Help me figure out which schools are realistic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build a balanced list of schools: reach, targets and safeties/likelies. That means recognizing that any school with less than 20% acceptance rate is a Reach for ANYONE. So NU/Duke/HYPSM etc are a major reach for everyone---think of them as highly rejective. So pick a few and apply and give it your all, but do not let your kid fall in love with them and make sure they know it's not likely to happen.

Pick targets where your kids scores are 50%+ and acceptance rates are 20-25%+.
Safeties are 50%+ acceptance rates and your kid's scores at/above 75%+
Likelies are 75%+ acceptance rates and kid's scores at/above 75+.

remember your kid must like all the schools and you must be able to afford them in order for them to be real and on your list. A safety your kid doesn't want to attend is NOT a safety.

Pick at least 3-4 in each category and your kid will be fine come March/April senior year. They will likely be in at 50% of their Targets and 50%+ of their safeties. Reaches who knows, they might win the lottery.

Based on the other post, no public university is a true safety for anyone because they do yield protection.

You have really oversimplified this. I will say that MOST public universities are "safeties" for OP's kid.

Having just gone the application cycle, a big nope to that. Targets at best.

There are over 1,600 public universities in the United States. Sorry your kid couldn't get into one.

I’m sorry that accepting the current college admissions reality is so hard for you that you feel the need to resort to personal insults. My own student is going to a T30 school, thanks for your concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build a balanced list of schools: reach, targets and safeties/likelies. That means recognizing that any school with less than 20% acceptance rate is a Reach for ANYONE. So NU/Duke/HYPSM etc are a major reach for everyone---think of them as highly rejective. So pick a few and apply and give it your all, but do not let your kid fall in love with them and make sure they know it's not likely to happen.

Pick targets where your kids scores are 50%+ and acceptance rates are 20-25%+.
Safeties are 50%+ acceptance rates and your kid's scores at/above 75%+
Likelies are 75%+ acceptance rates and kid's scores at/above 75+.

remember your kid must like all the schools and you must be able to afford them in order for them to be real and on your list. A safety your kid doesn't want to attend is NOT a safety.

Pick at least 3-4 in each category and your kid will be fine come March/April senior year. They will likely be in at 50% of their Targets and 50%+ of their safeties. Reaches who knows, they might win the lottery.

Based on the other post, no public university is a true safety for anyone because they do yield protection.

You have really oversimplified this. I will say that MOST public universities are "safeties" for OP's kid.

Having just gone the application cycle, a big nope to that. Targets at best.

Depends upon the major. Most public Universities are Safeties with that resume if applying to Arts and Sciences/general admission. If you want a highly desired major (cs/eng/business) then yes they are reaches or targets. Outside of 10 or so Public U and the UCs, most state Universities would be a safety with that resume for general admission (general admission is the key phrase)

Maybe in 1999, certainly not today.

My student went through the cycle this year. I really don’t want to waste more of my energy arguing this point. Deluded parents who want to believe the admissions environment isn’t as competitive as it is only hurt the applicants.

It is more competitive. But go look at the statistics for Public Universities, outside of the Elite 10 or so plus the UCs. Va Tech has a 56% acceptance rate. Yes it's harder to get into CS/Eng, but getting into the general admission is still a low target for someone with those stats. The issue is many want CS/Eng/Business and those are impacted/direct admit majors at many of those Public Us


Take the Big 10 schools: outside of Northwestern (t10/elite) and Umich, the admission rates overall is over 50% at each and every school. Outside of 3 schools in VA, all the admission rates are higher than 50% for publics, with many over 75-80%. So if you are "general admission/non elite major" the admission rates are actually higher than the overall, and obviously lower forCS/Eng/Business/etc. But fact remains that while it is more competitive for the elite majors, outside top 10 Public Unis and the UCs most Public Universities have acceptance rates over 50% in general

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think ED to Amherst is a reach but doable I

I’m an Amherst alum and after seeing their promotional materials for admit rates for first generation and people of color, I would not encourage any white kid from the northeastern suburbs that is not a recruited athlete or first Gen college to apply. I just don’t see how they can hit the numbers they are aiming for, and fill their sports teams, otherwise. Maybe if you were an Olympian or child actor or coca-cola scholar or something like that.

Amherst is different from swarthmore, Williams, etc. in its level of commitment to diversifying its classes.

This advice is spot-on and could apply to Bowdoin, Williams, Wesleyan, and others. Unless you're a recruited athlete, first gen or something extraordinary, do not get your caucasian child's hopes up.

All of the schools you listed are between 35%-70% Caucasian. How is that discouraging?

