Anonymous
04/16/2026 21:06
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:The other thing is that there are all sorts of favors that are called in by parents to get bottom 50% kids into these schools. This doesn't generally (or ever) work at the Ivies or top 30s (even with the very top kids) but schools like Wesleyan will totally take a kid based on the family knowing a board member or similar. I see it happen every year (kid 3 is a senior). Once you're out of the top 20-30 schools, "who you know" can mean A LOT.
This happens in the top 20 too. For example, if you know the right people, are very wealthy, and have a pulse, you can sail into Vanderbilt.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 21:00
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
The other thing is that there are all sorts of favors that are called in by parents to get bottom 50% kids into these schools. This doesn't generally (or ever) work at the Ivies or top 30s (even with the very top kids) but schools like Wesleyan will totally take a kid based on the family knowing a board member or similar. I see it happen every year (kid 3 is a senior). Once you're out of the top 20-30 schools, "who you know" can mean A LOT.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 20:22
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:SMU, TCU, and Tulane are perfectly acceptable schools for rich kids that aren't the academic superstars. Also, pretty much every small liberal arts college below the top 30 or so. Plus some SEC schools like Alabama. Tons of wealthy private school kids there.
What about Davidson ED? If truly a top private, and a strong pointy academic interest (all of which can be created), I've seen it work with strong demonstrated interest.
Wesleyan
W&L
Colgate
Richmond
Colby
Bucknell
Denison
This does not seem reasonable in the last few years at least. Have you looked at the admit rates for these schools?
+1
Some of these schools have sub 12% admit rates. PP is delusional.
It can really depend on the school, both the private high school and the college. We have a liberal arts college with a ~20% acceptance rate that admits ~70% of applicants from our private school.
How many of those admits are from the bottom quarter of the class? No one is denying that strong private schools send a ton of kids to highly selective SLACs. But I don’t believe that bottom quarter of the class kids are getting into Wesleyan.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 20:13
Subject: Re:Top private bottom of the class
This is school dependent and not hard to figure out— look at school’s matriculation list on its website and count number of less selective schools in relation to class size.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 18:03
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Bottom half to the class makes this a hard question to answer bc:
kids at the 50% mark can get into:
BC,
Davidson,
Vassar
etc lots of options if using ED.
Bottom 20% is a different story. I think this is an interesting category bcs there are actually a ton of great schools happy to take your kid who (from our private) probably has a 1400 on the SAT.
Bottom 20%:
American,
American U of Paris,
Auburn,
Bates
Denison,
GMU,
Purdue (non engineering)
Embry Riddle (for engineering)
Sarah Lawrence
SMU
U of Arizona
Stony Brook
U of Denver
Pitt
Puget Sound
WPI
You’re just wrong. The schools at the top of your list are not admitting kids from the bottom of a top rated school. It’s just not happening. These are highly rejective institutions that basically take 1 out of every 10 applicants.
Clearly, your kid does not go to an elite private high school. Yes it happens. It happens a lot.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 17:54
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:Bottom half to the class makes this a hard question to answer bc:
kids at the 50% mark can get into:
BC,
Davidson,
Vassar
etc lots of options if using ED.
Bottom 20% is a different story. I think this is an interesting category bcs there are actually a ton of great schools happy to take your kid who (from our private) probably has a 1400 on the SAT.
Bottom 20%:
American,
American U of Paris,
Auburn,
Bates
Denison,
GMU,
Purdue (non engineering)
Embry Riddle (for engineering)
Sarah Lawrence
SMU
U of Arizona
Stony Brook
U of Denver
Pitt
Puget Sound
WPI
You’re just wrong. The schools at the top of your list are not admitting kids from the bottom of a top rated school. It’s just not happening. These are highly rejective institutions that basically take 1 out of every 10 applicants.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 17:14
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If you’re at one of the strong DMV private schools but your kids are bottom of the class & full pay, where did they get accepted / rejected from and what were their stats?
Would they be able to pull a decent test score? 1500+, a different story. Someone suggested ED Chicago, but it may still a reach if they are truly bottom of the class.
Chicago ED requires good rigor, 3.7+, excellent essays, and 1500+ from all DMV privates, Big3 included.
Agree and I have seen really good kid profiles on reddit get rejected from Chicago ED. I am sorry but whoever is bringing up chicago as an option for bottom of class just hates chicago??
Anonymous
04/16/2026 14:34
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:NYU ED sometimes works in this case if DC is a boy.
lmfao ... with an admit rate of 9%, no bottom student whose father is not POTUS is getting into NYU
Clearly, your kid does not go to an elite private high school. Yes it happens. It happens a lot.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 14:33
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If you’re at one of the strong DMV private schools but your kids are bottom of the class & full pay, where did they get accepted / rejected from and what were their stats?
Would they be able to pull a decent test score? 1500+, a different story. Someone suggested ED Chicago, but it may still a reach if they are truly bottom of the class.
Chicago ED requires good rigor, 3.7+, excellent essays, and 1500+ from all DMV privates, Big3 included.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 12:12
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:NYU ED sometimes works in this case if DC is a boy.
lmfao ... with an admit rate of 9%, no bottom student whose father is not POTUS is getting into NYU
The 9% is inflated. Things are much easier if you do ED.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 11:25
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:If you’re at one of the strong DMV private schools but your kids are bottom of the class & full pay, where did they get accepted / rejected from and what were their stats?
Would they be able to pull a decent test score? 1500+, a different story. Someone suggested ED Chicago, but it may still a reach if they are truly bottom of the class.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 11:24
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Anonymous wrote:NYU ED sometimes works in this case if DC is a boy.
lmfao ... with an admit rate of 9%, no bottom student whose father is not POTUS is getting into NYU
Anonymous
04/16/2026 11:18
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Furman would be a great fit but I think he may be able to do better. Especially if he has a decent SAT.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 11:11
Subject: Top private bottom of the class
Miami of Ohio
Anonymous
04/16/2026 10:55
Subject: Re:Top private bottom of the class
Pepperdine