Help me come up with schools to visit

[Anonymous]

If full pay, he should ED to a reach, especially with that SAT score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would do the big publics, Indiana, Delaware, UMass, Ohio State, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, maybe Auburn.

For smaller/mid-size schools, try jesuit/catholic colleges - Fairfield, Providence, Marquette, Loyola Chicago, LMU.

Good luck!

+1 This is the tier to be exploring due to the GPA. Add Elon, High Point, WVU.

no to High point, WVU. This kid has a 1550 and a 3.5 Unweighted with high rigor. Unless you need a super safety. High point will get him no where. Sorry.

Agreed. HPU is a racket. There are plenty of better safety options for this kid.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for suggestions so far!
We found with older the spring of junior year was a terrible time to visit because of all the AP stress, and senior year ended up feeling too late because of all the ED pressure, so I’m hoping to start looking more casually and big picture earlier.

Kid usually gets solid As on test but often forgets to do or turn in the busy work (eg doesn’t turn in the outline for the paper but turns in the paper and gets an A), so the result is a lot of Bs on the report card because losing out the easy homework grades. We’re working on the concept of doing things just for the grades, rather than for the learningexperience.

I’m actually just guessing in the SAT score but that was his siblings score and he always put scores his sibling on standardized tests so I think that’s an accurate projection or he might score higher.

I’m encouraged to see some people think places like UMass, Marquette mhgth be possible. Any thoughts on Union? Clark?

I don’t think he has any preference for location or size. Or city/rural. He hates basketball so that’s not a draw like it is for some kids. He has ECs that he spends a lot of time on, but they are pretty common and not the sort of thing where he’s going to win a state or national award. The kind of EC that would have been really top tier in the 80s but is now considered pretty average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would do the big publics, Indiana, Delaware, UMass, Ohio State, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, maybe Auburn.

For smaller/mid-size schools, try jesuit/catholic colleges - Fairfield, Providence, Marquette, Loyola Chicago, LMU.

Good luck!

+1 This is the tier to be exploring due to the GPA. Add Elon, High Point, WVU.

no to High point, WVU. This kid has a 1550 and a 3.5 Unweighted with high rigor. Unless you need a super safety. High point will get him no where. Sorry.

The test scores doesn’t fix the grades.

He has a b average! Some of you are seriously delusional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I clearly don’t understand the current application process bc I see 1550 and then I see “Lehigh is a reach.” ?!?! Lehigh is ranked #47. This kid has an SAT score in the 99th percentile and a solid B gpa. And the best they can do is Lehigh as a reach?!

I’m not the poster that said that but the B GPA next to a 1550 could be a problem. It suggests the kid doesn’t work to their potential.

And OP also said ECs are fine but not great, which could reflect (to colleges at least) a lack of motivation, drive, or involvement. On paper, those stats read as a middle of the road student who tests well.

That’s crazy talk. A b average and 99th percentile kid is not “middle of the road who tests well” it’s super bright kid who could work a little harder but works fairly hard already to be making Bs in high rigor classes.

[Anonymous]

Op, people are being way too conservative in their suggestions. High Point? WVU? For a kid who scored in the 99th percentile??

WVU average sat score is between 1000-1200 and kids only need a GPA of 2.5 to get into WVU. I don’t think OP’s kid would fit in intellectually there…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, people are being way too conservative in their suggestions. High Point? WVU? For a kid who scored in the 99th percentile??

WVU average sat score is between 1000-1200 and kids only need a GPA of 2.5 to get into WVU. I don’t think OP’s kid would fit in intellectually there…

Op clarified in her post at 17:25 that she is guessing he will score 1550 because that’s what his older sibling scored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am trying to start school visits earlier with my second kid, as we waited too long with my first. What are some possible schools for a kid with a 3.5 UW but all the hardest classes, 1550 SAT, decent extracurriculars but nothing outstanding. White male from McPS.

I know 3.5 is not considered very good from MCPS but not sure what types of schools would be realistic. Engineering is a possibility or other STEM—still not really sure.

Thanks.

Why should anyone do that for you when that is what a college counselor is for?

