Anonymous
Post 07/07/2016 09:39     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.



Why?

Be specific.



Not OP, but I'm going to presume it's because she would like for her child to attend one of the best colleges in the country. Is that so terrible?
Anonymous
Post 07/07/2016 06:43     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.


Assuming that your DD will be a standout student and an extremely selective school is a reasonable goal, the best partner/source of information will be the school's college counselors. They will have the best perspective on how students like your DD fair in the process. Remember, a large proportion of DD's classmates are going to be legacy at the Ivies, so if DD is unhooked, the college admissions list may have little bearing on your DD's individual chances. There really isn't a need for a private college counselor/advisor for that group of colleges because you need very top grades, curriculum/course selection, and test scores and you don't seem to care about the difference between them. The English teachers at the high school are prepared to spend considerable time helping the juniors and seniors write their college essays, so you don't really need a coach for that either. A private college advisor is probably most useful to help the top students consider alternatives that would serve their goals and fit. They are also especially useful for the B students to sort out what colleges might fit since they probably won't be competitive for the name brand schools.

That being said, the most important thing your DD can do is to do well in high school and not get over focused on college. Choose challenging classes, do well in them, and engage the teachers at the school out of class. Most importantly, get involved in things other than schoolwork to grow up and find out who she is as the matures from a child to an adult.


Thank you somebody actually provided a helpful answer. The issue is that most of the high school counselors don't do course selection in early grades which the counselors I have met with say is important early in the process (even 9th grade). I met with one for two hours on an early basis to decide between top high schools in the area (the ones you know from the other forum--GDS, NCS, Potomac, Holton, Sidwell, etc). And she gave useful advice. But it is a lot of money on top of tuition for three kids.


I'm not sure why you would need to pay an outside counselor to help with course selection. My DD is at Holton and I can tell you there are only two honors classes for Freshman and Sophomore year - math and science. They don't allow AP classes until junior year and even when they do its strictly monitored by the faculty. I say this because what is really going to matter is who your daughter is, in terms of her interests and passions, and not what some outside counselor will tell you. Holton (and I'm betting other top privates) is really big on the student advocating for themselves and believe me they will know if this isn't coming from the child.

So please calm down and support your child as she grows into the great person she's meant to be, not the person you've planned for her to be. That is not to say that you shouldn't urge her to challenge herself or take risks, just don't write her story. High school years are short and they grow and change a lot - it should be an exciting time full of discovery maybe you should give her the gift of support while she's going though that. She will thank you in four years!
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 19:29     Subject: Re:What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
This is just all ridiculous, in terms of worrying about this in 9th grade. If your DD is really ready for the top track courses, and asks to take them, she will be placed in them if her record and testing justifies being there. Our experience with 2 different big 3/5 schools and college counseling was that their advice was completely spot on. Our kids were completely without hooks (i.e. girls, white, college educated parents, but not potential huge donors, not recruited athletes) and both got into Ivys (although one chose instead to go to a great small LAC). We did not have any paid college counseling. The kids drove the process themselves. A family friend is an admissions officer at Yale, and she indicated the officers could smell paid college counselor from miles away in terms of ridiculous and insincere activities, and essays clearly inspired and edited by a "professional" not in the voice of the applicant. Really, save your money, perhaps use it for SAT prep if your kid could benefit after seeing how the PSAT goes, and calm down.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 13:35     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.


Assuming that your DD will be a standout student and an extremely selective school is a reasonable goal, the best partner/source of information will be the school's college counselors. They will have the best perspective on how students like your DD fair in the process. Remember, a large proportion of DD's classmates are going to be legacy at the Ivies, so if DD is unhooked, the college admissions list may have little bearing on your DD's individual chances. There really isn't a need for a private college counselor/advisor for that group of colleges because you need very top grades, curriculum/course selection, and test scores and you don't seem to care about the difference between them. The English teachers at the high school are prepared to spend considerable time helping the juniors and seniors write their college essays, so you don't really need a coach for that either. A private college advisor is probably most useful to help the top students consider alternatives that would serve their goals and fit. They are also especially useful for the B students to sort out what colleges might fit since they probably won't be competitive for the name brand schools.

That being said, the most important thing your DD can do is to do well in high school and not get over focused on college. Choose challenging classes, do well in them, and engage the teachers at the school out of class. Most importantly, get involved in things other than schoolwork to grow up and find out who she is as the matures from a child to an adult.


Thank you somebody actually provided a helpful answer. The issue is that most of the high school counselors don't do course selection in early grades which the counselors I have met with say is important early in the process (even 9th grade). I met with one for two hours on an early basis to decide between top high schools in the area (the ones you know from the other forum--GDS, NCS, Potomac, Holton, Sidwell, etc). And she gave useful advice. But it is a lot of money on top of tuition for three kids.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 11:27     Subject: Re:What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Stunning that the parent would conclude "Ivy"....like a pp who said well in the few years before application DD wants a small liberal arts college? What if DD wants to go to engineering school? Lots of things will occur over the next few years that could change her mind. Step back from it and let it work its way. Note the very tough admission rates as well and this summer read: "Where You Go is Not What You'll Be"!
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 11:19     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.


