DC attends a top 5 school that is a reach for anybody. In addition, DC was at about the lower 1/4 of SATs accepted by this school. DC is doing great, in terms of grades, friends and confidence.

Like 11:29, this university (it maybe the same one) offers a lot in the way of support, including a summer bridge program for entering freshman they think may need extra help.

Anonymous wrote:The top-ranked colleges usually do not offer as much student support and accommodations than the lower-ranked ones. So if your child starts to struggle at the former, he will probably need a bit more inner resources and resiliency to overcome the hurdles. I would not worry about it. The most important criteria is fit, ie: "gut feeling"

I am convinced top-ranked universities do not offer a "better" education. The rankings are notoriously flawed, as we all know, and what you are buying is the reputation of the diploma, not the quality of the education. However "top" schools are unfortunately so well recognized by others that a diploma from such a place will probably boost your child's career, or at the worst not hurt it. And this is why we all play the game...

I'm not sure that's always the case. My son is at a top 5 school that offers extensive resources to students who are struggling. Faculty members and grad students are generous with time for office hours, there's a writing center for those who need tutoring, etc. In addition, the ethos among students tends to be "we're all in this together", so the kids help each other out quite a bit. FWIW, this was also my experience at a top SLAC. Both are highly-selective schools which I would characterize as "reaches" for pretty much everyone.

The top-ranked colleges usually do not offer as much student support and accommodations than the lower-ranked ones. So if your child starts to struggle at the former, he will probably need a bit more inner resources and resiliency to overcome the hurdles. I would not worry about it. The most important criteria is fit, ie: "gut feeling"

I am convinced top-ranked universities do not offer a "better" education. The rankings are notoriously flawed, as we all know, and what you are buying is the reputation of the diploma, not the quality of the education. However "top" schools are unfortunately so well recognized by others that a diploma from such a place will probably boost your child's career, or at the worst not hurt it. And this is why we all play the game...

Do you mind if your child will, likely, be in the bottom 25% for college grades? Or certainly bottom 50%. I wouldn't mind.

As someone said, every school is a reach for someone ~ results re: a good fit would vary widely depending on how selective the school is.

I wouldn't worry so much coming from this area, where the private schools being discussed on this forum, as well as the vast majority of the public schools, are preparing the students far far better for college than many schools around the country with not nearly the same resources, educated/motivated parent population, richness of the environment in terms of what is going on in Washington DC area, etc. Our kids are both now in college, one at what would be considered a "reach" for everyone with a reputation/history of grade deflation, and the other also a top 20 school, and are doing great. They and their friends indicate coming from their DC independent they were very very well-prepared compared to many of their classmates particularly in writing and time management compared to kids coming in from pretty poor public schools in some areas of the country, or even privates in areas without such a traditional of educational rigor. \

I still think it depends on the school and the student. There is no universal answer to this question. It depends on why the school is a reach. If you are a top-flight, super smart, and capable student, you likely will be able to do the work anywhere. The reach schools for you aren't "reaches" because you will have to stretch to do well there, they are "reaches" because the acceptance rates are so low that no applicant, no matter how stellar, can count on getting in.

I think many people have the notion that the curriculum at the top colleges is extremely difficult. That often is not the case. The top colleges are hard to get into. That doesn't mean they are "hard." Some are, for some kids. Some aren't.

Its not it's darn autocorrect

Interesting. My junior does not want to apply to schools that are "reaches" for him because he wants to go to grad school, and he thinks he'll get a higher GPA at a less competitive (for him) school. My view is that grad schools take each college and it's grading policies into account (at least I hope they do), so he should be focused on where he'll get the best education. To me, part of a great education is being challenged by peers who are brighter than you, so I will continue to encourage some reaches!

Great question. DC got into first choice reach school early decision, Class of 2018, and I am wondering whether it's going to be a stretch. Time will tell.

My DD graduated from Princeton. I think Princeton is a "reach school" for a lot of people. She did just fine.

I think that's a good question. I think it also depends on the nature of the school. Some, like the very top schools, may be a reach because they can be so selective. But the differences between the kid who did get in and the kid who did not may be 50 SAT points, or one B in high school vs none. So if a kid is otherwise qualified they can probably do well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the DC comfortable with the work load and work ethic of schoolmates? Do you feel it is a good fit?

There really isn't any way to answer this question. EVERY school is a "reach" for someone. And even among schools of similar selectivity, there are vast differences in work loads, culture, and "fit;" even within one school, there can be big differences in workloads and culture depending on the major.

I think you'll get more useful information if solicit comments about specific schools.

No, I think the question was good -- the issue is if a student gets in where they are likely to be "below average" for the school, do they thrive or was it too stressful? It's the combination of the school and the student that's the issue, not specific schools.

My brother went to a reach school and did get. definitely not a straight A student but did a hard major and a minor and got a great job afterwards. The reach school gave him a really awesome network for success that he continues to use.

One of my cousins who was a hard worker but probably intellectually a bit average also went to a reach school. She really struggled and ended up transferring.

I think some of it may be whether a child could do better if pushed or if they are maxed out, but that's a pretty broad generalization. Hope these anecdotes are helpful.

I am asking generally as my child hasn't yet formulated a list...we are meeting with counselors in a few weeks to do that. I wonder if a student who gets a big 'break' in admissions ever hackers for the 'match' level school

Anonymous wrote:Is the DC comfortable with the work load and work ethic of schoolmates? Do you feel it is a good fit?

There really isn't any way to answer this question. EVERY school is a "reach" for someone. And even among schools of similar selectivity, there are vast differences in work loads, culture, and "fit;" even within one school, there can be big differences in workloads and culture depending on the major.

I think you'll get more useful information if solicit comments about specific schools.

Is the DC comfortable with the work load and work ethic of schoolmates? Do you feel it is a good fit?