Anonymous
03/07/2025 11:10
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
I don't get it. If he's so smart, hasn't he read all the professors' web pages and looked at what courses and clubs and research programs and summer programs, etc, are offered at each college, and figured out which is his first and second choice? He should know what he would write in his essay that would convey what he would contribute to the school's scholarship and community. DCUM cannot answer this for you.
I am genuinely puzzled by all these brilliant, rich, private schoool kids who don't bother to do their own research and figure out which colleges appeal to them and why.
I am genuinely puzzled by all these brilliant, rich, private schoool kids who don't bother to do their own research and figure out which colleges appeal to them and why.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 11:10
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
people who LOL at things like this are the same people who have zero idea what private feeders in places like nyc deliver for their students.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 11:07
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
LOL. Yes, you could. GLAnonymous wrote:OP here. Known private/feeder in NYC. But classes are small so naviance data isn't robust.
Dartmouth is the one school that hasn't really taken any kids with a 3.8 (except a couple w 3.6ish - I assume athletes). So they don't seem willing to look past a 3.8. Which is fine.
We'll have our first 1-1 college counselor meeting in a month . Just want to start thinking.
The "one over the others" is Williams, but I think that's tough. He doesn't want to do Midd febs entry, and I don't think he'll have to. So in my mind that's the range: reach (Williams) and safety( Midd Febs) . But I could be wrong
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:56
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
Anonymous wrote:Of that group, best shot is ED1 to Midd and say you'll take the Feb start. (And if you get dinged, internalize the feedback, realize you aren't going to be admitted to any of the others, and ED2 down a level or two of selectivity. Colby or, especially, Bates would almost certainly take a high stats, full-pay, humanities boy in ED2, for example.)
Some advices seen here are way off. 3.8 at nyc private is academic powerhouse. Bates? That’s for B+ students.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:54
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Of that group, best shot is ED1 to Midd and say you'll take the Feb start. (And if you get dinged, internalize the feedback, realize you aren't going to be admitted to any of the others, and ED2 down a level or two of selectivity. Colby or, especially, Bates would almost certainly take a high stats, full-pay, humanities boy in ED2, for example.)
3.8 from a good private can do better than Bates. Unless you want Bates.
i tend to agree with this - from our private (NYC, not DC), the only kids who would go to Bates would have very low gpas - like 3.1. they take more than half their class ED because most full pay kids would choose a different SLAC if given the choice. we toured over 20 schools and it was one of the least impressive we visited.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:36
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
Anonymous wrote:Of that group, best shot is ED1 to Midd and say you'll take the Feb start. (And if you get dinged, internalize the feedback, realize you aren't going to be admitted to any of the others, and ED2 down a level or two of selectivity. Colby or, especially, Bates would almost certainly take a high stats, full-pay, humanities boy in ED2, for example.)
3.8 from a good private can do better than Bates. Unless you want Bates.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:35
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
OP here. Known private/feeder in NYC. But classes are small so naviance data isn't robust.
Dartmouth is the one school that hasn't really taken any kids with a 3.8 (except a couple w 3.6ish - I assume athletes). So they don't seem willing to look past a 3.8. Which is fine.
We'll have our first 1-1 college counselor meeting in a month . Just want to start thinking.
The "one over the others" is Williams, but I think that's tough. He doesn't want to do Midd febs entry, and I don't think he'll have to. So in my mind that's the range: reach (Williams) and safety( Midd Febs) . But I could be wrong
Dartmouth is the one school that hasn't really taken any kids with a 3.8 (except a couple w 3.6ish - I assume athletes). So they don't seem willing to look past a 3.8. Which is fine.
We'll have our first 1-1 college counselor meeting in a month . Just want to start thinking.
The "one over the others" is Williams, but I think that's tough. He doesn't want to do Midd febs entry, and I don't think he'll have to. So in my mind that's the range: reach (Williams) and safety( Midd Febs) . But I could be wrong
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:32
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think ED is critical, plus school relationships/patterns, plus if there are recruited athletes going to these schools from his class.
I think those factors will matter most but they make it hard for us to speculate.
Can he come up with a specific reason for one of the SLACS over the others? If so I suggest ED’ing there.
yes, this is important. You need to figure out who is recruited or legacy from the class. If there are 2 athletic recruits or legacy applicants from his class he's likely not getting a Bowdoin (for example) spot. If he's the solo applicant then it might happen. So much of doing ED from a private high school to a smallish college is figuring out who else is applying from your school.
College counseling won't come out and give you names or even numbers but should give you a general sense of how wise (or unwise) the ED choice is in the setting of the current class.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:31
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
Anonymous wrote:I think ED is critical, plus school relationships/patterns, plus if there are recruited athletes going to these schools from his class.
I think those factors will matter most but they make it hard for us to speculate.
Can he come up with a specific reason for one of the SLACS over the others? If so I suggest ED’ing there.
yes, this is important. You need to figure out who is recruited or legacy from the class. If there are 2 athletic recruits or legacy applicants from his class he's likely not getting a Bowdoin (for example) spot. If he's the solo applicant then it might happen. So much of doing ED from a private high school to a smallish college is figuring out who else is applying from your school.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:22
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
I think ED is critical, plus school relationships/patterns, plus if there are recruited athletes going to these schools from his class.
I think those factors will matter most but they make it hard for us to speculate.
Can he come up with a specific reason for one of the SLACS over the others? If so I suggest ED’ing there.
I think those factors will matter most but they make it hard for us to speculate.
Can he come up with a specific reason for one of the SLACS over the others? If so I suggest ED’ing there.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:21
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
Of that group, best shot is ED1 to Midd and say you'll take the Feb start. (And if you get dinged, internalize the feedback, realize you aren't going to be admitted to any of the others, and ED2 down a level or two of selectivity. Colby or, especially, Bates would almost certainly take a high stats, full-pay, humanities boy in ED2, for example.)
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:18
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
Anonymous wrote:full pay male, humanities, 1530 SAT
hoping for WASP, Midd, Dartmouth, Bowdoin
Our Naviance is not very telling, except for Dartmouth. They seem to really lean on GPA so that's out.
I can discount obvious outliers (mostly athletes), but does anyone know which of the above SLACs will care more about great LOR and compelling essays over ECs? He has really strong in-school ECs but not much out of school. But school leadership, for sure.
If your school sends many to Dartmouth with your son's profile, I'd ED there if he loves the school. I'd ED2 to Mid (there is a slightly better bump in ED at Midd versus many other LACs.)
WASP will be a reach, and ED/ED2 tends to favor athletes/FGLI so it gives a bump, but not that much.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:13
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
Depends on the private, might not be enough for Dartmouth.
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:12
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
what type of private? Big3?
Anonymous
03/07/2025 10:11
Subject: another 3.8 kid from private
full pay male, humanities, 1530 SAT
hoping for WASP, Midd, Dartmouth, Bowdoin
Our Naviance is not very telling, except for Dartmouth. They seem to really lean on GPA so that's out.
I can discount obvious outliers (mostly athletes), but does anyone know which of the above SLACs will care more about great LOR and compelling essays over ECs? He has really strong in-school ECs but not much out of school. But school leadership, for sure.
hoping for WASP, Midd, Dartmouth, Bowdoin
Our Naviance is not very telling, except for Dartmouth. They seem to really lean on GPA so that's out.
I can discount obvious outliers (mostly athletes), but does anyone know which of the above SLACs will care more about great LOR and compelling essays over ECs? He has really strong in-school ECs but not much out of school. But school leadership, for sure.