Which top 20 likes high rigor kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From several threads this week, it seems GPA is more important than rigor at ivy league schools. Below a certain gpa, ivy league schools become impossible no matter the rigor.

Outside ivy leagues, is there any t20 school that is more willing to take a high rigor (multi variable and a bunch of other high level science courses) but rank outside top 10% ( but still top 20, 30%, etc). What if they have 1580-1600 scores to validate?

Or do you think this type should focus on state flagships instead?

Not at all true from our private or the neighboring private where we have access to SCOIR and know many kids and families. Ivies want both top rigor and top GPA unhooked, usually top3-5% especially if it is RD, minimally top10% plus all have to have very top rigor if unhooked. Hooked kids do not need top rigor for ivies, nor top rank. It is a different game for hooked kids. The only ivy that takes unhooked outside top10% rank is Cornell and those kids all have top rigor in all areas if they get in with a below 10% GPA. They also have been males.

+1. This. I have no idea where OP gets the idea that GPA is more important. It is very clear that top GPA, top test score, Max rigor, great ECs and great LOR are what you need for Ivies and top SLACs. Even at UVA (26), you need a 4.5 GPA, 35 ACT, and SAT 1510 at the 75th percentile to get in, and UVA is very clear they want to see maximum rigor.

My kid is unhooked RD at an Ivy. Straight As in top rigor, high scores, and great ECs and recs.

Nobody unhooked is getting in w/out top rigor.

My kid had Bs and got into Ivy (Cornell).
Private high school.

Cornell is much larger than the other Ivies. 17k undergrads vs 4-6k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From several threads this week, it seems GPA is more important than rigor at ivy league schools. Below a certain gpa, ivy league schools become impossible no matter the rigor.

Outside ivy leagues, is there any t20 school that is more willing to take a high rigor (multi variable and a bunch of other high level science courses) but rank outside top 10% ( but still top 20, 30%, etc). What if they have 1580-1600 scores to validate?

Or do you think this type should focus on state flagships instead?

Not at all true from our private or the neighboring private where we have access to SCOIR and know many kids and families. Ivies want both top rigor and top GPA unhooked, usually top3-5% especially if it is RD, minimally top10% plus all have to have very top rigor if unhooked. Hooked kids do not need top rigor for ivies, nor top rank. It is a different game for hooked kids. The only ivy that takes unhooked outside top10% rank is Cornell and those kids all have top rigor in all areas if they get in with a below 10% GPA. They also have been males.

+1. This. I have no idea where OP gets the idea that GPA is more important. It is very clear that top GPA, top test score, Max rigor, great ECs and great LOR are what you need for Ivies and top SLACs. Even at UVA (26), you need a 4.5 GPA, 35 ACT, and SAT 1510 at the 75th percentile to get in, and UVA is very clear they want to see maximum rigor.

My kid is unhooked RD at an Ivy. Straight As in top rigor, high scores, and great ECs and recs.

Nobody unhooked is getting in w/out top rigor.

My kid had Bs and got into Ivy (Cornell).
Private high school.

Private high school is a different pool from public high school.
If they are familiar with your private high school's rigor, it's going to be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so what is top rigor? 10 APs by junior year? 15? Calc BC v/s AB? Physics C v/s Physics 1/2?
APUSH + APLang and Lit plus all STEM APs? Do AP Precalc, HUG etc count?

Top rigor means the student took ALL the hardest classes available at the school. ALL. So if the school offers BC, student must take BC. If the school offers AP Physics C, the non-calc based AP Physics is not top rigor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they are willing if upward trend and high rigor, especially for younger boys with high test scores in all areas.

Younger boys? What does that mean?

Are we automatically assuming a boy?
What if this is a girl with multivariable? make any difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so what is top rigor? 10 APs by junior year? 15? Calc BC v/s AB? Physics C v/s Physics 1/2?
APUSH + APLang and Lit plus all STEM APs? Do AP Precalc, HUG etc count?

