Anonymous
Post 09/27/2022 00:14     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
All of the college discussions are f--king joke.
every parent is saying there kid is in the top 1% of standardized testers..1500 SAT, 35 ACT..it is not possible for that to be..unless the College Board distribution of test scores is fraudulently inaccurate.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:59     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you don't apply in August to at least a couple of rolling admission schools where you should be admitted and would be at least somewhat happy to attend you're doing it wrong.


While neither of my kids did this and they both lucked out in getting in ED, I was really gnashing my teeth about their refusal to do it.


My DS couldn’t find a single school with rolling admissions that he’d be happy to attend. We heard him out and ended up agreeing with him. He identified 2 safeties and applied EA. He ended up getting into his ED1 school on the same day he got into 1 of his safeties. He obviously went with the ED school, but he would have been happy to go to the EA admission! Not fake happy but sincerely happy. That’s because he spent a lot of time like 8:18 said identifying where he could be happy.


I get that, but also think "happy to attend" may shift if the EDs/EAs/RDs don't work out. For one DC, they had heard positively from 3 EA schools by the time they heard "admitted" from their ED. For the other DC, they heard from their ED ~December 10 (can't remember exact date, but not first week), had submitted 1 EA application and was partially done with a second, and had done nothing for the remaining schools on their list. This was risky as their college counselor told them to apply only to schools with admit rates under 30%. Yes, DC is a super strong student with great profile, but I think DC got incredibly lucky based on some of her peers' experiences.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:44     Subject: Re:Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:Those are average stats for USC which isn’t a safety for anyone with its current acceptance rate.

Oh stop. OP knows those aren’t safeties. Your answer isn’t worth the digital space it occupies. The second poster gave useful guidelines to think about, and modify as needed.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:37     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you don't apply in August to at least a couple of rolling admission schools where you should be admitted and would be at least somewhat happy to attend you're doing it wrong.


While neither of my kids did this and they both lucked out in getting in ED, I was really gnashing my teeth about their refusal to do it.


For many kids, this is just a waste of time, there are no such schools that are of interest to my student.


I’d bet $1000 you’re wrong. You’re just not looking hard enough. Or you’re focused on rankings. Focus on what provides happiness.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:36     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you don't apply in August to at least a couple of rolling admission schools where you should be admitted and would be at least somewhat happy to attend you're doing it wrong.


While neither of my kids did this and they both lucked out in getting in ED, I was really gnashing my teeth about their refusal to do it.


My DS couldn’t find a single school with rolling admissions that he’d be happy to attend. We heard him out and ended up agreeing with him. He identified 2 safeties and applied EA. He ended up getting into his ED1 school on the same day he got into 1 of his safeties. He obviously went with the ED school, but he would have been happy to go to the EA admission! Not fake happy but sincerely happy. That’s because he spent a lot of time like 8:18 said identifying where he could be happy.


PP again. In case it’s a helpful example, what made DS happy was a business major with strong ties to the tech sector. His safeties were schools that had business majors and strong alum networks in Silicon Valley and the NoVa tech sector. It made him happy thinking about taking courses with experts and getting internships with Amazon and Silicon Valley companies.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:34     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you don't apply in August to at least a couple of rolling admission schools where you should be admitted and would be at least somewhat happy to attend you're doing it wrong.


While neither of my kids did this and they both lucked out in getting in ED, I was really gnashing my teeth about their refusal to do it.


For many kids, this is just a waste of time, there are no such schools that are of interest to my student.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:31     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you don't apply in August to at least a couple of rolling admission schools where you should be admitted and would be at least somewhat happy to attend you're doing it wrong.


While neither of my kids did this and they both lucked out in getting in ED, I was really gnashing my teeth about their refusal to do it.


My DS couldn’t find a single school with rolling admissions that he’d be happy to attend. We heard him out and ended up agreeing with him. He identified 2 safeties and applied EA. He ended up getting into his ED1 school on the same day he got into 1 of his safeties. He obviously went with the ED school, but he would have been happy to go to the EA admission! Not fake happy but sincerely happy. That’s because he spent a lot of time like 8:18 said identifying where he could be happy.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:11     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is 4.0+, 1500+ student, what are their safeties?

