Our Current Situation - Not thrilled

[Anonymous]

The odd choices that you picked OOS schools and your only two instate are VCU and GMU for Computer Science when there are better state schools for Virginia for CS.

Having all As since middle school you could have easily been a shoe in for UVA or VT.

[Anonymous]

Maybe not a shoe in but why wouldn't HE/SHE have tried for them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school choices are odd. Great stats though. I think you’ll find one of those schools you are waiting on to be an option. Good luck.

what makes them odd?

Odd mix of super selective OOS public universities, lottery-level private schools, and safety schools. Which likely leaves the safety schools as the only options.

Isn't that the advice these days? To have reaches, likelies ,and safeties?

Likelies are missing, which is fine if one is satisfied with the safeties (which OP is not).

I would assume OP though that Colorado and Purdue were likelies with those stats.

Purdue CS is not a likely for anyone, as others have pointed out. And OPs kid did get into Colorado.

[Anonymous]

By far the weirdest thing about this list is that they didn't apply in-state to VTech. That actually strikes me as borderline unbelievable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By far the weirdest thing about this list is that they didn't apply in-state to VTech. That actually strikes me as borderline unbelievable.

+2

[Anonymous]

I feel like this isn't even a legit post. First it's a son then it's a daughter who applied. Then, you've got a straight-A kid with great stats and EC's and you don't even apply to the UVA or VT in-state CS programs? I'm getting strong BS vibes on this whole post...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eagle Scouts are only seen as a significant achievement by people who are into scouts ..which is a fast declining minority. It’s not a particularly difficult rank to achieve as long as you don’t want to quit scouts. Decades ago the projects and community service aspect was unique but now it’s lackluster compared to what other top candidates are doing. It might carry more importance if the kid is applying to a military service academy but it’s non consequential for a good CS program.

Frankly, it is a huge benefit for CS kids. Why? Because kids who stuck with Scouting to get to Eagle have had to take on leadership roles, conduct meetings, make presentations, speak in front of groups, teach younger Scouts, research, review and plan group trips, research, review and plan budgets, and communicate effectively with younger and older kids, and adults. They are largely “nerds”, but they have started down the path of learning all the skills a good and effective manager needs to do well. Something most CS kids have no clue about.

If you think your kid is a potential engineering/CS kid - get them in Scouting.

Hilarious, scouts is the last thing to encourage if they are interested in CS. Tutor underprivileged kids in math, get on math and science competitions teams, execrable at an instrument, compete in hackathons, start a stem club, build apps for non profits, take a linguistics class at community college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like this isn't even a legit post. First it's a son then it's a daughter who applied. Then, you've got a straight-A kid with great stats and EC's and you don't even apply to the UVA or VT in-state CS programs? I'm getting strong BS vibes on this whole post...

OP said kid DID apply to UVA and did NOT like VT for many reasons and did not apply there. If you would have read the thread you would know that. Just bc the school is ranked highly and in-state (VT) doesn't mean the kid has to apply if they can't see themselves attending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like this isn't even a legit post. First it's a son then it's a daughter who applied. Then, you've got a straight-A kid with great stats and EC's and you don't even apply to the UVA or VT in-state CS programs? I'm getting strong BS vibes on this whole post...

Don't know if the post is legit but I sometimes change my kid's gender when I post here to make them less recognizable to nosy neighbors... OP could have done the same (and then slipped...). Also, my husband comes from a home language that doesn't have gendered pronouns and is constantly mixing things up. Just saying that switching the gender doesn't mean it's a fake post...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eagle Scouts are only seen as a significant achievement by people who are into scouts ..which is a fast declining minority. It’s not a particularly difficult rank to achieve as long as you don’t want to quit scouts. Decades ago the projects and community service aspect was unique but now it’s lackluster compared to what other top candidates are doing. It might carry more importance if the kid is applying to a military service academy but it’s non consequential for a good CS program.

Frankly, it is a huge benefit for CS kids. Why? Because kids who stuck with Scouting to get to Eagle have had to take on leadership roles, conduct meetings, make presentations, speak in front of groups, teach younger Scouts, research, review and plan group trips, research, review and plan budgets, and communicate effectively with younger and older kids, and adults. They are largely “nerds”, but they have started down the path of learning all the skills a good and effective manager needs to do well. Something most CS kids have no clue about.

If you think your kid is a potential engineering/CS kid - get them in Scouting.

Hilarious, scouts is the last thing to encourage if they are interested in CS. Tutor underprivileged kids in math, get on math and science competitions teams, execrable at an instrument, compete in hackathons, start a stem club, build apps for non profits, take a linguistics class at community college.

Don’t do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe not a shoe in but why wouldn't HE/SHE have tried for them?

For crying out loud people. It’s shoo-in, not shoe-in. People on this site love to get this wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eagle Scouts are only seen as a significant achievement by people who are into scouts ..which is a fast declining minority. It’s not a particularly difficult rank to achieve as long as you don’t want to quit scouts. Decades ago the projects and community service aspect was unique but now it’s lackluster compared to what other top candidates are doing. It might carry more importance if the kid is applying to a military service academy but it’s non consequential for a good CS program.