Depends on your school. For ours I would say:

AP Lang and AP Lit
Foreign language through AP level
MV Calc
Bio Accelerated, Chem Accelerated, Physics, Accelerated, one AP science (Bio, Chem, or Physics C)
US History 1 Accelerated, APUSH, AP World, one other AP or DE social science

So for our school it’s about 8 APs in core classes, plus AP electives (like computer science or economics). You can get another science AP if you take a science class in the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From several threads this week, it seems GPA is more important than rigor at ivy league schools. Below a certain gpa, ivy league schools become impossible no matter the rigor.

Outside ivy leagues, is there any t20 school that is more willing to take a high rigor (multi variable and a bunch of other high level science courses) but rank outside top 10% ( but still top 20, 30%, etc). What if they have 1580-1600 scores to validate?

Or do you think this type should focus on state flagships instead?

Not at all true from our private or the neighboring private where we have access to SCOIR and know many kids and families. Ivies want both top rigor and top GPA unhooked, usually top3-5% especially if it is RD, minimally top10% plus all have to have very top rigor if unhooked. Hooked kids do not need top rigor for ivies, nor top rank. It is a different game for hooked kids. The only ivy that takes unhooked outside top10% rank is Cornell and those kids all have top rigor in all areas if they get in with a below 10% GPA. They also have been males.

+1. This. I have no idea where OP gets the idea that GPA is more important. It is very clear that top GPA, top test score, Max rigor, great ECs and great LOR are what you need for Ivies and top SLACs. Even at UVA (26), you need a 4.5 GPA, 35 ACT, and SAT 1510 at the 75th percentile to get in, and UVA is very clear they want to see maximum rigor.

My kid is unhooked RD at an Ivy. Straight As in top rigor, high scores, and great ECs and recs.

Nobody unhooked is getting in w/out top rigor.

My kid had Bs and got into Ivy (Cornell).
Private high school.

Private high school is a different pool from public high school.
If they are familiar with your private high school's rigor, it's going to be fine.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so what is top rigor? 10 APs by junior year? 15? Calc BC v/s AB? Physics C v/s Physics 1/2?
APUSH + APLang and Lit plus all STEM APs? Do AP Precalc, HUG etc count?

Top rigor means the student took ALL the hardest classes available at the school. ALL. So if the school offers BC, student must take BC. If the school offers AP Physics C, the non-calc based AP Physics is not top rigor.

What if the school offers MV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so what is top rigor? 10 APs by junior year? 15? Calc BC v/s AB? Physics C v/s Physics 1/2?
APUSH + APLang and Lit plus all STEM APs? Do AP Precalc, HUG etc count?

Depends on your school. For ours I would say:

AP Lang and AP Lit
Foreign language through AP level
MV Calc
Bio Accelerated, Chem Accelerated, Physics, Accelerated, one AP science (Bio, Chem, or Physics C)
US History 1 Accelerated, APUSH, AP World, one other AP or DE social science

So for our school it’s about 8 APs in core classes, plus AP electives (like computer science or economics). You can get another science AP if you take a science class in the summer.

This is our school too except BC Calc is fine. Don’t need MV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SAT goes up to algebra 2 and some trig? So I would think grades in high math and science is important that is validated by 5s on AP exam.

Generally agree but I'd guess that 4's are fine most places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From several threads this week, it seems GPA is more important than rigor at ivy league schools. Below a certain gpa, ivy league schools become impossible no matter the rigor.

Outside ivy leagues, is there any t20 school that is more willing to take a high rigor (multi variable and a bunch of other high level science courses) but rank outside top 10% ( but still top 20, 30%, etc). What if they have 1580-1600 scores to validate?

Or do you think this type should focus on state flagships instead?

State flagships: UIUC, Georgia tech, Purdue
Tech schools: Stevens institute of technology, RIT, etc
LACs: Carleton, Grinnell

Any idea what GT and Purdue would do with the classic "upward trend", all As in five junior year APs with some Bs freshman year?