NP, but why would one self limit to the advice of one when they could crowd-source knowledgeable parents who have been there done that and who are willing to share their lessons learned and the wisdom of their experience for free? Do you think everyone here is a college counselor who charges for services?

[Anonymous]

I would do the big publics, Indiana, Delaware, UMass, Ohio State, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, maybe Auburn.

Yes and would add to this list UNH, Rutgers, Michigan State, U of Iowa, U of Kansas, Colorado/Boulder, Colorado State/Ft Collins, U of Oregon, U of Arizona, Arizona State. Maybe SUNY Buffalo too, maybe UVM (although admission there is kind of tough relative to what it provides). All are solid schools that attract smart kids from their state, but tend to be under-discussed on DCUM.

I'm throwing those out for consideration, obviously not to suggest visiting them all in a single trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I clearly don’t understand the current application process bc I see 1550 and then I see “Lehigh is a reach.” ?!?! Lehigh is ranked #47. This kid has an SAT score in the 99th percentile and a solid B gpa. And the best they can do is Lehigh as a reach?!

I’m not the poster that said that but the B GPA next to a 1550 could be a problem. It suggests the kid doesn’t work to their potential.

Agree, but it also shows that the kid is human and may just need a more focused environment; immersion into an engineering program or into any academic area of interest may paint a different picture.

Lehigh & Lafayette should be reasonable targets for OP's son.

Both are a reach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for suggestions so far!
We found with older the spring of junior year was a terrible time to visit because of all the AP stress, and senior year ended up feeling too late because of all the ED pressure, so I’m hoping to start looking more casually and big picture earlier.

Kid usually gets solid As on test but often forgets to do or turn in the busy work (eg doesn’t turn in the outline for the paper but turns in the paper and gets an A), so the result is a lot of Bs on the report card because losing out the easy homework grades. We’re working on the concept of doing things just for the grades, rather than for the learningexperience.

I’m actually just guessing in the SAT score but that was his siblings score and he always put scores his sibling on standardized tests so I think that’s an accurate projection or he might score higher.

I’m encouraged to see some people think places like UMass, Marquette mhgth be possible. Any thoughts on Union? Clark?

I don’t think he has any preference for location or size. Or city/rural. He hates basketball so that’s not a draw like it is for some kids. He has ECs that he spends a lot of time on, but they are pretty common and not the sort of thing where he’s going to win a state or national award. The kind of EC that would have been really top tier in the 80s but is now considered pretty average.

Ummm. Don’t project 99% scores and factor them into your decisions until your kid, at a bare minimum, takes a times official practice test. Everyone is basing. Recommendations on the 1550+ helping a lower GPA. But, the score isn’t real til he produces it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for suggestions so far!
We found with older the spring of junior year was a terrible time to visit because of all the AP stress, and senior year ended up feeling too late because of all the ED pressure, so I’m hoping to start looking more casually and big picture earlier.

Kid usually gets solid As on test but often forgets to do or turn in the busy work (eg doesn’t turn in the outline for the paper but turns in the paper and gets an A), so the result is a lot of Bs on the report card because losing out the easy homework grades. We’re working on the concept of doing things just for the grades, rather than for the learningexperience.

I’m actually just guessing in the SAT score but that was his siblings score and he always put scores his sibling on standardized tests so I think that’s an accurate projection or he might score higher.

I’m encouraged to see some people think places like UMass, Marquette mhgth be possible. Any thoughts on Union? Clark?

I don’t think he has any preference for location or size. Or city/rural. He hates basketball so that’s not a draw like it is for some kids. He has ECs that he spends a lot of time on, but they are pretty common and not the sort of thing where he’s going to win a state or national award. The kind of EC that would have been really top tier in the 80s but is now considered pretty average.

Ummm. Don’t project 99% scores and factor them into your decisions until your kid, at a bare minimum, takes a times official practice test. [b]Everyone is basing. Recommendations on the 1550+ helping a lower GPA. [i]But, the score isn’t real til he produces it.

People are recommending WVU and High Point and other really low-ranked schools so I don’t think most people are even considering the hypothetical 1550 in their recommendations anyway.

[Anonymous]

Syracuse