C'mon people. These are SEC schools, not the Ivies, not the little Ivies, not even any in the US News top 50. UNC and Duke are in a whole different league than the SEC schools, though.

What matters is not so much the exact GPA number, but what your school profile looks like and where you fit into it. The colleges will know this. I'd say OP's DC has a great shot at any SEC school, if that DC is from a strong public or private in this area.

Last year we had many of these same schools offering big, and I mean, big financial aid packages to the top students at DD's private. They were the top students, though. Maybe the top 10% or so. A couple students took the bait and went, surprising many because they had been looking mostly at top 25 schools. Everyone has a price, though.

I would also caution you to be careful treating UF as a "slight reach" school, it can be more competitive than many people expect.

Very, very true.

He probobly won't get into University of Florida with those stats. I have a child at UF. She graduated with a 4.45 and is a National Merit Scholar. We moved to Florida her junior year of high school, so we also had the benefit of being in-state. We were told by numerous counselors to have a back up school despite her stats. Our neighbor's son graduated with a 4.0 and a ACT score of 30. And he was senior class president. He did not get it. Floria has gotten crazy competitive in the last few years. I've been told they weigh the essay very heavily, but I have no idea how true that is.

I am also an SEC grad (HOTTY TODDY). If anything, it's opened doors for me all over the country, but especially in the D.C. area. I have no explanation for it except that maybe interviewers are looking for something a little different than what they see every day. Also, if I'm being interviewed by another SEC grad, I have an instant connection no matter where they went to school.

My husband graduated from UGA and has been very successful both in the private sector and now with the federal government. Those jobs that are so hard to get? He got one with no trouble. He's not a veteran. And he's a white male. He is a GS16.

My mother told me if I couldn't say anything nice, not to say anything at all, so I'll just leave LSU alone.

Look into the Honors Colleges at some of those schools. Univ. of South Carolina in particular has one that is really good. Any idea if your child wants to do grad school/professional school? I grew up in the South and most of my friends went to SEC schools like the ones listed and did well. How successful you'll be out of one of those schools depends a lot on where you want to end up. Of course people can do very well going to an SEC school, especially if they want to end up in Atlanta or Columbia, SC or wherever. Will he get a job at Goldman Sachs right out of college from one of those places, probably not. Even if Ds wants to end up back in the DC region, if he is thinking of grad school anyway, I think most of the schools you list would be as good as any Northern state school. It makes way more sense to go to a less expensive state school (esp. on scholarship), do well there, and then go to the "bigger name" school for grad school. IMHO, an undergrad degree is an undergrad degree unless its from an Ivy.

Anonymous wrote:What about Clemson?

NP here. Clemson offers nice merit aid packages for out of state students. Lovely school, but certainly not in the league of UNC-CH, Duke, and Wake Forest!

OP Here. Thanks for the feedback.

DS has looked into Clemson. He is looking for a large state flagship. We are looking for merit aid to bring down the cost for out of state.

What about Clemson?

First, of course he can get a good education in
ANY of those schools. All schools have both good and poor instructors. The prestige frequently comes from the research an institution does, and the researchers and writers are not always good teachers. The selectivity of a school is based on many things. UVA is quite selective--but do you really think all the classes taught by grad assistants are the best education? NO. It is because of what the students put into the classes -not who is teaching them. UVA has good students--that is what makes the students successful.

I went to an SEC school, too. I had some wonderful teachers--and, in those days, very few classes were taught by grad. assistants.

As far as jobs, the school might make a difference in the first job, but after that your kid is on his own.

And, for the poster who suggested Vandy, Duke, Rollins, etc.--those are all private institutions with high tuition. And, yes,
Duke and Vandy are probably out of reach academically for a 3.95. Sad.

I'm an SEC grad, & I've been hired for every job I have interviewed for in the DC area. so i dont think thats of concern. I would look at Ole Miss, LSU & Georgia in addition to Alabama. I would avoid the Florida schools because of the low number of out of state students like a PP noted.

University of Miami perhaps? It has a good reputation nationally. It would be a bit of a reach; Sewanee and Wake would be bigger reaches. Rhodes maybe if he/she would consider a smaller school. Agree with PP that University of Charleston might be worth looking into. Vandy, Emory, UNC Chapel Hill and Duke aren't likely with your child's GPA and test scores unless he/she has a hook (extraordinary talent/ability, first generation).

Anonymous wrote:Depends a lot on what he wants to study and where he wants to end up. But the schools listed by the PP are not realistic with those scores most likely (at least Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory aren't). If wants to also consider smaller, Sewanee, and College of Charleston.

For later job prospects and prestige, the schools your DH is possibly thinking of in the NE are also going to be hard to get into, so your son should go where he is motivated to go

Agree on Duke etc being out of reach. What about Tulane? Rollins? Univ of Miami?

What I really don't like about UF and FSU is the 90%+ Florida residents. My kids will likely go to OOS public colleges but I think those with at least 30% out of staters will serve them better on several levels, including greater likelihood of having alums hiring alums here and around the country.

From what I've seen, FSU won't get much traction in and around DC or anywhere else north of here. I would also caution you to be careful treating UF as a "slight reach" school, it can be more competitive than many people expect.

Depends a lot on what he wants to study and where he wants to end up. But the schools listed by the PP are not realistic with those scores most likely (at least Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory aren't). If wants to also consider smaller, Sewanee, and College of Charleston.

For later job prospects and prestige, the schools your DH is possibly thinking of in the NE are also going to be hard to get into, so your son should go where he is motivated to go

With those stats, why not have a list that includes Wake, Vandy, Emory, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, and the like? I think the Southern schools are fine but your son could be getting into more selective colleges.

My son is a junior and he has compiled his list of schools he wants to visit. He is thinking south-east. U of NC Chapel Hill (reach), FSU (Safety), Alabama Safety), University of Fla (slight reach), University of South Carolina (I have heard they give good merit aid.) DH is poo-pooing schools in the South East, and wanting DS to look North.

Stats:
3.95 weighted GPA
29 ACT
1990 SAT/ 1340 Math/Reading.

So here is my question. Are schools in the South East seen as sub-par from a hiring/interviewing standpoint? Are they thought of as all play and no work, as my DH thinks?

Thanks