schools that left a bad taste

[Anonymous]

VT-waitlisted after EA round (should have deferred then waitlist IMO)

Accepted UVA, Purdue, UTK, Pitt honors (with $20K) waitlisted at GT

She should have been accepted and yes essays were good and she’d had over 100 hours of community service!

[Anonymous]

I dont understand Ivy Day

I have had two kids get into college ED or SCEA so they were done early.

But both years I've seen so many kids have a good run and then end the process with a bunch of rejections. It puts kids in a mindset that "BC is great, but still have Ivy Day!" or duke or Stanford and then .. nothing.

There are plenty of schools with a bigger app pool and fewer resources who get things out two weeks earlier.

Year after year, it's a drag on these kids. my son said "they like to go last for the aura" but Yale doesn't need more aura.

[Anonymous]

Michigan. DS loved it but feels like we dodged a bullet. They can’t handle admissions so unlikely they do better with housing or class registration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The in-state results coming out of the UCs were the most nonsensical I saw. It certainly left a bad taste.

Agree, they are nonsensical, but then DC got into Berkeley, which made us think they actually read his application.

But many deserving kids were rejected or waitlisted from our southern CA school. Rejected but accepted to Ivies, Hopkins, etc.

Yes, similar situation at my DC’s school. I was prepared for it because I had heard all the stories. But seeing it happen stinks. Lots of kids skipping on rigor got happy news. Meanwhile kids maxing rigor got rejected. Yes, I know they have more applicants than available spots. But so do other schools and they seem to manage this process better. I’ll also say, the way the UCs roll out decisions creates extreme anticipation and stress.

The UC system used to be so enviable. Now it seems like a reason to not live in California.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont understand Ivy Day

I have had two kids get into college ED or SCEA so they were done early.

But both years I've seen so many kids have a good run and then end the process with a bunch of rejections. It puts kids in a mindset that "BC is great, but still have Ivy Day!" or duke or Stanford and then .. nothing.

There are plenty of schools with a bigger app pool and fewer resources who get things out two weeks earlier.

Year after year, it's a drag on these kids. my son said "they like to go last for the aura" but Yale doesn't need more aura.

Completely agree with this!

Hating Yale and Princeton right now for rejecting my kid. Stupid schools. Yes, I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UNC Chapel Hill for not accepting anyone OOS (I know it’s not true but it seems that way)

It's not their fault. Believe me, they know that their instate kids from rural NC are less qualified that most OOS kids that apply. Their hands are tied by the state legislature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a bad taste per se, but my kid got a last minute interview request for Harvard. They had a scholarship weekend for a full-ride and couldn’t make any options work. The interviewer had to call admissions and see if they could extend deadline. It happened, went well as strong interviewer, got rejected. Obviously didn’t expect to get in, but I always envision them saying who do you think you are kid not taking the interview and moving us? Haha

I interview for my Ivy, trust me this is Alumni outreach. This is not about your kid and his admissions.

I just love the line "I interview for my Ivy." It has such a melodic ring to it. I'm going to start saying it randomly, in real life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a bad taste per se, but my kid got a last minute interview request for Harvard. They had a scholarship weekend for a full-ride and couldn’t make any options work. The interviewer had to call admissions and see if they could extend deadline. It happened, went well as strong interviewer, got rejected. Obviously didn’t expect to get in, but I always envision them saying who do you think you are kid not taking the interview and moving us? Haha

I interview for my Ivy, trust me this is Alumni outreach. This is not about your kid and his admissions.

I just love the line "I interview for my Ivy." It has such a melodic ring to it. I'm going to start saying it randomly, in real life.

a co-worker interview for MIT and she drops it into about every conversation for two months a year. it's a good reminder than she must be smart, bcs her work doesn't demonstrate it

[Anonymous]

FCPS HS 2023 3.98/4.5, 10 APs, 1560. CS major (engineering where applicable) We understand there are only so many spots and many deserving applicants.

NEU
EA, deferred, WL. Visited campus. Toured. Submitted paperwork (likely wouldnt have received) for need based FA. Think it was there 1st yr of 100k apps and their current "Chief Enrollment Manager". Whole process just seemed chaotic.

UVA
EA, deferred, WL. Just bitter

CWRU (kid's issue...not mine)
EA, deferred, Accepted w/$30k merit. Ego thing. Toured. Opened every email, etc. Student thought he should have been accepted EA

Pitt
Accepted in September. Toured. No merit. Again, ego thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS HS 2023 3.98/4.5, 10 APs, 1560. CS major (engineering where applicable) We understand there are only so many spots and many deserving applicants.

