Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:53
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DP- also with a child who will have a B+ or two in current junior year. So if you have a few B+ grades in academic subjects you should just not bother applying to top 20 schools unless you have an outstanding EC/hook/meet institutional prioririties? Is this because your cumulative gpa will be below a certain cutoff and they will toss your application out without looking at anything else ? Does this apply even if you have a standardized test score in their top 25%? Is there any way to make up for the B+ ? Thx for any insight !
What is approx class rank? Even if no official class rank, AOs have a sense. If not top 20% do not apply, unless possibly ED1 at Chicago if close to top 20% and 1550 and not Econ or oversubscribed major…
School doesn't rank and AO won't tell us. But we estimate about 15-25%
Did others in that range get into these schools last year? If not it's probably a little optimistic.
According to our school naviance, some got in below and others above her gpa. Unweighted gpa is about 3.95.
No way to predict with any certainty. Just apply and see what happens.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:52
Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.
Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?
No. It doesn’t work that way.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:50
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
If your kid is at a rigorous private school, you should be asking your kid's guidance counselor, not this board.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:45
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DP- also with a child who will have a B+ or two in current junior year. So if you have a few B+ grades in academic subjects you should just not bother applying to top 20 schools unless you have an outstanding EC/hook/meet institutional prioririties? Is this because your cumulative gpa will be below a certain cutoff and they will toss your application out without looking at anything else ? Does this apply even if you have a standardized test score in their top 25%? Is there any way to make up for the B+ ? Thx for any insight !
What is approx class rank? Even if no official class rank, AOs have a sense. If not top 20% do not apply, unless possibly ED1 at Chicago if close to top 20% and 1550 and not Econ or oversubscribed major…
School doesn't rank and AO won't tell us. But we estimate about 15-25%
Did others in that range get into these schools last year? If not it's probably a little optimistic.
According to our school naviance, some got in below and others above her gpa. Unweighted gpa is about 3.95.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:43
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DP- also with a child who will have a B+ or two in current junior year. So if you have a few B+ grades in academic subjects you should just not bother applying to top 20 schools unless you have an outstanding EC/hook/meet institutional prioririties? Is this because your cumulative gpa will be below a certain cutoff and they will toss your application out without looking at anything else ? Does this apply even if you have a standardized test score in their top 25%? Is there any way to make up for the B+ ? Thx for any insight !
What is approx class rank? Even if no official class rank, AOs have a sense. If not top 20% do not apply, unless possibly ED1 at Chicago if close to top 20% and 1550 and not Econ or oversubscribed major…
School doesn't rank and AO won't tell us. But we estimate about 15-25%
Oh c'mon. The kid isn't getting into any of the three, and there's no distinguishing between them on chances of admission.
Top 15-25% of a small private school class likely isn't getting into any of those 3 schools, absent being an athletic recruit, rich legacy, national award winner etc.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:43
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DP- also with a child who will have a B+ or two in current junior year. So if you have a few B+ grades in academic subjects you should just not bother applying to top 20 schools unless you have an outstanding EC/hook/meet institutional prioririties? Is this because your cumulative gpa will be below a certain cutoff and they will toss your application out without looking at anything else ? Does this apply even if you have a standardized test score in their top 25%? Is there any way to make up for the B+ ? Thx for any insight !
What is approx class rank? Even if no official class rank, AOs have a sense. If not top 20% do not apply, unless possibly ED1 at Chicago if close to top 20% and 1550 and not Econ or oversubscribed major…
School doesn't rank and AO won't tell us. But we estimate about 15-25%
Did others in that range get into these schools last year? If not it's probably a little optimistic.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:42
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DP- also with a child who will have a B+ or two in current junior year. So if you have a few B+ grades in academic subjects you should just not bother applying to top 20 schools unless you have an outstanding EC/hook/meet institutional prioririties? Is this because your cumulative gpa will be below a certain cutoff and they will toss your application out without looking at anything else ? Does this apply even if you have a standardized test score in their top 25%? Is there any way to make up for the B+ ? Thx for any insight !
