Might be able to get into SMU

First of all, you are just looking at schools over Spring Break, not applying. Does your son offer any criteria? A course of study, a city atmosphere, a football team to watch on Saturdays? That will help us and you. Once the new SAT results are known, an application list can begin.Do you have a state flagship that is acceptable and obtainable? My biggest advice is a list of schools that contain an equal amount of safety and reach schools. All reach schools can be a disaster for the applicant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Common Data Set for each school -75 th percentile
Colgate 720 (reading)/ 730 (math)
Bucknell 680/720
Dickinson 675/690
Lafayette 680/710
F&M 690/720
The poster's son had a 650 reading and a 660 math score. These schools are all currently a reach IMHO.

No, you need to look at mid 50% (25th to 75th percentile) range, not just 75th.

Correct. The middle 50%:

Colgate CR 630-730; math 640-720
Bucknell 580-680; 620-710
Dickinson 590-690; 600-690
Lafayette 580-680; 610-710
F&M 600-690; 610-710

I'd call all of these schools "high matches"--his scores are around the median, maybe a bit lower, for these schools.

My only suggestion as the mom of three (*sigh) in college now and one recent grad - Don't rule out the smaller regional colleges. There are some very, very good ones. My daughter is a National Merit Scholar Finalist and blew us away when she chose a smaller regional college in Florida. It's been a perfect fit for her. She could have gone just about anywhere. We never would have considered it had we not met one of the deans at a sailing club meeting. She encouraged us to at least visit. They gave my daughter a full academic scholarship plus a bunch of extras.

My other kids ended up exactly where we expected. Just don't rule anything out during your initial search. Good Luck!

OP Here - I agree that many of the suggested schools would be considered a reach. One thing we have been told which may be helpful for others is that balanced test scores like DCs are typically viewed in terms of 100 point thresholds for M&V - 1200, 1300, 1400 etc. Even though DC will take the SAT one more time to try and raise his scores, we were advised that he would not see a true advantage unless he breaks 1400 - which seems unlikely. Counselor said his scores are solid as-is for a good range of schools, so he is much more interested in DC bringing up a few grades to As and doing well on a few of the subject/AP tests as a better path to improving his chances/options. Once we settle the size and location questions by touring a few schools, I'm feeling much better that the pieces will fall into place.

Mount St. Mary's is another option - not the same school as St. Mary's College.

Anonymous wrote:The Common Data Set for each school -75 th percentile
Colgate 720 (reading)/ 730 (math)
Bucknell 680/720
Dickinson 675/690
Lafayette 680/710
F&M 690/720
The poster's son had a 650 reading and a 660 math score. These schools are all currently a reach IMHO.

No, you need to look at mid 50% (25th to 75th percentile) range, not just 75th.

University of Dayton

Top 25 program in nation. Student run busssiness called flyer enterprise.


https://www.udayton.edu/business/learn/undergraduate/major_entrepreneurship.php

https://udayton.edu/business/crottycenter/index.php

The Common Data Set for each school -75 th percentile
Colgate 720 (reading)/ 730 (math)
Bucknell 680/720
Dickinson 675/690
Lafayette 680/710
F&M 690/720
The poster's son had a 650 reading and a 660 math score. These schools are all currently a reach IMHO.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think he would be very competitive for almost all of the schools mentioned so far. We found that to be the case with our B student DD coming from a very competitive private school with similar SAT scores. She got into several excellent SLAC's.

You must not be very familiar with many of those schools, some of which receive thousands of applications and are not cash-starved SLACs looking for rich students who can pay full-freight.

So which ones named aren't realistic? My DC had a similar profile to the OP and had a pretty similar list (I've aleady listed some earlier). Based on our experience I think Colgate and Bucknell are reaches but the rest named are pretty solid. My DC got into several of them and was waitlisted at the next tier of schools, indicating that she wasn't totally unqualified.

Anonymous wrote:I think he would be very competitive for almost all of the schools mentioned so far. We found that to be the case with our B student DD coming from a very competitive private school with similar SAT scores. She got into several excellent SLAC's.

You must not be very familiar with many of those schools, some of which receive thousands of applications and are not cash-starved SLACs looking for rich students who can pay full-freight.

OP - Thanks again - lots of great suggestions and a plan is coming together.

I think he would be very competitive for almost all of the schools mentioned so far. We found that to be the case with our B student DD coming from a very competitive private school with similar SAT scores. She got into several excellent SLAC's.

If you can afford tuition, Bard College in New York

I think St. Mary will take him. They are suffering from low enrollment.