Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, quite a few admissions offices told us that they don’t look at recommendation letters anymore.

Yah, I seriously doubt this. Name one please.

Recommendations letters from known entities with FERPA waived is the strongest non-statistical asset for the unhooked.

What do you mean by a "known entity"? Teachers? Counselors?

No it means a big donor, a board member, a member of congress etc

FYI, not saying it never happens, but I have worked for multiple members of Congress and Senators, and none of them wrote recommendation letters for things like this. It’s just impossible — if they do one, they’d have to do an almost unlimited number.

Ah they do it if you have a connection (intern etc)

The members I worked for did not (I hired an oversaw lots of interns). You can list your internship, which makes the connection clear, but no recommendation letter. Some may do it, but it’s not common.

I probably know less about how congressional/senate offices work than many, but I have a buddy who used to joke about the over the top recommendation that he got from the speaker of the house when he applied to grad school. He had worked in that member's office for a couple of years between college and grad school, and said that he was shown the letter, and it was extremely generous. I don't recall getting recommendation letters when I applied to grad school, so maybe the story was BS, but definitely recall him telling the story.

What about taking a gap year to up the SAT or doing the community college route then transferring.

One of the more successful people I went to college with (SLAC, but women's college, so won't help OP) got an 850 on the SAT in the 1990s. I mean, you got 400 points if you just wrote your name at the top and didn't answer anything. OP, your kid can get into almost any college in the US except for the handful of very selective ones.

If he's open to starting at a community college, some have articulation agreements with very selective 4-year schools that provide a guaranteed transfer option. But that's not necessary if he's open to going to a big state school in the Midwest or South, or a less selective SLAC. Definitely apply to places that have more women than men enrolled. That will give him a big boost.

Syracuse and Gonzaga (both test optional)

I think the Congressional letters of rec were much more common when we parents were in HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, quite a few admissions offices told us that they don’t look at recommendation letters anymore.

Yah, I seriously doubt this. Name one please.

Recommendations letters from known entities with FERPA waived is the strongest non-statistical asset for the unhooked.

What do you mean by a "known entity"? Teachers? Counselors?

No it means a big donor, a board member, a member of congress etc

FYI, not saying it never happens, but I have worked for multiple members of Congress and Senators, and none of them wrote recommendation letters for things like this. It’s just impossible — if they do one, they’d have to do an almost unlimited number.

Ah they do it if you have a connection (intern etc)

The members I worked for did not (I hired an oversaw lots of interns). You can list your internship, which makes the connection clear, but no recommendation letter. Some may do it, but it’s not common.

Anonymous wrote:I got a 990 on SAT and got into a great college. Turns out they let in some folks like me to round out things.

I love that! No doubt those of us who got lower scores on SATs are a lot more fun to be around.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, quite a few admissions offices told us that they don’t look at recommendation letters anymore.

Yah, I seriously doubt this. Name one please.

Recommendations letters from known entities with FERPA waived is the strongest non-statistical asset for the unhooked.

What do you mean by a "known entity"? Teachers? Counselors?

No it means a big donor, a board member, a member of congress etc

FYI, not saying it never happens, but I have worked for multiple members of Congress and Senators, and none of them wrote recommendation letters for things like this. It’s just impossible — if they do one, they’d have to do an almost unlimited number.

Ah they do it if you have a connection (intern etc)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, quite a few admissions offices told us that they don’t look at recommendation letters anymore.

Yah, I seriously doubt this. Name one please.

Recommendations letters from known entities with FERPA waived is the strongest non-statistical asset for the unhooked.

What do you mean by a "known entity"? Teachers? Counselors?

No it means a big donor, a board member, a member of congress etc

FYI, not saying it never happens, but I have worked for multiple members of Congress and Senators, and none of them wrote recommendation letters for things like this. It’s just impossible — if they do one, they’d have to do an almost unlimited number.

DD19 MCPS
sat 980
gpa 3.56
above average EC- lots of BBYO positions, 200 volunteer hours at City of Rockville, SGA senior year.
Education major

accepted:
Towson
Salisbury
U of Arizona
College of Charleston

rejected:
Penn State
Indiana
Delaware
UMBC

FYI, she had very weak rigor, no honors, no AP, Algebra 2 senior year. Always a below average student. She is in third year of Towson and thriving as Elementary Ed major. It was the right school for her. Course rigor is important.

I got a 990 on SAT and got into a great college. Turns out they let in some folks like me to round out things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, I would be thrilled if my sub 1000 SAT 3.5 DD got into Pitt or VT.

Agree

You wouldn’t be concerned about how they would do at these schools?

No not at all

Wells College?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, I would be thrilled if my sub 1000 SAT 3.5 DD got into Pitt or VT.

Agree

You wouldn’t be concerned about how they would do at these schools?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a similar gpa and that exact SAT score in the 90’s. I have a PhD. Some of us take a little longer to bloom. Things have changed in college admissions since then, of course. However, if he wants to go to college, there are school that will accept him and give him the opportunity to mature and flourish.

I didn't take it in the 90s, ACT instead and made a 28, I think, if that's a score. Anyway, went to a non-name-brand uni, made a 1400-ish on the GRE, got a free ride to doctoral school and now have a PhD and work in an intellectually challenging field and am thriving!

I think a lot of college success has to do with what you put into it. For example, because I wanted to go to grad school,I did a lot of lab work in undergrad.