Safety Schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Same with my DS. He has the academic profile to do well at a Top 50 but not the EC's so no way I see him being accepted (also not in our budget anyway). He's just a relaxed, not competitive, person who spends time on casual, personal interests and hanging out with friends. His safeties are JMU and UDel and I think he'd be happy and do well at either of them. He's applying to a few other match and one reach but if he ends up at a safety that would be perfectly fine.

This sounds kind of like my DS. He didn't apply to any Top 50s but he was admitted to UMD's scholars program with a nice scholarship. He was never going to be a "big fish" anywhere because that's not who he is. He goes to one of the schools you mentioned and is happy there. Maybe by the time grad school rolls around he'll care more about rankings and be a little more driven, maybe not. At least he'll have money saved for it.

I agree with PP who suggested finding a rolling admission school that your kid likes for a safety (if there is one). Not everyone has to apply to Pitt by default. Your safety should have a lot in common with your top choices - it just needs to be an easier admit.

The Pitt stuff is really weird--I don't understand why it has pulled ahead of the other rolling admissions schools.

I think part of it may be there's a trend toward liking urban schools. DS looked at it but he really wants a "college town" experience and doesn't like urban schools so it didn't make the list.

I guess that could be true, but from what I’ve heard many Pitt safety applicants REALLY don’t want to go there. It’s strange that the school has pull over safeties that are much easier admits that give more scholarships (Iowa State, Bama)

We visited in the Fall and Pitt is my child's safety school, and second choice school. If she doesn't get into her First Choice, she is going to Pitt and I'm sure she will get into the honors program. I am even hoping for some merit money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Out-of-state, state U's that offer Rolling Admission. Submit an application as soon as the application becomes available, in August. Hear back in Sept/Oct

Apply to several, and you have a choice of safeties. Visit later.

Does this mean your recommenders also have to be willing to do the recommendation by August? Or will they except without that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out-of-state, state U's that offer Rolling Admission. Submit an application as soon as the application becomes available, in August. Hear back in Sept/Oct

Apply to several, and you have a choice of safeties. Visit later.

Does this mean your recommenders also have to be willing to do the recommendation by August? Or will they except without that?

Depends on the college. Some don't require recommendations, some do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just hired a fine young person from the Pennsylvania College of Technology over a young person from VT for a consulting position with a 6 figure salary.

Kids from "safety" schools do survive and make a nice living.

Love the sample of one stories. Useful.

Love the stories of generalizations about certain schools. Useful.

Quite a defense you mustered there.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on the kid's stats, ECs etc.
I'm guessing the schools you listed are safeties for everyone because the admissions requirements are low.
I think for the people on this board, regionally, it might be places like James Madison, George Mason, St. Mary's, Towson, U of Del, Penn State - and then some privates.

I doubt PITT is a safety school for most, it is going the way of Case and Michigan anyway, where soon we will see yield protection.

I'd agree with your list with the exception of Penn State.

I'd also add Miami Ohio, Elon, South Carolina, and College of Charleston.

Elon really values applicants that drink their kool-aid. May look to be a safety based on stats but may not work in practice if it’s a throw away app.

Elon is genius at marketing. They are now at top 100 school, and will likely keep climbing the ranks. They know how to play the game and thryt are great at student life. It's not a safety for everyone anymore. This year apps were through the roof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on the kid's stats, ECs etc.
I'm guessing the schools you listed are safeties for everyone because the admissions requirements are low.
I think for the people on this board, regionally, it might be places like James Madison, George Mason, St. Mary's, Towson, U of Del, Penn State - and then some privates.

I doubt PITT is a safety school for most, it is going the way of Case and Michigan anyway, where soon we will see yield protection.

+1

Pitt is more competitive now

Except every kid we know with mediocre grades and an unimpressive resume got in last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD graduated this spring from Coastal Carolina and was accepted into a competitive grad school with a scholarship based on her GPA. I think CCU gets bad press on this board but my DD thrived there with smaller class sizes and caring professors.

I rank Coastal and Highpoint the same for quality. Read the reviews of both particularly some program Coastal set up for kids with learning disabilities where they mostly ripped off students.

[Anonymous]

I think of Coastal Carolina as the school for pretty dumb cheerleaders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on the kid's stats, ECs etc.
I'm guessing the schools you listed are safeties for everyone because the admissions requirements are low.
I think for the people on this board, regionally, it might be places like James Madison, George Mason, St. Mary's, Towson, U of Del, Penn State - and then some privates.

I doubt PITT is a safety school for most, it is going the way of Case and Michigan anyway, where soon we will see yield protection.

+1

Pitt is more competitive now

Except every kid we know with mediocre grades and an unimpressive resume got in last year.

Any school with a rolling admissions is a safety

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think of Coastal Carolina as the school for pretty dumb cheerleaders.

Nice. Hope that makes you feel better about yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virginia Tech is a solid safety school.

JMU as well.

Average incoming stats are 4.03 gpa so hardly a safety

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia Tech is a solid safety school.

JMU as well.

Average incoming stats are 4.03 gpa so hardly a safety

4,03 for VT

[Anonymous]

VA Tech is def a safety school - mostly "B" students
ELON
Charleston

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think of Coastal Carolina as the school for pretty dumb cheerleaders.

Nice. Hope that makes you feel better about yourself.

I'm not the poster who made that remark but I would caution parents to look at the school carefully. Do they really care about educating the kids? Highpoint and Coastal do a poor job of attracting and paying professors.There are more schools who will work with students with disabilities and actually teach them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just hired a fine young person from the Pennsylvania College of Technology over a young person from VT for a consulting position with a 6 figure salary.

Kids from "safety" schools do survive and make a nice living.

Is this your son or nephew?