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[quote=Anonymous]OP— I have a kid at TJ.

The bad news. The kids getting into Stanford aren’t just impressive for this area or the smartest kid in your neighborhood.  They have demonstrated world class talent. The National chess champion. US international traveling math, bio, chem or physics olympics team. The Intel and Siemens finalists. The National student journalist of the year. These are the kids getting offers. Not NMSFs, 99th % SATs, great grades, student body President. If your kid isn’t nationally or internationally recognized in something impressive, a URM/first Gen, an elite athlete, or donating a building, I she should still apply, but I would not let her get her hopes up.  Because with 5% admissions rate, URMS, athletes and legacies filling sports, and all the applicants being impressive, the odds are bad.

Better news:  Berkley might be doable for a kid who is just bright, and hardworking with excellent SATs and not also a superhero on the side.  If she’s interested in CA, maybe one of the Claremont colleges, depending on what she wants to study?  One of them is all female, but they share a co-ed campus.   Occidental also seems to be getting a lot of buzz right now.

Even better news:  I know two kids who were bright, hard working, and talented, but not superhuman that are at Stanford right now in grad school—one from Case Western and one from Northwestern.  And when push comes to shove, your terminal degree is the one people care about.   I know your DD has worked so hard, and given 100% and wants Stanford for undergrad. And she could probably do well there.

But help her manage expectations and look at the big picture.  Stanford (and Berkley and the Ivys) will still be there in 4 years. She’s clearly capable of doing great things in college.  And if she does, she will have a realistic shot at her dream school for grad school. [/quote]

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