How is your top student doing with acceptances?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is my experience with college apps. Kids that are not “top students” are fine. They get in somewhere and they are happy.

Top students don’t do well ... they over estimate reach and likely schools.

Their reaches are “not a snowball’s chance in hell” and likely schools are actually reaches. They get into their safeties. But since “in their head” it’s a “safety” they hate their options feel dejected and “settle for their state school”, or Clemson, or Villanova, because they offer a fun atmosphere.

I think there is a lot of truth to this. And it’s useful to remember when considering, should my kid take AP class #10 and get little sleep or are a few more on level/honors classes okay.

[Anonymous]

My experience with "top students" is that there really are no match schools. There are either likelies or reaches. No matter how great a kid is, no one is a match for HYP and so applying there is a crap shoot even for the most highly qualified.

This creates stress, especially as the process wears on, as the top students see their classmates getting into some really good schools and they're left waiting all the way until Ivy Day to find out if they're getting into any of their top choices (which by definition are reaches) or will end up at a likely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience with "top students" is that there really are no match schools. There are either likelies or reaches. No matter how great a kid is, no one is a match for HYP and so applying there is a crap shoot even for the most highly qualified.

This creates stress, especially as the process wears on, as the top students see their classmates getting into some really good schools and they're left waiting all the way until Ivy Day to find out if they're getting into any of their top choices (which by definition are reaches) or will end up at a likely.

+1

Great post and this is so true. I have a "top" student and a "good" student. The top student doesn't really care about an atmosphere in college. He wants peers that are nerdy like him and looking to build things that matter. My good student works hard, is somewhat social, but is serious about school. She doesn't exactly know what she wants to do in life, but wants a school with spirit and a place to call home. She's only a sophomore, but so far, the schools she's interested in are safeties. She thinks her brother is amazing and watching him struggle with admissions is an eye opener for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience with "top students" is that there really are no match schools. There are either likelies or reaches. No matter how great a kid is, no one is a match for HYP and so applying there is a crap shoot even for the most highly qualified.

This creates stress, especially as the process wears on, as the top students see their classmates getting into some really good schools and they're left waiting all the way until Ivy Day to find out if they're getting into any of their top choices (which by definition are reaches) or will end up at a likely.

+1

Great post and this is so true. I have a "top" student and a "good" student. The top student doesn't really care about an atmosphere in college. He wants peers that are nerdy like him and looking to build things that matter. My good student works hard, is somewhat social, but is serious about school. She doesn't exactly know what she wants to do in life, but wants a school with spirit and a place to call home. She's only a sophomore, but so far, the schools she's interested in are safeties. She thinks her brother is amazing and watching him struggle with admissions is an eye opener for her.

Just curious - Is your son experiencing deferrals, or outright non-acceptances? Any acceptances at “safety” schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience with "top students" is that there really are no match schools. There are either likelies or reaches. No matter how great a kid is, no one is a match for HYP and so applying there is a crap shoot even for the most highly qualified.

This creates stress, especially as the process wears on, as the top students see their classmates getting into some really good schools and they're left waiting all the way until Ivy Day to find out if they're getting into any of their top choices (which by definition are reaches) or will end up at a likely.

OP specifically states no ivies. Wrong thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my experience with college apps. Kids that are not “top students” are fine. They get in somewhere and they are happy.

Top students don’t do well ... they over estimate reach and likely schools.

Their reaches are “not a snowball’s chance in hell” and likely schools are actually reaches. They get into their safeties. But since “in their head” it’s a “safety” they hate their options feel dejected and “settle for their state school”, or Clemson, or Villanova, because they offer a fun atmosphere.

I think there is a lot of truth to this. And it’s useful to remember when considering, should my kid take AP class #10 and get little sleep or are a few more on level/honors classes okay.

What if they actually like the classes and do well in them? Your post makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know you asked for responses from parent of top students, but my reply might also help.

(fyi I also have a top student...she's just not the one applying to college yet.)

My other kid, the senior, is not at the top; she would be the one that the kids might see as "very good but not quite as accomplished."

She was accepted ED into a top 10 school.

Because she's not "top" she applied ED. So that's the first thing.

Second, although she has no hooks at all, she has a compelling story.

Third, she selected a school that seems to really like kids from her school. High schools seem to have relationships with colleges--I don't know how it works, but I do know that, for instance, Wash U, U-M, Harvard, Brown historically seem to accept a lot of her high school's students, while Pomona and Princeton seem to be near impossible for even the "top" students. I noticed this by paying attention to the matriculation of the classes above my DC's class (but that only shows where kids decided to go, not where they were accepted), so then spoke with the HS dean to get a better picture.

DC's favorite school, seemed on target due to her stats, but historically the high school didn't seem to get many kids in there. Oddly, the much higher-ranking school seemed to be a good shot. DD made the call; she didn't want to roll the dice with the bad odds for her favorite school, and went with her second choice, the high-ranking school. And it worked out.

I told her that if she didn't like high-ranking school, she could transfer.

So just saying all this to say, it's complicated.

What is the compelling story for a less-than-top student to get ED to a top 10 school in a pandemic? I understand the HS connection for sure, but I know tons of top students and they aren't getting into top 10 schools, yet. Explain complicated...

