colleges for gifted yet social kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:fwiw, every kid in fcps AAP qualifies for mensa. It’s not a high mark. 132 on cogat or 130 on NNAT. Please don’t put mensa membership on college applications. It’s a offputting to colleges and indicates think that your IQ should get you in. Colleges don’t care about IQ. They care about achievement.

The last sentence in the quoted post is inaccurate. It is a very common assumption by those who do not understand elite, highly selective university admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my DD is very smart and a very hard worker- straight A's, 35 ACT Score, great extracurricular activities etc... but not really the intellectual type. She is a social butterfly, loves sports, would rather talk about tik tok or go shopping than read etc... Once you get to know her you can tell she is smart and interested in the world, but it isn't her surface level personality. She would rather be at a party than studying on any weekend night.

She should have no problem getting into most schools. I am thinking because of her personality she would be happiest at a school like Duke,or Vanderbilt that seems to have a lot of student-life balance. UVA may be too big.

Any insight? Anyone have any experience with a kid like this at an ivy league or smaller school? Trying to help her guide her college search, and she didn't love the idea of many of the options her school college counselor gave her, but does want to go to a top school.

OP: It would help to know the schools suggested by her school college counselor. Don't be embarrassed as school college counselors typically are most concerned about matches & safeties, not reaches.

OP: Based on your brief description of your daughter, I think your focus on Vanderbilt & Duke is spot on, but getting admitted is quite difficult. However, if your daughter is an URM she should be admitted to both.

[Anonymous]

If ORM, won’t be admitted to either. It’s a lottery ticket these days. Students really need to have something that distinguishes then from the high-stats herd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just not Tufts, Rice, Chicago or Princeton. Kids there are not anti social but probably more socially awkward than your DD. If she gets into Duke, Vanderbilt, or other Ivy, I am sure she will find her social fit. Even Harvard. Good Luck!!!!

I’ll add William & Mary to the list of places where kids take their academics seriously.

But not to places that are fun. Vandy is the best answer from the above. Maybe an honors college at a top flagship. Does she know what she wants to study?

[Anonymous]

Lots of great advice here, OP
I think people weren’t meaning to be unkind.
It’s wonderful that your DD has great grades and ACT and even moreso that she works hard. A great work ethic is everything.
It’s just that those of us who are/have been through the current and most recent cycles know from experience that it’s best to shift your outlook just a bit about chances of admission.
And the use of the word “gifted” when referring to a college applicant, plus the Mensa reference is off putting.
I wish your DD well and agree there are many schools where she will be happy. Visit a bunch and be strategic about how she applies. For instance if she likes Wake Forest, consider applying ED as soon as possible, bc they will reply on a rolling basis and she could have her answer earlier than most. It’s a nice feeling.
Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my DD is very smart and a very hard worker- straight A's, 35 ACT Score, great extracurricular activities etc... but not really the intellectual type. She is a social butterfly, loves sports, would rather talk about tik tok or go shopping than read etc... Once you get to know her you can tell she is smart and interested in the world, but it isn't her surface level personality. She would rather be at a party than studying on any weekend night.

She should have no problem getting into most schools. I am thinking because of her personality she would be happiest at a school like Duke,or Vanderbilt that seems to have a lot of student-life balance. UVA may be too big.

Any insight? Anyone have any experience with a kid like this at an ivy league or smaller school? Trying to help her guide her college search, and she didn't love the idea of many of the options her school college counselor gave her, but does want to go to a top school.

OP: It would help to know the schools suggested by her school college counselor. Don't be embarrassed as school college counselors typically are most concerned about matches & safeties, not reaches.

OP: Based on your brief description of your daughter, I think your focus on Vanderbilt & Duke is spot on, but getting admitted is quite difficult. However, if your daughter is an URM she should be admitted to both.

Continuing on: Does your daughter know what she would like to study in college or does she have any career goal ?

Her stats should earn her a spot in almost every large state public school honors college. This will give her the best of both worlds--small classes with special advising in a large university setting.

Another poster cautioned against applying to any SLAC (selective liberal arts college). I agree as my impression is that she would be bored socially in the typical SLAC environment (rural & a high emphasis on sports participation).

Among the top super elite National Universities, your daughter should avoid MIT, Caltech, Princeton, Columbia, Chicago.

Bluntly speaking, your daughter seems to be a very good match for public university honors colleges (such as the University of Georgia), the University of Virginia, Duke, Vanderbilt, Dartmouth College !!!! because it is VERY social, the University of Pennsylvania, Rice, SMU.

