Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our non-DMV private, this kid would:
ED to Vanderbilt (if it is in fact school leadership - like president)....shoe in

Agree on ND. That works for our HS too. Otherwise, add in: Cornell, WashU (ED2), Rice, UChicago (ED3) all work for us.

Add in Wake and a RD Stanford (sometimes we see our strong test scores, lower grade true humanities kids get in RD but need some sort of exceptional humanitarian/social impact/activism EC)

I don't understand. How is this good advice? If he "shoe in" Vandy then it's the end of the story why are you still talking about other schools?
Unless Vandy is his dream school, ED there makes sense. Absent a dream school, you need another strategy maximizing out.

Bc Vandy defers and admits in RD a lot of private school boys. Its just what they do.
So you need a longer-term RD plan.

Vandy actually defers very few kids, and didn’t defer any until the 2023 cycle.

We know 6 kids deferred ED this year (1 or 2) from Vanderbilt. All private HS.
In RD, 4 of them admitted, 2 were put on WL.

Lots of Vanderbilt discussion here. My two cents:

In the admitted students day this year, they said 100% of admitted students were class president or president of a top 5 HS club (what does that mean?), captain of a varsity team or had a national caliber EC/honor recognition. I can't find the link on the admissions page - but they were very upfront about it.

Last summer, when we went to pre-VU, the AO said they openly looked for kids with a certain leadership skillset because those kids tended to come onto campus and join, lead or form ECs on day 1. Unlike other schools, which seem to admit lots of different personalities, Vanderbilt seems to prefer one particular type of personality. These kids are generally very outgoing/social and extroverted. Some people might find it socially competitive bc everyone's outlook/approach is similar?

My kid ended up committing elsewhere.

Hope that helps.

Anonymous wrote:OP thanks for feedback.

ND likes our HS and they kids every year with this GPA (and reject more). So with leadership - which ND likes - I guess it's a fit. We've never been so it's hard to know. I think my son may go out there this fall and stay with old classmates who are there.

I loved CMC when we toured, DS didn't like it. Hoping he reconsiders. Did ike Pomona, but Naviance doesnt look good.

not interested in Military academies, although they seem to accept everyone from our HS who applies. I think our HS has good guidance on that process.

GPA too low for HYP, I think. Might try Princeton. I think it's a super reach.

He's interested in both SLACs and medium sized schools (6-8k range).

If he liked Pomona but didn't like CMC, listen to him and don't push it. CMC is a very specific fit school. Maybe look at Haverford (target, emphasis on leadership), Hamilton (target) and Williams (reach) instead.

Based on what you describe, I'd focus on strong mid-size schools like Notre Dame, Georgetown, and Boston College. No harm in including Princeton as a super-reach but keep expectations low. For other reaches, I'd look at Dartmouth or Northwestern. They could be a possible reach with ED if your school has good results with them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our non-DMV private, this kid would:
ED to Vanderbilt (if it is in fact school leadership - like president)....shoe in

Agree on ND. That works for our HS too. Otherwise, add in: Cornell, WashU (ED2), Rice, UChicago (ED3) all work for us.

Add in Wake and a RD Stanford (sometimes we see our strong test scores, lower grade true humanities kids get in RD but need some sort of exceptional humanitarian/social impact/activism EC)

I don't understand. How is this good advice? If he "shoe in" Vandy then it's the end of the story why are you still talking about other schools?
Unless Vandy is his dream school, ED there makes sense. Absent a dream school, you need another strategy maximizing out.

Bc Vandy defers and admits in RD a lot of private school boys. Its just what they do.
So you need a longer-term RD plan.

If Vandy is not his dream school, and Vandy deferred his ED, plus you think Vandy is a shoe in for him, then it begs the question why are you wasting his ED opportunity at a non-dream, deferral school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our non-DMV private, this kid would:
ED to Vanderbilt (if it is in fact school leadership - like president)....shoe in

Agree on ND. That works for our HS too. Otherwise, add in: Cornell, WashU (ED2), Rice, UChicago (ED3) all work for us.

