Where has your kid decided to go to college - s/o with stats

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trying to choose between UVA, UCLA, W&M.

1420/4.61 GPA W (4.0 UW).

Kid wants UCLA -- I said appeal the finaid decision. But is leaning to UVA vs. W&M. Personally, I think W&M is a better fit and worried kid is basing this on selectivity rather than fit. But ultimately it's kid's decision.

If W&M a better fit than UVA, then probably a much better fit than UCLA which is the largest of the 3. Remind your child they can go to CA for grad school if still interested! Also, imo as a partner on my firm’s hiring committee, W&M is just as prestigious as UVA.

Thanks. Yes, we have had that conversation -- especially the grad school thing. But she can't seem to shake this focus on selectivity.

I told her UCLA may be more selective, but it's not $125,000 better than UVA (which is what it would cost in terms of OOS differential). I also warned her these reputations are based on graduate schools/research rankings rather than undergraduate teaching and W&M has a better reputation for undergraduate teaching.

But I think she still feels like she needs to choose the most selective to validate her accomplishments in HS. Which is maddening.

[Anonymous]

T15 to T20. 3.8 uw GPA, 35 ACT, good ECs with leadership but nothing exceptional, strong essays and recs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trying to choose between UVA, UCLA, W&M.

1420/4.61 GPA W (4.0 UW).

Kid wants UCLA -- I said appeal the finaid decision. But is leaning to UVA vs. W&M. Personally, I think W&M is a better fit and worried kid is basing this on selectivity rather than fit. But ultimately it's kid's decision.

If W&M a better fit than UVA, then probably a much better fit than UCLA which is the largest of the 3. Remind your child they can go to CA for grad school if still interested! Also, imo as a partner on my firm’s hiring committee, W&M is just as prestigious as UVA.

Thanks. Yes, we have had that conversation -- especially the grad school thing. But she can't seem to shake this focus on selectivity.

I told her UCLA may be more selective, but it's not $125,000 better than UVA (which is what it would cost in terms of OOS differential). I also warned her these reputations are based on graduate schools/research rankings rather than undergraduate teaching and W&M has a better reputation for undergraduate teaching.

But I think she still feels like she needs to choose the most selective to validate her accomplishments in HS. Which is maddening.

This is what I was like as an 18 year old. My DD is the complete OPPOSITE and I am finding myself (embarrassingly, shamefully) thinking about how it'll "look" when she chooses the lower ranked school she likes! rather than the higher ranked one she got into. It's gross, I am well aware, DCUM, no need to pile on, and I certainly do not telegraph this to my kid, but it is what it is. I hope you're successful in reaching her in your very sane and good arguments about all this. I know I would have been deaf to it as an 18 year old. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trying to choose between UVA, UCLA, W&M.

1420/4.61 GPA W (4.0 UW).

Kid wants UCLA -- I said appeal the finaid decision. But is leaning to UVA vs. W&M. Personally, I think W&M is a better fit and worried kid is basing this on selectivity rather than fit. But ultimately it's kid's decision.

If W&M a better fit than UVA, then probably a much better fit than UCLA which is the largest of the 3. Remind your child they can go to CA for grad school if still interested! Also, imo as a partner on my firm’s hiring committee, W&M is just as prestigious as UVA.

Thanks. Yes, we have had that conversation -- especially the grad school thing. But she can't seem to shake this focus on selectivity.

I told her UCLA may be more selective, but it's not $125,000 better than UVA (which is what it would cost in terms of OOS differential). I also warned her these reputations are based on graduate schools/research rankings rather than undergraduate teaching and W&M has a better reputation for undergraduate teaching.

But I think she still feels like she needs to choose the most selective to validate her accomplishments in HS. Which is maddening.

UCLA is selective in a sense because in California you can apply to different UC schools simply by checking a box. Hence the 168,000 applicants. But it doesn't really have higher stat kids. The UCs are also not very undergraduate friendly schools (not to say you can't get a good deal there). If you look at resources like Niche surveys, you can see they don't score very high for questions regarding value for money, teaching quality, ease of getting required classes, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trying to choose between UVA, UCLA, W&M.

1420/4.61 GPA W (4.0 UW).

