Very high stats kid - which schools should we be considering

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be sure to check out the elite publics - UCLA, UCB, U Mich, UVA, etc., as these schools seem to continue to value traditional measures of academic success over the process of packaging a kid as a historic costume designer.

UCs are test-blind, so I would disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be sure to check out the elite publics - UCLA, UCB, U Mich, UVA, etc., as these schools seem to continue to value traditional measures of academic success over the process of packaging a kid as a historic costume designer.

UCs are test-blind, so I would disagree.

Point Taken, but UCs are highly ranked among public schools - I think those are 1-4 listed

[Anonymous]

I would absolutely package this kid as a historic custom designer for a few ivies and selective private schools. It can work.

Ask me how I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:As you may be aware, few T20-T50s offer big merit. They are reaches without the financial aspect. The big merit scholarships are super reaches. The lower you look in ranking, the more big merit becomes a possibility.

For T20s, there are big scholarships offered to a few students at Duke, Vandy, WashU. Not sure about others. When you expand to T50, there are big scholarships of varying sizes at places like BC (full tuition, very hard to get), full or half tuition at BU, etc. So, you need to be clear to your student about what would be affordable if a top scholarship came through - can you afford the 20k room and board if there was a full tuition scholarship on the table.

It makes sense to give these merit scholarships a shot, though I'd be planning on one of the NMF full rides, and booking a trip to Tuscaloosa at this point, sell the Alabama experience. I have relatives who attended for the big money and loved it.

Thanks for being the one person willing to give a helpful response. We 100% assumed that we would not be able to afford any top schools, and that the state flagship would be our only affordable and decent enough option. I didn't want to sell my kid short, so I wanted to see what else might be on the table. At least for us, there's no point in applying at all if we're unlikely to be able to afford attending.

I'll still probably ask the moderator to delete this thread. This forum is rough.

PP. Ignore the rude responses - that is very typical for this forum.

Do try the Net Price Calculators at some top schools to see if they'd give enough need-based aid. You might, or might not, be pleasantly surprised. Hard for anyone to guess because your assets also impact the college's need calculation.

Since you may be new to the world of college admissions, just to add something about keeping admission expectations realistic, my kid had 3.98/1570 and was outright rejected from: Brown, Columbia, Vandy, Georgetown, USC, UCLA/UCB/UCSD, and BU. Waitlisted Northwestern, Tufts, Michigan, NYU, Northeastern. We can comfortably afford full pay and did not apply for financial aid anywhere. Planning to attend safety state flagship unless one of the waitlists comes through. What might have made a difference: binding Early Decision (ED), which my kid did not do. If you end up finding that top schools may be affordable with need-based aid, and your kid ends up having a top choice among them, then ED is the way to go.

Ouch. And yes, I am new to college admissions. I'm relieved that my kid is perfectly content with the state flagship. I really just didn't want to sell my kid short by doing a one and done application to the state school without seeing what else might work for us. All of the ivies seem to think that we can afford something in the $30k-$40k neighborhood. To me, that feels like a huge stretch and a bad ROI compared to the expected nearly free ride at the state school. The UC schools are definitely a no go, as they would give minimal or no aid and be more expensive than the ivies. I know almost nothing about SLACs.

Here's the thing:
My Test Optional /3.85uw (private) kid got into several of the schools listed above (Northwestern, MI, UCLA, Vanderbilt and USC).....not from California either. Full pay.
The key was outstanding ECs and a tight "fit to major" narrative; stellar LOR. And a humanities major.

So your kid is nothing like OP’s.

Your kid’s outstanding EC’s, full pay status, and a fit to major narrative makes a massive difference. OP…you should stop considering ivies as a no go from a price only perspective. I think your kid’s EC, focus, leadership, awards, etc. profile makes it very unlikely an ivy would admit unless hooked.

Ivies and T25 privates will have the best financial aid though. This kid needs $$$$. And the only way this kid gets into Ivy is with “packaging”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would absolutely package this kid as a historic custom designer for a few ivies and selective private schools. It can work.

Ask me how I know.

Pitt Honors has one of these also!

Made a lovely 18th century court dress. This is a dress so large that there's almost nowhere you can wear it unless you're doing a play. Or maybe a queen.

https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/pittwire/pittmagazine/features-articles/versailles-inspired-court-dress-recreation

[Anonymous]

Your post seems strange because you don't name the Western State (there is a western undergraduate exchange) or name how competitive the high school is. It really depends how many other students at the high school also have very high stats.

Why your post is puzzling to people with students in college is that AP classes don't make sense. Since your child is in 11th grade he or she hasn't yet taken 11th grade AP's yet.

So your child in 9th or 10th grade took AP Calculus? Well that maybe could be true?

