Anonymous
Post 09/16/2023 08:40     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm returning to this forum to encourage you to encourage your kids to apply to their reach schools. My DS did and to everyone's surprise got in (I won't post the school or his stats because people will claim I'm lying and derail this thread.) He's now a sophomore and doing great. We were worried it might be too much academically, but he got a 3.2 his first year, with many STEM classes. He's working hard, but not burnt out or overwhelmed. It can happen, but it won't if you don't try.


It would be helpful to know:

Did your son apply as a full-pay applicant ?

If so, is the school an SLAC , private National University, or a public National University ?

Thank you in advance for your response.


I’m OP. He did not apply full pay. He has a small amount of need-based aid, which we anticipated based on our experience with our another child and put into our “can we afford it?” calculation. It is a public National University.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2023 08:34     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
The problem with applying to reaches is that an ED app might pay off more at another school, and often if you don't get into your reach ED, you have lost the ED bump for second tier schools. But, my DS applied ED to a school his counselor said was a target, only to be denied. If your kid loves a reach school and understands the risk of burning that ED opportunity, I say go for it. You can always transfer if you don't get into your other top choices.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2023 07:42     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:I'm returning to this forum to encourage you to encourage your kids to apply to their reach schools. My DS did and to everyone's surprise got in (I won't post the school or his stats because people will claim I'm lying and derail this thread.) He's now a sophomore and doing great. We were worried it might be too much academically, but he got a 3.2 his first year, with many STEM classes. He's working hard, but not burnt out or overwhelmed. It can happen, but it won't if you don't try.


It would be helpful to know:

Did your son apply as a full-pay applicant ?

If so, is the school an SLAC , private National University, or a public National University ?

Thank you in advance for your response.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2023 07:23     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Definitely it’s worth a few applications. My kid did not get into any reaches but she didn’t expect to (as they were reaches) so at least she gave it a shot. She was waitlisted at one but not interested in playing that game.


It's not a game it's a process. You make her sound a little narcissistic tbh.


NP. It’s most definitely a game. You sound like a narcissist.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2023 01:13     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
We sent DC1 to a reach school (T20) and pay $80K/yr. DC2 is EF challenged and has nowhere near the grades needed for a T50, let alone a T20. Virginia Tech would be a match/low reach. In this case, would you send them to a Reach school, say a Case Western or Madison (OOS)?
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2023 01:08     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What are better stats for grad school - a 3.2 gpa at a reach school (for example sake, let's say UMich) versus a 4.0 at a no reach school (e.g. JMU)?

Just throwing the question out there.


I would think higher gpa at a non reach.


22:34 here. I would agree... I think UMich would be better if you don't go to grad school (name recognition lasts your lifetime, no one cares about your GPA after you graduate). But for getting into grad school, 4.0 at a lower tier school might be a better signal.

If my logic is right, maybe we should make our kids reach so much, especially if they are grad school-bound.


I think the problem is you wouldn’t know going in what your gpa will be. A kid will probably do about the same at either place because it’s more a reflection of that kid’s study habits.


I think this is the more realistic answer.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 23:44     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:What are better stats for grad school - a 3.2 gpa at a reach school (for example sake, let's say UMich) versus a 4.0 at a no reach school (e.g. JMU)?

Just throwing the question out there.


Depends on what the grad program is. If it is med school, go to the non reach and get the highest GPA possible
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 23:39     Subject: Re:Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Does "reach" mean, a reach academically, or also a reach financially?

I told my kid not to apply to 80k schools because even if they got in, they were not going there.
So what would have been the point of applying?

Only applied to reach that we could afford.



Did you do the net price calculators for each school?


...When your EFC is way more than what you ever thought it would be, those net price calculators are no good.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 23:08     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What are better stats for grad school - a 3.2 gpa at a reach school (for example sake, let's say UMich) versus a 4.0 at a no reach school (e.g. JMU)?

Just throwing the question out there.


I would think higher gpa at a non reach.


22:34 here. I would agree... I think UMich would be better if you don't go to grad school (name recognition lasts your lifetime, no one cares about your GPA after you graduate). But for getting into grad school, 4.0 at a lower tier school might be a better signal.

If my logic is right, maybe we should make our kids reach so much, especially if they are grad school-bound.


I think the problem is you wouldn’t know going in what your gpa will be. A kid will probably do about the same at either place because it’s more a reflection of that kid’s study habits.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 22:43     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What are better stats for grad school - a 3.2 gpa at a reach school (for example sake, let's say UMich) versus a 4.0 at a no reach school (e.g. JMU)?

Just throwing the question out there.


I would think higher gpa at a non reach.


22:34 here. I would agree... I think UMich would be better if you don't go to grad school (name recognition lasts your lifetime, no one cares about your GPA after you graduate). But for getting into grad school, 4.0 at a lower tier school might be a better signal.

If my logic is right, maybe we should make our kids reach so much, especially if they are grad school-bound.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 22:39     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:What are better stats for grad school - a 3.2 gpa at a reach school (for example sake, let's say UMich) versus a 4.0 at a no reach school (e.g. JMU)?

Just throwing the question out there.


I would think higher gpa at a non reach.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 22:34     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
What are better stats for grad school - a 3.2 gpa at a reach school (for example sake, let's say UMich) versus a 4.0 at a no reach school (e.g. JMU)?

Just throwing the question out there.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 22:13     Subject: Apply to the reaches!
I am OP. I meant academic reach. My children did not apply to schools we could not afford.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 21:46     Subject: Re:Apply to the reaches!
Anonymous wrote:
Does "reach" mean, a reach academically, or also a reach financially?

I told my kid not to apply to 80k schools because even if they got in, they were not going there.
So what would have been the point of applying?

Only applied to reach that we could afford.



Did you do the net price calculators for each school?
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2023 21:43     Subject: Re:Apply to the reaches!

Does "reach" mean, a reach academically, or also a reach financially?

I told my kid not to apply to 80k schools because even if they got in, they were not going there.
So what would have been the point of applying?

Only applied to reach that we could afford.