Well, I think the discussion is about future, incoming classes. And some of these very elite SLACs who have huge endowments can pick and choose more carefully. So while the incoming class may have a plurality of white students, fewer of them might be from this affluent, Northeast mold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build a balanced list of schools: reach, targets and safeties/likelies. That means recognizing that any school with less than 20% acceptance rate is a Reach for ANYONE. So NU/Duke/HYPSM etc are a major reach for everyone---think of them as highly rejective. So pick a few and apply and give it your all, but do not let your kid fall in love with them and make sure they know it's not likely to happen.

Pick targets where your kids scores are 50%+ and acceptance rates are 20-25%+.
Safeties are 50%+ acceptance rates and your kid's scores at/above 75%+
Likelies are 75%+ acceptance rates and kid's scores at/above 75+.

remember your kid must like all the schools and you must be able to afford them in order for them to be real and on your list. A safety your kid doesn't want to attend is NOT a safety.

Pick at least 3-4 in each category and your kid will be fine come March/April senior year. They will likely be in at 50% of their Targets and 50%+ of their safeties. Reaches who knows, they might win the lottery.

Based on the other post, no public university is a true safety for anyone because they do yield protection.

No, they are not a safety for specific majors and because their acceptance rates are too low for that. Sure Public U might have a 50% admit rate, but if you want CS/Eng/business the admit rates are 10-20%, so they are a Reach. It's not yield protection, it's understanding the numbers and what they mean. It also means knowing that you MUST do EA at UMD, it's not a choice---that is how they admit most students. UMD acceptance rate makes it a Target for many, but that is only for General entry. Want the elite/hard to get into majors and it is a REACH.

A lot of Public U don't even admit by major - unless it's Engineering. Just apply as an Art major and then declare CS in the College or apply to McIntire when the time comes. As a non-URM female, DD's friend applied to UVA as a Chemistry major (for the "female in STEM" narrative to go along with her AP classes and volunteer work as a math tutor). She did have awesome grades and stellar SAT scores. But ended up not majoring in STEM

Easy to go from the STEM major admissions to a Humanities/Social science. Not so easy to go to eng/cs/stem major if they are direct admit. The elite Public U do admit by major (GaTech/VaTech/UMD/UMich, many UCs, Purdue Eng/CS, UIndiana Business, etc) or at least those with elite programs (I wouldn't call UIndiana elite for anything except the business program)

University of MD does not admit by major. You can be admitted to the university without getting your major of choice. If you maintain your GPA you can then switch into most majors (including CS and engineering). Business is actually hard to transfer into. I would not go to UMD for business unless I actually got into the program.

UMD has Limited Enrollment programs--basically same as Admit by major. If you are not in freshman year, it means you might not get in.

[Anonymous]

agree —all the slots at bowdoin for white kids are athletes and highly unusual credentials

[Anonymous]

I'd also look at Davidson, Wesleyan and Colorado College. Great schools and slightly easier to get into (although Davidson is difficult without ED).

[Anonymous]

My DD fit your DD’s profile with a slightly lower test score.

This is really about the ED strategy and/or thinking through what she is looking for. If your DD has a dream school, go for it ED, focus on the essays and anything optional (video or interview then do it). Know it is a total long shot. If not accepted ED 1 but has another top 15-30 non-Ivy R1 school or top 10-25 SLAC where your DD’s grades and scores put them in the top 25 percentile, do ED 2 there.

My DD did not ED2 and ended up WL at schools like those I described.

DD is going to a safety for her (not safety per DCUM metrics) but with a very nice scholarship and she chose it over higher ranked (but not tippy top) acceptance.

Your DD will get some great acceptances. She should be a strong contender for Michigan and Wisconsin (possibly WL but eventually accepted).

Also, honors college at Pitt is a nice to have early acceptance.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD fit your DD’s profile with a slightly lower test score.

This is really about the ED strategy and/or thinking through what she is looking for. If your DD has a dream school, go for it ED, focus on the essays and anything optional (video or interview then do it). Know it is a total long shot. If not accepted ED 1 but has another top 15-30 non-Ivy R1 school or top 10-25 SLAC where your DD’s grades and scores put them in the top 25 percentile, do ED 2 there.

My DD did not ED2 and ended up WL at schools like those I described.

DD is going to a safety for her (not safety per DCUM metrics) but with a very nice scholarship and she chose it over higher ranked (but not tippy top) acceptance.

Your DD will get some great acceptances. She should be a strong contender for Michigan and Wisconsin (possibly WL but eventually accepted).

Also, honors college at Pitt is a nice to have early acceptance.

