Anonymous wrote:Have you known a kid who was top 20% at a big3 (like 3.85+/1550) who got shut out of top40 schools?
I feel like this is such a crap shoot and we are getting no direction from college counseling. I don't know if my kid should aim for a lesser Ivy or Ivy adjacent top 20 (the recent data from this school DOES support a number of ED applications at this level for an unhooked kid) OR should he/she go directly to a school ranked 30+ (a school ranked around Boston College or Tufts).
I'm worried the kid is not going to get the ED and then fall way down through the ranks of schools.


Yes, in the end a 50+ school will be completely ok. But honestly, the kid has killed himself/herself for this damn 3.85 (highest rigor).
It's kind of going to be a let down if he/she ends up at Pittsburgh or Georgia or similar. NOT the end of the world but I'm being honest here.

Sigh, Please just don't jump all over me. We did not choose private for college admissions.
Just wondering what you would do in this situation.

Show me where on the brochure Sidwell said that they would get your kid into a T20?
Your kid isn't more special than the 1000s of other top 1% around the country. Like you said, it's a crapshoot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The private CC office would do their parents justice by steering kids in certain directions with top 20 schools so that the ED choice isn’t a waste. For example, if a kid wants to ED an Ivy, pointing out that there are 8 legacy kids applying early to Harvard would be a good thing to know! Not sure why this kind of advice isn’t given on the regular-even if you ask they don’t seem to want to answer!!

OP here. I tried asking CC this and didn't get very far. I asked if it made sense for my kid to ED to their #1 choice, given where others in the class were EDing. CC didn't give me any answer and implied that I was nosing into other kids' business (not my intent at all). Then I said "my reason for asking is just so we could pick another ED if the lane for choice #1 is crowded" and CC implied that I was making decisions on behalf of my child or forcing things on my child (which they HATE---they clearly never want parents talking on behalf of kids--which is difficult when the kid is 17 and barely came to the decision for one school--let alone is thinking through back-up ED choices).

I just feel way out in left field and confused.

As someone who was accepted ED many years ago and has two kids who were both accepted ED, all of us at very different schools prestige and size-wise, I believe that one should only apply ED to a school if it is truly one’s first choice. Plain and simple. Do this and you won’t regret it, regardless of the outcome.

If your child as stressed out about it as you are?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The private CC office would do their parents justice by steering kids in certain directions with top 20 schools so that the ED choice isn’t a waste. For example, if a kid wants to ED an Ivy, pointing out that there are 8 legacy kids applying early to Harvard would be a good thing to know! Not sure why this kind of advice isn’t given on the regular-even if you ask they don’t seem to want to answer!!

OP here. I tried asking CC this and didn't get very far. I asked if it made sense for my kid to ED to their #1 choice, given where others in the class were EDing. CC didn't give me any answer and implied that I was nosing into other kids' business (not my intent at all). Then I said "my reason for asking is just so we could pick another ED if the lane for choice #1 is crowded" and CC implied that I was making decisions on behalf of my child or forcing things on my child (which they HATE---they clearly never want parents talking on behalf of kids--which is difficult when the kid is 17 and barely came to the decision for one school--let alone is thinking through back-up ED choices).

I just feel way out in left field and confused.

Have you spoken to other parents who feel the same? If so, are there many? If not, maybe you need to take a step back and let your kid own this process.

Yes, the ones I'm good friends with feel similar. Then there is the crowd who has their head in the sand, thinks that CC is a bunch of loons, the data lies and is 100% that their 3.5 is going to walk into Princeton. Then there is the crowd who is pulling in favors from board members or VIPs. Parents are all over the map in terms of their perspective on this entire process. Applying to college from a "Big3" is.... something.

The bolded above was irrelevant to my question, but now I see why CC assumed you were nosing in on others' business.

Anonymous wrote:The private CC office would do their parents justice by steering kids in certain directions with top 20 schools so that the ED choice isn’t a waste. For example, if a kid wants to ED an Ivy, pointing out that there are 8 legacy kids applying early to Harvard would be a good thing to know! Not sure why this kind of advice isn’t given on the regular-even if you ask they don’t seem to want to answer!!

IME - a version of this is communicated.
Sometimes students feel like the private HS college counseling office are steering kids away to protect themselves as opposed to it being in the individual students best interest.
example: Of course they don't want me to apply ED. I am a stronger candidate than ___________ who is a legacy and if I apply ____ will not look as good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The private CC office would do their parents justice by steering kids in certain directions with top 20 schools so that the ED choice isn’t a waste. For example, if a kid wants to ED an Ivy, pointing out that there are 8 legacy kids applying early to Harvard would be a good thing to know! Not sure why this kind of advice isn’t given on the regular-even if you ask they don’t seem to want to answer!!

OP here. I tried asking CC this and didn't get very far. I asked if it made sense for my kid to ED to their #1 choice, given where others in the class were EDing. CC didn't give me any answer and implied that I was nosing into other kids' business (not my intent at all). Then I said "my reason for asking is just so we could pick another ED if the lane for choice #1 is crowded" and CC implied that I was making decisions on behalf of my child or forcing things on my child (which they HATE---they clearly never want parents talking on behalf of kids--which is difficult when the kid is 17 and barely came to the decision for one school--let alone is thinking through back-up ED choices).

I just feel way out in left field and confused.

Have you spoken to other parents who feel the same? If so, are there many? If not, maybe you need to take a step back and let your kid own this process.

