Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 11:47     Subject: Re:My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:OP, you could be describing my son -- unhooked kid with good, but not tippy-top of the class grades, and very good scores. He was accepted at Columbia, which came as a huge shock to the school counselor (the guy's mouth literally gaped open when he heard the news). Like your son, mine wrote one heck of an essay -- a sweet and funny take on being the oldest child with three younger sibs. And I suspect that his recommendations were very strong, with comments about intellectual curiosity, willingness to name the elephant in the room, and ability to make friends with all kinds of kids. I also think it helped that he met twice with the regional admissions rep, who took a liking to him and wrote a little note about how much he liked the essay. So, yeah, it can happen, but, lordy, it was a stressful process.


Hi, I'm OP. My son wrote about his relationship with his older sibling.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 11:46     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:OP, if you don't mind, please post stats - just some ballpark figures, for GPA, SAT/ACT, and state/county. Thanks!

Congratulations!


Hi. I'm OP. GPA weighted was about 3.6, unweighted 3.1, SAT was submitted and about 1300, FCPS. There are two Cs on his transcript. Reading over these responses I'm thinking his four-year language/music/sports mix may have been appealing, as well as interest in an area that doesn't attract a ton of boys. But who knows? I'm just glad he doesn't read this board. He would have thought he had no chance in hell and never applied.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 11:44     Subject: Re:My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Are you in-state OP?
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 11:39     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sorry to be the negative Nelly, but then you've got the flip side which is the X at the top and far right of the screen (high GPA and high SAT scores.) Why is that kid not getting in when all these kids with lower and further left are--criminal record?


Maybe there is something in their application package that makes the school feel like it would not be a good fit? My mom used to teach at a school for math and science and she could always tell when the applicants really didn’t want to be there (despite having top stats); it was usually the parents who wanted them there. Also, sometimes schools just want a variety of students — ones who will participate in ways different from a high-stats kid.

Right? I can't imagine being at a school with nothing but grinding over achievers going elbow to elbow to be king/queen of another mountain. Maybe a balanced community of kids who really want to be there and have something interesting to contribute is the actual point.


Ideally after producing too many Elizabeth Holmes and Mark Zuckerbergs, you'd hope that HYPSM, other Ivies, et al realize that passion may be a synonym for selfish and balance may be what is needed in the next generation of leaders.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 10:52     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sorry to be the negative Nelly, but then you've got the flip side which is the X at the top and far right of the screen (high GPA and high SAT scores.) Why is that kid not getting in when all these kids with lower and further left are--criminal record?


Maybe there is something in their application package that makes the school feel like it would not be a good fit? My mom used to teach at a school for math and science and she could always tell when the applicants really didn’t want to be there (despite having top stats); it was usually the parents who wanted them there. Also, sometimes schools just want a variety of students — ones who will participate in ways different from a high-stats kid.

Right? I can't imagine being at a school with nothing but grinding over achievers going elbow to elbow to be king/queen of another mountain. Maybe a balanced community of kids who really want to be there and have something interesting to contribute is the actual point.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 09:34     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
OP, many, many congratulations to your student! This gives a lot of us hope!
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 09:27     Subject: Re:My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
OP, you could be describing my son -- unhooked kid with good, but not tippy-top of the class grades, and very good scores. He was accepted at Columbia, which came as a huge shock to the school counselor (the guy's mouth literally gaped open when he heard the news). Like your son, mine wrote one heck of an essay -- a sweet and funny take on being the oldest child with three younger sibs. And I suspect that his recommendations were very strong, with comments about intellectual curiosity, willingness to name the elephant in the room, and ability to make friends with all kinds of kids. I also think it helped that he met twice with the regional admissions rep, who took a liking to him and wrote a little note about how much he liked the essay. So, yeah, it can happen, but, lordy, it was a stressful process.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 09:13     Subject: Re:My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:Yes there's a certain degree of luck and randomness factor in US college admission system.

