Amherst, Dartmouth

1570, near top of class

Major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For DS, no.

Top 40 with merit.

Rejected at T20 -- cs/math major.

Any luck with T20-30?

Waitlisted at UMich. They asked if DC was still interested but DC decided to just stay in state at UMD with merit, which is T20ish for CS. In the end, it worked out well. DC is very happy there, and it saved us a ton of money.

DC had really high stats: 1580 SAT, 4.0/4.92 wgpa from a magnet program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For DS, no.

Top 40 with merit.

Rejected at T20 -- cs/math major.

Any luck with T20-30?

Waitlisted at UMich. They asked if DC was still interested but DC decided to just stay in state at UMD with merit, which is T20ish for CS. In the end, it worked out well. DC is very happy there, and it saved us a ton of money.

DC had really high stats: 1580 SAT, 4.0/4.92 wgpa from a magnet program.

When did UMich ask? After the May 1 deadline? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Accepted w/ merit at W&M (Monroe)

Accepted: Cornell, Rice, Tufts

Denied: Yale, Williams, Pomona

WL: Amherst, Dartmouth

1570, near top of class

Major?

Math

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Accepted w/ merit at W&M (Monroe)

Accepted: Cornell, Rice, Tufts

Denied: Yale, Williams, Pomona

WL: Amherst, Dartmouth

1570, near top of class

Thanks - this is my child this year - similar academics and major interest, W&M with merit, and three of the same reach schools. It will be an interesting month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For DS, no.

Top 40 with merit.

Rejected at T20 -- cs/math major.

Any luck with T20-30?

Waitlisted at UMich. They asked if DC was still interested but DC decided to just stay in state at UMD with merit, which is T20ish for CS. In the end, it worked out well. DC is very happy there, and it saved us a ton of money.

DC had really high stats: 1580 SAT, 4.0/4.92 wgpa from a magnet program.

oh man, this even isn't enough for any one of T20 CS/Math?