Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:15     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:My kid is just a regular smart boy (private school) with a 35 ACT and high gpa/rigor. I never even thought he might have a chance at a top 20 because he is a classic 1990s-style well rounded kid. Athlete, involved in school clubs, part-time job. Nothing national level. Are these type of kids actually applying to top 20s? He would like a school like Dartmouth, Vandy, Duke or Brown, but I told him he would never get in. Should he throw in a few super reach apps?


If you are at a feeder school then check out where your school feeds to. Dartmouth is unlikely if your school never sent unhooked kids there. Vandy, no ED no love.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:11     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Nobody can really predict how it will go with the reaches. You need solid safeties and targets. At my kid’s school a few kids with this profile got into reaches and many more dud not. Make sure the list covers all bases.


DP: the problem is that, for students like OP's kid and mine, there are reaches and safeties, there are no targets. So you need 2-3 safeties where the kid will thrive (though is unlikely to love a priori), and a long list of reaches in the T20 to T30.

People say don't shotgun, but with such randomness in the system, it's hard not to. The problem is that applying broadly is very time consuming, as even schools that say they don't track demonstrated interest want to see that you know and love them.

Stinks but there we are.



I posted the messsage you quoted and I know, same boat here. My kid’s targets are state schools that admit mostly on stats. That’s where the high stats kids from his HS not admitted to reaches are going. Mostly OOS. Canadian and UK schools are another option.


In addition to the ones mentioned, University of Vermont
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:10     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:My kid is just a regular smart boy (private school) with a 35 ACT and high gpa/rigor. I never even thought he might have a chance at a top 20 because he is a classic 1990s-style well rounded kid. Athlete, involved in school clubs, part-time job. Nothing national level. Are these type of kids actually applying to top 20s? He would like a school like Dartmouth, Vandy, Duke or Brown, but I told him he would never get in. Should he throw in a few super reach apps?


He's up against the other students from that school that want to go to those places. Does he have a more competitive application than his competition from that school? He's not going to beat out a recruited athlete or a major donor or the valedictorian, etc.

He is a male which is an advantage at some schools. Classes skew female in many schools but they want to try to have balanced male / female classes if possible.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:09     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid is just a regular smart boy (private school) with a 35 ACT and high gpa/rigor. I never even thought he might have a chance at a top 20 because he is a classic 1990s-style well rounded kid. Athlete, involved in school clubs, part-time job. Nothing national level. Are these type of kids actually applying to top 20s? He would like a school like Dartmouth, Vandy, Duke or Brown, but I told him he would never get in. Should he throw in a few super reach apps?

There is enough uncertainty in the process that yes, by all means, he should throw in a few super reach apps. Just don't fall in love.


100% give it a try. I would say 90% of the kids who got into T10s had obvious hooks, but there were a few kids who got in EVERYWHERE for no particular reason that we could tell. As others have said, might have been the LORs, might have been a story that struck a chord with AOs. Could that be your kid? Sure! You'll never know until you try.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:09     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Nobody can really predict how it will go with the reaches. You need solid safeties and targets. At my kid’s school a few kids with this profile got into reaches and many more dud not. Make sure the list covers all bases.


DP: the problem is that, for students like OP's kid and mine, there are reaches and safeties, there are no targets. So you need 2-3 safeties where the kid will thrive (though is unlikely to love a priori), and a long list of reaches in the T20 to T30.

People say don't shotgun, but with such randomness in the system, it's hard not to. The problem is that applying broadly is very time consuming, as even schools that say they don't track demonstrated interest want to see that you know and love them.

Stinks but there we are.



I posted the messsage you quoted and I know, same boat here. My kid’s targets are state schools that admit mostly on stats. That’s where the high stats kids from his HS not admitted to reaches are going. Mostly OOS. Canadian and UK schools are another option.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:06     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It appears that it is harder to get into college than when we all applied. But what about for the very high stats kids?

Can some of you please share how it went for your child who went through the process if your kid was max rigor, 1550 plus, top grades, great but not national award winning extracurricular.

My child is having trouble finishing up their college lists and part of the reason is we really just have no idea how it will all go with the reach schools. We also don't know what school is "worth" taking your shot early. This child will be happiest with an intense, highly academic crowd.


This was my kid. He’s attending UMDCP. No luck at any of the highly ranked privates but in the end I think he wound up right where he’s supposed to be. Good luck!

Same for my super high stats DC (higher than OP's kid). They are pretty happy there. Bonus for going to UMD in state is that UMD took most of their credits - 56 total, and got merit. They will have two bachelors and +1 masters in 4 years for under $130K.

Got a great internship, having a blast, and making decent money.

It was an ego hit when they were rejected to T15, but in the end, they said they are at where they are meant to be, and they are happy. I have seen DC grow in the past 2 years while in college, and it's been an amazing journey for DC.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:05     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:My kid is just a regular smart boy (private school) with a 35 ACT and high gpa/rigor. I never even thought he might have a chance at a top 20 because he is a classic 1990s-style well rounded kid. Athlete, involved in school clubs, part-time job. Nothing national level. Are these type of kids actually applying to top 20s? He would like a school like Dartmouth, Vandy, Duke or Brown, but I told him he would never get in. Should he throw in a few super reach apps?


