“Hot Colleges” (2018 admissions cycle)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The women’s colleges seem to be experiencing a surge in interest and applications. Mount Holyoke, Smith, Bryan Mawr.

Good!

Mount Holyoke is overenrolled this year!

-Signed happy alumna

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Purdue is popular for Engineering. I know a few each year in NOVA the turn down Tech for it and a few that go because they could not get to not Tech. More apply every year from our highschool. They have a much more collaborative program and Tech is still preaching every man for himself.

Purdue Engineering is huge at TJ. At least a dozen kids each year go.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe some of the "jabs" on here by disgruntled moms.

Well, honestly - yes, I can......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From our HS:

Georgia
Indiana
Tulane
VT
Colorado

Interesting. Georgia Tech or UGA? I have a kid at TJ. And they always have a large number of kids admitted to GT Engineering and 1-2 kids who go. Vs. a couple dozen kids who go to each of to Michigan Engineering and Illinois-CU Engineering. And since I have a class of 2020 kids interested in LACs, And not Engineering, I never dig deep enough to figure out why that is? GT is as good, or better, in Engineering. Better financial aid? A desire not to love in the South? Better TJ recruiting? Interested because DH is from GA and I also grew up in the South.

Also interested to hear about hot LACs or small national universities. Especially ones with good merit aid (which knocks out a lot of schools). Oberlin was always on my radar, but College of Wooster, Kenyon and Grinnell look surprisingly good on paper. Very high percent of kids in top PhD programs. Very good undergrad science research. Excellent merit aid. Also Denison, which was scratched of our list for my kid specific reasons. And Davidson, which I knew about since it is a Southern school. It would surprise me if there wasn’t a run on these schools. Anyone?

Your kid goes to TJ and you write like this?

Also, when someone says Georgia they always mean Georgia, not Georgia Tech.

Why are you surprised? Oblerlin, Wooster, Kenyon, Grinnell and Davidson are great matches for my specific kid, and his specific interests needs (which includes ADHD) and talents (which is not engineering or bust, and includes very strong writing and a lot of strength in interdisciplinary study and humanities). And we cannot afford a NEACA school or other school that does not offer merit aid. My kid will do much better at a small college with small classes. Strong interest in geosciences and the availability of undergrad research. Strong interest in music as a minor or significant extracurricular. Offbeat interest in the intersection of music theory and math and physics. He will likely go on to get his PhD at a large national research university. Oberlin has an amazing music studies minor and Oberlin and Wooster are both in the top 10 in terms of per capita PhD production. Right now Oberlin is his top choice, and I think it’s a fantastic fit.

Not every TJ parent is gunning for the most prestigious college sticker to put on their car. Some of us are looking hard at kids interest, talents, needs and fit. You do you. My kid will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitt seems inordinately popular!

As does USC (S. Carolina).

USC (S. Carolina) surprises me every year - but USC gives LOTS of merit aid to kids in the donut hole - so it shouldn't be that surprising.

Yes, I was going to write the same and see someone beat me to it. South Carolina came hard at my high-stats kid, sending him several letters unsolicited offering all sorts of aid and perks, including a free computer. For some goofy reason, the free computer offer triggered my kid and he was suddenly hell-bent on applying, until he remembered that he had no desire to be in South Carolina.

I believe Alabama is also famous for offering buckets of merit aid to northern kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitt seems inordinately popular!

As does USC (S. Carolina).

USC (S. Carolina) surprises me every year - but USC gives LOTS of merit aid to kids in the donut hole - so it shouldn't be that surprising.

Yes, I was going to write the same and see someone beat me to it. South Carolina came hard at my high-stats kid, sending him several letters unsolicited offering all sorts of aid and perks, including a free computer. For some goofy reason, the free computer offer triggered my kid and he was suddenly hell-bent on applying, until he remembered that he had no desire to be in South Carolina.

I believe Alabama is also famous for offering buckets of merit aid to northern kids.

Not surprised about SC. We used to live there. The school is academically fine, and it is the only place to go if you plan to live in SC at lot of networking and everyone knows everyone else going on. But wow. Your kid needs to want a conservative, Southern frat culture to really fit in. I’m glad to hear they are try to diversify.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NYU
Davidson
Macalester
Pitzer
Occidental
Reed
USC

Lots of interest of going west!

Going west for these two powerfully second rate CA schools on your list and one that is vastly overrated and still has an inferiority complex?

