Anonymous wrote:Please consider how much you can afford as you make your list. For example, a very non-selective school may be a "likely" academically, but financially is a reach (just slightly above your budget), so that puts that school under a "reach" despite having a 70% acceptance rate. Hope that makes sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Back after a nice trip through the Midwest to check out some of the schools mentioned here. Oberlin was ok, but DS is not thrilled about LACs. DS thought that Case would be a good safety but wasn't thrilled about the music program. He really liked Chicago and Northwestern, but that may have been a bit biased as we had professor friends who took us around after the official tours. NW gets a big edge in DS' view because of its music school. So Case is definitely on the list as a safety (and we checked off the demonstrated interest box!)

Spend a lot of time studying what Northwestern likes. They love an interdisciplinary academic spike. So your kid already has music. I don’t know what the other ones are.

Show a lot of demonstrated interest with engagement with the alumni conversations or cat chat if they have it.

The other thing they’re focused on is impact in your local community or school. Make sure the letters of recommendation and the activities speak to your kids impact in high school.

The 3 essays are everything…spend weeks/months and get professional editing (northwestern likes a heartfelt well written emotional essay).

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Back after a nice trip through the Midwest to check out some of the schools mentioned here. Oberlin was ok, but DS is not thrilled about LACs. DS thought that Case would be a good safety but wasn't thrilled about the music program. He really liked Chicago and Northwestern, but that may have been a bit biased as we had professor friends who took us around after the official tours. NW gets a big edge in DS' view because of its music school. So Case is definitely on the list as a safety (and we checked off the demonstrated interest box!)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another spinoff post for an unhooked junior. We did not do our undergraduate degrees in the US, so this whole process is a bit foreign to us!

We are trying to plan our spring break visits and would like to refine our lists before making travel plans. DS is a junior in DCPS. Unweighted GPA is 4.0, 11 APs and 2 DE classes (both in math) so far with a couple more APs and DEs senior year. Probably in the top 5 of his class.

DS is interested in math or a math adjacent field but also plays a musical instrument at a high level, which makes a minor in music (or a double major) a strong consideration. Strong ECs (mostly math or music related -- competitions [AMO/MOP], tutoring, jazz ensemble, playing at senior living facilities) and 1560 SAT.

I'd love to know if there are other schools that should be on our list based on these schools. We especially need "likely" schools as the list is essentially all reaches and targets. So far DS is not interested in LACs (Oberlin, St. Olaf) but might include them on our list depending on music offerings. We may not be able to visit whatever is feasible.

Reach:
MIT (near impossible but hey, one can dream)
Northwestern
Hopkins
Chicago
UMD
UCLA

Target:
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington (excellent applied math program)
Indiana (excellent music program)

Likely:
Rochester

UMD and the targets on your list should be all safeties.

Anonymous wrote:Not safeties, but obvious additions would be Michigan, Wisconsin, NYU, Cal, Georgia Tech, UNC, Rutgers, & UVA. For a safety, maybe UFlorida or Tulane?

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Anonymous wrote:Another spinoff post for an unhooked junior. We did not do our undergraduate degrees in the US, so this whole process is a bit foreign to us!

We are trying to plan our spring break visits and would like to refine our lists before making travel plans. DS is a junior in DCPS. Unweighted GPA is 4.0, 11 APs and 2 DE classes (both in math) so far with a couple more APs and DEs senior year. Probably in the top 5 of his class.

DS is interested in math or a math adjacent field but also plays a musical instrument at a high level, which makes a minor in music (or a double major) a strong consideration. Strong ECs (mostly math or music related -- competitions [AMO/MOP], tutoring, jazz ensemble, playing at senior living facilities) and 1560 SAT.

I'd love to know if there are other schools that should be on our list based on these schools. We especially need "likely" schools as the list is essentially all reaches and targets. So far DS is not interested in LACs (Oberlin, St. Olaf) but might include them on our list depending on music offerings. We may not be able to visit whatever is feasible.

Reach:
MIT (near impossible but hey, one can dream)
Northwestern
Hopkins
Chicago
UMD
UCLA

Target:
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington (excellent applied math program)
Indiana (excellent music program)

Likely:
Rochester

flip Rochester and Pitt

They’re both likelies for this kid. UMD is a target, assuming the kid applies EA.

Agree with others to add Michigan to reach (could be a target, based on historical Naviance data, but need to see how this year’s JR admissions pan out after all of the ED deferrals).

Things are not so straightforward these days. Also we don't know this kid's test scores. Rochester would be a great school for this kid given its strengths in academics and music. But I would not take it for granted as a safety. It's a strong school.

This is a little confusing -- Rochester admits 40% and of the 20 odd percent that submit test scores, 1560 is well above 75th percentile. So what makes it not a safety?

My kid's stats were similar and we were advised it was not a safety.

Anonymous wrote:Another spinoff post for an unhooked junior. We did not do our undergraduate degrees in the US, so this whole process is a bit foreign to us!

We are trying to plan our spring break visits and would like to refine our lists before making travel plans. DS is a junior in DCPS. Unweighted GPA is 4.0, 11 APs and 2 DE classes (both in math) so far with a couple more APs and DEs senior year. Probably in the top 5 of his class.

DS is interested in math or a math adjacent field but also plays a musical instrument at a high level, which makes a minor in music (or a double major) a strong consideration. Strong ECs (mostly math or music related -- competitions [AMO/MOP], tutoring, jazz ensemble, playing at senior living facilities) and 1560 SAT.

I'd love to know if there are other schools that should be on our list based on these schools. We especially need "likely" schools as the list is essentially all reaches and targets. So far DS is not interested in LACs (Oberlin, St. Olaf) but might include them on our list depending on music offerings. We may not be able to visit whatever is feasible.

Reach:
MIT (near impossible but hey, one can dream)
Northwestern
Hopkins
Chicago
UMD
UCLA

Target:
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington (excellent applied math program)
Indiana (excellent music program)

Likely:
Rochester

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Back after a nice trip through the Midwest to check out some of the schools mentioned here. Oberlin was ok, but DS is not thrilled about LACs. DS thought that Case would be a good safety but wasn't thrilled about the music program. He really liked Chicago and Northwestern, but that may have been a bit biased as we had professor friends who took us around after the official tours. NW gets a big edge in DS' view because of its music school. So Case is definitely on the list as a safety (and we checked off the demonstrated interest box!)

Anonymous wrote:OP, you mentioned AMO/MOP. Is your child a MOPer or not? I think you probably already know being a MOPer somewhat plays a role in terms of MIT admission.