Does DS need a safeties

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you get a 3.41 GPA for freshman year with 5 B's and a C?

Unless he applies to a school that doesn't count freshman year, there is no way he is getting in those schools. They are looking for mostly As, with an occasional B+. A C is a kiss of death.

My dc had a better GPA, 10 APs, 1550 on the SATs, comparable extracurriculars. Of the schools on your list, dc applied to five of them and got rejected by all five. Dc's classmate had a 3.9+ unweighted GPA, 12 APs, a 1590 on the SAT, good extracurriculars, is a minority and has a disability, and was rejected by Stanford. It's brutal out there. He needs a safety and one or two target schools. None of the schools you listed are a given. I agree with the others about UC schools.

OP, hopefully this is a wake-up call.

[Anonymous]

You’ve got a huge reality check coming your way if you stick with that list. The problem is your kid is average excellent. There are a zillion kids that look just like him.

This is painfully true. Parents always think their kid will be viewed differently by AOs, but end up disappointed when the rejections start rolling in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: He thinks his list is too long already.

Bay Area public school:

Intended Major: Biochem/Chem

GPA: 3.73 UW, 4.2W -

No class rank

Freshman: 3.41 UW 3.75W (5 B's 1 C) -> Sophomore: 4.0 UW 4.33W (all A's) -> Junior: 3.92 UW 4.59W (1 B+ in meaningless class)


SAT: 1580 // 780/800

APs: Micro 5, Macro 4, Stats 5, Bio 4, Chem 5, BC 5 and planning on taking APES, Physics 1, Lit;



ECs:

Tennis Varsity Captain (our team is current league champion)

ChemE internship (1 year)

Tutoring organization head officer(3 years)

DECA Chapter Officer and placed as a world finalist twice, 2nd at states once (3 years)

Founder of Biology/Chem Club at my school with large presence on campus (2 years)

Private tennis coach (4 years)

Shadowed physician (2 months)

Commercial laboratory assistant (1 year)



Tufts

Emory (ED1)

WashU

Rice

Northwestern

Vanderbilt

UNC Chapel Hill (EA)

University of Michigan (EA)

Cornell University

Stanford University

UCLA

UC Berkeley

​

You absolutely need safeties. Bay Area high school alum here who graduated in 2010s. UCs are not safeties but also it is not difficult to apply to all of them at once (no separate essays, just check the box). Before your applications are due (around October), you will know if you are in the special top 10% program in the UCs that will guarantee admission to one of the lower-ranked UCs (excluding Berkeley and LA). If you receive that, then I would proceed with your list without safeties. If you don't receive that (because it signals your son is not that competitive compared to his peers), then you absolutely need to change that list unless you are okay with not getting into any schools.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but those stats are unfortunately normal by Bay Area standards. Based on the stats, your son might get into some of those schools. When I went to college, a single B on your transcript, let alone a C, knocked you out of the running for Berekely and LA.

I am remain intrigued by how different posters’ experiences area. My niece and nephew both from Bay Area public got into (no hooks) Cal and UCLA with strong gpa’s but definitely some Bs, and this was within the past 5-7 years. They did both qualify for the program you mentioned guaranteeing admission to certain UCs.

💯 agree that within UC it is so easy to add colleges, why not add UCSB and UCSD.

Applying 5 to 7 years ago is irrelevant to admissions now. Totally different today.

I was responding to someone who was using his experience from 2010.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Add Cal Poly Pomona and UCSC as safeties.

Pomona is not a safety for anyone

Cal Poly Pomona, not Pomona. Please, Google is your friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Santa Clara also might be a good option for your child.

+1

[Anonymous]

absolutely

[Anonymous]

Yes, but you are holding on too tight and need to step away.. that is a ton of detail to post about someone who is not you, even anonymously.

[Anonymous]

Coming from Bay Area - yea he definitely needs safeties.

[Anonymous]

Coming from the Bay Area, your kid should try and go against the grain.

Bowdoin, wouldn't call this a safety at all but a swap for your reachy-reachy list.

Tufts does have a good program.

Wisconsin

Illinois

VA Tech

Grinnell

Case Western

Baylor (especially Biochem)

UDub

[Anonymous]

Everyone needs safeties.

[Anonymous]

I too am confused how a kid can have a 4.59W as a junior with an entire year of Bs and Cs as a freshman. Must be some funky weighting going on there. My DS graduated HS this year with a 4.6W and the only B he ever got EVER, was in AP Calc this year and never lower than a B. Grades like yours would have put him low 4.0 or even high 3.9 range in our school. Thats ok, schools calculate very differently, but I'm curious where those stats put your kids in their class, which is what the colleges are going to be looking at as well.

[Anonymous]

Respectfully, this is one of the most reach-heavy lists I have seen, and I would speak to your counselor about it. There is a good chance of a shutout here. There are no real matches even on this list.

The DECA placement is a good boost for business programs but you have to have matches and safeties. This is no reflection on your kid's fine accomplishments, just the realities of the process.

[Anonymous]

Oh BTW tennis as an EC is going to do next to nothing for you unless he's recruited, which he won't be to these schools. My twins were both captains of their teams and did it all four years and all it was was a nice little leadership EC but since they were not going to be recruited, they were one of a million tennis players applying. I will also add, at the larger competitive schools on your list, he will be one of dozens of tennis kids with the same stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I too am confused how a kid can have a 4.59W as a junior with an entire year of Bs and Cs as a freshman. Must be some funky weighting going on there. My DS graduated HS this year with a 4.6W and the only B he ever got EVER, was in AP Calc this year and never lower than a B. Grades like yours would have put him low 4.0 or even high 3.9 range in our school. Thats ok, schools calculate very differently, but I'm curious where those stats put your kids in their class, which is what the colleges are going to be looking at as well.

The kid gave each years gpa.

Yes, you need safeties and you have too many reaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from the Bay Area, your kid should try and go against the grain.

Bowdoin, wouldn't call this a safety at all but a swap for your reachy-reachy list.

Tufts does have a good program.

Wisconsin

Illinois

VA Tech

Grinnell

Case Western

Baylor (especially Biochem)

UDub

Bowdoin and Tufts are super-reaches as well. Class of 2025 acceptance rates Bowdoin 8%, Tufts 11%