Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown?

+1. Look into their School of Foreign service

Uh, no. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but Georgetown won't even look at her if her GPA isn't in the top 5-10% of her class. GU is all about class rank.

Agree that the School of Foreign Service sounds like a good direction for the OP's child. If she gets excited about it, she may need to do a year or two elsewhere and then transfer in. It is their most competitive program so she'll need to have stellar grades as a transfer.

How do kids from Big 3 and Potomac get into Georgetown? Those schools don't rank.

What schools DO rank these days?

High schools may not rank, but a selective college/university often will do it themselves. If 8 kids from one high school apply to Georgetown, the admissions officer might take each student's GPA (or calculate a new one based on a Georgetown-specific formula) and rank the students herself. If one student stands out from the others (for better or worse) in class rigor, etc., that will be noticed during this ranking process. Of course, the ranking formula might not just be based on grades and courses but also on other factors. When you apply to a selective university, you are competing first against the other kids in your high school who also applied there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown?

+1. Look into their School of Foreign service

Uh, no. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but Georgetown won't even look at her if her GPA isn't in the top 5-10% of her class. GU is all about class rank.

Agree that the School of Foreign Service sounds like a good direction for the OP's child. If she gets excited about it, she may need to do a year or two elsewhere and then transfer in. It is their most competitive program so she'll need to have stellar grades as a transfer.

How do kids from Big 3 and Potomac get into Georgetown? Those schools don't rank.

What schools DO rank these days?

if this were my child I'd encourage her to look at SLAC in the south where she could be a stand out and probably get merit money. Take a look at Wofford College for instance--good school with fantastic study abroad opportunities. As for not being name brand, well, show her the facts and visit schools to prove that she will be quite alright at one of the lesser known ones with students there just like her.

Fairfax County Public Schools don't rank. GWU has a very highly ranked IR program. I would know. I am a grad with a great career.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown?

+1. Look into their School of Foreign service

Uh, no. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but Georgetown won't even look at her if her GPA isn't in the top 5-10% of her class. GU is all about class rank.

Agree that the School of Foreign Service sounds like a good direction for the OP's child. If she gets excited about it, she may need to do a year or two elsewhere and then transfer in. It is their most competitive program so she'll need to have stellar grades as a transfer.

How do kids from Big 3 and Potomac get into Georgetown? Those schools don't rank.

I am sure the admissions office at Georgetown is well-acquainted with counselors from Sidwell et al. They won't need a class ranking to evaluate applicants from those schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown?

+1. Look into their School of Foreign service

Uh, no. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but Georgetown won't even look at her if her GPA isn't in the top 5-10% of her class. GU is all about class rank.

Agree that the School of Foreign Service sounds like a good direction for the OP's child. If she gets excited about it, she may need to do a year or two elsewhere and then transfer in. It is their most competitive program so she'll need to have stellar grades as a transfer.

How do kids from Big 3 and Potomac get into Georgetown? Those schools don't rank.

No idea. But I am very familiar with GU and their primary sort factor is class rank. If your child goes to one of those four then you should ask the guidance office there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown?

+1. Look into their School of Foreign service

Uh, no. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but Georgetown won't even look at her if her GPA isn't in the top 5-10% of her class. GU is all about class rank.

Agree that the School of Foreign Service sounds like a good direction for the OP's child. If she gets excited about it, she may need to do a year or two elsewhere and then transfer in. It is their most competitive program so she'll need to have stellar grades as a transfer.

How do kids from Big 3 and Potomac get into Georgetown? Those schools don't rank.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown?

+1. Look into their School of Foreign service

Uh, no. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but Georgetown won't even look at her if her GPA isn't in the top 5-10% of her class. GU is all about class rank.

Agree that the School of Foreign Service sounds like a good direction for the OP's child. If she gets excited about it, she may need to do a year or two elsewhere and then transfer in. It is their most competitive program so she'll need to have stellar grades as a transfer.

I attended an elite graduate program in IR, and Grinnell and Wooster were disproportionately represented for sure.

I'd also look at the undergraduate schools attached to highly-regarded foreign policy programs, as they might want to court diplo kids. So...Tufts, Columbia, Georgetown, and Princeton are all stretches with those grades. But Hopkins undergrad, University of Denver, and American might be do-able.

Anonymous wrote:Update. She has a 3.5 GPA and 31 composite SAT.

35 English
30 Mathematics
31 Reading
26 Science

These pretty much track her grades. She is an A student in English, a B in Math and a C in science - or at least a C in physics.

I think you mean a 31 composite ACT.

Is that a weighted or unweighted GPA?

Update. She has a 3.5 GPA and 31 composite SAT.

35 English
30 Mathematics
31 Reading
26 Science

These pretty much track her grades. She is an A student in English, a B in Math and a C in science - or at least a C in physics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also , go to the IB recruiting fare next Saturday. 4/16 Those schools know what the work for full IB means. They want real people, not just stats.

Can you please post a link?

http://www.ibmidatlantic.org/Fair.html

She is in a public school in the full
IB diploma program.

Anonymous wrote:Does your child go to a public school or private school OP? Those grades would be terrible for a public school but may not be as bad at a private (depending on which private).

I would say ... as others have said...that GWU might be her best choice. And, their Elliott School of International Affairs is good. The World Bank has more GW Grads than any other school (because of its proximity).

Good luck. The whole college process can be stressful. Make sure to look at naviance and work with your college counselor.

Depends on which public, too. And which classes the student is taking.

I don't think a 3.3 GPA is "terrible" in any case. It is not stellar, but it is not terrible either.

Does your child go to a public school or private school OP? Those grades would be terrible for a public school but may not be as bad at a private (depending on which private).

I would say ... as others have said...that GWU might be her best choice. And, their Elliott School of International Affairs is good. The World Bank has more GW Grads than any other school (because of its proximity).

Good luck. The whole college process can be stressful. Make sure to look at naviance and work with your college counselor.