3.75/1550 Big 3 rising Senior - College Options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is at 3.75/1550. Rigorous course load (combo of rigorous math/science). Good/Solid ECs but not at a national level. NO legacy/urm/athlete hooks. Not looking to major in STEM. Of course, we expect to have a substantial conversation(s) with college counselor later this year..but DCUM suggestions on reach/target/safety schools with these stats ?

I'm sorry, but why isn't the "substantial conversation" with the GC enough? You are paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition to send your kid to a school with an outstanding counseling office with a proven track record in college admissions, yet you feel compelled to ask a bunch of internet strangers for advice?

[Anonymous]

Big three school don’t weight GPA so your kid has about an A- average. Is this from the most rigorous courses? I.e. has he done a post calc level math course, has he taken upper level hard science courses, is he getting the national language medals in his language class? If so then 3.75 1550 puts him in a great spot for top 20 schools. I am assuming youre full pay. If the 3.75 is from less rigorous courses I.e stay senior year instead of Calc you’re still in a great spot but need to look outside the top 20.

My advice:

If your kid just wants to Ed and be done and is a very top rigorous course load and you’re full pay ED at a middlebury, Michigan, Cornell, UVA, or rice and cross your fingers. If he is less rigorous then ED to a hamilton, Bates, Wisconsin and cross your fingers


If he wants to “aim high” in ED just know it likely won’t work out. If his course load is rigorous you could try for an upper Ivy or Amherst/Williams/bowdoin. If he is less rigorous you can aim for that higher tier mentioned before uva, Michigan, midd etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at 3.75/1550. Rigorous course load (combo of rigorous math/science). Good/Solid ECs but not at a national level. NO legacy/urm/athlete hooks. Not looking to major in STEM. Of course, we expect to have a substantial conversation(s) with college counselor later this year..but DCUM suggestions on reach/target/safety schools with these stats ?

I'm sorry, but why isn't the "substantial conversation" with the GC enough? You are paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition to send your kid to a school with an outstanding counseling office with a proven track record in college admissions, yet you feel compelled to ask a bunch of internet strangers for advice?

OP again. Thanks. Good question. I have simply not gotten full clarity in any interactions with any school teachers/officials/counselors at any stage. Polite, informative responses but wrapped in a bit of vagueness. Hence the search for additional information..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Big three school don’t weight GPA so your kid has about an A- average. Is this from the most rigorous courses? I.e. has he done a post calc level math course, has he taken upper level hard science courses, is he getting the national language medals in his language class? If so then 3.75 1550 puts him in a great spot for top 20 schools. I am assuming youre full pay. If the 3.75 is from less rigorous courses I.e stay senior year instead of Calc you’re still in a great spot but need to look outside the top 20.

My advice:

If your kid just wants to Ed and be done and is a very top rigorous course load and you’re full pay ED at a middlebury, Michigan, Cornell, UVA, or rice and cross your fingers. If he is less rigorous then ED to a hamilton, Bates, Wisconsin and cross your fingers


If he wants to “aim high” in ED just know it likely won’t work out. If his course load is rigorous you could try for an upper Ivy or Amherst/Williams/bowdoin. If he is less rigorous you can aim for that higher tier mentioned before uva, Michigan, midd etc.

Great response. Thanks. Could you tell me what you meant by the bolded items in your post? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at 3.75/1550. Rigorous course load (combo of rigorous math/science). Good/Solid ECs but not at a national level. NO legacy/urm/athlete hooks. Not looking to major in STEM. Of course, we expect to have a substantial conversation(s) with college counselor later this year..but DCUM suggestions on reach/target/safety schools with these stats ?

I'm sorry, but why isn't the "substantial conversation" with the GC enough? You are paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition to send your kid to a school with an outstanding counseling office with a proven track record in college admissions, yet you feel compelled to ask a bunch of internet strangers for advice?

OP again. Thanks. Good question. I have simply not gotten full clarity in any interactions with any school teachers/officials/counselors at any stage. Polite, informative responses but wrapped in a bit of vagueness. Hence the search for additional information..

And you expect more informative and less vague information from a bunch of internet strangers whose backgrounds and experience and knowledge you know nothing about?

Ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at 3.75/1550. Rigorous course load (combo of rigorous math/science). Good/Solid ECs but not at a national level. NO legacy/urm/athlete hooks. Not looking to major in STEM. Of course, we expect to have a substantial conversation(s) with college counselor later this year..but DCUM suggestions on reach/target/safety schools with these stats ?

I'm sorry, but why isn't the "substantial conversation" with the GC enough? You are paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition to send your kid to a school with an outstanding counseling office with a proven track record in college admissions, yet you feel compelled to ask a bunch of internet strangers for advice?

OP again. Thanks. Good question. I have simply not gotten full clarity in any interactions with any school teachers/officials/counselors at any stage. Polite, informative responses but wrapped in a bit of vagueness. Hence the search for additional information..

And you expect more informative and less vague information from a bunch of internet strangers whose backgrounds and experience and knowledge you know nothing about?

Ok.

Not necessarily more informative, but additionally informative . Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Big three school don’t weight GPA so your kid has about an A- average. Is this from the most rigorous courses? I.e. has he done a post calc level math course, has he taken upper level hard science courses, is he getting the national language medals in his language class? If so then 3.75 1550 puts him in a great spot for top 20 schools. I am assuming youre full pay. If the 3.75 is from less rigorous courses I.e stay senior year instead of Calc you’re still in a great spot but need to look outside the top 20.