My kids got into much higer ranked schools but rejected by some shools consdiered safey/match.



Oh you can call this a 'match', too.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 09:12     Subject: Re:My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Yes there's a certain degree of luck and randomness factor in US college admission system.

My kids got into much higer ranked schools but rejected by some shools consdiered safey/match.

Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 09:09     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sorry to be the negative Nelly, but then you've got the flip side which is the X at the top and far right of the screen (high GPA and high SAT scores.) Why is that kid not getting in when all these kids with lower and further left are--criminal record?


Maybe there is something in their application package that makes the school feel like it would not be a good fit? My mom used to teach at a school for math and science and she could always tell when the applicants really didn’t want to be there (despite having top stats); it was usually the parents who wanted them there. Also, sometimes schools just want a variety of students — ones who will participate in ways different from a high-stats kid.


The scattergrams don’t tell you much about the applicant or the program he/she is applying to. Maybe the check mark on the lower left side was a boy applying to the education school and maybe the x on the upper right was a boy applying to CS. Those two programs have very different admit rates. And in one males are underrepresented while in the other they are overrepresented. Outcomes will be very different in those two scenarios.


This hits the nail on the head. We can’t just look at the overall numbers, grades, and test scores. He’s a male applying to Liberal Arts. Numbers of males are down to begin with. In addition, males are applying in large numbers to engineering, business, and related fields. The university wants to get some kind of gender balance in Liberal Arts.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 08:32     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sorry to be the negative Nelly, but then you've got the flip side which is the X at the top and far right of the screen (high GPA and high SAT scores.) Why is that kid not getting in when all these kids with lower and further left are--criminal record?


Maybe there is something in their application package that makes the school feel like it would not be a good fit? My mom used to teach at a school for math and science and she could always tell when the applicants really didn’t want to be there (despite having top stats); it was usually the parents who wanted them there. Also, sometimes schools just want a variety of students — ones who will participate in ways different from a high-stats kid.


The scattergrams don’t tell you much about the applicant or the program he/she is applying to. Maybe the check mark on the lower left side was a boy applying to the education school and maybe the x on the upper right was a boy applying to CS. Those two programs have very different admit rates. And in one males are underrepresented while in the other they are overrepresented. Outcomes will be very different in those two scenarios.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 08:23     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
OP, if you don't mind, please post stats - just some ballpark figures, for GPA, SAT/ACT, and state/county. Thanks!

Congratulations!
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 08:10     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:Sorry to be the negative Nelly, but then you've got the flip side which is the X at the top and far right of the screen (high GPA and high SAT scores.) Why is that kid not getting in when all these kids with lower and further left are--criminal record?


Maybe there is something in their application package that makes the school feel like it would not be a good fit? My mom used to teach at a school for math and science and she could always tell when the applicants really didn’t want to be there (despite having top stats); it was usually the parents who wanted them there. Also, sometimes schools just want a variety of students — ones who will participate in ways different from a high-stats kid.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 07:19     Subject: Re:My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Congratulations!


Seriously. We did Naviance this weekend.

It was grim.


Hi. I’m OP. We had the same experience. But somebody’s gotta be that check mark on the bottom left of the cluster. It could be your kid.


My kid too. Got in a few reach schools including Clemson and NC State. Not reaches for most DMV kids but for my DC. The whole family is over the moon! I guess it happens.


Congratulations! They are great schools - and I think getting into NC State from OOS is difficult.


I don’t think so. My niece is from VA and got accepted to NC state


Again congratulations to the OP. Excellent choices.

To the PP: not sure what to say here but in 2020 the OOS acceptance rate at NC State. was slightly lower than 15%. Not easy.

And congratulations to your niece.








Anonymous
Post 03/01/2022 06:01     Subject: My kid is that check mark that can give you hope…
Sorry to be the negative Nelly, but then you've got the flip side which is the X at the top and far right of the screen (high GPA and high SAT scores.) Why is that kid not getting in when all these kids with lower and further left are--criminal record?