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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DS is a 10th grader at a suburban public.  He is in all AP and Honors courses and a straight-A student.  Just got back from PSAT and was in the 98th percentile without prep.  He is a smart kid but seems to have no interests or EC that will make a different.  He is on the golf team, and that's all he really does at school, and he isn't a great golfer/won't be recruited.  I am trying to figure out how to make him interested in college apps and start to develop a passion or interest in general.  Summer after 9th grade he did nothing.  He wants to go to a place like MIT or an ivy, and that just won't happen even with good ECs of which he has none.  I mentioned this to my friend who works at a top DC private and she bluntly said, well he will get into a school like UMD or BC/BU if he is lucky.  I was taken aback as this is a kid who is at the top of his grade and views himself as "better than" a school like UMD or a 40/50 school like BC or BU.  He won't be hooked for admissions anywhere, aside from us being full pay which I know is not a hook but she said it can make a difference at some SLAC.  What do I do??????????[/quote]

Do what? Just let your son do his best and apply to the schools he’s interested in. Encourage him to broaden his options beyond just MIT and the Ivy League. School admissions are determined by such a complex mixture of factors, you never know what the outcome will be.

My child, with similar stats, an IB diploma, and stronger extracurriculars, was only interested in one Ivy League school. She also applied to several private and public universities that she liked. Among her acceptances, she chose BU. At first, I thought she might be slightly overqualified, but boy, was I wrong. BU is full of smart, talented students, and she’s building great friendships there.

I also have another child who attended a top 25 school (based on US News rankings, which I no longer trust), and I’ve come to realize just how underrated BU is—or how overrated the other school might be. Of course, others might have different opinions or experiences, but that’s my anecdotal experience. I’m guessing many schools we initially overlook are in similar situations.

Just do your best wherever you are, wherever you end up, and make the most of it.[/quote]

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