Brainy kids who seek a plurality of peers can look well outside a college. Just like these kids did in high school- the truly exceptional ones. My one student is the typical smart kid, math competitions and CTY in elementary- some "fun" enrichment outside of his school. Online groups for fancy origami, chess with adults in the community center in high school. These things are all available outside of college as well. That kid may not have done well in rural Minnesota, but Pitt? Sure. Stevens? Absolutely. And he is not the brainy one.
My brainy one- graduated from an IVY. Also looked beyond the scope of in-school peers/clubs/groups for things that interested her: theater. Had applied to a small LAC as a safety knowing she would find or create what she is looking for. And where she started and where she ended in terms of interest/career was all guided by works she did outside of school and after time abroad, not because of anything gained by being in a pool of "brainy" kids.
There are smart kids at most schools- many of them. My bet is that most kids are not quite as genius level as parents believe them to be...many of us make that assumption. Of course some schools are better fits than others. But a less rejective school doesn't mean that there will not be intellectual engagement.

Anonymous wrote:Finding true safeties for high stats kids is where to start and yes they are there for every major.
Engineering kid looked at Michigan Tech. Business kid would have been fine at Fordham or Pitt (true safeties for the profile) had T30 school not worked out.
Hard to find safeties kids like, truly like- but all those tours to the selective schools can happen after admission. Best thing we learned- find those safeties. Visit those, not the reaches. We saw some cool
parts of the country.

The same assertion again -- that safeties exist for super high-stats kids. Sure, there are great faculty at lots of places and wonderful programs at many. Smart and motivated students.

But for really intellectual kids, no school that takes 50%+ of applicants will feature a plurality of peers with a similar level of academic interest and enthusiasm. That's not awful -- hardly comparable to the end of liberal democracy, for example -- but in all, not a place that the brainy kid will truly love. Such kids can and should find their niche at the safety, but pretending that it's a great fit is disingenuous.

Finding true safeties for high stats kids is where to start and yes they are there for every major.
Engineering kid looked at Michigan Tech. Business kid would have been fine at Fordham or Pitt (true safeties for the profile) had T30 school not worked out.
Hard to find safeties kids like, truly like- but all those tours to the selective schools can happen after admission. Best thing we learned- find those safeties. Visit those, not the reaches. We saw some cool
parts of the country.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

+100

+1000

This is the toughest part. Kid has decent chance at HYPSM but true safety is not going to be a great academic fit.

We lucked out with a HYPSM admit but it could easily have been zero T40 admits.

But would it have mattered? I’m the community college poster above. Call me an optimist, but I believe true HYPSM-caliber kids will succeed in life regardless of which college they attend.

i think it matters for confidence, outlook, peer group, demeanor and college experience. Yes.

I respect your perspective. My kid may be a weird outlier, as I fully would’ve expected them to be the cockiest mf-er at their community college.

Sounds like your kid really knows how to make friends and influence people. . . .

I have a friend who teaches at a well-regarded community college. She reports that she has to deal with discipline issues in class. For my DC, who gets annoyed when classmates at her top private don't pay attention in class, doesn't seem like it would be a great learning opportunity or social fit.

No, not cocky towards others but very confident in themself! I mentioned earlier that they’re quite humble - they would never consider community college or their classmates beneath them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

+100

+1000

This is the toughest part. Kid has decent chance at HYPSM but true safety is not going to be a great academic fit.

We lucked out with a HYPSM admit but it could easily have been zero T40 admits.

But would it have mattered? I’m the community college poster above. Call me an optimist, but I believe true HYPSM-caliber kids will succeed in life regardless of which college they attend.

i think it matters for confidence, outlook, peer group, demeanor and college experience. Yes.

I respect your perspective. My kid may be a weird outlier, as I fully would’ve expected them to be the cockiest mf-er at their community college.

Sounds like your kid really knows how to make friends and influence people. . . .

I have a friend who teaches at a well-regarded community college. She reports that she has to deal with discipline issues in class. For my DC, who gets annoyed when classmates at her top private don't pay attention in class, doesn't seem like it would be a great learning opportunity or social fit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

+100

+1000

This is the toughest part. Kid has decent chance at HYPSM but true safety is not going to be a great academic fit.

