High Stat kid, no interests or leadership, where to apply?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a middle schooler here - is this a joke? A super smart kid with high scores and you guys think he needs to apply to college in Canada because he won't get into any top US schools? MUST every child have a hook? This is only like 5% of kids. Where do the rest go? This is insane. I think DCUMommies are just insane.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a middle schooler here - is this a joke? A super smart kid with high scores and you guys think he needs to apply to college in Canada because he won't get into any top US schools? MUST every child have a hook? This is only like 5% of kids. Where do the rest go? This is insane. I think DCUMommies are just insane.

It's hard to believe but there's some merit in these posts if you are looking for reasonably ranked schools (top 50-70 schools). Think about it. Would you be really happy if your kid goes to some third-tier college? Kids with excellent stats, top 50 schools are not guaranteed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a middle schooler here - is this a joke? A super smart kid with high scores and you guys think he needs to apply to college in Canada because he won't get into any top US schools? MUST every child have a hook? This is only like 5% of kids. Where do the rest go? This is insane. I think DCUMommies are just insane.

+1

Agree it’s just one crazy troll who posts in the middle of the night

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a middle schooler here - is this a joke? A super smart kid with high scores and you guys think he needs to apply to college in Canada because he won't get into any top US schools? MUST every child have a hook? This is only like 5% of kids. Where do the rest go? This is insane. I think DCUMommies are just insane.

It's hard to believe but there's some merit in these posts if you are looking for reasonably ranked schools (top 50-70 schools). Think about it. Would you be really happy if your kid goes to some third-tier college? Kids with excellent stats, top 50 schools are not guaranteed.

+1 unfortunately true. It is sad, but that's the reality.

My kid was like OP's kid. Ended up at a state flagship with merit. Still, worked out well for DC, but it was certainly an ego hit when they got rejected to all T20 except waitlisted at one. Decided to just go in state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a middle schooler here - is this a joke? A super smart kid with high scores and you guys think he needs to apply to college in Canada because he won't get into any top US schools? MUST every child have a hook? This is only like 5% of kids. Where do the rest go? This is insane. I think DCUMommies are just insane.

Fair enough. But there are a gazillion students applying to T20 schools. Almost all have great stats. And these schools generally have sub 6 percent acceptance rates. A 1600 and a 4.0 unweighted doesn't mean anything at these schools - except the application gets read. They crossed that bar. But if there's nothing else there - like in this example - it's going into the reject pile regardless. Every year, there are roughly 7 million college applications being sent out. That's a lot of apps. For the top schools, you need to distinguish yourself in some way beyond grades and test scores, which are only a marker to have the application read in the first place.

An unmotivated but smart student like this has a better chance at honors programs at state schools, which are more stat driven. So are the Canadian schools. As for UK universities, Cambridge and Oxford are not happening even with perfect stats. There's an interview process that delves into things beyond stats.

To be honest, smart students who are unmotivated to do anything else is actually a red flag at many schools. Elite schools are inviting students to be part of a community. And if they are not contributing, what's the point of attending. This student should use the stats to get into an honors program at a state school. Or use it to get merit at lower ranked schools.

[Anonymous]

Let him enjoy his high-school experience doing whatever activities he prefers and attend local state school. A smart kid can go places from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full pay boy. High performing suburban HS of a major city (Boston/DC/NY). No legacy.

Going into his junior year of HS. In the top ten of his class, may end up being valedictorian. He’s very smart, has no leadership or interesting ECs. Minor volunteering, 2 JV sports, not recruitable and may not even make varsity. Ship has sailed for ECs, they would be meaningless at this point and I would not expect joining a club would have any impact on his results.

He is really smart, and likely would do fine at an Ivy, but he won’t get in as he doesn’t stand out at all. Where can a kid with high test scores and top of class at a strong suburban public get into that is still prestigious? What’s his best bet for ED? Could he possibly get into a rice or Cornell?

He has multiple 5s on APs and will have 1500+ on SAT (if he doesn’t get there initially, he will be tutored).

Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, St Andrews, UCL, Edinburgh, Durham, Amsterdam, ETH Zurich, St Gallen, Science Po, Bocconi, etc…..

Do regular T50 instead.
Pick 3-4 reaches (1-2 for ED) and find other T50 (depending on size/location/feel).
At our private this kid gets into 2 of the T25 listed earlier but only ED.
Also schools like BU/Tufts/BC/NYU/Lehigh. Maybe Wake.
Schedule a meeting with the CCO. Look at your school’s data.

Family is full pay and not looking for international discount. I’d skip these schools PP listed.

If OP was happy with T50, she would not even come here to ask for input. You think?
From what she described, T20 level schools are what she is looking for.
I think Oxibridge and Science Po make sense.

T50 is more elite than that, if you plan to work in major markets in the US.

OMG. You must be one of those Americans that believe the world revolves around your neighborhood. Don’t be an idiot making a full of yourself with these comments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full pay boy. High performing suburban HS of a major city (Boston/DC/NY). No legacy.

Going into his junior year of HS. In the top ten of his class, may end up being valedictorian. He’s very smart, has no leadership or interesting ECs. Minor volunteering, 2 JV sports, not recruitable and may not even make varsity. Ship has sailed for ECs, they would be meaningless at this point and I would not expect joining a club would have any impact on his results.

He is really smart, and likely would do fine at an Ivy, but he won’t get in as he doesn’t stand out at all. Where can a kid with high test scores and top of class at a strong suburban public get into that is still prestigious? What’s his best bet for ED? Could he possibly get into a rice or Cornell?

