Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 18:17     Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.


Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?


It never fully compensates your gpa. It’s just an evidence of your academic competence.

Look at naviance. If they accepted kids in the same gpa range before, then it’s unlikely an issue. This is so school specific. No one can advise you.


This, at the two private schools my kids attend, multiple B pluses would put a kid out of contention at all three unless a recruited athlete.


Adding I am in the DMV.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 18:16     Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:“Least competitive” isn’t really a think when you’re taking about schools with acceptance rates like these. Need to go down the rankings list for that, even from a rigorous private.


Do all applicants apply with 4.0?
Sadly the school is a bit grade deflationary.


I would tend to say that less than As in jr year is going to be really tough to overcome. Look at the Naviance from your school though. That is where your answer will be, not on here.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 18:14     Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:3.95uw sounds high for 3 B/B+?

Note - you know your high school. This thread can give you some guidance. At our private, 3.8uw with a 35, can work for Brown for a male.

This might help you?
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1255948.page


Agree, the math is not mathing here. A B grade is a 3.0 and B plus is a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 18:11     Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.


Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?


It never fully compensates your gpa. It’s just an evidence of your academic competence.

Look at naviance. If they accepted kids in the same gpa range before, then it’s unlikely an issue. This is so school specific. No one can advise you.


This, at the two private schools my kids attend, multiple B pluses would put a kid out of contention at all three unless a recruited athlete.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 18:01     Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
^ Meant to add, OP, your own school will be best resource.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 18:00     Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.


Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?


No way.


It depends on the HS though. At our private, those B+ are fine at Brown, if a hard class or not in major.
Less so at Duke, unless hooked.


Not a chance at our very small private that regularly gets admits to all, 1-3 a year for each. Brown has highest stats at our private. Dartmouth tends to be hooked. Duke more all over the place.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 17:31     Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
3.95uw sounds high for 3 B/B+?

Note - you know your high school. This thread can give you some guidance. At our private, 3.8uw with a 35, can work for Brown for a male.

This might help you?
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1255948.page
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 17:31     Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is at a rigorous private school, you should be asking your kid's guidance counselor, not this board.


This. You pay a lot of money for these kind of benefits, and this is what they're there for.


+1 It boggles the mind that some private school parents are paying for the privilege of having the number of schools they apply to restricted, have little to no idea where their kids rank and don't seem to be getting good college counseling.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 17:29     Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Why not ask the college counselor at the school you’re paying for. Anything else is a guess:

Will b’s be okay versus a door-closer

Will sat stand out

Where does kid’s gpa fall compared to other kids previously accepted to those schools from your school?

Were prior acceptances based on hooks

Etc
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 17:27     Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is at a rigorous private school, you should be asking your kid's guidance counselor, not this board.


This. You pay a lot of money for these kind of benefits, and this is what they're there for.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 17:25     Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DP- also with a child who will have a B+ or two in current junior year. So if you have a few B+ grades in academic subjects you should just not bother applying to top 20 schools unless you have an outstanding EC/hook/meet institutional prioririties? Is this because your cumulative gpa will be below a certain cutoff and they will toss your application out without looking at anything else ? Does this apply even if you have a standardized test score in their top 25%? Is there any way to make up for the B+ ? Thx for any insight !

What is approx class rank? Even if no official class rank, AOs have a sense. If not top 20% do not apply, unless possibly ED1 at Chicago if close to top 20% and 1550 and not Econ or oversubscribed major…


School doesn't rank and AO won't tell us. But we estimate about 15-25%


Did others in that range get into these schools last year? If not it's probably a little optimistic.


According to our school naviance, some got in below and others above her gpa. Unweighted gpa is about 3.95.


My kid was top 20% of a non-DMV private. Into several private T20, including Ivy. But major matters. And the ECs, and the entire "narrative". Make sure the transcript story matches the major and narrative.
If Naviance is showing you possibilities, ask the CCO directly about chances.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 17:22     Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.


Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?


No way.


It depends on the HS though. At our private, those B+ are fine at Brown, if a hard class or not in major.
Less so at Duke, unless hooked.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 17:21     Subject: Re:Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:“Least competitive” isn’t really a think when you’re taking about schools with acceptance rates like these. Need to go down the rankings list for that, even from a rigorous private.


Do all applicants apply with 4.0?
Sadly the school is a bit grade deflationary.


are you new to this?
look at your school's data.
at our non-DMV private school, this kid has a shot ED to Brown, but will get dinged ED or RD at the other two.
Depends heavily on the major and then that something special that the school wants (Brown has its own unique ethos and the kids who get in, get it).
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 17:12     Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
If male, Brown. Bonus points if male and not STEM.
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2026 16:53     Subject: Help with least competitive of the three colleges: Duke, Brown, Dartmouth
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think if you don’t have a good test score, go with Duke TO.


Has a 35 ACT superscore. Is that strong enough to compensate for the B+'s?


No way.