Yes, the ones I'm good friends with feel similar. Then there is the crowd who has their head in the sand, thinks that CC is a bunch of loons, the data lies and is 100% that their 3.5 is going to walk into Princeton. Then there is the crowd who is pulling in favors from board members or VIPs. Parents are all over the map in terms of their perspective on this entire process. Applying to college from a "Big3" is.... something.

^^ I agree with 16:53 They included several schools I would have suggested but also want to add your student should have a good shot at the top LACs like Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin and Pomona.

If it were my kid (and I have three who have gone off to college and done well in the admissions process), I would let them apply to their dream school with those stats. They deserve to dream. I would then try to have a second, similar school for ED2. I don't think your child will fall down to 50+ if they don't get in early. I think most of the time, individual schools are a crapshoot but the level is clear. So if your child doesn't get into UPenn, he or she may still get into Northwestern or Cornell; they aren't normally going to end up at U of Kansas.

The other recommendation I have is that if this student doesn't get in ED, consider applying to a foreign university. They are much more predictable and based on scores. So they may be able to have a 'safety' which is no safety -- a place like McGill or U Toronto.

It is a dice roll for any unhooked child. Send out many applications for EA and RD.

School college counselor should be able to advise a bit if DC shows up with an ED short list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The private CC office would do their parents justice by steering kids in certain directions with top 20 schools so that the ED choice isn’t a waste. For example, if a kid wants to ED an Ivy, pointing out that there are 8 legacy kids applying early to Harvard would be a good thing to know! Not sure why this kind of advice isn’t given on the regular-even if you ask they don’t seem to want to answer!!

OP here. I tried asking CC this and didn't get very far. I asked if it made sense for my kid to ED to their #1 choice, given where others in the class were EDing. CC didn't give me any answer and implied that I was nosing into other kids' business (not my intent at all). Then I said "my reason for asking is just so we could pick another ED if the lane for choice #1 is crowded" and CC implied that I was making decisions on behalf of my child or forcing things on my child (which they HATE---they clearly never want parents talking on behalf of kids--which is difficult when the kid is 17 and barely came to the decision for one school--let alone is thinking through back-up ED choices).

I just feel way out in left field and confused.

Have you spoken to other parents who feel the same? If so, are there many? If not, maybe you need to take a step back and let your kid own this process.

There's not enough information for anyone to be really helpful. A 3.85 and a 1550 is going to get read everywhere. But what else is there? And what do they want to study? Liberal arts or STEM? And what's their vibe? There's a big difference between someone who's going to thrive at Columbia vs someone who's happier at a small, more isolated school like Dartmouth. Or perhaps they want a big sports atmosphere like Notre Dame or Michigan.

Generally, for the top schools, pay careful attention to where students from your high school have been getting in over the past three years. What was true ten years ago is no longer true today. It's a very different landscape. You need to be strategic with where you apply ED. Forget about HYPSM if there is no strong hook. And for DMV applicants, Penn and Duke are also really tough. Vanderbilt and Northwestern are also crapshoots for everyone these days. But for an unhooked ED app from a Big 3, I suspect Cornell, Chicago, Rice, Brown, and Columbia will give it very serious consideration. Notre Dame is very particular in what they look for, but if they fit, it might be worth it. WashU, Emory, BC, and Tufts will be likely admits.

But be sure to visit before applying ED. Mine with similar stats knocked off several schools after visiting.

Anonymous wrote:The private CC office would do their parents justice by steering kids in certain directions with top 20 schools so that the ED choice isn’t a waste. For example, if a kid wants to ED an Ivy, pointing out that there are 8 legacy kids applying early to Harvard would be a good thing to know! Not sure why this kind of advice isn’t given on the regular-even if you ask they don’t seem to want to answer!!

OP here. I tried asking CC this and didn't get very far. I asked if it made sense for my kid to ED to their #1 choice, given where others in the class were EDing. CC didn't give me any answer and implied that I was nosing into other kids' business (not my intent at all). Then I said "my reason for asking is just so we could pick another ED if the lane for choice #1 is crowded" and CC implied that I was making decisions on behalf of my child or forcing things on my child (which they HATE---they clearly never want parents talking on behalf of kids--which is difficult when the kid is 17 and barely came to the decision for one school--let alone is thinking through back-up ED choices).

I just feel way out in left field and confused.

Anonymous wrote:OP here-
I think my post was confusing. My kid has a clear top choice and it's in the 10-25 schools. he/she is scheduled to ED there. I'm just worried that it won't work out and that he should just directly try for ED a 25-40 school.

I'm worried that by ED-ing for a top (lottery) choice it won't work and he'll end up falling super far down in the schools he has options for. He is submitting EA to a bunch of schools but none of them are givens either.

There is always ED2.

He’ll regret not trying if he gets into the lower ED, which it sounds like he might. Just got for it and EA to a ton.

OP here-
I think my post was confusing. My kid has a clear top choice and it's in the 10-25 schools. he/she is scheduled to ED there. I'm just worried that it won't work out and that he should just directly try for ED a 25-40 school.

I'm worried that by ED-ing for a top (lottery) choice it won't work and he'll end up falling super far down in the schools he has options for. He is submitting EA to a bunch of schools but none of them are givens either.

The private CC office would do their parents justice by steering kids in certain directions with top 20 schools so that the ED choice isn’t a waste. For example, if a kid wants to ED an Ivy, pointing out that there are 8 legacy kids applying early to Harvard would be a good thing to know! Not sure why this kind of advice isn’t given on the regular-even if you ask they don’t seem to want to answer!!