Anonymous
12/30/2025 19:50
Subject: Re:What to do with a strong generalist
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is DC , where everyone is so so special and important! We don’t know what to do with average kids and can’t even comprehend the huge number of regular colleges available to them.
Average kids are actually easy. There are literally hundreds of state schools all over the country that welcome them, and at ordinary schools DCTAG covers the gap between in state and OOS.
The stress begins when an otherwise average kid springs a 4.0/1580 and is the strongest math student in their grade, and everyone starts to tell them that they’re “aiming too low” when they don’t ED to a T20.
A kid with 4.0/1580 who is also the top math student in their grade is not average. They may or may not be 97 v 99th v 99.9%ile but they are not average, and they should go for T20 or better
He has a 4.0 after freshman year (and you have no idea abt the rigor or the classmates’ GPAs). Sophomore grades aren’t set AND the 1580 is mom’s best guess as to what he will score.
Actually I’m a different poster. The uw4.0 is after junior year and the 1580 is the actual score. And the problem is exactly the one OP anticipates: the kid is quite ordinary, except that they happen to be very, very good at school and tests. So spectators keep saying “you must go to a T20!” But top schools say “ho hum, where are your hooks, ECs, brilliant essays.” It’s very stressful.
Yes, without a theme and a pointy overall application, he will probably be able to get into a top 20-25 school…somewhere around there, if rigor is high, foreign language all thru HS, good recs, good essays, etc. below that in ranking is not very likely
Anonymous
12/30/2025 19:43
Subject: What to do with a strong generalist
It’s called a bright fungible generalist. Make sure he demonstrates leadership and organization. These are the people who make the world run and wind up at McKinsey. Definite candidate for an Ivy - that’s literally most of us.
Anonymous
12/30/2025 19:28
Subject: Re:What to do with a strong generalist
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is DC , where everyone is so so special and important! We don’t know what to do with average kids and can’t even comprehend the huge number of regular colleges available to them.
Average kids are actually easy. There are literally hundreds of state schools all over the country that welcome them, and at ordinary schools DCTAG covers the gap between in state and OOS.
The stress begins when an otherwise average kid springs a 4.0/1580 and is the strongest math student in their grade, and everyone starts to tell them that they’re “aiming too low” when they don’t ED to a T20.
A kid with 4.0/1580 who is also the top math student in their grade is not average. They may or may not be 97 v 99th v 99.9%ile but they are not average, and they should go for T20 or better
He has a 4.0 after freshman year (and you have no idea abt the rigor or the classmates’ GPAs). Sophomore grades aren’t set AND the 1580 is mom’s best guess as to what he will score.
Actually I’m a different poster. The uw4.0 is after junior year and the 1580 is the actual score. And the problem is exactly the one OP anticipates: the kid is quite ordinary, except that they happen to be very, very good at school and tests. So spectators keep saying “you must go to a T20!” But top schools say “ho hum, where are your hooks, ECs, brilliant essays.” It’s very stressful.