Worried about college for "standard strong" DS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably would go with a SUNY school. The privates mentioned here are not worth the money they cost. Hopefully he figures things out in college and can get into a good professional school. He will need to work harder in the future though!

That your opinion, and one that isn't supported by data.

What? I don’t get it. People here are so hard on great schools like Emory, Vanderbilt, and Wash U, but then have nothing but sympathy for a slacker kid who is so clearly best suited to a truly mediocre state school. What gives?! I truly never get this crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably would go with a SUNY school. The privates mentioned here are not worth the money they cost. Hopefully he figures things out in college and can get into a good professional school. He will need to work harder in the future though!

They said they have the money. Different people choose to spend their money differently. Privates often have a different culture than publics that are better for some kids, and some people choose to spend their money this way.

Her child worked plenty hard. Not being at the top of your class at Brooklyn Tech or Bronx Science (assuming one of these two) is not the sign of a slacker.

Sad that you are insulting this child. Sounds like an incredible kid. You know nothing. Another reason to go to privates is to minimize exposure to people like you.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes it just makes me really angry to read posts like this:

- Smart kid
- no mental health or ND issues
- admitted to and succeeding at an exclusive public HS
- has money to full pay college.

Honestly why are you even worried? Can you introspect a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably would go with a SUNY school. The privates mentioned here are not worth the money they cost. Hopefully he figures things out in college and can get into a good professional school. He will need to work harder in the future though!

Let me guess - you didn't grow up here. I hate to stereotype but you sound like an immigrant tiger mom. Scary.

And no, this isn't an anti-immigrant comment. I love people from everywhere and embrace diversity. I hate the stereotypical know-it-all immigrants who just don't get how things work. Let me know where your kid goes. So mine can stay far away.

[Anonymous]

Would William and Mary be of interest?

Also, budget wasn’t mentioned. Many of the suggestions are assuming full-pay or maybe some small merit/discount off full pay. If budget is less, that would impact suggested schools.

[Anonymous]

Seriously consider Wesleyan ED—it’s the most mainstream of the lefty/artsy LACs and large for the type of school it is. Social but not fratty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably would go with a SUNY school. The privates mentioned here are not worth the money they cost. Hopefully he figures things out in college and can get into a good professional school. He will need to work harder in the future though!

That your opinion, and one that isn't supported by data.

What? I don’t get it. People here are so hard on great schools like Emory, Vanderbilt, and Wash U, but then have nothing but sympathy for a slacker kid who is so clearly best suited to a truly mediocre state school. What gives?! I truly never get this crowd.

WTF is wrong with you?

From the OPs post:

"Just a normal hard-working bright teenage boy who likes playing sports and "chilling" with his many friends, and likes the challenge of being surrounded by the smart kids at his school."

The OP is discussing a normal well adjusted kid, nothing like your insinuation. What gives is right, nobody will ever understand ignorant mental midgets such as the one that you see in the mirror.

The kid will do great at a SUNY if that is what they choose. SUNY's aren't mediocre, they are excellent and underappreciated schools which give zero ground to many far better known Publics. But this is a kids who has done very well and will have options, great options. Comments like yours highlight your limitations, not anybody else's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably would go with a SUNY school. The privates mentioned here are not worth the money they cost. Hopefully he figures things out in college and can get into a good professional school. He will need to work harder in the future though!

That your opinion, and one that isn't supported by data.

What? I don’t get it. People here are so hard on great schools like Emory, Vanderbilt, and Wash U, but then have nothing but sympathy for a slacker kid who is so clearly best suited to a truly mediocre state school. What gives?! I truly never get this crowd.

Seek help. You are not well.

[Anonymous]

OP - take a look at the Southern SEC schools - Univ South Carolina, Clemson, Univ Tenn, Auburn, Univ Georgia etc. They are largely out of state (so not just a southern school) and if he loves sports he would love it there.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:To the OP - I'm sorry that so many nasty people are here. You are asking great questions. Doing your homework. Good luck. I just reported one of the nasty posts to eliminate the clutter. Lots of people are in your boat. Good luck! Sounds like you have a great kid.

