Yeah. Good luck with some of the above. Not a single kid in my daughter’s large wealthy public HS was admitted to Georgetown this year.

Tier 1 schools include Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, UChicago, Caltech, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, The University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Duke, Vanderbilt, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and Rice.Feb 12, 2021

So many kids will have zero chance at many on OP’s list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the top schools -- ivy or otherwise -- have low admission rates. If you are trying to avoid heartache and stress, aim for top 50.

Top 50 except schools like Georgetown, NYU, USC, Northeastern, NYU, BU, BC, Tufts
Their acceptance rates are low to mid teen on par with some of the T20 like Rice, WashU, Notre Dame,

Ha. You listed schools ranked 20-25 as top 50. That’s a little misleading and clearly a subtle dig.

Anonymous wrote:Ivies are subset of T20.

Cornell #17
Brown #14
Dartmouth #13
UPenn #8
etc.
(by USN&WR)

They are just part of T20
What do you mean??

This^^

The other schools in the Top 20 are just as competitive and difficult to get into as Ivies. Focusing on Northwestern or Duke vs UPenn or Cornell really isn't a good strategy.

Instead focus on finding TRUE targets and TRUE reaches. A true target is one you can afford, one you want to attend, and one with 25%+ acceptance rate where you are at the 50-75%+ for test scores and gpa. A true safety is one you can afford, one you want to attend and one with a 40-50%+ acceptance rate and where you are at 75%+ for test scores and GPA.

Then scatter in as many Top 20-30 schools (or reach schools) if those schools actually appeal to you for what they offer with respect to your intended major(s), not for the ranking. Anything with less than 20% acceptance rate is a crap shoot/reach, even if you have perfect scores and gpa, EC, etc.

I have told my DD she can apply wherever she likes but that I would like her to consider schools outside the "top" schools that have very strong programs in her interest areas, or are located in places she's expressed an interest in working, just stop see. Not forcing her to apply but we will visit and see what she thinks. No looking for a "safety" or two so much as trying to make sure she's evaluating schools based on whether they will actually suit her interests/personality and not just based on how impressive it would sound to say "I'm going to X." I think when kids get too focused on prestige it clouds their thinking and can lead to poor choices when there were other really great options right in front of them.

We also make a point of expressing interest and congratulations to older kids on their college choices no matter where they are going. We don't look down our noses at schools and we also don't fall all over ourselves congratulating an Ivy-bound kid -- they get the same "That's wonderful! Are you getting excited? What attracted you to that school?" that anyone else gets.

Kids absorb some of the prestige-focus from peers but they also secretly want to make you really proud and they will listen and watch you closely. Make sure they aren't getting the impression that all you really want is for them to go to a top school -- make it clear that the thing you will be proudest of is them making a thoughtful choice that makes sense for them as a person and matches their goals.

"She should apply to top colleges that she actually wants to go to" Yes, whether or not those are Ivies is irrelevant. (And also apply to colleges she actually wants to go to where she has high probability of admittance)

She should apply to top colleges that she actually wants to go to

Anonymous wrote:
I think by skipping Ivy fever and focusing her efforts on non-Ivy T20 colleges, She’ll have better options and these schools are as good, just not a member of a famous sports league with high marketing budget.

Why did you start a new thread when this is just a continuation of your last thread?

Anonymous wrote:
I think by skipping Ivy fever and focusing her efforts on non-Ivy T20 colleges, She’ll have better options and these schools are as good, just not a member of a famous sports league with high marketing budget.

Nobody wants to be anyone's safety.

It's kind of like a girl that dumps you to go for her dream dude. After she got dumped, she comes back to her 2nd-tier safety.

Could open up, not couple. Ugh, iphone typing is so annoying

Or, people couple open up options because college rankings are not the end all be all of life?

There are plenty of good schools. It depends what you are looking for.

A top student could aim for any of the top 50 nationals and top 50 lacs and get an excellent education

Anonymous wrote:All of the top schools -- ivy or otherwise -- have low admission rates. If you are trying to avoid heartache and stress, aim for top 50.

Top 50 except schools like Georgetown, NYU, USC, Northeastern, NYU, BU, BC, Tufts
Their acceptance rates are low to mid teen on par with some of the T20 like Rice, WashU, Notre Dame,

All of the top schools -- ivy or otherwise -- have low admission rates. If you are trying to avoid heartache and stress, aim for top 50.

Ivies are subset of T20.

Cornell #17
Brown #14
Dartmouth #13
UPenn #8
etc.
(by USN&WR)

They are just part of T20
What do you mean??

Anonymous wrote:
I think by skipping Ivy fever and focusing her efforts on non-Ivy T20 colleges, She’ll have better options and these schools are as good, just not a member of a famous sports league with high marketing budget.

Join the majority of America clown. The obsession with top 20 schools here is disturbing.

I think by skipping Ivy fever and focusing her efforts on non-Ivy T20 colleges, She’ll have better options and these schools are as good, just not a member of a famous sports league with high marketing budget.