You’re very helpful |
college is for my child in order to get a good paying job. Why would I spend $320K+ on a subpar college education to get a job that tops out at $75K/yr. That's a terrible ROI. There's nothing wrong with 2 yrs at community college,, then transfer to a good college, especially for those who aren't sure what they want to major in. |
Why don't you look at actual ROI? These "subpar" colleges often have very similar career outcomes to good ones. And can cost quite a bit less with merit aid. There's nothing wrong with community college, but it has its downfalls and there's a pretty good chance your B student is not going to get into what you see as a "good" college because it's a hard path to meet the transfer requirements and they didn't yet excel in high school. You seem kind of pigheaded and certain in your beliefs without digging into the actual data. |
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OP, I will just share my experience.
My son has 3.4. So basically B plus and shade below A minus. He didn’t take many honors and APs I assumed a B plus would be find. ESP for big state school which is what he wants. Unfortunately not the case. Totally dismayed at the number of state schools that I thought were safeties that we are being told he probably won’t be excepted at. And his ACT score was fine and equivalent to what a B plus student would be. So maybe share the stats with your DD now so she gets it. And start managing expectations. Many many good schools that will take her as other have mentioned. But not the ones you probably thought would. Sigh. Yes it really makes us frustrated with our private school and it tough grading system. |
what school is this? A DC Big3? |
which schools are these? Thank you--my kid is similar. |
I also want to know. If you were applying to flagships - Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin - then you got bad advice. But, if your kid applied to the second-tier or regional publics and still didn’t get it, now that IS surprising and I can imagine the frustration! |
Oh, you see it as vocational school. Some of us think of it as an educational institution. A bridge from adolescence to adulthood, where much if the learning takes place outside of the classroom. |
DC Top 5 |
PSU, Ohio, Clemson, TN, Auburn, South Carolina and similar. No, I was not told they are safeties. That was my assumption before going into the college process. That is what I am trying to convey to the OP, who is not yet in the process. |
Why not at least have him try and actually apply to some of these schools? “We are being told” does not mean he won’t get in or possibly get in off waitlist. |
Actually, that's a good list. In my family, B kids were accepted at the Arizona universities, Indiana, FSU and U of Cincinnati. Among friends, there have been admissions at Temple, Kansas, College of Charleston, Rollins, FAU, Goucher. I also know some kids who went to U of Iowa, Northern Iowa and Nebraska - and I think they were all B students. |
If your kid is at a DC top 5, I would recommend including a few private reach schools on the list - especially if your chid can apply ED and especially if your kid can get some high test scores. Try both the ACT and the SAT. For a full pay private school kid, I would also consider Trinity, Connecticut College, Lewis & Clark. I would also try to leverage gender and/ or geography: I would look at LACs for a boy and maybe avoid them and look at more techy schools for a girl (schools like RIT). |
+100 High school counselors are often managing expectations. They are only colllege seniors once. Make sure you have several 'safeties' that they would be willing to attend, but go ahead and throw your hat in the ring to some dream schools. |
Please tell me you are joking. Most kids are “B” students. All colleges look at the “whole” student-activities, jobs, sports-not just grades!!!
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