Which school for this kid

[Anonymous]

I also think people are being optimistic. I think things have changed in last two years a lot. I’d be looking at Wes/davidson as ED 1 and 2 and maybe Santa Clara and GW as rd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M

This is your answer. Second option GWU.

Disagree. W&M takes top students, not "average" (OPs own assertion). Last year's incoming class at the 75th percentile (where you should be if not hooked) had a 1520, a 34 and a weighted GPA of 4.53. https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

Last year from my kid’s FCPS HS (which DCUM would regard as lower-tier) the average weighted gpa was 4.3 and the average test score was 1380 for W&M accepted kids (and there were a LOT of them). Those are good students but not what DCUM would call “top students” I am sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3.8 GPA (which is about avg) at top tier nyc private. 1480 SAT/34 ACT. Debater. Leadership in clubs. Worked summer jobs (this part is kinda interesting). Outgoing and popular but not athletic - concerned about being left out at smaller SLACs with highest # of athletes. Good writer.

No honors or awards.

Humanities - history/philosophy/politics. Movie buff. Maybe wants to teach or law school.

East coast preferred but open.
Size 2k-10k

Full pay if need be.

Okay w ED. He knows the GPA is not great - 9th grade was rough and improved (some) - and he has no
passion project etc

My somewhat comparable son got in without honors at an in-state state flagship; in with honors and merit aid at a interesting program at another in-state university; rejected by Yale and Northwestern; in with good merit aid at Fordham; Seton Hall; Temple and Catholic University.

So, it might make sense to apply to dream schools ranked T15 through T30 but focus more on T30 through T150.
Maybe

Was your son at a selective private?

At a selective public. Obviously: The OP’s son *could* get in at Yale. If he loves Yale, he should try and see what opens.

He probably could squeeze into Tufts or Emory if he really tries.

But a Fordham or George Washington would really love him for himself, not just squeeze him in. The important think is to make sure a mid-tier school is strong enough to survive the current turmoil. The strong mid-tier schools will probably climb up over the shakier high-tier schools.

Some private school kids did VERY well this year....and some not so great.
This is ENTIRELY HS dependent.
The most important thing in T25 college admissions is the HS you come from.

She said its its "top tier nyc private" - that matters. Her school's data is much more important than your public school kid's stats (sorry to be so blunt). But its apples to oranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M

This is your answer. Second option GWU.

Disagree. W&M takes top students, not "average" (OPs own assertion). Last year's incoming class at the 75th percentile (where you should be if not hooked) had a 1520, a 34 and a weighted GPA of 4.53. https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

Last year from my kid’s FCPS HS (which DCUM would regard as lower-tier) the average weighted gpa was 4.3 and the average test score was 1380 for W&M accepted kids (and there were a LOT of them). Those are good students but not what DCUM would call “top students” I am sure.

Ok that's not a good high school. Too much grade inflation.
Im sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also think people are being optimistic. I think things have changed in last two years a lot. I’d be looking at Wes/davidson as ED 1 and 2 and maybe Santa Clara and GW as rd.

Who has it changed for? Its gotten so much easier for some kids and some high schools.
Doesn't it depend on the HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M

This is your answer. Second option GWU.

Disagree. W&M takes top students, not "average" (OPs own assertion). Last year's incoming class at the 75th percentile (where you should be if not hooked) had a 1520, a 34 and a weighted GPA of 4.53. https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

It really, really depends on the high school. William and Mary took a bunch of 3.5 and below GPAs from my kid's DC private this year (2024).

W&M is a safety for my private for kids in the 3.7-3.8uw range....just FYI.

[Anonymous]

I think the generally accepted definition of a "target" school is one where the applicant has a 30-70% chance of admission. Does anyone seriously think OP's kid has either a lower than 30% or higher than 70% chance of admission at W&M?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the generally accepted definition of a "target" school is one where the applicant has a 30-70% chance of admission. Does anyone seriously think OP's kid has either a lower than 30% or higher than 70% chance of admission at W&M?

