Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 20:00     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Truly average students. 3.0-3.5 UW GPA, 1200-1300 SAT, regular EC like casual sports or a job. Motivated but not a striver. What 4 yr colleges do these type of kids attend and find success after attending dmv catholic hs?


Depends on if you want/need aid. If aid is needed then you are looking at regional publics and less competitive privates. If aid isn't needed then it is possible to get into some OOS publics, like Penn State.


I'd add that an SAT score of 1300 helps a lot. Most average kids don't have one that they are submitting which limits their choices because some merit requires an SAT score.

Also, 8 AP classes is pretty good.



+1 Remember that there are kids with no honors or AP classes with the same GPAuw, and your kid is in a league above that due to the rigor of the class schedule. You can't go by GPA alone.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 19:58     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:My DC is like this, 3.5 weighted GPA in Fairfax County, 8 APs and a 1200 SAT. They are a test optional senior at most schools and considered a variety of reach, target and likely schools:

Jmu
UmW
Cnu
Delaware
Pitt
Penn state
SC
TN
Loyola MD
College of Charleston
U Tampa
Indiana
Michigan State
St Joes
Xavier
Fordham
CU Boulder
Syracuse

They didn’t apply to all of these but have several acceptances from the list above.

Look at the FB page for “colleges for awesomely average students”, our kids are at the top of the list for that group but it has some more grounded ideas for schools than the DCUM crowd where everyone seems to be chasing an Ivy League school.


My DD is very similar to your son (though her GPA is higher) and so far, she's in at Fordham, Loyola Maryland, Duquesne, Dayton, Seton Hall, Hofstra, and Mary Washington, with a deferral at Case Western.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 19:52     Subject: Re:Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:Sounds like my DS. Ended up at Loyola MD with great merit aid. He also got into these schools- Duquesne, St Mary’s of MD, UMBC, St Joe’s, La Salle, Seton Hall, Manhattan, Drexel, Scranton.


NP here. Is your son currently at Loyola now? Heading to the admitted students' day soon with my child, who also got great merit. How does your son like it?
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 19:32     Subject: Re:Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:U Albany
West Virginia
IUPUI
TCNJ
Delaware
UMBC
Providence
FDU
Fairfield
Stony Brook
Lycoming
Kutztown
Rowan
Towson
Loyola (Baltimore)
CUA
Miami, or
UCONN



Fairfield ?
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 18:37     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:Truly average students. 3.0-3.5 UW GPA, 1200-1300 SAT, regular EC like casual sports or a job. Motivated but not a striver. What 4 yr colleges do these type of kids attend and find success after attending dmv catholic hs?


Virginia has a range of state schools. They go to the ones that are not VT, UVA or W&M
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 18:22     Subject: Where do average students land?
JMU, Delaware,VCU,
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 17:34     Subject: Re:Where do average students land?
Sounds like my DS. Ended up at Loyola MD with great merit aid. He also got into these schools- Duquesne, St Mary’s of MD, UMBC, St Joe’s, La Salle, Seton Hall, Manhattan, Drexel, Scranton.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 17:09     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Truly average students. 3.0-3.5 UW GPA, 1200-1300 SAT, regular EC like casual sports or a job. Motivated but not a striver. What 4 yr colleges do these type of kids attend and find success after attending dmv catholic hs?


The average students at our median GPA and the SAT you listed at the privates in our area land at JMU, clemson, UTK, Auburn, and VT if not going for a stem major.


I doubt getting into Clemson or Tennessee out of state. Not sure about Auburn, but would doubt it, too.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 17:01     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:At a fabulous school, like JMU!


Came to say this. Their alums seem to have had a great experience and all the ones I know have very good jobs.


PP here with the 3.5 wgpa kid. Even from Va, and with their best foot forward, I don’t think dc is getting into JMU. I’m betting waitlist, just because it’s gotten so competitive lately. Jmu’s applications have doubled in the past 3-4 years. They don’t accept many off the waitlist either.

We shall find out soon enough, early action comes out in the next week or so!
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 16:16     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:At a fabulous school, like JMU!


Came to say this. Their alums seem to have had a great experience and all the ones I know have very good jobs.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 16:14     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Truly average students. 3.0-3.5 UW GPA, 1200-1300 SAT, regular EC like casual sports or a job. Motivated but not a striver. What 4 yr colleges do these type of kids attend and find success after attending dmv catholic hs?


Depends on if you want/need aid. If aid is needed then you are looking at regional publics and less competitive privates. If aid isn't needed then it is possible to get into some OOS publics, like Penn State.


I'd add that an SAT score of 1300 helps a lot. Most average kids don't have one that they are submitting which limits their choices because some merit requires an SAT score.

Also, 8 AP classes is pretty good.

Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 16:06     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:Truly average students. 3.0-3.5 UW GPA, 1200-1300 SAT, regular EC like casual sports or a job. Motivated but not a striver. What 4 yr colleges do these type of kids attend and find success after attending dmv catholic hs?


Depends on if you want/need aid. If aid is needed then you are looking at regional publics and less competitive privates. If aid isn't needed then it is possible to get into some OOS publics, like Penn State.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 15:12     Subject: Where do average students land?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Truly average students. 3.0-3.5 UW GPA, 1200-1300 SAT, regular EC like casual sports or a job. Motivated but not a striver. What 4 yr colleges do these type of kids attend and find success after attending dmv catholic hs?


The average students at our median GPA and the SAT you listed at the privates in our area land at JMU, clemson, UTK, Auburn, and VT if not going for a stem major.


Clemson and UTK have acceptance rates in the 30s. They have become increasingly hard to get into.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 15:02     Subject: Where do average students land?
Also, for Indiana, for example, they did not apply to the business school, which is very competitive, they just applied to a different program, which is much more available, especially out of state. They agreed not to apply to business for the schools where that was very competitive or a reach.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 15:00     Subject: Where do average students land?
My DC is like this, 3.5 weighted GPA in Fairfax County, 8 APs and a 1200 SAT. They are a test optional senior at most schools and considered a variety of reach, target and likely schools:

Jmu
UmW
Cnu
Delaware
Pitt
Penn state
SC
TN
Loyola MD
College of Charleston
U Tampa
Indiana
Michigan State
St Joes
Xavier
Fordham
CU Boulder
Syracuse

They didn’t apply to all of these but have several acceptances from the list above.

Look at the FB page for “colleges for awesomely average students”, our kids are at the top of the list for that group but it has some more grounded ideas for schools than the DCUM crowd where everyone seems to be chasing an Ivy League school.