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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This thread depresses me.  The notion that one bad grade or a handful of Bs derails kids’ chances when they are otherwise strong applicants is really a bummer for these kids.  Yes, there is more to life than top-ranked colleges and they will all be fine regardless, but given that rising seniors have spent most of their high school years in a pandemic, it would be nice if they could just catch a break without having to justify why one grade doesn’t reflect who they are as a student.  [/quote]

But realistically-the kid with straight As through high school and the kid with a handful of Bs or a D are fundamentally different students. I have both in my family (in fact they're twins) and they're very, very different kids and frankly they shouldn't be going to the same college.  their work ethics, academic inclinations, etc are quite different. [/quote]

This just isn’t true. My older son took all most rigorous classes - through linear algebra and AP physics, and graduated with all As and a handful of Bs. My younger who is a rising HS senior also takes rigorous classes but a notch below (AP calculus AB instead of BC, AP envt’l science instead of physics, won’t take AP world language until senior year), and is on track to graduate with a 4.0. Both are equally strong students, I’d argue the older was always up for more academic challenge, and the younger has been able to avoid Bs by taking AB calc, etc. [/quote]

You just stated the older "was up for more academically challenge". Well that is the difference often times between those who attend  "elite" and the next level of colleges.  Your 2nd kid is obviously very smart too, but not as self motivated as the other, or he'd have taken the more "rigorous" courses.  Both will do extremely well, and will thrive wherever they go. But the first will have a better chance at an Elite admission. 
[/quote]

Different PP.  That doesn’t make sense if you are also the poster who says a student with a handful of Bs is on a different level that a 4.0 student and shouldn’t be at an elite school.  Doesn’t a student with a few Bs in all rigorous classes come across as stronger than a 4.0 student with less rigor???  Obviously the kids with all As with lots of rigor are a at the tippy top, but I find it hard to believe that a couple of Bs with lots of rigor would be a disqualified for T10-30 schools.[/quote]

I just wanted to chime in and say be careful with assumptions about kids who got some Bs in rigorous classes not being in the same league. . There is a difference between students with As who works hard for that A versus a gifted child who barely studies, turns in homework late but gets 100 on every test (thus final grade of B). That’s my kid. He’s going to a T20 school. He hated online school due to covid junior year and got mostly Bs that year. I think some elite colleges can sniff out these kids.  A lot  of brilliant kids may have ADHD or on the autism spectrum (undiagnosed or diagnosed) and I think it is pretty common in these circles.

I spoke to a parent who went to MIT and he described a kid just like my child who barely studied, watched tv, and aces every exam. Meanwhile the MIT parent had to study hard for his C. That’s when he realized he was not in the same league and based on his experience he  has opted not to send his kids to a high stress culture university. I understand his approach but it’s more than about getting As in college (or HS). [b]My child needs to be amongst his intellectual peers in order to thrive and reach his potential.[/b] His maturity is kicking in and he will be ready for the work whereas he wasn’t at age 16-17. [/quote]

Oh good heavens.  Truly gifted and creative kids can thrive in lots of different environments.  If your kid needs to be among his "intellectual peers" to get motivated, you have bigger problems to worry about. [/quote]

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