I am losing heart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a normal stats kid that did just fine in the admissions process. His unweighted GPA was around 3.6, he took 5 AP classes but didn't take the tests, and he scored 29 on the ACT. His EC's were football, wrestling, some normal kid volunteer stuff (little league, hospital), got a couple of awards, nothing spectacular... Interviewed great, wrote a solid essay and picked a reasonable selection of schools. I'm proud of his results and he ended up going to Macalester. Here's the breakdown:
St Olaf - accepted with aid
Luther - accepted with aid
Carelton - denied
College of Wooster - Wait list
Kenyon - accepted with aid
Grinnell - Wait list, no aid
Denison - accepted with aid
Cornell - denied

So you see, even with a normal GPA and ACT, he had his choice of St. Olaf, Macalester, Luther college (his safety), Kenyon and Denison.

So, please don't lose heart based on what you read here. Your kid will do just fine.

I agree that the OP should not lose hope but the majority of schools listed above do not typically accept "normal
GPA and ACT" students - certainly not St Olaf, Carlton, Grinnell, Macalester, Cornell, Kenyon, Denison.

PP is your "normal stats kid" a URM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand where OP is coming from. I am totally disillusioned with all of this maneuvering to get to the head of the line for the best colleges.

People are gaming the system with Prep that helps kids score higher on the SAT. They are studying to take a test better and better. So what does the SAT even mean? How well you can cram for a test, it's not a true measure anymore.

Schools hand out A's like water under the pressure of helicopter parents. A 4.0 means your kid is average now. So now kids have to take AP to get into colleges.

Wealthy people pay for tutors for the kids to spoon feed the course work to them. Do the improved grades mean they are smarter, more dedicated or just pampered students?

Lord help the kids that fall behind early on because they go to a lesser school. The road is too long and steep to catch up in this educational rat race.

I am sick of it. This uneven playing field isn't serving any of these kids (rich or poor) well. College is going to weed out a lot of these kids, but it probably won't be their fault at all.

Now we have DeVoss. That's the last nail in the coffin.

So? There are plenty of good schools that are a good fit for your kid that aren't "prestigious." What is it you hope to get out of a "prestigious" college? You want your kid to be an i banker? You think those people are any happier than ppl who are teachers or lawyers or accountants? A kid who goes to a "lesser school" can still lead a fulfilling life. Maybe even a more fulfilling life. I feel like the college application process today is like the marriage fairy tale we were fed 40 years ago. Harvard doesn't equal happily ever after.

Yep, I went to Uva for college and still was able to get into Columbia for grad school. It will be fine!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally think grad school is the new college.

I agree. The whole college thing has a scammy aspect

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally think grad school is the new college.

I agree. The whole college thing has a scammy aspect

Agreed. Unless you are doing Engineering or compsci, 4 years of college will not give you nothing. You need to go to grad school to actually get a leg up. Parents saving for 4 years of college need to reexamine their savings goals. At least 6 years of college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a normal stats kid that did just fine in the admissions process. His unweighted GPA was around 3.6, he took 5 AP classes but didn't take the tests, and he scored 29 on the ACT. His EC's were football, wrestling, some normal kid volunteer stuff (little league, hospital), got a couple of awards, nothing spectacular... Interviewed great, wrote a solid essay and picked a reasonable selection of schools. I'm proud of his results and he ended up going to Macalester. Here's the breakdown:
St Olaf - accepted with aid
Luther - accepted with aid
Carelton - denied
College of Wooster - Wait list
Kenyon - accepted with aid
Grinnell - Wait list, no aid
Denison - accepted with aid
Cornell - denied

So you see, even with a normal GPA and ACT, he had his choice of St. Olaf, Macalester, Luther college (his safety), Kenyon and Denison.

So, please don't lose heart based on what you read here. Your kid will do just fine.

I agree that the OP should not lose hope but the majority of schools listed above do not typically accept "normal
GPA and ACT" students - certainly not St Olaf, Carlton, Grinnell, Macalester, Cornell, Kenyon, Denison.

PP is your "normal stats kid" a URM?

No, he's white male.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh boy! Way to humble brag OP.

Exactly. Not sure why they were worried. I guess if they wanted Ivy League? My kid has waaaaay fewer accomplishments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally think grad school is the new college.

I agree. The whole college thing has a scammy aspect

Agreed. Unless you are doing Engineering or compsci, 4 years of college will not give you nothing. You need to go to grad school to actually get a leg up. Parents saving for 4 years of college need to reexamine their savings goals. At least 6 years of college.

Did you learn we don't have double negatives in English? I guess you didn't do so well in English 101!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just have your kid mentor a refugee. That should take care of it. Get lots of photos for the app.

+1. If they're rejected from top tier, they can go to Alabama an r1 research U for 100% full ride. Check out their merit awards.

[Anonymous]

My kid got his internship through school - free to us, other than the "cost" of forcing a kid to sit still and write an application. My kid referees. He does a club at school. He does his homework. I can't say I'm not worried, but I'm not crazed, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. My kid is in a magnet HS in MCPS. Straight A's. 1560 SAT (taken only once, he is not keen to retake again because of lack of time). Not a sports person. Participates in 4 clubs. Belongs to a couple of scholastic honors societies. 300 Hours of SSL - various local charities and volunteer work he has been involved in since MS. Leadership position in a couple of clubs. Goes for a few competitions from his clubs - wins a few. 7 APs (Mainly 5s) by end of junior year.

I have been told that he should not even bother to apply to the top schools because he should have done things that differentiates him from other students. Examples that I was given of charities that were founded, travel to 3rd world countries etc., Interning at NIH, Intel competition etc. - is not something we can afford because of lack of time and money.

