school for my kid - great grades, mediocre extra-Cs, okay scores

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:White, not from this area (overseas), has an interesting life story (but not one of hardship - just always the American in local schools), perfect grades, hardest course work.

Kid got a 1350 equivalent on the PSAT which I believe will go up because the lowest scores was in the math.

If he got a 1350 on PSAT he may very well have more than “okay” scores once he studies and takes the SAT.

Yeah, 1350 is 95th percentile for an 11th grader.

[Anonymous]

I think kids with international experiences can frame that in a way that makes up for any lack of substantial extracurriculars. Many colleges will value their unique perspectives and it could even give them an edge over stateside kids with a long list of EC’s.

I like the suggestion of Macalaster!

[Anonymous]

Agree that 1350 is a good PSAT score. My daughter had a 1300 PSAT and with a few months of tutoring just got a 1550 SAT.

She basically had to learn things like how to correctly use a colon, semicolon, etc. She was good at math and the fundamentals of reading and vocab were there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In China and India EC's don't matter because the only EC is more homework/studying for regular subjects in cram schools. I don't think that's better than ECs.


What is the scene in other countries? Do people just agree to chill out after school, and colleges admissions avoid favoring extra preppers?

The French exchange student we had last year said there wasn’t time for ECs in France. School was literally from 8am to 6pm every day with no sports or other “fluff” subjects. Just academics, that’s all.

This is similar to DC privates with the addition of sports. Academics and sports 8am to 6pm daily. Kids don't have near the extracurricular resumes of the public school kids (I have one of both).

[Anonymous]

I hate posts like these more than anything, yet I'm drawn to them like a train wreck.

Poster after posting pulling schools out of their a$$es like the three or four they name somehow stand out among the 50 or 100 others that are just like them. And then someone says "Jesuit schools" and throws out San Francisco like that makes any sense whatsoever. San Francisco is a regional school for average students and OP's kid isn't that at all.

The bottom line is that a kid like OP's kid - a smart kid with a humanities focus - should be focusing first and foremost on VA state schools. Other schools should be an afterthought. Apply to UVA, and William and Mary (even if you don't really like it). Go test optional unless actual SATs are 100 points higher. Throw in JMU and Tech. Then pick a couple of REAL schools that make actual sense - not ones drawn from a hat.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious about the criticism of W&M, because that seemed like a good fit.

I like the Boston College suggestion. Maybe Lehigh? It has a party culture, but I think less so for the liberal artsy kids. Ivies could work -- do you think he would like Cornell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate posts like these more than anything, yet I'm drawn to them like a train wreck.

Poster after posting pulling schools out of their a$$es like the three or four they name somehow stand out among the 50 or 100 others that are just like them. And then someone says "Jesuit schools" and throws out San Francisco like that makes any sense whatsoever. San Francisco is a regional school for average students and OP's kid isn't that at all.

The bottom line is that a kid like OP's kid - a smart kid with a humanities focus - should be focusing first and foremost on VA state schools. Other schools should be an afterthought. Apply to UVA, and William and Mary (even if you don't really like it). Go test optional unless actual SATs are 100 points higher. Throw in JMU and Tech. Then pick a couple of REAL schools that make actual sense - not ones drawn from a hat.

I love posts like these where posters like you judge the early contributors and chime in as if you have something of brilliance to add. The OP already said she's looking at VA state schools first, so nice job in regurgitating an already-stated fact. OP's kid is likely going to have merit options at privates given the high grades and a likely higher SAT score, so there are many other colleges are in play. That is what the PP's are brainstorming on. Your priorities of in-state pricing may not be the OP's given the options that will be available. And to that end, why in the world would he apply to W&M if he already knows doesn't like it?!

[Anonymous]

OP wanted suggestions for:
- small school
- more remote, or at least non-urban, location
- not heavy party scene
- where a quiet introvert might feel at home

…that would accept a kid who:
- gets good grades, but
- might not have perfect test scores
- doesn’t have much in the way of ECs

…and that is also of a high enough caliber education to compete with state schools (to which kid is already applying), ideally with merit.

For all the PP’s derision of those who have tried to help, *are* there in fact “50-100 schools” that meet these criteria? Not by my count.

[Anonymous]

Elon
Brandeis
Denison
Bates

[Anonymous]

Wake
Vanderbilt (reach)
Richmond
Williams (Reach)

[Anonymous]

Spend some time and hire an essay coach or college counselor to help frame the foreign EC exp. Could do from now-August.

Some good ppl on Reddit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wake
Vanderbilt (reach)
Richmond
Williams (Reach)

WF and Richmond are nothing like Williams. They're both schools for "study hard, party hard" basic, upper middle class kids. I know--my son is one of these and he is drawn to these schools like a moth to a flame.
OP's kid sounds like the opposite of this. He fancies himself an international sophisticate. He's had intimate exposure to different cultures.

OP, what about Tufts? Georgetown?

Agree that these posts are worthless. People throw out such random crap.

[Anonymous]

This is absurd. Good grades in what classes? And define good grades? There’s still a lot we don’t know about your kid or their transcript. Anyone giving you advice on which schools is just guessing on insufficient data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colgate University
Haverford College
University of Richmond
Davidson College
William & Mary

this list doesn't make sense to me at all. I have a "work hard, party hard" kind of son and Colgate, Richmond, Davidson are some of his top picks.

I didn’t get a party hard vibe from Davidson at all.

[Anonymous]

Vassar