Anonymous wrote:The hardest part is getting in. If she went to a good high school she will be fine. Pretty much all kids at a top private and probably 50% of the kids at a top public can do the work at a top college.

This is an odd comment. I'd say that at least 90% of kids from a top private or public willl be able to handle the work just fine. It's a lot easier to get into a top college from a good private than a good public, so most of the kids who do get in from the public are extremely capable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is rampant grade inflation at the Top 25 schools. Everyone gets an A. Unless your kid is in engineering, I wouldn’t worry. If so, and your kid doesn’t have the math chops, I’d worry.

Having taught at 2 elite universities, I agree with the above. As long as she shows up to class and does the work, she can certainly maintain a B- average in the humanities.

So you agree with the poster that everyone gets an A, but then begin talking about B-minuses. Just not at all the same. You get a D in comprehension.

Did you discuss these concerns with her before she applied, OP? (both keeping up academically and also the financial stress)

Harvard used to actively look for what it called a “happy bottom quarter” (hey, 1/4 of the students will inevitably end up there and it sure beats suicidal valedictorians!). It wanted them to graduate — not drop out.

Sounds like OP's DD will be in over her head at an elite college.

Sounds like OP will be over her head with managing tuition payments.

Sounds like if OP doesn't send her child to this elite school, both problems disappear.

Don't send DD to the elite college. Problem solved. You are welcome.

Next person is line please.

Isn’t this why so many Notre Dame athletes get into trouble with cheating — they don’t have remedial courses to hide bottom decile kids? There’s only so much tutors can do. Science labs, calculus and foreign language are no joke for the unprepared. And the volume of reading in the humanities can be insane. If your kid isn’t a leisure reader they physically can’t keep up with reading half a book in two nights.

Anonymous wrote:I was sure that I was the "admissions mistake", and maybe I was. But I still had a wonderful experience and got a lot out of it. I wasn't summa cum laude, but I did fine.

Never let her know that you're worried. She'll be fine.

Same here. Definitely had moments when I realized I was the poorest and least cultured kid around but it was a wonderful experience and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

My best friend’s hooked daughter got into University of Chicago off the waitlist. She struggled the entire way through and graduated with right at a two point. The college kept telling her her gpa didn’t matter “at Chicago” so she wouldn’t transfer out. She got no job offers. After working for the university for a few months she’s back home and tutors little kids for peanuts through some federal non-profit program.

So maybe she won’t fail out but she could be in a difficult spot in recruiting with an awful gpa.

If she’s a halfway decent writer in a non-STEM field who takes schoolwork seriously, the worst case scenario is probably a B average. At most of the elites, it’s hard to consistently get anything below a B- under these conditions

(Was undergrad at one. Graded at another. Saw lots of transcripts from the rest while doing grad admissions.)

Agree that UofC and MIT are probably the exceptional cases (though struggling undergrads I know at each have been STEM majors).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How low are we talking? Is it possible to flunk summer placement testing? I don't believe the Ivy League or elites like Chicago MIT WashU even have remedial courses like a public university. Elites generally have a 90-95% graduation rate. Many kids do flunk out.

No, very few kids flunk out. They have a 95% 4 yr graduation rate. Another 2-3% graduate in the next 2 years, getting us to 97%. Of the remaining 3% some have changes in their finances, some are just unhappy, some get sick or injured. Only around 1% flunk out. Most kids that have trouble just change to less challenging majors, say from chemistry to business, or something that ends in "studies".

Talking about the dropouts from the elites? Or you may want to pay homage. You could be talking about Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, etc.

The hardest part is getting in. If she went to a good high school she will be fine. Pretty much all kids at a top private and probably 50% of the kids at a top public can do the work at a top college.

Anonymous wrote:There is rampant grade inflation at the Top 25 schools. Everyone gets an A. Unless your kid is in engineering, I wouldn’t worry. If so, and your kid doesn’t have the math chops, I’d worry.

Having taught at 2 elite universities, I agree with the above. As long as she shows up to class and does the work, she can certainly maintain a B- average in the humanities.

There is rampant grade inflation at the Top 25 schools. Everyone gets an A. Unless your kid is in engineering, I wouldn’t worry. If so, and your kid doesn’t have the math chops, I’d worry.

Anonymous wrote:How low are we talking? Is it possible to flunk summer placement testing? I don't believe the Ivy League or elites like Chicago MIT WashU even have remedial courses like a public university. Elites generally have a 90-95% graduation rate. Many kids do flunk out.

No, very few kids flunk out. They have a 95% 4 yr graduation rate. Another 2-3% graduate in the next 2 years, getting us to 97%. Of the remaining 3% some have changes in their finances, some are just unhappy, some get sick or injured. Only around 1% flunk out. Most kids that have trouble just change to less challenging majors, say from chemistry to business, or something that ends in "studies".

Also...not sure if you are from the dc area...but if you are, remember that schools are quite variable across the country. Your child will do fine.