I do not have a problem with him applying to state public colleges as long as he does something that he will enjoy (he is equally good in Humanities and STEM).

Thank you for your replies. I am actually beginning to feel a lot better now.

Sounds like he's a total loser, OP. Glad you are stepping back from the brink. I advise you to stop talking to other people about their kid's accomplishments and possibly get a lorazepam prescription.

[Anonymous]

OP -

I don't blame you for feeling bad at all. Many of the posters are not responding to you within your son's performance context. What your kid accomplished is very hard to do. And I'm sure there was a lot of sacrifice of fun, parties, just down time. And he's going to feel poorly when kids that didn't do as well academically or work as hard get the choices that he wants for whatever reason. The thing is that through his hard work he will have earned options that in the end will serve him better. The competition based on hooks doesn't end with college admissions...he will face the same for clubs, jobs, networking as those same demonstrated college values carry forward to campus. Where he will end up is a school that will value him for what he brings and that's a better and happier learning environment. AND...this is not saying he should not apply to some reach schools. Additionally though I would look hard at schools like University of Michigan which has to be stats driven due to their sheer size. They have an excellent honors program in addition to excellent engineering and business schools. Also UChicago cares very much about high academic performers and their essays. Columbia has a tough CORE which mostly attract kids not afraid of a LOT of work. Plus they both have Early Decision now which helps a lot. CMU/Harvey Mudd/Caltech if he leans Stem. UMD although it's actually very hard to get in instate. If he is first generation to college that will be a consideration for any IVY depending on which Asian origin. Also many of the Ivies seem to be focused on extending their reach to lower income public schools plus I've seen relatively high admission stats from magnets for schools like MIT. So don't lose heart, get determined, do your research (yes all those parents who say their kid did it all may be stretching a bit) and encourage your son to apply widely so in the end, he has choices. Also though, don't let him fall in love. When you're Asian in this current environment you have to use your brains not your heart. In the end, I promise you it will work out for a kid like him.

P.S. I wouldn't place much credence on posters that are replying to your angst based on their own outdated experiences. Most of us wouldn't get into the colleges or grad schools we did. Try to talk to parents that just went through the process for slightly older siblings.

[Anonymous]

Just chiming in with more Mac love! It's a great little school, probably even greater now that the light rail has been installed and makes getting into the downtown easier. Kids are bright, principled, interesting, motivated, and not conformist. There's also no Greek system, which I think made the social life much more healthy (much less alcohol culture; the descriptions of UVA on that count freak me out). From what I gather that has not changed much since I graduated in 1998.

My classmates have all gone on to do really cool things: several working artists, lots of public interest lawyers, a public health expert, a greeting card company founder, a movie studio executive, and on and on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally think grad school is the new college.

I agree. The whole college thing has a scammy aspect

That's depressing. Everyone has to go into debt more just to "keep up"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems that excellent GPA and SAT is no longer enough. EC activities have to be supplemented with trips to teach underprivileged children in 3rd world countries. And you have to be able to afford the said trips to foreign countries. You have to know people to get internships and recommendations. All this in HS.

I just feel that I have failed my kids because this is just so overwhelming.

I don't know where you are hearing this but that was the case ten years ago. ALL college and university offices know of the fake "I paid $20K so my kid could go build a well in Uganda" gambit. They are much more impressed by something local that requires grit, planning and multi-year execution, like Eagle Scout, Boys or Girls State or Nation, holding down a part-time job as someone said, assisting the Salvation Army long term. Taking college courses while in high school at the local community college. That shows more discipline and grit than mommy and daddy doling out money for a trip abroad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. My kid is in a magnet HS in MCPS. Straight A's. 1560 SAT (taken only once, he is not keen to retake again because of lack of time). Not a sports person. Participates in 4 clubs. Belongs to a couple of scholastic honors societies. 300 Hours of SSL - various local charities and volunteer work he has been involved in since MS. Leadership position in a couple of clubs. Goes for a few competitions from his clubs - wins a few. 7 APs (Mainly 5s) by end of junior year.

I have been told that he should not even bother to apply to the top schools because he should have done things that differentiates him from other students. Examples that I was given of charities that were founded, travel to 3rd world countries etc., Interning at NIH, Intel competition etc. - is not something we can afford because of lack of time and money.

I do not have a problem with him applying to state public colleges as long as he does something that he will enjoy (he is equally good in Humanities and STEM).

Thank you for your replies. I am actually beginning to feel a lot better now.

Are you trolling? Your kid will get into at least one top 25 university, guaranteed.

None of you have any idea what you are talking about

Here are the two questions I need to know

1. Is the kid Asian
2. Is the kid in the top 10% of the graduating class

If he/she is Asian or not in the top 10% of the graduating class he/she will not get into a great school. Even if non-Asian and top 10% of class it's still completely random to get into a great school

Those are the facts.

Now he/she will definitely get into UMD and be completely happy. I would send my kid there....

Asian. I am sure not sure how many other kids have stats like him? No one is a slacker in the school.

I can bet the school is Blair. And there are other at least 30 (out of 100 kids in the program) with similar stats.
Ivy's are not the only good schools in the US. And Ivy's do not provide Merit Scholarships.
If your are ready to apply ED (Early decision) bounding with $60,000+ a year. Your child has a chance. I know for a fact that Cornell will take your child.
Also look at MANY great Tech schools. Virginia Tech, Perdue, Call Tech, Univ of Illinois, Ga Tech, Rice, Carnegie Mellon etc.
This is not China. You do not need to graduate only from Top 3-5. Top 30 are good enough.
Mom of Magnet HS kid, who will never apply to Ivy (and does not qualify for FA).