NEU
EA, deferred, WL. Visited campus. Toured. Submitted paperwork (likely wouldnt have received) for need based FA. Think it was there 1st yr of 100k apps and their current "Chief Enrollment Manager". Whole process just seemed chaotic.

UVA
EA, deferred, WL. Just bitter

CWRU (kid's issue...not mine)
EA, deferred, Accepted w/$30k merit. Ego thing. Toured. Opened every email, etc. Student thought he should have been accepted EA

Pitt
Accepted in September. Toured. No merit. Again, ego thing

SAT scores are excellent; looks like great rigor. But about what rank would a 3.98 put a public high schooler around here? (I'm just asking because Ive seen it thrown around here that 1/2 the class has above a 4.0 & That UVA doesn't consider below a 4.4. I don't even know what "FCPS" stands for)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA waitlist for NoVA student with high rigor/stats. Shouldn’t have to ED to get into your state school.

My NOVA student got in EA. I bet there is something else going on like no world language AP or no AP Lit or a test score that wasn’t 1500+. What were the test scores? Going ED doesn’t really increase your chances. It is literally a straight line of GPA and the highest test score on my DC’s scattergram, regardless of ED or EA. The cut off is the same.

NP. Not contradicting you, but how do you know who EDs and who EAs? The scattergrams don't account for that.

Our competitive FCPS school has a pretty big area with mixed results: 4.2/4.3/4.4 and scores in 1400s. Some get in and some don't. Does ED make a difference with this group?

Wrong. Our scattergrams allow you to isolate by year and decision plan (ED, EA and RD). Your school must pay for the cheap version.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA waitlist for NoVA student with high rigor/stats. Shouldn’t have to ED to get into your state school.

My NOVA student got in EA. I bet there is something else going on like no world language AP or no AP Lit or a test score that wasn’t 1500+. What were the test scores? Going ED doesn’t really increase your chances. It is literally a straight line of GPA and the highest test score on my DC’s scattergram, regardless of ED or EA. The cut off is the same.

NP. Not contradicting you, but how do you know who EDs and who EAs? The scattergrams don't account for that.

Our competitive FCPS school has a pretty big area with mixed results: 4.2/4.3/4.4 and scores in 1400s. Some get in and some don't. Does ED make a difference with this group?

Wrong. Our scattergrams allow you to isolate by year and decision plan (ED, EA and RD). Your school must pay for the cheap version.

It also tells you what major applied for if you click on it, which is helpful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS HS 2023 3.98/4.5, 10 APs, 1560. CS major (engineering where applicable) We understand there are only so many spots and many deserving applicants.

NEU
EA, deferred, WL. Visited campus. Toured. Submitted paperwork (likely wouldnt have received) for need based FA. Think it was there 1st yr of 100k apps and their current "Chief Enrollment Manager". Whole process just seemed chaotic.

UVA
EA, deferred, WL. Just bitter

CWRU (kid's issue...not mine)
EA, deferred, Accepted w/$30k merit. Ego thing. Toured. Opened every email, etc. Student thought he should have been accepted EA

Pitt
Accepted in September. Toured. No merit. Again, ego thing

SAT scores are excellent; looks like great rigor. But about what rank would a 3.98 put a public high schooler around here? (I'm just asking because Ive seen it thrown around here that 1/2 the class has above a 4.0 & That UVA doesn't consider below a 4.4. I don't even know what "FCPS" stands for)

FCPS=Fairfax County Public Schools. The largest district in the DMV. Rankings aren't publicly announced. 3.98 resulting from two A-: Algebra during 8th grade and Spanish 4.

[Anonymous]

Agree that Ivy Day is dreadful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS HS 2023 3.98/4.5, 10 APs, 1560. CS major (engineering where applicable) We understand there are only so many spots and many deserving applicants.

NEU
EA, deferred, WL. Visited campus. Toured. Submitted paperwork (likely wouldnt have received) for need based FA. Think it was there 1st yr of 100k apps and their current "Chief Enrollment Manager". Whole process just seemed chaotic.

UVA
EA, deferred, WL. Just bitter

CWRU (kid's issue...not mine)
EA, deferred, Accepted w/$30k merit. Ego thing. Toured. Opened every email, etc. Student thought he should have been accepted EA

Pitt
Accepted in September. Toured. No merit. Again, ego thing

SAT scores are excellent; looks like great rigor. But about what rank would a 3.98 put a public high schooler around here? (I'm just asking because Ive seen it thrown around here that 1/2 the class has above a 4.0 & That UVA doesn't consider below a 4.4. I don't even know what "FCPS" stands for)

I hear this over and over at least regarding the top Fairfax County high schools.