OOS at GT it might hurt because of the OOS cap but Purdue should be fine. ANd Purdue is a great school so no worries. RPI would also be a great option unless you are hunting prestige. But, RPI has huge prestige for NVidia.

[Anonymous]

Our school, all AP sciences, even if humanity major, so ap chem, bio, physics c & em. AP lit, AP lang, Calc Bc by junior year, multivariable by senior year, at least one of AP Euro or World, definitely APUSH and AP Gov, 4 years of language.

That will get you around top 10% of the class with respect to rigor. The majority of these will have taken community college/4 year college courses also, usually 4-6 classes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From several threads this week, it seems GPA is more important than rigor at ivy league schools. Below a certain gpa, ivy league schools become impossible no matter the rigor.

Outside ivy leagues, is there any t20 school that is more willing to take a high rigor (multi variable and a bunch of other high level science courses) but rank outside top 10% ( but still top 20, 30%, etc). What if they have 1580-1600 scores to validate?

Or do you think this type should focus on state flagships instead?

Not at all true from our private or the neighboring private where we have access to SCOIR and know many kids and families. Ivies want both top rigor and top GPA unhooked, usually top3-5% especially if it is RD, minimally top10% plus all have to have very top rigor if unhooked. Hooked kids do not need top rigor for ivies, nor top rank. It is a different game for hooked kids. The only ivy that takes unhooked outside top10% rank is Cornell and those kids all have top rigor in all areas if they get in with a below 10% GPA. They also have been males.

+1. This. I have no idea where OP gets the idea that GPA is more important. It is very clear that top GPA, top test score, Max rigor, great ECs and great LOR are what you need for Ivies and top SLACs. Even at UVA (26), you need a 4.5 GPA, 35 ACT, and SAT 1510 at the 75th percentile to get in, and UVA is very clear they want to see maximum rigor.

My kid is unhooked RD at an Ivy. Straight As in top rigor, high scores, and great ECs and recs.

Nobody unhooked is getting in w/out top rigor.

My kid had Bs and got into Ivy (Cornell).
Private high school.

Bs in 9th grade or 11th? Big difference. Or your kid has a major hook

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so what is top rigor? 10 APs by junior year? 15? Calc BC v/s AB? Physics C v/s Physics 1/2?
APUSH + APLang and Lit plus all STEM APs? Do AP Precalc, HUG etc count?

Top rigor means the student took ALL the hardest classes available at the school. ALL. So if the school offers BC, student must take BC. If the school offers AP Physics C, the non-calc based AP Physics is not top rigor.

This is incorrect. Our school sends kids to Ivies, Stanford, MIT, etc. every year, all have BC, very few have MV because the school tracks kids based on what they had coming out of Middle School and doesn't allow acceleration. The general rule is that you take the highest choice available to you each semester, not ALL of the hardest classes available at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school, all AP sciences, even if humanity major, so ap chem, bio, physics c & em. AP lit, AP lang, Calc Bc by junior year, multivariable by senior year, at least one of AP Euro or World, definitely APUSH and AP Gov, 4 years of language.

That will get you around top 10% of the class with respect to rigor. The majority of these will have taken community college/4 year college courses also, usually 4-6 classes

How would they have time in the school schedule to take 46 college classes in actual colleges. You need to account for travel time, actual class time and permissions. Only if there are hikes in the schedule would this be possible but with this load it is difficult

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From several threads this week, it seems GPA is more important than rigor at ivy league schools. Below a certain gpa, ivy league schools become impossible no matter the rigor.

Outside ivy leagues, is there any t20 school that is more willing to take a high rigor (multi variable and a bunch of other high level science courses) but rank outside top 10% ( but still top 20, 30%, etc). What if they have 1580-1600 scores to validate?

Or do you think this type should focus on state flagships instead?

Public or private HS? If public, that’s harder.

Try your ED at Cornell and ED2 at WashU, depending on major?
Both love that high test score. Need a niche story though.

DP: if private school, outside top 20% of the class but with high SAT, definitely ED Chicago, Wash U or Emory. Everything else including Cornell ED is risky.