Anonymous
Post 08/29/2025 11:53     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
This is OP and thank you for all the thoughtful responses. Just looking for people's experiences, knwo it's anecdotal but nice to read.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2025 11:53     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Anonymous wrote:Southern schools are more fun, better weather, rah rah football, cuter coeds and excellent educations.


Southern schools have awful weather. Humidity, heat, insects, torrential downpours. Blech.

“Excellent education” is not true across the board lol
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2025 10:43     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
My kid was TO and had a 3.7. Rigor improved toward the end of high school but still not super strong. Was top half of the class. Got into all of his schools, South Carolina, Arizona, Mizzou, Utah, Iowa plus a few more. Iowa was the best package and South Carolina was the worst (nothing).
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 20:41     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:that's not middle of the road

So what is it? But more importantly, where did such a student go to school? (Not OP. I just have one of these coming up and need to reset from the kid who had a terrible time with a 4.3/1430 and great ECs)


A 1300 SAT score is considered a good and competitive score, placing your kid above the national average and in the 87th percentile of all test-takers. DCUM is skewing your perspective with all of the nations dorky parents in one area of the country.

Average is like a B student with an 1150 SAT.

Literally thousands of schools for a 1300 A- student. And they can still get merit aid with those stats.



Also literally thousands of schools for a B student too.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 20:41     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Going to depend on the school they attend and naviance/scoir will be a better predictor but for DCs school those with GPAs in the 3.4-3.7 range and most test optional went to schools like Tulane (ED), Wisconsin, Colgate, University of Richmond, Syracuse, Fordham, Lafayette, Lehigh, Bowdoin, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, Oberlin, Macalester, etc
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 19:49     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm talking A-/B+ GPA and say 1300 SAT and some sports and other usual ECs but no leadership or cancer-curing research.


This is my kid exactly. We are in New England and he applied to all six New England state flagships. Got in everywhere with merit. Chose UVM (not Honors) and so far so good.


Thank you for sharing. I'm not OP. It my DC is similar and in NE - we wont qualify for financial aid but can't afford private or OOS public without merit. This gives me hope that DC may have options and choice.


Yes definitely go for it - I was actually happily surprised at his results and we were in same boat financially. And visiting all six schools was a nice experience and made me appreciate the range of options in the region
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 19:44     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
DCUM not familiar with schools in the north.
Bucknell is crazily hot on DCUM gots lots of mentions.
St. Andrew the same, alleged "pipeline to the street".

If your DC really wants to work in IB, but doesn't have the stats for ivy, why not consider schools like Baruch college in the city. Solid semi-target for wall street.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 19:33     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Southern schools are more fun, better weather, rah rah football, cuter coeds and excellent educations.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 19:28     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
My kids are at Ohio State and UMD.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 19:25     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm talking A-/B+ GPA and say 1300 SAT and some sports and other usual ECs but no leadership or cancer-curing research.


not mine but close family: U of R admit and Wake ED-defer/WL -to-accept were the best outcomes.

Is U of R Rochester or Richmond?
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 19:20     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Anonymous wrote:I'm talking A-/B+ GPA and say 1300 SAT and some sports and other usual ECs but no leadership or cancer-curing research.


not mine but close family: U of R admit and Wake ED-defer/WL -to-accept were the best outcomes.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 15:52     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:that's not middle of the road

So what is it? But more importantly, where did such a student go to school? (Not OP. I just have one of these coming up and need to reset from the kid who had a terrible time with a 4.3/1430 and great ECs)


A 1300 SAT score is considered a good and competitive score, placing your kid above the national average and in the 87th percentile of all test-takers. DCUM is skewing your perspective with all of the nations dorky parents in one area of the country.

Average is like a B student with an 1150 SAT.

Literally thousands of schools for a 1300 A- student. And they can still get merit aid with those stats.



Not really. 2007 was a large birth year. My kid with a 4.3 and 1350 got shut out from all but one large public university. It was a tough year.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 13:36     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You should look at the FB group College Admission Advice for awesomely average kids. The rules of the group are under 3.5 wgpa & 1100-ish SAT.

Often mentions in that group: second-tier state schools (Towson, West Chester U, CNU, Easteen TN, U Western Carolina, etc), OOS “second-tier” flagships (OOS U Kentucky, Ole Miss, WVU, ASU, etc) and small, private buyer schools (Susquehanna, Adelphi, St Joe’s, Loyola Marymount, etc)

I am wondering why DCUMers favor southern schools. There are lots of wonderful second/third tier state schools in the North. There are a bunch of New York state other than Stony Brook and Bing. Rutgers other than New Brunswick. They get no mention here.


Seriously, go visit second/third tier schools in NY and NJ and then go visit Ole Miss or ASU. I think you will understand.


Funny you say that, my son would have come to the opposite conclusion. As for Rutgers, even New Brunswick is ignored here.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 12:42     Subject: SO: How did your middle of the road student fare
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm talking A-/B+ GPA and say 1300 SAT and some sports and other usual ECs but no leadership or cancer-curing research.


This is my kid exactly. We are in New England and he applied to all six New England state flagships. Got in everywhere with merit. Chose UVM (not Honors) and so far so good.


Thank you for sharing. I'm not OP. It my DC is similar and in NE - we wont qualify for financial aid but can't afford private or OOS public without merit. This gives me hope that DC may have options and choice.