3.65 unweighted GPA and a 1580 SAT from a BIG 3 - What should realistically be on the list

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If DC is willing to commit early decision, Penn or Cornell may be possibilities. With good recs, essays, and ECs, DC could probably get into 1-2 of the following: Northwestern, Duke, Chicago, Vanderbilt, Rice, Wash U, Emory, USC, Georgetown, Michigan, or any number of Top 10 SLACs.

You're not getting into Penn, Chicago, Northwestern, or a few others with those grades. Big three or not, you need nearly all A grades. Same with schools like Williams and Swarthmore. Unless this kid has some hook, look further down the list. And there really would have to be some good reason for high scores and meh grades. Maybe some kind of personal distress that was being worked out? Otherwise, looks like a kid who coasts or has some more significant problems. Talk to your college counselor. But Penn ain't happening.

This is simply not true. At my kids school, there are plenty of kids with similar stats who are going to Ivys, Northwestern, tufts, WUSTL and so on. There are very few straight A students, but if you are on one of the advanced Math/Science tracks and have that kind of GPA, pretty much anything is on the table except HYPS and MIT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a dream. Based on having 3 kids go through this in the past 5 years, and seeing where they and their friends ended up.

My kid is a senior at a big 3. Yes. It's a dream. This kid can get into q good school, but think Colby or WashU. Not Ivies or Bowdoin. And not UVA either because it really doesn't give much of a grade break for big 3.

Might be different if a great lax player or a legacy. And full pay will help at some schools. But some of the schools listed here are a pipe dream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a dream. Based on having 3 kids go through this in the past 5 years, and seeing where they and their friends ended up.

My kid is a senior at a big 3. Yes. It's a dream. This kid can get into q good school, but think Colby or WashU. Not Ivies or Bowdoin. And not UVA either because it really doesn't give much of a grade break for big 3.

Might be different if a great lax player or a legacy. And full pay will help at some schools. But some of the schools listed here are a pipe dream.

UVA makes clear that it cares more about grades than SAT scores, and I know from personal experience that they mean it. One of my kids (in state) got in off the wait list with a 1260 on the SAT but with very high grades. Many, many of her classmates were denied admission with much higher SATs but lower grades. And she had no hook whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing OP is a troll. I just looked through the chain and OP doesn't even list scores or grades. And assuming this is for a junior, there is no way that the school's counselors have not already provided a very thorough list of possible colleges to the parents and child already. I say fake post designed to stir up conflict between public and private parents.

No actual parent of an actual big 3 junior would send this kind of vague, clueless post at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing OP is a troll. I just looked through the chain and OP doesn't even list scores or grades. And assuming this is for a junior, there is no way that the school's counselors have not already provided a very thorough list of possible colleges to the parents and child already. I say fake post designed to stir up conflict between public and private parents.

No actual parent of an actual big 3 junior would send this kind of vague, clueless post at this point.

The scores/grades are in the title. Might still be a troll but at least one who provided a scenario.

[Anonymous]

Original Poster here - not a troll at all. Was asking an honest question. Reason being, the College Counselor was all over the map. Naviance is in a grey area. And Im certainly not going to decide my child's entire future on a chat board - at the same time - I know there are people in the know here. People with prior experience. To those who took my question seriously, thank you. A number of you really helped. Its funny how people think an A- average is terrible these days. Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If DC is willing to commit early decision, Penn or Cornell may be possibilities. With good recs, essays, and ECs, DC could probably get into 1-2 of the following: Northwestern, Duke, Chicago, Vanderbilt, Rice, Wash U, Emory, USC, Georgetown, Michigan, or any number of Top 10 SLACs.

You're not getting into Penn, Chicago, Northwestern, or a few others with those grades. Big three or not, you need nearly all A grades. Same with schools like Williams and Swarthmore. Unless this kid has some hook, look further down the list. And there really would have to be some good reason for high scores and meh grades. Maybe some kind of personal distress that was being worked out? Otherwise, looks like a kid who coasts or has some more significant problems. Talk to your college counselor. But Penn ain't happening.

This is simply not true. At my kids school, there are plenty of kids with similar stats who are going to Ivys, Northwestern, tufts, WUSTL and so on. There are very few straight A students, but if you are on one of the advanced Math/Science tracks and have that kind of GPA, pretty much anything is on the table except HYPS and MIT.

Very doubtful. Or they're recruited athletes and/or legacy.