Frankly, it is a huge benefit for CS kids. Why? Because kids who stuck with Scouting to get to Eagle have had to take on leadership roles, conduct meetings, make presentations, speak in front of groups, teach younger Scouts, research, review and plan group trips, research, review and plan budgets, and communicate effectively with younger and older kids, and adults. They are largely “nerds”, but they have started down the path of learning all the skills a good and effective manager needs to do well. Something most CS kids have no clue about.

If you think your kid is a potential engineering/CS kid - get them in Scouting.

Hilarious, scouts is the last thing to encourage if they are interested in CS. Tutor underprivileged kids in math, get on math and science competitions teams, execrable at an instrument, compete in hackathons, start a stem club, build apps for non profits, take a linguistics class at community college.

Don’t do this.

NP. Why not tutor underprivileged kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the issue? One deferral so far means what exactly? In at four...one should never apply to a school they would not be happy to attend so what is the issue with the acceptances as they are all good schools? No VA school was acceptable? Surmising here since applied only to VCU and GMU when those stats are solid for consideration at every VA school. Seem like the plan is working out fine so far for schools applied to with other decisions forthcoming.

Yeah, this is the weird part. Why no Virginia Tech or UVA? It's such a weird selection of schools.
Your kid could have thrown their hat in the ring for any school in the USA with those stats but they chose an odd selection.

I totally agree with this response. My nephew (WM) had very similar stats last year (I understand that results from one year to another can vary tremendously) and applied for CS. He is from the West Coast (large city, lost of applicants) and didn't apply to any of the same school. However, he had a lot of success with the schools (all top 20) he applied to, so my only thoughts are:

1 - Maybe your child's HS is not well known or isn't viewed as rigorous, though I realize he/she took a good number of AP courses.

2 - Maybe essays were not as good as they seemed?

3 - How were his/her recommendations?

4 - What grades did he/she get on AP exams?

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eagle Scouts are only seen as a significant achievement by people who are into scouts ..which is a fast declining minority. It’s not a particularly difficult rank to achieve as long as you don’t want to quit scouts. Decades ago the projects and community service aspect was unique but now it’s lackluster compared to what other top candidates are doing. It might carry more importance if the kid is applying to a military service academy but it’s non consequential for a good CS program.

Frankly, it is a huge benefit for CS kids. Why? Because kids who stuck with Scouting to get to Eagle have had to take on leadership roles, conduct meetings, make presentations, speak in front of groups, teach younger Scouts, research, review and plan group trips, research, review and plan budgets, and communicate effectively with younger and older kids, and adults. They are largely “nerds”, but they have started down the path of learning all the skills a good and effective manager needs to do well. Something most CS kids have no clue about.

If you think your kid is a potential engineering/CS kid - get them in Scouting.

Hilarious, scouts is the last thing to encourage if they are interested in CS. Tutor underprivileged kids in math, get on math and science competitions teams, execrable at an instrument, compete in hackathons, start a stem club, build apps for non profits, take a linguistics class at community college.

Don’t do this.

I am the previous poster. Actually....my nephew did do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eagle Scouts are only seen as a significant achievement by people who are into scouts ..which is a fast declining minority. It’s not a particularly difficult rank to achieve as long as you don’t want to quit scouts. Decades ago the projects and community service aspect was unique but now it’s lackluster compared to what other top candidates are doing. It might carry more importance if the kid is applying to a military service academy but it’s non consequential for a good CS program.

Frankly, it is a huge benefit for CS kids. Why? Because kids who stuck with Scouting to get to Eagle have had to take on leadership roles, conduct meetings, make presentations, speak in front of groups, teach younger Scouts, research, review and plan group trips, research, review and plan budgets, and communicate effectively with younger and older kids, and adults. They are largely “nerds”, but they have started down the path of learning all the skills a good and effective manager needs to do well. Something most CS kids have no clue about.

If you think your kid is a potential engineering/CS kid - get them in Scouting.

Hilarious, scouts is the last thing to encourage if they are interested in CS. Tutor underprivileged kids in math, get on math and science competitions teams, execrable at an instrument, compete in hackathons, start a stem club, build apps for non profits, take a linguistics class at community college.

And, while worth while (if actually done), none of that provides leadership, communication and group management skills and experience.

How does that work?

My kid was accepted as part of a “Presidential Scholarship” group at a college not far from us. It was a safety for him, but —- if he could go for free that would certainly put it high in the list. The candidates all had some academic money in their pockets, but this really was one of those enticements to get higher level kids. He and I went. Parents were invited so they could pitch us while the kids were doing what they did. As related to me later - the kids were separated into groups of 10 at round tables. They were given an esoteric project to prepare for a group presentation in 2 hours. (They never actually did any presentation. The point was to see who could work together and come up with a basically presentable plan and school leadership were watching 1 per 2 tables. And - really - they were looking to see who were potentially effective leaders. My kid said he sat back for a couple minutes while 2 took over and said -you take this, you do this etc. People at the table complained quickly. And, he applied what he learned in Scouts as a Troop Leader. Asked everyone around the table to think about what they wanted to do for 3 minutes then everyone would go around the table to make their pitch. “I’m pretty good at ….I can do that….” Still didn’t work to get one of the 3 full rides. He was offered free tuition for 4 years. He did better elsewhere. But - that’s the kind iof leadership and management skills you start to build with Scouts. The reality is you don’t get that stuff anywhere else. It doesn’t make you an expert, but it does start you down the correct path.