Oh, was she looking for targets? Not reaches?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMiami

Need lower stats unless you ED. Everyone with high stats from my kids private was deferred/waitlisted. Kids who got in did ED with lower stats. They massively yield protect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMiami

Need lower stats unless you ED. Everyone with high stats from my kids private was deferred/waitlisted. Kids who got in did ED with lower stats. They massively yield protect.

Was your kid included in the list of deferred? Did they demonstrate interest? Mine has high stats and is very interested in UMiami. ED is not an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMiami

Need lower stats unless you ED. Everyone with high stats from my kids private was deferred/waitlisted. Kids who got in did ED with lower stats. They massively yield protect.

Agree with this from our private as well. The test scores alone will lead to a WL or rejection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M

This is your answer. Second option GWU.

Disagree. W&M takes top students, not "average" (OPs own assertion). Last year's incoming class at the 75th percentile (where you should be if not hooked) had a 1520, a 34 and a weighted GPA of 4.53. https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

Last year from my kid’s FCPS HS (which DCUM would regard as lower-tier) the average weighted gpa was 4.3 and the average test score was 1380 for W&M accepted kids (and there were a LOT of them). Those are good students but not what DCUM would call “top students” I am sure.

Ok that's not a good high school. Too much grade inflation.
Im sorry.

WTF are you babbling about? Did you see what I was replying to? The PP said the incoming class at W&M had a 75th percentile gpa of 4.53. And, as it happens, the median gpa is 4.36, which is exactly the average weighted gpa of the kids who got into W&M from my kid's HS.

My kid's HS is exactly in line with what you'd expect from W&M admissions stats. If my kid's HS is "not good" because it has "too much grade inflation" then every single high school from which W&M accepted kids last year is also "not good" and has "too much grade inflation".

Idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do kids with his GPA end up from his private school? Each school is different.....not sure we can tell you what works. Do you have access to naviance?

At our private, 3.8/34 with rigor def gets in ED to T11-25 (definitely more in the WashU/Emory camp than Vandy, but it does happen for humanities). ED is VERY important for a 3.8 kid.

My 3.8 got into several T25 schools - private HS/uncommon major/curated theme & niche ECs etc

Vandy isn't that much harder than Emory washu etc. Maybe they just prefer your private school. Some privates have 14 going to Emory others just 1. On reddit, in the college results forum many get into vandy but not Emory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the school have a track record of sending to Georgetown or BC? I think he has a shot.
Otherwise Tufts ED. Major in history go to law school.

history is way too common at GU though, right? Maybe philosophy?
Look at the #s on college raptor and decide on different major for each school depending on which is less popular.

None of these schools admit by major. He's a boy in humanities. That's all that matters. There's no gaming history v philosophy v English v classics.

Disagree. But you do you.
Ask your private college counselor - mine spent months parsing through the data on this for my kid.

Not sure what there is to disagree with—it’s a fact that these schools don’t admit by major.

How much did you pay your counselor for the hours of “parsing” she did? Seems like you got sold a bill of goods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the school have a track record of sending to Georgetown or BC? I think he has a shot.
Otherwise Tufts ED. Major in history go to law school.

history is way too common at GU though, right? Maybe philosophy?
Look at the #s on college raptor and decide on different major for each school depending on which is less popular.

None of these schools admit by major. He's a boy in humanities. That's all that matters. There's no gaming history v philosophy v English v classics.

Disagree. But you do you.
Ask your private college counselor - mine spent months parsing through the data on this for my kid.

Not sure what there is to disagree with—it’s a fact that these schools don’t admit by major.

How much did you pay your counselor for the hours of “parsing” she did? Seems like you got sold a bill of goods.

We’ve also been told to list different majors for different schools - lots of strategizing on major. Anthro at some schools; gender studies at others or something entirely different. Depending on size of those departments/number of undergraduate majors declared and number of endowed chairs (by school).

And yes kid has EC and intellectual support in app for each major (but will require a lot of tailoring).

Agree ofc no one admits by major in liberal arts but some colleges need some majors more than others (see classics and philosophy and English departments). Kids w less popular majors were the “surprise” admits this last cycle at our private.

There’s a professor who always posts on this topic here and has posted before about what this looks like on the inside…