Best bet - especially if you're full pay - is to apply ED to a liberal arts college. Or maybe ED to WUSTL. Ivies, Duke, Northwestern are not happening. So if he wants a bigger school, look at Emory, Northeastern, etc.

[Anonymous]

Arizona State?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a dream. Based on having 3 kids go through this in the past 5 years, and seeing where they and their friends ended up.

My kid is a senior at a big 3. Yes. It's a dream. This kid can get into q good school, but think Colby or WashU. Not Ivies or Bowdoin. And not UVA either because it really doesn't give much of a grade break for big 3.

Might be different if a great lax player or a legacy. And full pay will help at some schools. But some of the schools listed here are a pipe dream.

UVA makes clear that it cares more about grades than SAT scores, and I know from personal experience that they mean it. One of my kids (in state) got in off the wait list with a 1260 on the SAT but with very high grades. Many, many of her classmates were denied admission with much higher SATs but lower grades. And she had no hook whatsoever.

1260?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If DC is willing to commit early decision, Penn or Cornell may be possibilities. With good recs, essays, and ECs, DC could probably get into 1-2 of the following: Northwestern, Duke, Chicago, Vanderbilt, Rice, Wash U, Emory, USC, Georgetown, Michigan, or any number of Top 10 SLACs.

You're not getting into Penn, Chicago, Northwestern, or a few others with those grades. Big three or not, you need nearly all A grades. Same with schools like Williams and Swarthmore. Unless this kid has some hook, look further down the list. And there really would have to be some good reason for high scores and meh grades. Maybe some kind of personal distress that was being worked out? Otherwise, looks like a kid who coasts or has some more significant problems. Talk to your college counselor. But Penn ain't happening.

This is simply not true. At my kids school, there are plenty of kids with similar stats who are going to Ivys, Northwestern, tufts, WUSTL and so on. There are very few straight A students, but if you are on one of the advanced Math/Science tracks and have that kind of GPA, pretty much anything is on the table except HYPS and MIT.

Very doubtful. Or they're recruited athletes and/or legacy.

Best bet - especially if you're full pay - is to apply ED to a liberal arts college. Or maybe ED to WUSTL. Ivies, Duke, Northwestern are not happening. So if he wants a bigger school, look at Emory, Northeastern, etc.

Simply not true. Maybe for your kid, but there are plenty at my kids school with similar stats, not college athletes or other hooks who are going to these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colgate, Hamilton, Colby

These.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An A minus average at a Big 3 is hardly a “mediocre GPA.” If the courseload is mostly advanced/AP-level classes like Physics C, Calculus, etc (however the most challenging classes are designated at that particular school) then UVA and W&M are most definitely within reach.

OP, it may also be deceiving in how you calculate top 25% at a school that does not weight or calculate rank. Is that based solely on GPA? The kid with a 3.8 who took all easy classes might be considered by some to be ranked in a higher percentile than the kid with a 3.65 in the most challenging classes, but colleges won’t see it that way.

So drop all that money on a private school to be “within reach” of two state colleges that would have been within reach or sure things from any random public high school in VA?

The private school has given the kid an excellent education that will have huge benefits for him/her in college and beyond. Much more so than the circle the answer, we don’t give final exams, everyone gets an A public school educational experience . It’s worth the $$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colgate, Hamilton, Colby

These.

Tulane - early action or early decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Original Poster here - not a troll at all. Was asking an honest question. Reason being, the College Counselor was all over the map. Naviance is in a grey area. And Im certainly not going to decide my child's entire future on a chat board - at the same time - I know there are people in the know here. People with prior experience. To those who took my question seriously, thank you. A number of you really helped. Its funny how people think an A- average is terrible these days. Sheesh.

So, non-troll OP, what did your school's counselor tell you? Name the colleges.

Also, each big 3 has multiple counselors. Why don't you ask another one of the counselors for a second opinion. At my kid's big 3, parents are encouraged to talk with other counselors on staff, and not just the assigned counselor.

I smell a fake here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing OP is a troll. I just looked through the chain and OP doesn't even list scores or grades. And assuming this is for a junior, there is no way that the school's counselors have not already provided a very thorough list of possible colleges to the parents and child already. I say fake post designed to stir up conflict between public and private parents.

No actual parent of an actual big 3 junior would send this kind of vague, clueless post at this point.

The scores/grades are in the title. Might still be a troll but at least one who provided a scenario.

OP hasn’t clarified anything, so clearly a troll.