My advice:

If your kid just wants to Ed and be done and is a very top rigorous course load and you’re full pay ED at a middlebury, Michigan, Cornell, UVA, or rice and cross your fingers. If he is less rigorous then ED to a hamilton, Bates, Wisconsin and cross your fingers


If he wants to “aim high” in ED just know it likely won’t work out. If his course load is rigorous you could try for an upper Ivy or Amherst/Williams/bowdoin. If he is less rigorous you can aim for that higher tier mentioned before uva, Michigan, midd etc.

Michigan and Wisconsin would be EA's not ED's. And, neither are a shoe in, even with those numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he applies to enough top 20's he'll get into 1.

He'll get into 3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If he applies to enough top 20's he'll get into 1.

He'll get into 3

Plus have him apply to your alma mater and his other parent's alma mater regardless of whether those schools 'fit' his goals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big three school don’t weight GPA so your kid has about an A- average. Is this from the most rigorous courses? I.e. has he done a post calc level math course, has he taken upper level hard science courses, is he getting the national language medals in his language class? If so then 3.75 1550 puts him in a great spot for top 20 schools. I am assuming youre full pay. If the 3.75 is from less rigorous courses I.e stay senior year instead of Calc you’re still in a great spot but need to look outside the top 20.

My advice:

If your kid just wants to Ed and be done and is a very top rigorous course load and you’re full pay ED at a middlebury, Michigan, Cornell, UVA, or rice and cross your fingers. If he is less rigorous then ED to a hamilton, Bates, Wisconsin and cross your fingers


If he wants to “aim high” in ED just know it likely won’t work out. If his course load is rigorous you could try for an upper Ivy or Amherst/Williams/bowdoin. If he is less rigorous you can aim for that higher tier mentioned before uva, Michigan, midd etc.

Great response. Thanks. Could you tell me what you meant by the bolded items in your post? Thanks.

Sorry spelling. Stat senior year instead of calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If he applies to enough top 20's he'll get into 1.

He'll get into 3

Or maybe none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at 3.75/1550. Rigorous course load (combo of rigorous math/science). Good/Solid ECs but not at a national level. NO legacy/urm/athlete hooks. Not looking to major in STEM. Of course, we expect to have a substantial conversation(s) with college counselor later this year..but DCUM suggestions on reach/target/safety schools with these stats ?

I'm sorry, but why isn't the "substantial conversation" with the GC enough? You are paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition to send your kid to a school with an outstanding counseling office with a proven track record in college admissions, yet you feel compelled to ask a bunch of internet strangers for advice?

OP again. Thanks. Good question. I have simply not gotten full clarity in any interactions with any school teachers/officials/counselors at any stage. Polite, informative responses but wrapped in a bit of vagueness. Hence the search for additional information..

And you expect more informative and less vague information from a bunch of internet strangers whose backgrounds and experience and knowledge you know nothing about?

Ok.

Not necessarily more informative, but additionally informative . Yes.

People should lay off OP. I am really not knocking private schools but we are a public school family and I’ve talked to friends at some of the upper tier privates and they are not impressed with the college counseling. I think these schools do a lot of things great, so, again, not a knock, but OP really may not be getting good guidance.

OP, my two cents is that you need to figure out where your DD really wants to go first, but you/she need to approach the process dispassionately. So, fall in like, not love with any one option. Once you figure out what you are looking for you can start assessing chances for a small group of schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at 3.75/1550. Rigorous course load (combo of rigorous math/science). Good/Solid ECs but not at a national level. NO legacy/urm/athlete hooks. Not looking to major in STEM. Of course, we expect to have a substantial conversation(s) with college counselor later this year..but DCUM suggestions on reach/target/safety schools with these stats ?

I'm sorry, but why isn't the "substantial conversation" with the GC enough? You are paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition to send your kid to a school with an outstanding counseling office with a proven track record in college admissions, yet you feel compelled to ask a bunch of internet strangers for advice?

OP again. Thanks. Good question. I have simply not gotten full clarity in any interactions with any school teachers/officials/counselors at any stage. Polite, informative responses but wrapped in a bit of vagueness. Hence the search for additional information..

Your DC should've gotten a list of colleges to consider and visit long before now. Many if not most Big 3 kids use Spring Break of Junior year to visit colleges. Also you and your DC would've had a junior year meeting with the counselor so they could learn what you were looking for, financial aid plans, any legacy considerations etc.

If this isn't happening at one of the so-called Big 3 schools, then out them, because you're not getting your money's worth.

[Anonymous]

I’ll bite. Here’s a selection of really nice schools, of different sizes and locations that could be of interest, depending on major and setting. Lots of very different schools.

Reach: Northwestern, Cornell, U Penn, U Chicago, Bowdoin, Brown, Dartmouth
Target / Reach: Michigan, Rochester, Wash U, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Tufts
Target: Colby, Colgate, U Washington, Boston College, NYU
Safeties: Univ of Toronto, McGill, Wisconsin, Reed, Bates, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Tulane

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll bite. Here’s a selection of really nice schools, of different sizes and locations that could be of interest, depending on major and setting. Lots of very different schools.

Reach: Northwestern, Cornell, U Penn, U Chicago, Bowdoin, Brown, Dartmouth
Target / Reach: Michigan, Rochester, Wash U, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Tufts
Target: Colby, Colgate, U Washington, Boston College, NYU
Safeties: Univ of Toronto, McGill, Wisconsin, Reed, Bates, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Tulane

Toronto, McGill, Bates, Tulane and Wisc are NOT safeties. I would say Bates and Tulane are likely with this profile, especially if full pay ED.

I would also encourage your high performing DS to include some highly ranking international schools as “likelies” since their admission is a bit more predictable ie the UK schools like Edinburg and St Andrew’s only care about your scores.