We lucked out with a HYPSM admit but it could easily have been zero T40 admits.

But would it have mattered? I’m the community college poster above. Call me an optimist, but I believe true HYPSM-caliber kids will succeed in life regardless of which college they attend.

i think it matters for confidence, outlook, peer group, demeanor and college experience. Yes.

I respect your perspective. My kid may be a weird outlier, as I fully would’ve expected them to be the cockiest mf-er at their community college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

+100

+1000

This is the toughest part. Kid has decent chance at HYPSM but true safety is not going to be a great academic fit.

We lucked out with a HYPSM admit but it could easily have been zero T40 admits.

But would it have mattered? I’m the community college poster above. Call me an optimist, but I believe true HYPSM-caliber kids will succeed in life regardless of which college they attend.

DP: Social success and mental health matter too. Sure, there may be some very academically ambitious students who would find great friends at CC, but the reality of most CC students is that they won't have the same interests or resources as any kid with a reasonable shot at T20. Add that the kid's high school peers are likely away at selective schools (the same ones that rejected your DC), and it could mean a very lonely couple of years.

The top-tier hopeful who thrives socially in ANY environment will indeed go far. Very few 18 year olds (or humans, for that matter) fit that profile.

Plus, the fact is that few T20 hopefuls are completely shut out, because they (like my DC) apply to close to 20 schools. Which is time consuming, emotionally exhausting, and $$$.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

+100

+1000

This is the toughest part. Kid has decent chance at HYPSM but true safety is not going to be a great academic fit.

We lucked out with a HYPSM admit but it could easily have been zero T40 admits.

But would it have mattered? I’m the community college poster above. Call me an optimist, but I believe true HYPSM-caliber kids will succeed in life regardless of which college they attend.

i think it matters for confidence, outlook, peer group, demeanor and college experience. Yes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

+100

+1000

This is the toughest part. Kid has decent chance at HYPSM but true safety is not going to be a great academic fit.

We lucked out with a HYPSM admit but it could easily have been zero T40 admits.

But would it have mattered? I’m the community college poster above. Call me an optimist, but I believe true HYPSM-caliber kids will succeed in life regardless of which college they attend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

+100

+1000

This is the toughest part. Kid has decent chance at HYPSM but true safety is not going to be a great academic fit.

We lucked out with a HYPSM admit but it could easily have been zero T40 admits.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

My T5 kid’s safety was community college (with a plan to later transfer to one of our excellent in-state publics). We raised them to be humble so they would’ve made CC work even if they didn’t love it.

P.S. this is in no way meant to be a dig at your kid, who is clearly very accomplished! Just perhaps that you are underestimating your kid’s resilience.

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

My T5 kid’s safety was community college (with a plan to later transfer to one of our excellent in-state publics). We raised them to be humble so they would’ve made CC work even if they didn’t love it.

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

+100

I was surprised that, for high stats (i.e., 1550+ with perfect GPA and top rigor the school offers), there really are no target schools.

All T20s are reaches, and in the next tier down, almost every school yield protects (even state schools for OOS applicants).

As a result, kids need to apply to a v large number of schools, which is time consuming, emotionally draining, and $$$.

So much uncertainty . . . .

People on this site always say 'have a safety DC loves!'. But which school that accepts more than 50% of students is likely to be a great fit for a kid with perfect GPA and scores?

Anonymous wrote:Two things:

1. Emphasis on prestige - I knew it was bad but good lord I can't imagine what we are doing to our kids from a stress level perspective.

2. Fixation on employable majors - the majority of 18yo kids don't really know what they want to do for the rest of their lives - be open to allowing them to explore vs pushing for some "guaranteed" money making major. If there is an obvious intersection then great but don't force your kid into a major.

I respectfully disagree on this. I am not paying $200K- $400K for my child to get a degree in gender studies or fine arts and end up working as a receptionist or a Starbucks Barista. I know because I manage a business and we get so many applications from college educated kids with a few years of experience (not fresh grads) with similar majors who are willing to work as a receptionist or admin assistant for $25/hour and still have tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars to pay in college loans. It just does not make sense.