I agree that the OP has a "great kid" and that's what I've been saying since the beginning. There's nothing she says about the kid that gives any cause for her to be concerned. It's not "clutter" to push back on random lists of colleges or comments from posters along the lines of "he needs to bring his SATs up" when he hasn't even taken the test yet.

And it's certainly not "clutter" to advise OP not to allow the DCUM crazies to rope her in.

There is a big difference between those who are constructively pushing back on school suggestions and those who are insulting the OP by saying they are nuts for being so concerned and anxious when they have given no indication that this is the case in multiple well-written posts.

I never said the OP was nuts. I said some of the responses are.

You are the only crazies in this thread. If that isn’t apparent to you, seek professional help.

I read the OP's first thread carefully. Many of the other posters did not, as evidenced by the many posters advising her that her son needs to get his SAT scores up, when she made clear that he hasn't even taken them yet, and suggesting the she look at Naviance when she made clear that she already had.

What I took away from my careful reading was that she has a well-rounded and happy 10th grader with many friends who is doing well at a selective NYC high school even if he isn't at the very top of his class. I happen to think that a kid like that can and will do well at many, many colleges. I also think that when dealing with a kid like that it often doesn't help to start "worrying" -- her word -- about college and projecting that worry on the kid. And I'll never understand why posters throw out the names of a half a dozen or so random colleges, many of which are quite dissimilar from one another, in response to every one of these threads.

My initial advice -- that the OP relax and wait things out a little -- still stands. I am not willing to go along with the college admissions frenzy that so many other DCUM poster help to perpetuate.

OP. First TY for reading my admittedly long post. I appreciate your pointing out (nicely) that I shouldn't be worried at this time. I think it's coming from knowing a bunch of kids going through the process right now at DC's school and similar ones, kids who have absolutely amazing profiles (multivariable calc in 10th grade etc) getting some shocking rejections. I am seeing the importance of having a strategy playing out in real time.

And yes, academically, DS can probably do fine at most colleges (not the tippy top ones, but we're not applying to those!). I suspect he'll wind up with a generic social science major that almost every school offers. I am far more concerned with finding the right social fit.

The kid you described could fit socially almost anywhere.

Just a normal hard-working bright teenage boy who likes playing sports and "chilling" with his many friends,

It honestly is too early to be worried. I’ve got a 10th grader and a college freshman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - take a look at the Southern SEC schools - Univ South Carolina, Clemson, Univ Tenn, Auburn, Univ Georgia etc. They are largely out of state (so not just a southern school) and if he loves sports he would love it there.

OP mentioned that the NE vibe is important otherwise I like some of your picks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apologies that I am posting as a NYC parent but this group is so helpful! My 10th gr DS it a giant NYC selective public school. I feel like he's going to fall between the cracks in college admissions. Too strong for the "awesomely average" group, not strong enough for the 4.0/1500 group. Not super interested in rah-rah and I worry he'll get lost at a giant state school, but also worry he won't find his people at a tiny LAC. Very NOT quirky. Just a normal hard-working bright teenage boy who likes playing sports and "chilling" with his many friends, and likes the challenge of being surrounded by the smart kids at his school. Has a 3.7 and I'm guessing SAT will land somewhere around 1400?? At his school this is middle of the pack - about 20% of kids get into Ivy+. Best subjects are history and math, but will probably apply as a humanities major since there are so freaking many genius STEM kids. The school is so large that Naviance scattergrams look like a giant ink blot and literally everything appears to be a reach. Anyone here have a kid with a comparable profile? We will of course apply to many SUNYs, but want a solid list of privates as well. We are fortunate to be able to pay in full.

ILR at Cornell?

My 3.82uw/1490 (non DMV private) is at Cornell (not ILR though)

[Anonymous]

U Rochester

[Anonymous]

If we changed the title of this thread to "Interested in suggestions of colleges for "standard strong" DS" I think we would be having a much better conversation and I think that is what the OP meant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A LOT can change between now and then OP. My kids wanted totally different things between soph and beginning of senior year. At that point, I think you let tell you him some parameters.

I only have boys and this has been so true for us.