Lessons Learned- College Admissions- If you had to do it all again.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For a high stats kid how many matches/reaches would you suggest including if they’re applying to 10 schools total? (And by matches/reaches I mean BU/Colgate type schools, not ivies.)

50-50
Based on how kids from your school have performed in those schools. Use Naviance. Also, talk to your counselor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a high stats kid how many matches/reaches would you suggest including if they’re applying to 10 schools total? (And by matches/reaches I mean BU/Colgate type schools, not ivies.)

50-50
Based on how kids from your school have performed in those schools. Use Naviance. Also, talk to your counselor.

Ugh sorry. For high stat kids - the match and reach are the same.

I was using match/reach as one category and safeties as another.

Naviance will even show Harvard as a Match for a High Stat kid. It is not. Nope. High stat kids are usually working with only two categories of schools in Naviance, but don't get fooled. The matches are actually reaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a high stats kid how many matches/reaches would you suggest including if they’re applying to 10 schools total? (And by matches/reaches I mean BU/Colgate type schools, not ivies.)

For a true high stats kid I would 1) ensure first choice is done ED and 2) apply to more than 10, with the extras in the "high match/match" category.

Unfortunately, not every school has ED. Or even EA. If your kid really wants somewhere like Berkeley, it's RD only with a November deadline and mid March results. I do agree with adding match schools but for a high stats kid, match often = reach. So perhaps add more low match/high safety schools to the mix.

[Anonymous]

What qualifies as high stats?

[Anonymous]

Oh yes I forgot to add in, visit as many colleges as you can, either within driving distance of home, or hey if you're on vacation somewhere, is there a school there of interest? Go check it out, just driving through the area and walking the campus is enough to help the kids figure out what environment they like. Doesn't even have to be a school they can realistically attend, just seeing alot of college towns and campuses will help them picture themselves there, get excited and help with motivation to apply to college.

[Anonymous]

For those that mentioned getting merit aid, can you please ID a few of the schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a high stats kid how many matches/reaches would you suggest including if they’re applying to 10 schools total? (And by matches/reaches I mean BU/Colgate type schools, not ivies.)

For a true high stats kid I would 1) ensure first choice is done ED and 2) apply to more than 10, with the extras in the "high match/match" category.

Unfortunately, not every school has ED. Or even EA. If your kid really wants somewhere like Berkeley, it's RD only with a November deadline and mid March results. I do agree with adding match schools but for a high stats kid, match often = reach. So perhaps add more low match/high safety schools to the mix.

PP here. I still would ensure first choice is ED (and most schools a high stats kid would want have it). If the school does not have it, then save for RD. I would avoid the SCEA schools also. High stats kids have the best chance ED, particularly if full pay at a need aware college.

As for adding more safety schools -- if you need more than one safety school, then it isn't really a safety. You can handicap them as you see fit based on the school and the kid of course.

This is advice/lessons learned, as asked by OP. Yours may differ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a high stats kid how many matches/reaches would you suggest including if they’re applying to 10 schools total? (And by matches/reaches I mean BU/Colgate type schools, not ivies.)

50-50
Based on how kids from your school have performed in those schools. Use Naviance. Also, talk to your counselor.

Ugh sorry. For high stat kids - the match and reach are the same.

I was using match/reach as one category and safeties as another.

Naviance will even show Harvard as a Match for a High Stat kid. It is not. Nope. High stat kids are usually working with only two categories of schools in Naviance, but don't get fooled. The matches are actually reaches.

Don't let Naviance categorize you R/M/S. Use your dot on the scattergram and do it yourself. I love Naviance, but their categorizations are useless.

A match and a reach and a safety should be what YOU think they are (after much research), as you have to make the bets. It is very unfair for 17 year old kids to have to gamble like this, but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Don't let Naviance categorize you R/M/S. Use your dot on the scattergram and do it yourself. I love Naviance, but their categorizations are useless.

A match and a reach and a safety should be what YOU think they are (after much research), as you have to make the bets. It is very unfair for 17 year old kids to have to gamble like this, but it is what it is.

Good advice. Can you add any other useful tips in how to find your own R/M/S? Should you ask the school counselor to look at the list and advice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those that mentioned getting merit aid, can you please ID a few of the schools?

its all gonna depend on the kid and their stats but my son received a Dean's Scholarship from College of Wooster ($36K per year). This was a safety for him.
My daughter received a Momentum Scholarship from St. Lawrence University ($36K plus $2K because she's a legacy so total of $38K per year). This was her safety. She was also accepted to Clemson and would have received $7500 per year based on her GPA and ACT score I believe but withdrew her app before those details came out. Clemson was considered a relatively easy match for her.

All told, I have to say, though my daughter was very interested in Clemson, once she heard from SLU, she actually said if she didn't get into UVA, she'd be happy to go to SLU because they obviously valued her as an applicant and of course she knows how much I loved it . Plus the cost would certainly have been doable with that kind fo scholarship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Don't let Naviance categorize you R/M/S. Use your dot on the scattergram and do it yourself. I love Naviance, but their categorizations are useless.

A match and a reach and a safety should be what YOU think they are (after much research), as you have to make the bets. It is very unfair for 17 year old kids to have to gamble like this, but it is what it is.

Good advice. Can you add any other useful tips in how to find your own R/M/S? Should you ask the school counselor to look at the list and advice?

PP here again - I think the best way is to look at the scattergram in detail. If the data is sparse with admits, ask the counselor to let you know if any of the greens had hooks (they can see who it is, and this assumes you have a good counselor). And yes ask their advice.

Second best way is learn to read a common data set. It is a labor at first but don't rely on websites that present it. Use the most current one.

Also understand that the top colleges are "reaches for everyone" no matter what Naviance says.

[Anonymous]

As a full pay family, I should have not had my DC apply to any school that didn't give merit unless it was THE SCHOOL.

As it was, DC applied ED to an Ivy and was waitlisted. Got into every other school, but the ones that didn't give merit were quickly overshadowed by others who gave lots (high stats and special ECs). Wasted two slots from this.

Ended up picking the one that gave the second most ($35K) and has had a fantastic first year. Agree with pp in that the students like the idea of being valued by their school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those that mentioned getting merit aid, can you please ID a few of the schools?

Muhlenberg offered 25k “President’s Scholarship” and 5k scholarship for their honors program. If son chooses to attend, we’ll be paying 15k below EFC. Look at the schools ranked 40-100 in the USNWR liberal arts rankings. There’s gold in dem dar hills for the high stats kids.

[Anonymous]

If you are in a position to go ED, go ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those that mentioned getting merit aid, can you please ID a few of the schools?

Muhlenberg offered 25k “President’s Scholarship” and 5k scholarship for their honors program. If son chooses to attend, we’ll be paying 15k below EFC. Look at the schools ranked 40-100 in the USNWR liberal arts rankings. There’s gold in dem dar hills for the high stats kids.