Given her interests, she should also look at Cook College at Rutgers New Brunswick.

For her major, there won't be many other schools OP.

Anonymous wrote:Put the tuition saved into an Indexed mutual fund and give it to her as a graduation present. That will probably give her a better payout than going to Cornell relative to the other schools on her list.

The Cornell Ag School's 25th percentile SAT is 1410, so it would be a tough one to get in to. The Ag school acceptance rate is around 11%, and they give preference to NY residents.

If the only reason not to apply more broadly is a fear of rejection, I would think about pushing more. You my uncover an underlying thought that you can address with a guidance counselor.

Put the tuition saved into an Indexed mutual fund and give it to her as a graduation present. That will probably give her a better payout than going to Cornell relative to the other schools on her list.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Let me be clear. I am good with any of the schools. I went to a state school (Va Tech).

I am concerned that she is limiting her options. When I mention Cornell, for example, she says she would never get in.

I am concerned that she is too afraid of rejection to apply to a more selective school.

OK this is the information you should have shared up top.

OP here. Let me be clear. I am good with any of the schools. I went to a state school (Va Tech).

I am concerned that she is limiting her options. When I mention Cornell, for example, she says she would never get in.

I am concerned that she is too afraid of rejection to apply to a more selective school.

It is the beginning of you letting go.

Maybe she is less status conscious than you.

I understand your concern, we are used to wanting the "best" for our children. I experienced something similar (my child had a pick of 8 schools, and chose the lowest ranked). Do I wonder if she is missing anything with regard to peers and offered opportunities (internships, etc): occasionally. Has she thrived (gotten good grades, adjusted well, is happy and confident): yes. That is golden, and likely related to her decision and self-awareness in choosing her college.

When I hear some of the horror stories out there (and on this forum), I feel relieved, proud and very lucky.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those are all great choices. VT will be more selective this year after they bungled it last year. So, I would not consider that a safety.

Make sure her essays/question answers speak to her specific interests and how she can pursue them at VT. Their acceptance formulas have changed, but she sounds like a real fit, so she just has to show it. Could get invited to honors college.

This is great advice, OP--for applying to VT and also all the schools on her list. Definitely she should hone essays to explain why she's interested in that field and to show she has researched how classes at [name the college] are the ones that interest her.

Visiting and requesting to see the agriculture department is also a good idea; she will get a much better idea of what it's like; might see lab facilities if she asks; maybe can see or learn about field work; will see the academic presentation posters on the walls (student projects) which helps give a read on the level of work being done, etc. All good things to ask about specifically. She learns about the department-- and they will remember the applicant who took time to request a look at the department.

University of Delaware is a great college with a great Ag program. I am an alumni.

I never understood the extreme fixation with the Ivies on
this forum.

The land grant colleges offer a great education.

Once you move from your first job to your second job
post college no one asks where you went to college.

What you need to learn is that your kid is a grown up now. I am learning it and it is liberating. You can't keep stifling your grow kids with your wants and desires. Don't be like my FIL who is still sending idiotic group texts about which colleges are the best, how you must finish college, what's ranking of the college your kid choose.... It only makes him look insane(he does it to show how unhappy he is that his oldest grandkids dropped out of college, and that one granddaughter is off to 500ish ranked college in the U.S.). So, learn to support your adult kid and choices, you can always tell her you won't pay for this "lame" college, and then shut up when you never see her for more than 2 minutes.

VT would be a great fit for her interests! GL to her. She sounds like a smart kid who knows what she wants.

Anonymous wrote:Those are all great choices. VT will be more selective this year after they bungled it last year. So, I would not consider that a safety.

Make sure her essays/question answers speak to her specific interests and how she can pursue them at VT. Their acceptance formulas have changed, but she sounds like a real fit, so she just has to show it. Could get invited to honors college.

Good for her not getting sucked into all the BS.

For that major, VT is an excellent choice. Why does it matter what the acceptance rate is? Sounds like she has a good set of options.

I've always interpreted the advice to apply to X number of reaches to mean don't apply to MORE than that many of reaches, i.e. most of your applications (if not all) should be matches and safeties. But most often people seem to interpret it as you HAVE TO apply to at least that many reaches. Why? So you can go to a school where you are pretty much guaranteed not to be one of the top students, thus not competitive for the best opportunities, and won't get any merit aid? I guess if there are things you love about the school and the money part of the equation doesn't matter, go for it. But if you are really happy with options that are matches/safeties why go looking for stress?