You should look at the FB group College Admission Advice for awesomely average kids. The rules of the group are under 3.5 wgpa & 1100-ish SAT.

Often mentions in that group: second-tier state schools (Towson, West Chester U, CNU, Easteen TN, U Western Carolina, etc), OOS “second-tier” flagships (OOS U Kentucky, Ole Miss, WVU, ASU, etc) and small, private buyer schools (Susquehanna, Adelphi, St Joe’s, Loyola Marymount, etc)

Anonymous wrote:My child fits the OP description; in state flagship. He’s in his junior year and doing well & enjoying college.

Congrats to your son! Although most flagships are very competitive and middle of the road students don’t stand chance unfortunately.

USNEWS for National Universities ranked 60 on down (less competitive)

It's hard to answer without a sense of what kind of high school you are coming from. My kids had worse grades than that but significantly higher SATs. Middle of the road for their school, but not overall.

They were accepted with merit to schools ranging from 28 to 115. Chose schools that were a great fit somewhere in the middle of that range. FWIW, non-USNWR rankings place their chosen school much higher, but what matters is the job placement rate is high 90s and the salary range is very high on payscale.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that's not middle of the road

So what is it? But more importantly, where did such a student go to school? (Not OP. I just have one of these coming up and need to reset from the kid who had a terrible time with a 4.3/1430 and great ECs)

Middle of the road would be 1000 sat and 3.5-3.8 but light rigor.

I'd hate to be your kid if you think that is middle of the road.

Anonymous wrote:that's not middle of the road

+1, but OP probably thinks any school below the so-called Top 20 is middle of the road too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that's not middle of the road

So what is it? But more importantly, where did such a student go to school? (Not OP. I just have one of these coming up and need to reset from the kid who had a terrible time with a 4.3/1430 and great ECs)

A kid with 1300 will do well in the 70-100 range. My kid with a 1240/3.5UW/no AP got into every school they applied to including 3 in the 70-100 range, all with great merit (35% of tuition at each). At the 120/130 range, they got 70% of tuition. It's actually a bit easier at that level, because if you let the kids do their thing, they are not aiming for reaches that are "out of reach" like a 1500 kid is. They are more realistic about where they will be best fit. My kid was at/above 50% everywhere they applied, and they got in everywhere. They knew they didn't belong at a school with 20% acceptance rates and would be miserable there.

Note: my kid graduated in 4 years with a 3.4+ gpa (gpa "tanked" by premed major freshman year, once they switched to finance they had a 3.6+) got a great job starting immediately at well known company and excelling at their job Success all around, and so much less stress

yeah i am the op and i agree that it is not truly middle of the road but honestly this board is so full of crazy stats i guess i need to recalibrate.

anyway, still would love to know how such students have fared.

My child fits the OP description; in state flagship. He’s in his junior year and doing well & enjoying college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that's not middle of the road

So what is it? But more importantly, where did such a student go to school? (Not OP. I just have one of these coming up and need to reset from the kid who had a terrible time with a 4.3/1430 and great ECs)

A 1300 SAT score is considered a good and competitive score, placing your kid above the national average and in the 87th percentile of all test-takers. DCUM is skewing your perspective with all of the nations dorky parents in one area of the country.

Average is like a B student with an 1150 SAT.

Literally thousands of schools for a 1300 A- student. And they can still get merit aid with those stats.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that's not middle of the road

So what is it? But more importantly, where did such a student go to school? (Not OP. I just have one of these coming up and need to reset from the kid who had a terrible time with a 4.3/1430 and great ECs)

what level school did 4.3/1430 wind up -

Anonymous wrote:that's not middle of the road

So what is it? But more importantly, where did such a student go to school? (Not OP. I just have one of these coming up and need to reset from the kid who had a terrible time with a 4.3/1430 and great ECs)

that's not middle of the road

I'm talking A-/B+ GPA and say 1300 SAT and some sports and other usual ECs but no leadership or cancer-curing research.