Add in Wake and a RD Stanford (sometimes we see our strong test scores, lower grade true humanities kids get in RD but need some sort of exceptional humanitarian/social impact/activism EC)

I don't understand. How is this good advice? If he "shoe in" Vandy then it's the end of the story why are you still talking about other schools?
Unless Vandy is his dream school, ED there makes sense. Absent a dream school, you need another strategy maximizing out.

Bc Vandy defers and admits in RD a lot of private school boys. Its just what they do.
So you need a longer-term RD plan.

Vandy actually defers very few kids, and didn’t defer any until the 2023 cycle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our non-DMV private, this kid would:
ED to Vanderbilt (if it is in fact school leadership - like president)....shoe in

Agree on ND. That works for our HS too. Otherwise, add in: Cornell, WashU (ED2), Rice, UChicago (ED3) all work for us.

Add in Wake and a RD Stanford (sometimes we see our strong test scores, lower grade true humanities kids get in RD but need some sort of exceptional humanitarian/social impact/activism EC)

I don't understand. How is this good advice? If he "shoe in" Vandy then it's the end of the story why are you still talking about other schools?
Unless Vandy is his dream school, ED there makes sense. Absent a dream school, you need another strategy maximizing out.

Bc Vandy defers and admits in RD a lot of private school boys. Its just what they do.
So you need a longer-term RD plan.

I agree that Vandy likes leadership, as does Wake Forest (and they also value debate), but I would not say this kid is a shoo in at Vandy given it’s super low acceptance rate.

All school president has seems to not move the needle as much in post covid admission times from our private . I actually think the debate might be a more meaningful activity - in addition to Wake, Georgetown and Emory really like debaters.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our non-DMV private, this kid would:
ED to Vanderbilt (if it is in fact school leadership - like president)....shoe in

Agree on ND. That works for our HS too. Otherwise, add in: Cornell, WashU (ED2), Rice, UChicago (ED3) all work for us.

Add in Wake and a RD Stanford (sometimes we see our strong test scores, lower grade true humanities kids get in RD but need some sort of exceptional humanitarian/social impact/activism EC)

I don't understand. How is this good advice? If he "shoe in" Vandy then it's the end of the story why are you still talking about other schools?
Unless Vandy is his dream school, ED there makes sense. Absent a dream school, you need another strategy maximizing out.

Bc Vandy defers and admits in RD a lot of private school boys. Its just what they do.
So you need a longer-term RD plan.

from our TT NYC private, my college list would be from this list probably

Williams
Middlebury
ND
UChicago (but not the layup even ED as some think)
BC
Tufts
Penn (not Wharton)
Cornell depending on major
Columbia
Vandy ED only
Rice
WashU (not premed)
Vassar
St Andrews
Wes
Wake
Carleton
Davidson
HYP depending on who is writing the supporting LOR and what leadership (debate or class president, take your shot with any!)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, private feeder IS a hook.

my usual reminder to check out the HW college counseling book for their acceptances. they remove the hooked kids. you'll see Harvard will take a 3.5 kid every year and Middlebury won't.

this is from feeder schools only

https://students.hw.com/Portals/44/handbook0125.pdf?ver=mCSTXqyrt4IYDI-PvMShlQ%3d%3d

There are other factors to consider, AOs don't look at 3.5 in isolation. National awards? Highest rigor? High test scores? Recommendation? All these factors can prove academic competency.

I think that's what this whole post is about. But I think the point was that a lot of schools will automatically drop a 3.5 kid and, ironically, HYPS are not among those schools. this kid will be a long shot but considering the rest of the application has *some* shot.

PP. Agree, and I think all T20 don't autoreject 3.5.

But also HW is not just any regional feeder school. Unless OP's school is at HW level, I would think more realistically.

OP I think HW might be top 10 in America. Our HS is top 25. Not quite same league, but a feeder for sure. I wish our HS did what HW did - and produced a document taking out the most hooked. It's hard to look at Naviance knowing how skewed it can be with hooked.