I believe PP is saying that playing the admissions game is complicated, the compelling story is probably just private. I completely agree with the point that schools target individual high schools, my oldest took this approach and it worked (not a "top" student and it wasn't a top 10 school, but same logic applies). Schools return to the same well, because they want the word of mouth relationship, exactly what PP tapped into.

I don't understand your reasoning if less than stellar frines are getting in, and a top student is not gettin gin, unless you are talking about yield protection. That, or maybe kids who are SN getting in.

[Anonymous]

*friends

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP lots of parents lie too. If kid is aiming for schools in the 50-100 range and is not getting in something is not adding up. Top 50 schools some have insanely low acceptance rates.

People need to start looking at the top 500 schools. Top 100 is a crapshoot, and many experts say there are so many resources at top 500 schools that a student could never exhaust his or her opportunities. Remember there are over 3000 colleges in the US. Three hundred eighty six or thereabouts are ranked by Princeton Review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my experience with college apps. Kids that are not “top students” are fine. They get in somewhere and they are happy.

Top students don’t do well ... they over estimate reach and likely schools.

Their reaches are “not a snowball’s chance in hell” and likely schools are actually reaches. They get into their safeties. But since “in their head” it’s a “safety” they hate their options feel dejected and “settle for their state school”, or Clemson, or Villanova, because they offer a fun atmosphere.

I think there is a lot of truth to this. And it’s useful to remember when considering, should my kid take AP class #10 and get little sleep or are a few more on level/honors classes okay.

What if they actually like the classes and do well in them? Your post makes no sense.

If your kid wants all APs, that’s great. Many other kids struggle with what is the right (for me) balance of APs/honors/on level. And that applies to plenty of “top” students as well, and they kill themselves because they think they need all APs (or take “easier” APs rather than electives they actually are interested in, e.g. many students at my kids’ high school drop band early on because of concern it doesn’t look as rigorous as an all/mostly AP schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience with "top students" is that there really are no match schools. There are either likelies or reaches. No matter how great a kid is, no one is a match for HYP and so applying there is a crap shoot even for the most highly qualified.

This creates stress, especially as the process wears on, as the top students see their classmates getting into some really good schools and they're left waiting all the way until Ivy Day to find out if they're getting into any of their top choices (which by definition are reaches) or will end up at a likely.

+1

Great post and this is so true. I have a "top" student and a "good" student. The top student doesn't really care about an atmosphere in college. He wants peers that are nerdy like him and looking to build things that matter. My good student works hard, is somewhat social, but is serious about school. She doesn't exactly know what she wants to do in life, but wants a school with spirit and a place to call home. She's only a sophomore, but so far, the schools she's interested in are safeties. She thinks her brother is amazing and watching him struggle with admissions is an eye opener for her.

Just curious - Is your son experiencing deferrals, or outright non-acceptances? Any acceptances at “safety” schools?

Rejection from 2 elite schools so far. He should be fine in-state, but those rejections even if a crapshoot has rattled his confidence a bit. Same with some of his friends. Most of these kids have never been rejected at anything academically, so it's good they're learning to deal with it. To be clear here before I get some snarky DCUM poster telling me that these aren't big problems, I get it. Just trying to provide context to an answer. These kids are kids and for a senior it's a big moment in their lives. As an adult and parent, I know that it's fine and a good life lesson to coach our kids through. All will turn out fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Larla, that sounds so tough! I've heard it's a really weird year for admissions, and I'm sure it's been hard for you and Larlo. I really hope he ends up with some good options to decide between, but wherever he ends up, he's so bright that I'm sure he'll be successful!"

They already know that. They are not looking for a canned response, they are smarter than that. I

If you don't want a canned response, come up with one on your own rather than crowd-sourcing! Personally, I have a "top student" applying to competitive schools, and this is really all that I expect from a friend, so that's why I wrote it. After all, you said "I don't know how to offer support" but also "I don't want to Google anecdotes or act like I'm jealous" (? whatever that means). So I offered some words. It's unclear what else you want from us, OP. We don't have any magically, secret information that will make this kid's admissions year better or his mom feel OK with it.

[Anonymous]

Can we think more like, "How is your child doing (with this process."

Why are people qualifying the post, as if they want to make sure they responding posters are in their league.

[Anonymous]

My top student went ED to a top 25 rather than a top 10. Got in and we are done and happy. Similar profile students did not get in ED1 at this school, so there was definitely an element of luck. We could never have predicted the increase in applications, but wanted to give her best effort to a school that was a realistic possibility. She gave up the chance to know if she could have gotten into an Ivy and does not regret that decision. The students who were accepted ED1 to her school appear to be previous Ivy caliber. HYPSM caliber this year will be another level entirely.

Lots of friends waiting on EA and RD decisions after early rejections/deferrals. The deferrals are basically delayed rejections. It should all work out for them but these winter months have been very stressful for them. Some have been rejected from safeties and had to put in more apps. This is a crazy year. Good luck to all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we think more like, "How is your child doing (with this process."

Why are people qualifying the post, as if they want to make sure they responding posters are in their league.

NP. I think the purpose was to gauge the exceptional unpredictability this admission season. (However, I'm not sure that can be ascertained via anecdotes.)