Anonymous
Post 01/18/2025 12:41     Subject: Acceptable "rigor" for an A/B student not gunning for top 50 school
Mine is getting acceptances in the T50 with 5 APs and 1 DE. She concentrated her APs on math and sciences since she’s applying to engineering. She didn’t take any Lit/Lang/History APs since they can be time consuming and her math/science classes are pretty hard and she didn’t take any of the easy ones just to claim more APs. She’s getting good offers. She waiting on one in the T25 but it’s a Hail Mary. Schools in 25-40 range doable. Don’t believe what you read on here.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2025 12:41     Subject: Re:Acceptable "rigor" for an A/B student not gunning for top 50 school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't get why this is a common question here.

Don't most students attend high schools where all core subject area teachers make recommendations based on the kid's performance in their current class?


Sadly no. Recommendations are often made simply on the credits needed to get a diploma.


There are some lousy counselors out there. It was many years after high school that I realized a high school guidance counselor's job wasn't to just glower, but to motivate, encourage, and help a child realize their potential. (Realistically, of course.)
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2025 12:22     Subject: Acceptable "rigor" for an A/B student not gunning for top 50 school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How does the below look for an MCPS kid not targeting a top 50 school? Trying to choose APs that he's actually interested in. He had straight As in 9th grade, 10th grade is looking like a mix of As and Bs for 1st semester.

10th

Pre Calc
Honors Chem
Honors English 10
Honors Spanish 4
AP Gov
Electives: journalism, Health A

11th
Calc with applications
AP ES
Honors World History
Honors Spanish 5
Honors English 11
AP Psych
AP Comp Sci Princ

12th
AP Lang
Forensic Science
AP Human Geography
AP Stats
Sign Language
Health B/other elective
Some other elective


For a top 50? No AP in a hard science, no ap calculus, ending foreign language without an ap. Can they throw a football really well?


My child got a top 50 school without AP Calc, AP foreign language, or AP hard science. And she had absolutely no hooks. And this was last year.

It’s totally possible. (She can’t throw a football, either.)
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2025 12:18     Subject: Re:Acceptable "rigor" for an A/B student not gunning for top 50 school
Anonymous wrote:Not gunning for t50? Be prepared to sail into the following schools outside the t50 during regular decision with ease: Case Western, Tulane, Brandeis, Northeastern


People - this poster was being facetious. She was pointing out tough admits outside the T50.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2025 10:06     Subject: Re:Acceptable "rigor" for an A/B student not gunning for top 50 school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not gunning for t50? Be prepared to sail into the following schools outside the t50 during regular decision with ease: Case Western, Tulane, Brandeis, Northeastern


Not sure about Northeastern, they look for high stats. But easily get in ED to Emory, Lehigh, Villanova, GWU, etc.

You're a troll, noting easy about Emory ED.
Anonymous
Post 01/15/2025 19:00     Subject: Acceptable "rigor" for an A/B student not gunning for top 50 school
Ummm...NEU's RD acceptance rate is 5%...troll
Anonymous
Post 01/15/2025 18:55     Subject: Re:Acceptable "rigor" for an A/B student not gunning for top 50 school
Anonymous wrote:Not gunning for t50? Be prepared to sail into the following schools outside the t50 during regular decision with ease: Case Western, Tulane, Brandeis, Northeastern


Not sure about Northeastern, they look for high stats. But easily get in ED to Emory, Lehigh, Villanova, GWU, etc.
Anonymous
Post 01/15/2025 18:48     Subject: Re:Acceptable "rigor" for an A/B student not gunning for top 50 school
Anonymous wrote:Not gunning for t50? Be prepared to sail into the following schools outside the t50 during regular decision with ease: Case Western, Tulane, Brandeis, Northeastern


OPs list of courses would not sail into any of these, unless applying ED and even then maybe not. Possibly Brandeis. But none of the other 3.