Assuming that your DD will be a standout student and an extremely selective school is a reasonable goal, the best partner/source of information will be the school's college counselors. They will have the best perspective on how students like your DD fair in the process. Remember, a large proportion of DD's classmates are going to be legacy at the Ivies, so if DD is unhooked, the college admissions list may have little bearing on your DD's individual chances. There really isn't a need for a private college counselor/advisor for that group of colleges because you need very top grades, curriculum/course selection, and test scores and you don't seem to care about the difference between them. The English teachers at the high school are prepared to spend considerable time helping the juniors and seniors write their college essays, so you don't really need a coach for that either. A private college advisor is probably most useful to help the top students consider alternatives that would serve their goals and fit. They are also especially useful for the B students to sort out what colleges might fit since they probably won't be competitive for the name brand schools.

That being said, the most important thing your DD can do is to do well in high school and not get over focused on college. Choose challenging classes, do well in them, and engage the teachers at the school out of class. Most importantly, get involved in things other than schoolwork to grow up and find out who she is as the matures from a child to an adult.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 08:55     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Best way to Ivy, first see how she does in private. Is it a Big 3? she already has strong competition. Is she B+ /A student after 3 years. Take her out and move to one of the least populace states and apply from public.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2016 22:03     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:I think maybe hiring a counselor would be helpful, not because it will guarantee your DD gets in, but because you could benefit from their insight about how to go about selecting colleges for the right reasons, rather than the brand name.

+1
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2016 21:42     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:And would be happy with Penn or Cornell. Do we pay for the college coach or not?

Your private will have a college counselor, who unlike at public schools, might express significant opinions as to where your child should apply. Of course your child can choose whether or not to follow the school counselor's advice.

Given your goal OP, I'm not sure why you wouldn't pay?
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2016 21:29     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
troll. almost nobody sends their kid to private school because they see it as a path to an ivy.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2016 19:35     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:And would be happy with Penn or Cornell. Do we pay for the college coach or not?


OK, happy with Penn or Cornell? Cornell is in the country and has an undergrad enrollment of 14,500. Penn has one of the most urban campuses in the country with an undergrad enrollment of 9,700.

They are very different places. And what about either of them would intrigue a 9th grade girl before she even starts high school? It sounds like you are simply chasing the Ivy League and perhaps have hit upon these two because they have 2 of the 3 highest acceptance rates in the conference.

I think maybe hiring a counselor would be helpful, not because it will guarantee your DD gets in, but because you could benefit from their insight about how to go about selecting colleges for the right reasons, rather than the brand name.


+1
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2016 17:34     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:Until you've been through it, it's hard to appreciate just how elusive a top Ivy school is.

Take a look at this breakdown of Princeton's incoming Class of 2020:
https://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S45/94/44G37/index.xml?section=topstories

1,894 kids accepted
Half are Male, now there are only 947 slots left
Half are people of color, now there are only 474 slots left
11% are alumni kids, if two-thirds of those are white (and so not previously counted as people of color), now there are 440 slots left
17% are first in their family to attend college, if one-third of those are white (and so not previously counted), now there are 415 slots left

Princeton admits about 200 recruited athletes per year. Half are female (because of Title IX) and if half of those are neither people of color nor first-generation students, now there are 365 slots left.

Whoops, almost forgot. 11.7% of the class are international students, which the federal government doesn't allow colleges to include in their under-represented minority reporting. Now we're down to 322.

That's it. By a conservative estimate, Princeton has about 322 slots for every white, non-legacy, non-recruited athlete daughter of college-educated parents in the entire country. And that's without counting VIP/celebrity kids, extremely wealthy kids, faculty kids, etc.

Is your DD one of those top 322 applicants?


It is worse than that, they also want geographic diversity. So how many from the OP's state?
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2016 17:30     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:Asian kid but probably won't put on that on the App.


That Princeton link said of the Class os 202: "50.6 percent have self-identified as people of color, including biracial and multiracial students."

That has got to include Asians. As an aside, all you have to do is "self-identiofy." Unknown if they verify the veracity of this claim.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2016 17:04     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Same BS Private Independent School Board was shelling out when we were applying to Private High Schools. Why Big 3 etc? Ugh. Haters.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2016 17:02     Subject: What do I need to know about College Placement from Private School
Anonymous wrote:And would be happy with Penn or Cornell. Do we pay for the college coach or not?


OK, happy with Penn or Cornell? Cornell is in the country and has an undergrad enrollment of 14,500. Penn has one of the most urban campuses in the country with an undergrad enrollment of 9,700.

They are very different places. And what about either of them would intrigue a 9th grade girl before she even starts high school? It sounds like you are simply chasing the Ivy League and perhaps have hit upon these two because they have 2 of the 3 highest acceptance rates in the conference.

I think maybe hiring a counselor would be helpful, not because it will guarantee your DD gets in, but because you could benefit from their insight about how to go about selecting colleges for the right reasons, rather than the brand name.