If its T25, you are GOLDEN!!!
Don't worry.

Do you have access to (1) matriculation from your HS for last 1-3 years and (2) where kids were admitted (all admits) last year?
If so, take your HS matriculation on the college counseling website/portal, and download/save it to the paid Claude AI.
Then input your kids stats and grades, ECs, awards, majors, and guestimate of where in class.
Ask it for recommendations for schools based on customized historical data.
Also input any info you have on where kids with the similar "high level" leadership have gone in the past few years, any competition from your current HS senior class as far as legacy (e.g., if there are 3 Harvard legacies, 2 Yale legacies and 3 Stanford legacies in your class, your kid should not waste an REA at ANY of them).

Anonymous wrote:At our non-DMV private, this kid would:
ED to Vanderbilt (if it is in fact school leadership - like president)....shoe in

Agree on ND. That works for our HS too. Otherwise, add in: Cornell, WashU (ED2), Rice, UChicago (ED3) all work for us.

Add in Wake and a RD Stanford (sometimes we see our strong test scores, lower grade true humanities kids get in RD but need some sort of exceptional humanitarian/social impact/activism EC)

I don't understand. How is this good advice? If he "shoe in" Vandy then it's the end of the story why are you still talking about other schools?
Unless Vandy is his dream school, ED there makes sense. Absent a dream school, you need another strategy maximizing out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a kid who would thrive at Claremont McKenna

No, that will be an instant no. His GPA (even for academic private) is far too low. They are a LAC with core distribution requirements and want to see high grades in language/STEM, not just humanities.

Now if he's a recruitable athlete, then it could work.

Meh, we know people with worse GPAs who got in. CMC will love his SAT and extracurricular activities. I’d give it a chance. They don’t exactly have intense stem courses (integrated sciences now).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, private feeder IS a hook.

my usual reminder to check out the HW college counseling book for their acceptances. they remove the hooked kids. you'll see Harvard will take a 3.5 kid every year and Middlebury won't.

this is from feeder schools only

https://students.hw.com/Portals/44/handbook0125.pdf?ver=mCSTXqyrt4IYDI-PvMShlQ%3d%3d

There are other factors to consider, AOs don't look at 3.5 in isolation. National awards? Highest rigor? High test scores? Recommendation? All these factors can prove academic competency.

I think that's what this whole post is about. But I think the point was that a lot of schools will automatically drop a 3.5 kid and, ironically, HYPS are not among those schools. this kid will be a long shot but considering the rest of the application has *some* shot.

PP. Agree, and I think all T20 don't autoreject 3.5.

But also HW is not just any regional feeder school. Unless OP's school is at HW level, I would think more realistically.

OP I think HW might be top 10 in America. Our HS is top 25. Not quite same league, but a feeder for sure. I wish our HS did what HW did - and produced a document taking out the most hooked. It's hard to look at Naviance knowing how skewed it can be with hooked.

Anonymous wrote:At our non-DMV private, this kid would:
ED to Vanderbilt (if it is in fact school leadership - like president)....shoe in

Agree on ND. That works for our HS too. Otherwise, add in: Cornell, WashU (ED2), Rice, UChicago (ED3) all work for us.

Add in Wake and a RD Stanford (sometimes we see our strong test scores, lower grade true humanities kids get in RD but need some sort of exceptional humanitarian/social impact/activism EC)

This is good advice. +1

Your kid sounds interesting. I would request a sit down appointment with your school based counselor to understand at which colleges your private school does really well with A- kids.

I'm assuming you stay away from LACs who require consistent strengths across all the main subjects. And stay away from subjects in humanities like "international relations" that require language for multiple years as language is a weak point for your son.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a kid who would thrive at Claremont McKenna

No, that will be an instant no. His GPA (even for academic private) is far too low. They are a LAC with core distribution requirements and want to see high grades in language/STEM, not just humanities.

Now if he's a recruitable athlete, then it could work.