From the chatter, it is a combo of LA/SoCal and not having to struggle to get into courses. Sounds as if UCLA has become difficult in that respect. Judging from their admission rates don’t seem second rate. Perhaps just less known around here?

[Anonymous]

<<Not every TJ parent is gunning for the most prestigious college sticker to put on their car. Some of us are looking hard at kids interest, talents, needs and fit. You do you. My kid will be fine.>>

Yah, I want to hang out with this other parent: he/she is reflecting our family's approach exactly.

We would just substitute MoCo for TJ in the quoted passage! My child selected the least prestigious of the 7 schools he got into. And I totally support his decision: it was clearly the best fit all around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitt seems inordinately popular!

As does USC (S. Carolina).

USC (S. Carolina) surprises me every year - but USC gives LOTS of merit aid to kids in the donut hole - so it shouldn't be that surprising.

Yes, I was going to write the same and see someone beat me to it. South Carolina came hard at my high-stats kid, sending him several letters unsolicited offering all sorts of aid and perks, including a free computer. For some goofy reason, the free computer offer triggered my kid and he was suddenly hell-bent on applying, until he remembered that he had no desire to be in South Carolina.

I believe Alabama is also famous for offering buckets of merit aid to northern kids.

Not surprised about SC. We used to live there. The school is academically fine, and it is the only place to go if you plan to live in SC at lot of networking and everyone knows everyone else going on. But wow. Your kid needs to want a conservative, Southern frat culture to really fit in. I’m glad to hear they are try to diversify.

There is also Clemson.

[Anonymous]

Pomona - 6.9% acceptance rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bates had a huge jump in applications, I think they went up 45% and admit rate went way down as a result.

How odd.

Why is this odd? Bates is an amazing school and they are investing a LOT in the campus - so many new buildings from dorms to a new science center coming up. Bates was also the number one producer of Fulbright award recipients this past year for LACs. The jump was largely due to the fact that they dropped their extra essay - which is something their peer schools did ages ago - so it will now be on par going forward. Many other schools in NESCAC are test flexible or optional so that's not a big deal and Bates has been like that since the 80's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From our HS:

Georgia
Indiana
Tulane
VT
Colorado

Interesting. Georgia Tech or UGA? I have a kid at TJ. And they always have a large number of kids admitted to GT Engineering and 1-2 kids who go. Vs. a couple dozen kids who go to each of to Michigan Engineering and Illinois-CU Engineering. And since I have a class of 2020 kids interested in LACs, And not Engineering, I never dig deep enough to figure out why that is? GT is as good, or better, in Engineering. Better financial aid? A desire not to love in the South? Better TJ recruiting? Interested because DH is from GA and I also grew up in the South.

Also interested to hear about hot LACs or small national universities. Especially ones with good merit aid (which knocks out a lot of schools). Oberlin was always on my radar, but College of Wooster, Kenyon and Grinnell look surprisingly good on paper. Very high percent of kids in top PhD programs. Very good undergrad science research. Excellent merit aid. Also Denison, which was scratched of our list for my kid specific reasons. And Davidson, which I knew about since it is a Southern school. It would surprise me if there wasn’t a run on these schools. Anyone?

Your kid goes to TJ and you write like this?

Also, when someone says Georgia they always mean Georgia, not Georgia Tech.

Why are you surprised? Oblerlin, Wooster, Kenyon, Grinnell and Davidson are great matches for my specific kid, and his specific interests needs (which includes ADHD) and talents (which is not engineering or bust, and includes very strong writing and a lot of strength in interdisciplinary study and humanities). And we cannot afford a NEACA school or other school that does not offer merit aid. My kid will do much better at a small college with small classes. Strong interest in geosciences and the availability of undergrad research. Strong interest in music as a minor or significant extracurricular. Offbeat interest in the intersection of music theory and math and physics. He will likely go on to get his PhD at a large national research university. Oberlin has an amazing music studies minor and Oberlin and Wooster are both in the top 10 in terms of per capita PhD production. Right now Oberlin is his top choice, and I think it’s a fantastic fit.

Not every TJ parent is gunning for the most prestigious college sticker to put on their car. Some of us are looking hard at kids interest, talents, needs and fit. You do you. My kid will be fine.

My child is at Oberlin and your son sounds like a great candidate. Good luck! It's a unique place and full of very interesting students.

[Anonymous]

Villanova

[Anonymous]

My daughter's wealthy somewhat smart girlfriends over the last two years:

USC (LA)
Tulane
Wisconsin
SMU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Villanova

+1

This would have been a safety school for my DS, but I am not so sure anymore!