Kid wants UCLA -- I said appeal the finaid decision. But is leaning to UVA vs. W&M. Personally, I think W&M is a better fit and worried kid is basing this on selectivity rather than fit. But ultimately it's kid's decision.

If W&M a better fit than UVA, then probably a much better fit than UCLA which is the largest of the 3. Remind your child they can go to CA for grad school if still interested! Also, imo as a partner on my firm’s hiring committee, W&M is just as prestigious as UVA.

Thanks. Yes, we have had that conversation -- especially the grad school thing. But she can't seem to shake this focus on selectivity.

I told her UCLA may be more selective, but it's not $125,000 better than UVA (which is what it would cost in terms of OOS differential). I also warned her these reputations are based on graduate schools/research rankings rather than undergraduate teaching and W&M has a better reputation for undergraduate teaching.

But I think she still feels like she needs to choose the most selective to validate her accomplishments in HS. Which is maddening.

UCLA is selective in a sense because in California you can apply to different UC schools simply by checking a box. Hence the 168,000 applicants. But it doesn't really have higher stat kids. The UCs are also not very undergraduate friendly schools (not to say you can't get a good deal there). If you look at resources like Niche surveys, you can see they don't score very high for questions regarding value for money, teaching quality, ease of getting required classes, etc.

A third of UCLA students are CC transfers. UC schools are mandated to take a certain % of CC transfers.

[Anonymous]

Trying to figure out which school will actually accept AP credit for Gen Ed or major courses, not just elective credit It's like they want to keep my kid there as long as possible or something, hmmm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trying to choose between UVA, UCLA, W&M.

1420/4.61 GPA W (4.0 UW).

Kid wants UCLA -- I said appeal the finaid decision. But is leaning to UVA vs. W&M. Personally, I think W&M is a better fit and worried kid is basing this on selectivity rather than fit. But ultimately it's kid's decision.

If W&M a better fit than UVA, then probably a much better fit than UCLA which is the largest of the 3. Remind your child they can go to CA for grad school if still interested! Also, imo as a partner on my firm’s hiring committee, W&M is just as prestigious as UVA.

Thanks. Yes, we have had that conversation -- especially the grad school thing. But she can't seem to shake this focus on selectivity.

I told her UCLA may be more selective, but it's not $125,000 better than UVA (which is what it would cost in terms of OOS differential). I also warned her these reputations are based on graduate schools/research rankings rather than undergraduate teaching and W&M has a better reputation for undergraduate teaching.

But I think she still feels like she needs to choose the most selective to validate her accomplishments in HS. Which is maddening.

Well, UCLA has the lowest admission rate of these three because it gets the largest number of applications in the country (as pointed out, all you have to do is check a box if you do the UC application). But if you look at SAT scores for instance from the Common Data Sets, the middle 50 SAT scores for these three schools are:

UCLA - 1510-1290
UVA - 1500-1340
W&M - 1510-1320

I don't see how UCLA really has any advantage in smarts for enrolled students.

[Anonymous]

My oldest went to college in 2010. (I know, the olden days). It took him SO long to make a decision, I had to Fed Ex the deposit check. No credit card deposits at that time. His choice was not my choice, but it worked out. Sigh, kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trying to figure out which school will actually accept AP credit for Gen Ed or major courses, not just elective credit It's like they want to keep my kid there as long as possible or something, hmmm.

Yep! College Board scam. They don’t tell you the credits are virtually worthless when your kid is busting their but to cram the canned curriculum into their head or you are paying for all of those AP exams. Cha Ching!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amazing!!! No parent on DCUM has a kid who scores less than 34 ACT and has 10 APs. SMH!

Well, of the ones who post.

My senior is still deciding. It is excruciating.

My senior (as an aside, not a 34 ACT or 10 APs) is still deciding too. And it is excruciating! Glad we aren't alone, there seem to be so many kids who fall in love with THE school, but that's not my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trying to figure out which school will actually accept AP credit for Gen Ed or major courses, not just elective credit It's like they want to keep my kid there as long as possible or something, hmmm.

Yep! College Board scam. They don’t tell you the credits are virtually worthless when your kid is busting their but to cram the canned curriculum into their head or you are paying for all of those AP exams. Cha Ching!

Which is one reason why private schools got rid of AP classes