AP Lit - that is really unusual as most student first take AP Lang in 11th then AP Lit in 12th.

AP Chem in 10th? Maybe but most students are required to take Honors Chem and a bio class first so don't get to AP chem until 11th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your post seems strange because you don't name the Western State (there is a western undergraduate exchange) or name how competitive the high school is. It really depends how many other students at the high school also have very high stats.

Why your post is puzzling to people with students in college is that AP classes don't make sense. Since your child is in 11th grade he or she hasn't yet taken 11th grade AP's yet.

So your child in 9th or 10th grade took AP Calculus? Well that maybe could be true?

AP Lit - that is really unusual as most student first take AP Lang in 11th then AP Lit in 12th.

AP Chem in 10th? Maybe but most students are required to take Honors Chem and a bio class first so don't get to AP chem until 11th.

+1
Yes, OP... this is why people think you are a troll.
But, if not, in the DC metro area, we have many "very high stats" kids like your son (but with better ECs). Your geographic area may give them a boost for T20 admission. But I would not expect enough merit aid for you. Stick with the other schools already recommended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your post seems strange because you don't name the Western State (there is a western undergraduate exchange) or name how competitive the high school is. It really depends how many other students at the high school also have very high stats.

Why your post is puzzling to people with students in college is that AP classes don't make sense. Since your child is in 11th grade he or she hasn't yet taken 11th grade AP's yet.

So your child in 9th or 10th grade took AP Calculus? Well that maybe could be true?

AP Lit - that is really unusual as most student first take AP Lang in 11th then AP Lit in 12th.

AP Chem in 10th? Maybe but most students are required to take Honors Chem and a bio class first so don't get to AP chem until 11th.

+1
Yes, OP... this is why people think you are a troll.
But, if not, in the DC metro area, we have many "very high stats" kids like your son (but with better ECs). Your geographic area may give them a boost for T20 admission. But I would not expect enough merit aid for you. Stick with the other schools already recommended.

If it’s a state like Utah, Idaho, or Montana… That could make a very big difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your post seems strange because you don't name the Western State (there is a western undergraduate exchange) or name how competitive the high school is. It really depends how many other students at the high school also have very high stats.

Why your post is puzzling to people with students in college is that AP classes don't make sense. Since your child is in 11th grade he or she hasn't yet taken 11th grade AP's yet.

So your child in 9th or 10th grade took AP Calculus? Well that maybe could be true?

AP Lit - that is really unusual as most student first take AP Lang in 11th then AP Lit in 12th.

AP Chem in 10th? Maybe but most students are required to take Honors Chem and a bio class first so don't get to AP chem until 11th.

Sorry. Trying not to give too much identifying info. The high school is small but very well regarded and is a magnet program. Around 20-25% of the kids end up with NMSF, and over half have 10+ APs when they graduate. My kid is top 5% by GPA. Unfortunately, the guidance counselor is new.

Yep. 5 APs were already taken in 9th-10th, with an average score of 4.8. Kid this year is taking another AP in each core subject, and then a post-AP in each core subject in 12th.

Kid has other long term hobbies that weren't included in the OP. I wasn't sure if any schools were interested in a kid who has a lot of very eclectic interests and is obviously not parent manufactured vs. a kid who has a cohesive story with a very carefully cultivated package.

[Anonymous]

Why do people assume the kid is a boy?

[Anonymous]

OP here once again. My mind is blown that a 99.9th percentile ACT, NMSF, 10+ APs with mostly 5s, and a nearly perfect GPA are a dime a dozen and not something that would interest T20 schools. I guess you learn something every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here once again. My mind is blown that a 99.9th percentile ACT, NMSF, 10+ APs with mostly 5s, and a nearly perfect GPA are a dime a dozen and not something that would interest T20 schools. I guess you learn something every day.

It’s because he doesn’t have a story.

What makes him compelling? Schools don’t like competitive candidates. They like compelling ones.

Compelling ones have a spark, have life to them, have something that makes you stop and reconsider the application. Statistics never make you stop and reconsider an application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here once again. My mind is blown that a 99.9th percentile ACT, NMSF, 10+ APs with mostly 5s, and a nearly perfect GPA are a dime a dozen and not something that would interest T20 schools. I guess you learn something every day.

Kid will likely get into a school like Michigan or other flagships, but may not get much merit. Stats alone will only get you into large public flagships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here once again. My mind is blown that a 99.9th percentile ACT, NMSF, 10+ APs with mostly 5s, and a nearly perfect GPA are a dime a dozen and not something that would interest T20 schools. I guess you learn something every day.

You might want to read this thread:

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1260246.page

[Anonymous]

Try U Alabama. Does your kid like the Greek system and football?