Strong GPA at Big 3?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not read all of this thread. but I will respond because my kid was similar. Graduated 2020 GDS with similar stats. Had a pretty blah resume w/r/t sports and ECs (compared to what "star kids" can have). Just an ordinary UMC smart kid, played an instrument, won an award in middle school. No hooks

did ED1 and ED2 and rejected from both (Pomona and Swarthmore)

Got accepted with merit at Macalester. Is now a sophomore at Vanderbilt. Got zero other acceptances.

Thank you for sharing specific information about both where your kid went to school and names of colleges applied to. It’s so much more helpful in providing context and reference points than most of the usual stories on here. I hope Vanderbilt is going well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3.8 Big3 kid and would be thrilled with Vanderbilt.

+1 same gpa and Vanderbilt would be a dream come true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just find this so, so odd. The "Big 3" are supposed to be elite high schools, above the fray socially and academically, among the best in the country, and with outstanding guidance departments and college placement.

Yet, here are parents on an anonymous board fishing for information on where their kids' GPAs place them among their classmates and what colleges they can expect to get into. I have to wonder if this ever goes on at, say, the elite boarding schools or top NYC privates. I'll bet it doesn't, certainly not to this extent, and it makes me wonder -- just how special is the Big 3, really, if the families there act like this?

NP here. It is because for many families/kids - there is not open discussion about where kids stand and it's hard to understand the landscape in early steps of the process before parent meeting with college counseling. It's also not clear that college counselors will tell you where your child stands or whether their ED choice has much competition from others at the school.

OP my child has GPA a bit higher, SAT lower so far, hardest classes, and like you, I'm completely in the dark.

Your kid has barely finished half of their junior year. There is plenty of time to worry about this. The college process does not need to be lengthened any further. If you don’t have the answers you want after your initial meetings with your college counselor then I’d suggest asking them.

Lol. You must have quite the hook if that is truly your mentality. I don’t know any country’s uni system where no one does anything until the last 6 months of school. Many Israel but even applying to IDF groups requires some thought.

No one is saying that. This isn’t the last six months. A current junior is 11 months out. Exactly what do you think you are going to do now? You don’t have half of your junior year grades which are the most important. You don’t know where you stand on that fact alone.

College office is focused, rightfully so, on seniors. In the spring when acceptances are out, you take priority. Expecting all the answers now is ridiculous. Have your kid do as well as they can in their classes and then worry about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No one is saying that. This isn’t the last six months. A current junior is 11 months out. Exactly what do you think you are going to do now? You don’t have half of your junior year grades which are the most important. You don’t know where you stand on that fact alone.

College office is focused, rightfully so, on seniors. In the spring when acceptances are out, you take priority. Expecting all the answers now is ridiculous. Have your kid do as well as they can in their classes and then worry about it.

Junior year grades are the most important? Don't all years count equally?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3.8 Big3 kid and would be thrilled with Vanderbilt.

DC’s BF @ top NYC private with 3.9 GPA, 1560 SAT, and 2 800 SAT Subject tests - rejected @ Vanderbilt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not read all of this thread. but I will respond because my kid was similar. Graduated 2020 GDS with similar stats. Had a pretty blah resume w/r/t sports and ECs (compared to what "star kids" can have). Just an ordinary UMC smart kid, played an instrument, won an award in middle school. No hooks

did ED1 and ED2 and rejected from both (Pomona and Swarthmore)

Got accepted with merit at Macalester. Is now a sophomore at Vanderbilt. Got zero other acceptances.

Did your DC transfer from Mac or was accepted RD @ Vanderbilt?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Agree here, especially when a grad class runs from 75-150. If you have been around these families for 12, 9, 7 years, your kids will know a lot and you probably will too if you are involved in school/friendly with other parents. Also, if your DC is in the top academic classes, you pretty much hear the same names over and over, especially from MS onwards. I know DC is not one of the top four students based on GPA, but easily from 5-10 because of how much DC speculates based on their grades and others.

In re legacy/other hooks, DC's college counselor did once say to us that he knows when that is at play because a kid will get admitted somewhere and the student profile doesn't align with the other students (if any) being admitted in the class. While some parents will divulge when they are trying to make it happen, he usually finds out later one way or another.

Did you figure your DCs relative standing out by senior year or did you have a good sense earlier as well? I suppose if your DC has a 3.9ish GPA, it is pretty obvious that there could not be too many students with higher numbers.

DC had a sense through junior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No one is saying that. This isn’t the last six months. A current junior is 11 months out. Exactly what do you think you are going to do now? You don’t have half of your junior year grades which are the most important. You don’t know where you stand on that fact alone.

College office is focused, rightfully so, on seniors. In the spring when acceptances are out, you take priority. Expecting all the answers now is ridiculous. Have your kid do as well as they can in their classes and then worry about it.

Junior year grades are the most important? Don't all years count equally?

Yes they are. No they don’t. If you had two students with identical GPAs and one excelled junior year and the other did not, they would not be judged the same.

[Anonymous]

Colleges want to see an upward trajectory. Some don't even count freshman year grades. If you have a 3.8 with B's first semester freshman year it's much different than having them junior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3.8 Big3 kid and would be thrilled with Vanderbilt.

+1 same gpa and Vanderbilt would be a dream come true

Oh yes, kid and parents are all very happy with Vandy!!! And they have been "in person" for most of the pandemic! Great school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3.8 Big3 kid and would be thrilled with Vanderbilt.

DC’s BF @ top NYC private with 3.9 GPA, 1560 SAT, and 2 800 SAT Subject tests - rejected @ Vanderbilt.

It’s a really good school. The idea that one would complain of only being accepted there is strange.

[Anonymous]

Didn't see a complaint with Vandy. Seemed like more a complaint about how arbitrary the process is (a position I doubt many on this forum would fined controversial).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges want to see an upward trajectory. Some don't even count freshman year grades. If you have a 3.8 with B's first semester freshman year it's much different than having them junior year.

Maybe you are thinking about grad school? Which college gives mulligans for freshman year grades? Which college doesn’t take into account increasingly difficult course loads in terms of college readiness?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No one is saying that. This isn’t the last six months. A current junior is 11 months out. Exactly what do you think you are going to do now? You don’t have half of your junior year grades which are the most important. You don’t know where you stand on that fact alone.

College office is focused, rightfully so, on seniors. In the spring when acceptances are out, you take priority. Expecting all the answers now is ridiculous. Have your kid do as well as they can in their classes and then worry about it.

Junior year grades are the most important? Don't all years count equally?

Not really, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges want to see an upward trajectory. Some don't even count freshman year grades. If you have a 3.8 with B's first semester freshman year it's much different than having them junior year.

Maybe you are thinking about grad school? Which college gives mulligans for freshman year grades? Which college doesn’t take into account increasingly difficult course loads in terms of college readiness?

California schools do not count Freshman grades at all.