SMU in Dallas, Texas has similarities to Vanderbilt & to Duke, but is much less selective. She should consider USC and Wake Forest University. Since she likes to party, I will recommend one LAC, Washington & Lee in Virginia.

An ACT score of 35 and a straight A GPA is most helpful for admission to public university honors colleges.

[Anonymous]

Continuing on: I have many nieces & nephews who live out of state--they are all residents of Georgia. Three of them recently applied to college including to the University of Georgia. Their ACT scores were 34, 35, & 36. One also took the SAT 1450. The one with the 34 ACT had a straight A average and was accepted to the University of Georgia--but not invited to the Honors College, the Honors College at the University of Alabama with a merit scholarship award, and to Vanderbilt University. The one who scored 36 on the ACT had median grades and was not admitted to the University of Georgia. The one with a 35 ACT and average grades was deferred/waitlisted, then admitted to the University of Georgia, but not to the Honors College, and was given a conditional acceptance for sophomore year to Georgia Tech (both parents are alums).

My point is that while you are justifiably proud of your daughters numbers, they are not enough to get admitted to super elite private National Universities.

I agree with other posters that membership in Mensa is fairly worthless & may subject her to ridicule. I would not place this membership on any college application.

Again, it would be helpful to know her intended area of study and any career goal as well as the entire list of schools suggested by her college counselor.

[Anonymous]

Also, FWIW one of my nephews recently graduated Duke as a double Dukie (BA & MA degrees). He was a recruited athlete with an ACT score of 28, if I recall correctly. Had no trouble with Duke academics-even made the ACC honor roll for athletes as a public policy major. He did, however, struggle with a few classes in the masters degree program.

I mention this because of your daughter's interest in Duke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, FWIW one of my nephews recently graduated Duke as a double Dukie (BA & MA degrees). He was a recruited athlete with an ACT score of 28, if I recall correctly. Had no trouble with Duke academics-even made the ACC honor roll for athletes as a public policy major. He did, however, struggle with a few classes in the masters degree program.

I mention this because of your daughter's interest in Duke.

He was a recruited athlete with ACT scores very low for Duke (because he was an athlete).

Your point? It will be a very big reach for her daughter who does not have such a hook.

[Anonymous]

Denver
UMiami

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, FWIW one of my nephews recently graduated Duke as a double Dukie (BA & MA degrees). He was a recruited athlete with an ACT score of 28, if I recall correctly. Had no trouble with Duke academics-even made the ACC honor roll for athletes as a public policy major. He did, however, struggle with a few classes in the masters degree program.

I mention this because of your daughter's interest in Duke.

What’s your point?

[Anonymous]

VCU

[Anonymous]

Definitely get ready to let go of your illusions of DD sailing into every school she applies to. Like everybody, she'll need to apply to a range of schools in terms of how competitive admissions are. Basically, you want to look at academically competitive schools with a robust Greek scene. In addition to the schools you mentioned, take a look at:

Cornell
Dartmouth
Emory
Michigan Honors
Northwestern
Penn
Princeton (despite what a few PPs have said, it's super-social -- DH went there and DS will be a first-year, so we are familiar with it)
Cornell
SMU
UT
Wake Forest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely get ready to let go of your illusions of DD sailing into every school she applies to. Like everybody, she'll need to apply to a range of schools in terms of how competitive admissions are. Basically, you want to look at academically competitive schools with a robust Greek scene. In addition to the schools you mentioned, take a look at:

Cornell
Dartmouth
Emory
Michigan Honors
Northwestern
Penn
Princeton (despite what a few PPs have said, it's super-social -- DH went there and DS will be a first-year, so we are familiar with it)
Cornell
SMU
UT
Wake Forest

Yes, Princeton is super social, but--based on OP's description of her daughter as non-intellectual--unlikely that OP's daughter will be admitted to Princeton or Northwestern as such an observation might be reflected in teacher recommendations or revealed by the daughter's application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, FWIW one of my nephews recently graduated Duke as a double Dukie (BA & MA degrees). He was a recruited athlete with an ACT score of 28, if I recall correctly. Had no trouble with Duke academics-even made the ACC honor roll for athletes as a public policy major. He did, however, struggle with a few classes in the masters degree program.

I mention this because of your daughter's interest in Duke.

What’s your point?

Really ? You didn't understand the point of that post ????