He has multiple 5s on APs and will have 1500+ on SAT (if he doesn’t get there initially, he will be tutored).

Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, St Andrews, UCL, Edinburgh, Durham, Amsterdam, ETH Zurich, St Gallen, Science Po, Bocconi, etc…..

Do regular T50 instead.
Pick 3-4 reaches (1-2 for ED) and find other T50 (depending on size/location/feel).
At our private this kid gets into 2 of the T25 listed earlier but only ED.
Also schools like BU/Tufts/BC/NYU/Lehigh. Maybe Wake.
Schedule a meeting with the CCO. Look at your school’s data.

Family is full pay and not looking for international discount. I’d skip these schools PP listed.

If OP was happy with T50, she would not even come here to ask for input. You think?
From what she described, T20 level schools are what she is looking for.
I think Oxibridge and Science Po make sense.

I don’t think these are good first choice options for him.They’re good fallback options for the full college list for a kid like this, according to our counselor.

If your counselor things Oxbridge is a fallback option to a kid who will have a tough time getting to an Ivy your counselor is not worth the title in her business card. Please…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a middle schooler here - is this a joke? A super smart kid with high scores and you guys think he needs to apply to college in Canada because he won't get into any top US schools? MUST every child have a hook? This is only like 5% of kids. Where do the rest go? This is insane. I think DCUMommies are just insane.

Fair enough. But there are a gazillion students applying to T20 schools. Almost all have great stats. And these schools generally have sub 6 percent acceptance rates. A 1600 and a 4.0 unweighted doesn't mean anything at these schools - except the application gets read. They crossed that bar. But if there's nothing else there - like in this example - it's going into the reject pile regardless. Every year, there are roughly 7 million college applications being sent out. That's a lot of apps. For the top schools, you need to distinguish yourself in some way beyond grades and test scores, which are only a marker to have the application read in the first place.

An unmotivated but smart student like this has a better chance at honors programs at state schools, which are more stat driven. So are the Canadian schools. As for UK universities, Cambridge and Oxford are not happening even with perfect stats. There's an interview process that delves into things beyond stats.

To be honest, smart students who are unmotivated to do anything else is actually a red flag at many schools. Elite schools are inviting students to be part of a community. And if they are not contributing, what's the point of attending. This student should use the stats to get into an honors program at a state school. Or use it to get merit at lower ranked schools.

Great summary and analysis. Agree 💯

Here’s a copied post from a former Michigan AO who has a FB group. Advice applicable to those kid and anyone else aiming for T25 including the OP’s kid:


“Hi Parents! As a former admissions officer at the University of Michigan, I read thousands of applications, and I want to share some advice on building a strong application profile.

Yes, we looked at grades and test scores. The academics formed the foundation of the review but once those boxes were checked, what really made a student stand out was what they did outside of the classroom. 

We were analyzing:

What lights this student up?
Are they genuinely curious — or just checking boxes?

Is there a thread in their story that shows growth, leadership, purpose, or impact?

Sometimes, the most memorable apps came from kids who weren’t presidents of every club — but who owned their interests and found ways to engage deeply with the things that mattered most to them.

💡 My advice: Encourage your child to think less about being “well-rounded” and more about being intensely focused on their passions. It’s not about doing it all — it’s about doing fewer things at a high level with purpose and meaning.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a middle schooler here - is this a joke? A super smart kid with high scores and you guys think he needs to apply to college in Canada because he won't get into any top US schools? MUST every child have a hook? This is only like 5% of kids. Where do the rest go? This is insane. I think DCUMommies are just insane.

I realize your kid is only a middle schooler. But let me bring you up to speed here.
DS was similar to OP’s kid. 1540 SAT, 3.9/4 UW GPA, 8 AP’s at 5. ECs were nothing special. Great essays.

Denied at the 3 of the 4 Ivies he applied to. Denied at all the other 3 TOP 20 he applied to.
Accepted to Oxford unconditionally after doing really really well in their TSA test. If course he chose Oxford vs Dartmouth…..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a middle schooler here - is this a joke? A super smart kid with high scores and you guys think he needs to apply to college in Canada because he won't get into any top US schools? MUST every child have a hook? This is only like 5% of kids. Where do the rest go? This is insane. I think DCUMommies are just insane.

I realize your kid is only a middle schooler. But let me bring you up to speed here.
DS was similar to OP’s kid. 1540 SAT, 3.9/4 UW GPA, 8 AP’s at 5. ECs were nothing special. Great essays.

Denied at the 3 of the 4 Ivies he applied to. Denied at all the other 3 TOP 20 he applied to.
Accepted to Oxford unconditionally after doing really really well in their TSA test. If course he chose Oxford vs Dartmouth…..

What type of ECs are “nothing special”?

[Anonymous]

Canadian and UK colleges care about academics more than ECs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Canadian and UK colleges care about academics more than ECs.

For premed students, foreign undergraduate is not a good option.

[Anonymous]

ED uchicago

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Multiple AP 5s
High GPA
Very high SAT

No ECs and you want prestige? Dust off the passport. The following amazing universities have primarily stat-based admissions:

Oxford
Cambridge
University of British Columbia
McGill
University of Sydney
University of Melbourne

And… several others if you start looking around. The American admissions game is silly. Other countries get it right.

No chance at the top two for a kid who isn’t passionate about a major