If you kid got into their reach school what do think helped?

[Anonymous]

Any girls having this kind of luck? Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine in T15 and it was a complete reach. ADHD and IEP since prek. 3.4 and 1 AP (taken senior year). Did a varsity sport but had an amazing essay. He got a 29 on ACT. I put it on his list as a "what the hell." And he got in! It really believe it was the essay and the admissions counselor taking the time to really look at him. He isn't the best student but he is a great kid and a hard worker. Maybe it was his recommendations? I have younger kids so I still have access to Naviance and I love looking at the school scattergram and seeing him on there. I am sure people think it is a recruiter athlete. Nope, my kid!

How has it been for him? I have a kid with a similar profile and am a little anxious that if they get there reach they would not be able to keep up.

[Anonymous]

Match stats, URM and full pay. There are admissions books which basically say such applicants are a golden goose, with admissions reps literally giddy when they come across them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Match stats, URM and full pay. There are admissions books which basically say such applicants are a golden goose, with admissions reps literally giddy when they come across them.

+100 DCs good friend was this. They got into 5 Ivies.

[Anonymous]

And money + URM is the golden ticket.

This was the golden ticket, now it's high stat First Gen or white male.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine in T15 and it was a complete reach. ADHD and IEP since prek. 3.4 and 1 AP (taken senior year). Did a varsity sport but had an amazing essay. He got a 29 on ACT. I put it on his list as a "what the hell." And he got in! It really believe it was the essay and the admissions counselor taking the time to really look at him. He isn't the best student but he is a great kid and a hard worker. Maybe it was his recommendations? I have younger kids so I still have access to Naviance and I love looking at the school scattergram and seeing him on there. I am sure people think it is a recruiter athlete. Nope, my kid!

How has it been for him? I have a kid with a similar profile and am a little anxious that if they get there reach they would not be able to keep up.

Freshman year was a slog but I think many kids find that and it was Covid so just all around off. By end of sophomore year he was much more in the groove and has done well. On track to graduate on time which makes me happy. He isn't in a STEM major either which is great.

[Anonymous]

Son accepted (and attending) Cornell. ED, legacy, solid grades and test scores, and a really good fit for his major (focused ECs, internship, individual projects with a true passion).

He loves it there!

[Anonymous]

D w/just OK grades (B+/A- average at a decent Northern VA HS) and only 3 years of foreign language but otherwise taking full AP course load and solid low 1500s SATs got into her reach Davidson. What helped? Combination of attending Davidson's July Experience summer pre-college program (pre-covid) and then applying ED. Davidson's summer program taught by Davidson professors is the rare program that can make a difference for college admission.

[Anonymous]

I wish people would indicate when their kid got into their reach. Last year was a record breaking year for college admissions at nearly all reaches. Covid changed things and altered the landscape (not just the test optional issue). If someone got into a reach 5 years ago or even pre-Covid, I'm not sure they would have the same result today.

My kid got into some reaches because they got into a school where less than 10% of applicants are admitted. Kid had excellent grades (although did have a B or B+ freshman year), academic honors, leadership in extracurriculars, SAT in upper 1500's, and excellent references. They also expressed interest in the colleges by attending online info sessions, signing up for optional alumni interviews, and touring a few schools in person (although not the school they are attending). They worked really hard on their essays. The college counselors and teachers think the essays probably helped them get offers. However, there were reaches they didn't get into and they worked just as hard on those essays. I think that they put their best foot forward and tried to submit an application that got them into a smaller lottery draw (the group that is culled from the initial applicants). They wrote their own essays and were not afraid to be themselves. I think they lucked out that whoever read the essays liked them.

We do know kids who got in to reaches where their academics where in the lowest or just outside the range for the school. All of the ones we know of came from uber wealthy or connected families (but we are talking top 25 schools). I know other non wealthy kids who got into reaches where they were below the 50% of the school's average GPA or SAT/ACT and these were kids who were recruited athletes or had great extracurriculars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Match stats, URM and full pay. There are admissions books which basically say such applicants are a golden goose, with admissions reps literally giddy when they come across them.

+100 DCs good friend was this. They got into 5 Ivies.

Full pay doesn't matter when a school has need blind admissions (like the Ivy League schools do).


Great to see someone with great stats have good success!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish people would indicate when their kid got into their reach. Last year was a record breaking year for college admissions at nearly all reaches. Covid changed things and altered the landscape (not just the test optional issue). If someone got into a reach 5 years ago or even pre-Covid, I'm not sure they would have the same result today.

My kid got into some reaches because they got into a school where less than 10% of applicants are admitted. Kid had excellent grades (although did have a B or B+ freshman year), academic honors, leadership in extracurriculars, SAT in upper 1500's, and excellent references. They also expressed interest in the colleges by attending online info sessions, signing up for optional alumni interviews, and touring a few schools in person (although not the school they are attending). They worked really hard on their essays. The college counselors and teachers think the essays probably helped them get offers. However, there were reaches they didn't get into and they worked just as hard on those essays. I think that they put their best foot forward and tried to submit an application that got them into a smaller lottery draw (the group that is culled from the initial applicants). They wrote their own essays and were not afraid to be themselves. I think they lucked out that whoever read the essays liked them.

We do know kids who got in to reaches where their academics where in the lowest or just outside the range for the school. All of the ones we know of came from uber wealthy or connected families (but we are talking top 25 schools). I know other non wealthy kids who got into reaches where they were below the 50% of the school's average GPA or SAT/ACT and these were kids who were recruited athletes or had great extracurriculars.

PP here with white male 1550 SAT full pay. Was 2022, did ED to a school between T8 and 13. Think it was his LoR that made admissions think about him

[Anonymous]

Son got accepted by his dream reach last year (RD acceptance rate around 5 pct). Grateful. Daughter has slightly better stats but after seeing what he and his class went through, does not think she will have the same result. Who knows - at some point there are so very many qualified applicants - they can't possibly take them all. Hoping it's not tougher bc of girl vs boy but I think it might be...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:D w/just OK grades (B+/A- average at a decent Northern VA HS) and only 3 years of foreign language but otherwise taking full AP course load and solid low 1500s SATs got into her reach Davidson. What helped? Combination of attending Davidson's July Experience summer pre-college program (pre-covid) and then applying ED. Davidson's summer program taught by Davidson professors is the rare program that can make a difference for college admission.

Did Davidson say that the pre-college program would help with admissions?

DC's reach school specifically said that attending their pre-college program will not help college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:D w/just OK grades (B+/A- average at a decent Northern VA HS) and only 3 years of foreign language but otherwise taking full AP course load and solid low 1500s SATs got into her reach Davidson. What helped? Combination of attending Davidson's July Experience summer pre-college program (pre-covid) and then applying ED. Davidson's summer program taught by Davidson professors is the rare program that can make a difference for college admission.

Did Davidson say that the pre-college program would help with admissions?

DC's reach school specifically said that attending their pre-college program will not help college admissions.

Davidson didn't advertise that it would impact admissions it either way. However, when we arrived on campus, the RA in the dorm told us that successful July Experience attendees had an 80% chance of admission if they applied ED. We took that comment with a grain of salt but thought "hmm". Also, in his book Who Gets In and Why, Jeff Selingo recounts a meeting of Davidson's AOs where they were reviewing the application of a borderline candidate. Once someone mentions that the candidate attended July Experience, they voted to admit that candidate.

[Anonymous]

ED and an essay that focused on fit. It was an LAC (top 10). His counselor said LACs considered fit more than universities. High stats, high rigor, and good ECs also helped.