As others have said, depends on how he compares with his classmates. Also his intended major.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:05     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:My kid is just a regular smart boy (private school) with a 35 ACT and high gpa/rigor. I never even thought he might have a chance at a top 20 because he is a classic 1990s-style well rounded kid. Athlete, involved in school clubs, part-time job. Nothing national level. Are these type of kids actually applying to top 20s? He would like a school like Dartmouth, Vandy, Duke or Brown, but I told him he would never get in. Should he throw in a few super reach apps?

There is enough uncertainty in the process that yes, by all means, he should throw in a few super reach apps. Just don't fall in love.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:03     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
My kid is just a regular smart boy (private school) with a 35 ACT and high gpa/rigor. I never even thought he might have a chance at a top 20 because he is a classic 1990s-style well rounded kid. Athlete, involved in school clubs, part-time job. Nothing national level. Are these type of kids actually applying to top 20s? He would like a school like Dartmouth, Vandy, Duke or Brown, but I told him he would never get in. Should he throw in a few super reach apps?
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:02     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Given what you say about your kid, you might think about looking at LACs beyond WASP (which you should look at too, but outside of recruited athletes seem are as random as any T20).

Think: Carlton, Kenyon, St. Olaf, Wake, Davidson, Colgate, etc.

Of course, don't apply to them all (LACs really want to see you love them specifically) but they choose 2-3 as targets. They could be good fits/ good targets.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 11:01     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Also, based on our experience, be aware of the OOS Top Publics with single digit OOS acceptance rates with 60,000 and more applications. In addition to Ivies and other T20s, these are some of the most difficult gets. We found that out this last cycle.


I really fail to see why those are so attractive to people.

My kids applied to instate public schools but no out of state publics. I'm not paying private $ for public quality. Nope.



You fail to see why UCLA, Cal, Michigan, UNC and UVA would be attractive?


Georgia Tech says Hi.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 10:59     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Also, based on our experience, be aware of the OOS Top Publics with single digit OOS acceptance rates with 60,000 and more applications. In addition to Ivies and other T20s, these are some of the most difficult gets. We found that out this last cycle.


+1 on OOS top publics. We looked at overall rates/ scores, which are not at all representative of OOS acceptances. Unexpected WLs to places DC wasn't even really excited about along with acceptances to T10 privates.

Those state schools with limited OOS students are not safeties -- better to focus on honors colleges in state (or on state publics with honors colleges that are more friendly to OOS applicants).


+1
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 10:58     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Also, based on our experience, be aware of the OOS Top Publics with single digit OOS acceptance rates with 60,000 and more applications. In addition to Ivies and other T20s, these are some of the most difficult gets. We found that out this last cycle.


I really fail to see why those are so attractive to people.

My kids applied to instate public schools but no out of state publics. I'm not paying private $ for public quality. Nope.



You fail to see why UCLA, Cal, Michigan, UNC and UVA would be attractive?
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 10:57     Subject: How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Also, based on our experience, be aware of the OOS Top Publics with single digit OOS acceptance rates with 60,000 and more applications. In addition to Ivies and other T20s, these are some of the most difficult gets. We found that out this last cycle.


I really fail to see why those are so attractive to people.

My kids applied to instate public schools but no out of state publics. I'm not paying private $ for public quality. Nope.



They’re attractive to people because many OOS publics are more affordable than private schools. My kid wants to go to Wisconsin, which is about $65k. That’s in our budget. $90k is not. There’s value to leaving home.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2025 10:56     Subject: Re:How did your super high stats kid fare (1550 plus and 4.5 plus with max rigor)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:3.98uw/1560 (760v/790m), 11 APs, male, full pay, poli sci/IR. All apps were RD.

Attending a T10 where he was admitted off the waitlist in June. Previously planned to attend a low target w/merit

Rejected: Brown, Columbia, Georgetown, UCLA/UCB/UCSD, USC, Vandy

Waitlisted: Michigan, Northeastern (admitted late April but not for Boston), NYU, Tufts, and the T10 (admitted in June)

Accepted: state flagship, other in-state safety, two low targets (T60s)

Hindsight is 20/20. My kid did not have his app ready to apply early - the UCs were the first apps submitted. Didn't finalize Common App essay until Jan 1. If he had to do it over again, he would have applied early somewhere, at least EA. Ultimately it worked out, I think the school he's attending will be a good fit, but it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

My advice is to have multiple targets and safeties that your kid would be glad to attend if not admitted anywhere else. This is not a predictable process from the student perspective. As someone mentioned above, some high-stats students will get into many top schools, some will get into none, and it may not be clear from the outside why that happened, except that top schools are largely looking for the same things.


I'm gonna guess the Top 10 was Northwestern.


Not the poster, but my kid was pulled of off NU around this time. Really liked the school and closer to our home. Chose an OOS Top Public further away that he was already committed to with roommates etc. The admissions process is not for the faint of heart as it is so unpredictable. But, when all is said and done your kid you be at the right place for them.