What is approx class rank? Even if no official class rank, AOs have a sense. If not top 20% do not apply, unless possibly ED1 at Chicago if close to top 20% and 1550 and not Econ or oversubscribed major…
School doesn't rank and AO won't tell us. But we estimate about 15-25%
Oh c'mon. The kid isn't getting into any of the three, and there's no distinguishing between them on chances of admission.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:39
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DP- also with a child who will have a B+ or two in current junior year. So if you have a few B+ grades in academic subjects you should just not bother applying to top 20 schools unless you have an outstanding EC/hook/meet institutional prioririties? Is this because your cumulative gpa will be below a certain cutoff and they will toss your application out without looking at anything else ? Does this apply even if you have a standardized test score in their top 25%? Is there any way to make up for the B+ ? Thx for any insight !
What is approx class rank? Even if no official class rank, AOs have a sense. If not top 20% do not apply, unless possibly ED1 at Chicago if close to top 20% and 1550 and not Econ or oversubscribed major…
School doesn't rank and AO won't tell us. But we estimate about 15-25%
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:39
Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.
Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?
NP
How many B, B+ and B-? In which year?
What subjects are they in?
Is this DC taking the most rigorous course load among their peers?
J hr ow rare is it to get 4.0/straight As at this high school?
1 semester in Sophomore year, 1 semester in Junior year in Math.
Yes, taking the most rigorous courses. Maybe too rigorous in hindsight.
Pretty rare to get 4.0, with the highest rigor, but there are a hand full for sure. Also, there are some with 4.0, but taking less rigor.
That won’t be the reason they wouldn’t be accepted. It’s whether they have the rest of the package and fit into the class they want to shape. That’s where the lottery ticket mantra comes in. Not totally true, but loads of perfect 4.0/1600/36act get denied.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 16:36
Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.
Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?
NP
How many B, B+ and B-? In which year?
What subjects are they in?
Is this DC taking the most rigorous course load among their peers?
J hr ow rare is it to get 4.0/straight As at this high school?
1 semester in Sophomore year, 1 semester in Junior year in Math.
Yes, taking the most rigorous courses. Maybe too rigorous in hindsight.
Pretty rare to get 4.0, with the highest rigor, but there are a hand full for sure. Also, there are some with 4.0, but taking less rigor.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 15:50
Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.
Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?
It never fully compensates your gpa. It’s just an evidence of your academic competence.
Look at naviance. If they accepted kids in the same gpa range before, then it’s unlikely an issue. This is so school specific. No one can advise you.
The best approach would be meeting with your school counselor. They have years of data that can provide guidance on this.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 15:49
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:“Least competitive” isn’t really a think when you’re taking about schools with acceptance rates like these. Need to go down the rankings list for that, even from a rigorous private.
Do all applicants apply with 4.0?
Sadly the school is a bit grade deflationary.
You should not be asking whether all applicants apply with a 4.0. These schools accept about 7% of their applicants or less. You should be asking whether all of those accepted (or most of them) have a 4.0. Absent a hook (big donor kid, legacy status, athletic recruit, magnet school with tough grading in a genius population), many of the accepted students at these schools will have 4.0s.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 15:46
Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:“Least competitive” isn’t really a think when you’re taking about schools with acceptance rates like these. Need to go down the rankings list for that, even from a rigorous private.
Do all applicants apply with 4.0?
Sadly the school is a bit grade deflationary.
No, but if they are applying from a school like Sidwell or st Albans, then they need to have over a 3.8 to be remotely competitive, without any hooks.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 15:45
Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Student has a couple B+ from rigorous private school, otherwise the rest are A's or A-'s. Which of the three colleges Duke, Brown, or Dartmouth will be most selective about the grades?
All three are single digit admit schools that are basically lottery admissions.
Anonymous
01/05/2026 15:43
Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.
Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?
NP
How many B, B+ and B-? In which year?
What subjects are they in?
Is this DC taking the most rigorous course load among their peers?
J hr ow rare is it to get 4.0/straight As at this high school?