Good luck.

Ditto all of this (I literally could have written it based on DC experience this past year).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:agree —all the slots at bowdoin for white kids are athletes and highly unusual credentials

Bowdoin is 2/3 to 3/4 white. You are saying ALL of them have highly unusual credentials????

That doesn't make sense. I think you are making things up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:agree —all the slots at bowdoin for white kids are athletes and highly unusual credentials

Thats, and Maine residents. They try to have ~10% of any incoming class Mainers. This year, or last, I think it was 9%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:agree —all the slots at bowdoin for white kids are athletes and highly unusual credentials

Bowdoin is 2/3 to 3/4 white. You are saying ALL of them have highly unusual credentials????

That doesn't make sense. I think you are making things up.

I'm the one whose GC said every Bowdoin admit going back 10+ years was a recruited athlete. Virtually all of them were white or Asian. So part of that "2/3 to 3/4 white" includes athletes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build a balanced list of schools: reach, targets and safeties/likelies. That means recognizing that any school with less than 20% acceptance rate is a Reach for ANYONE. So NU/Duke/HYPSM etc are a major reach for everyone---think of them as highly rejective. So pick a few and apply and give it your all, but do not let your kid fall in love with them and make sure they know it's not likely to happen.

Pick targets where your kids scores are 50%+ and acceptance rates are 20-25%+.
Safeties are 50%+ acceptance rates and your kid's scores at/above 75%+
Likelies are 75%+ acceptance rates and kid's scores at/above 75+.

remember your kid must like all the schools and you must be able to afford them in order for them to be real and on your list. A safety your kid doesn't want to attend is NOT a safety.

Pick at least 3-4 in each category and your kid will be fine come March/April senior year. They will likely be in at 50% of their Targets and 50%+ of their safeties. Reaches who knows, they might win the lottery.

Based on the other post, no public university is a true safety for anyone because they do yield protection.

You have really oversimplified this. I will say that MOST public universities are "safeties" for OP's kid.

Having just gone the application cycle, a big nope to that. Targets at best.

Depends upon the major. Most public Universities are Safeties with that resume if applying to Arts and Sciences/general admission. If you want a highly desired major (cs/eng/business) then yes they are reaches or targets. Outside of 10 or so Public U and the UCs, most state Universities would be a safety with that resume for general admission (general admission is the key phrase)

Maybe in 1999, certainly not today.

My student went through the cycle this year. I really don’t want to waste more of my energy arguing this point. Deluded parents who want to believe the admissions environment isn’t as competitive as it is only hurt the applicants.

It is more competitive. But go look at the statistics for Public Universities, outside of the Elite 10 or so plus the UCs. Va Tech has a 56% acceptance rate. Yes it's harder to get into CS/Eng, but getting into the general admission is still a low target for someone with those stats. The issue is many want CS/Eng/Business and those are impacted/direct admit majors at many of those Public Us


Take the Big 10 schools: outside of Northwestern (t10/elite) and Umich, the admission rates overall is over 50% at each and every school. Outside of 3 schools in VA, all the admission rates are higher than 50% for publics, with many over 75-80%. So if you are "general admission/non elite major" the admission rates are actually higher than the overall, and obviously lower forCS/Eng/Business/etc. But fact remains that while it is more competitive for the elite majors, outside top 10 Public Unis and the UCs most Public Universities have acceptance rates over 50% in general

in the 2023 cycle, for out of state, the bolded isn't true at at least one, and probably a few of the big10 schools, and certainly for Illinois and CS, definitely not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:agree —all the slots at bowdoin for white kids are athletes and highly unusual credentials

Bowdoin is 2/3 to 3/4 white. You are saying ALL of them have highly unusual credentials????

That doesn't make sense. I think you are making things up.

I'm the one whose GC said every Bowdoin admit going back 10+ years was a recruited athlete. Virtually all of them were white or Asian. So part of that "2/3 to 3/4 white" includes athletes.

Last year's incoming freshman class 50% white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ Hamilton is such a hot school right now but if your bright, non-recruited, white DC ED'd to Hamilton, I'd say they have a shot. At my dc's school, Colgate seems to be for recruited athletes, Bates as well. And Bowdoin is for the unicorns.

For Bates and Colgate, are you seeing well-qualified applicants rejected at ED? My impression is that, especially for Bates, you need to apply ED so it may look like just athletes getting in but actually others just aren’t applying ED. Ymmv at your school.

[Anonymous]

Amherst, and top LACs aren't that big of reaches anymore. In fact their ARs went up this year.
Duke ED, Vandy. Emory, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame are all moderate Reaches.