I told my kids they need to have true safeties. One kid said Boston University and other kid said USC. I told them they should have a few true safeties. I was thinking Penn State.

IMO, top stats kids should think about applying to safeties in RD, if they have made a horrible mistake in identifying target schools during early action. This board gets all up in arms when top stats kids are rejected from their safeties because the schools know there is no way that kid isn't getting in somewhere else higher ranked. It's better time spent correctly identifying target schools (where DC's stats are above median, but acceptances are 20-50%), doing a good job on essays/questions that show understanding and fit with the school, and applying early action to these. These schools should include the in-state flagship(s), which every top stat kid should be applying to at least for the base of comparison (cost, honors college, etc.)

Save the fretting about safeties for January, because top stat kids who are realistic about the process should have a couple of solid acceptances at target and reach schools by then.


Aren't most apps due Jan 1?
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:09     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:If you don't apply in August to at least a couple of rolling admission schools where you should be admitted and would be at least somewhat happy to attend you're doing it wrong.


While neither of my kids did this and they both lucked out in getting in ED, I was really gnashing my teeth about their refusal to do it.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 18:03     Subject: Re:Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Those are average stats for USC which isn’t a safety for anyone with its current acceptance rate.


I think that depends on which USC. South Carolina is probably a safety at those stats.


There is only 1 USC and it isn't on the east coast.

^
The abbreviation for university of South Carolina is UofSC


Yes, the abbreviation was recently changed because they got tired of dealing with having the same acronym as the more
Famous California school.

As an alum, I find that odd, considering that the University of South Carolina was around before California was a state, but whatever.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 17:14     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Illinois Urbana is a very difficult admit for comp sci out of state. If you are focused on CS, consider applying to Ohio State, Indiana, Rensselaer, or Rochester (or VaTech if in Virginia)


Except if you are from NOVA and don't apply ED.


Rensselaer is $70 to $75k. Not all of us can afford that.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 17:11     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
If you don't apply in August to at least a couple of rolling admission schools where you should be admitted and would be at least somewhat happy to attend you're doing it wrong.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 17:01     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is 4.0+, 1500+ student, what are their safeties?

I told my kids they need to have true safeties. One kid said Boston University and other kid said USC. I told them they should have a few true safeties. I was thinking Penn State.

IMO, top stats kids should think about applying to safeties in RD, if they have made a horrible mistake in identifying target schools during early action. This board gets all up in arms when top stats kids are rejected from their safeties because the schools know there is no way that kid isn't getting in somewhere else higher ranked. It's better time spent correctly identifying target schools (where DC's stats are above median, but acceptances are 20-50%), doing a good job on essays/questions that show understanding and fit with the school, and applying early action to these. These schools should include the in-state flagship(s), which every top stat kid should be applying to at least for the base of comparison (cost, honors college, etc.)

Save the fretting about safeties for January, because top stat kids who are realistic about the process should have a couple of solid acceptances at target and reach schools by then.


Sure, you'll likely still be accepted, but the issue with waiting to apply to safeties, particularly if it's a large state school, is that merit $ may be gone. DS safeties all talk about applying by 11/1.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 16:58     Subject: Re:Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Having just gone through this last year, thinking any school is a safety is foolish. Some of the safe schools won't pick your kid because they know he/she will not go there. Those stats are great, but it's a crazy world now. I hope your child has some way of differentiating themselves other than with numbers. That does not cut it anymore.


But the kid has many more appealing options that most kids, so spare me the hardship post.

(i.e., no one has ever died from attending a school ranked higher than 20 on the USNWR list!)


Why are you so in your face to this poster? Did you think they were me (another pp)? Because this poster did not say what their options were. I (kid w/ 3 T15 admits) am a different person, but we are both telling you the same thing. Also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with higher than T20, but many of those aren't safeties, even for high stats kids.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2022 16:56     Subject: Safeties for a strong student
Anonymous wrote:Illinois Urbana is a very difficult admit for comp sci out of state. If you are focused on CS, consider applying to Ohio State, Indiana, Rensselaer, or Rochester (or VaTech if in Virginia)


Except if you are from NOVA and don't apply ED.