Anonymous wrote:Top 4 or so boys at STA typically get into Ivies without necessarily having a hook. That’s going to be a 94ish GPA (plus very high SAT/ACT score and good ECs.) A 91 GPA is probably top quarter of the class and without a hook, those boys are typically getting into non-Ivy top 25 universities or top 15 SLACs. U Chicago seems to be happy to have STA boys with an 88ish or better GPA if they are willing to ED. The rest of the Ivy admits have strong but not necessarily top grades and are athletes, URM, or have VIP parents. Those are my observations from having HS boys at STA over the past few years.

Times have changed rapidly with Covid, common app, test optional, and everyone applying to same top schools ranked by USNWR. All popular name brand schools are receiving record numbers of applications. Countless schools report receiving 20% more than last year and acceptance rates have plummeted at those schools. Things are very different than they were a few short years ago.

The smaller schools may be able to pay attention to a 3.6 or 3.7 kid from STA and know his rigor was higher than a public school kid, but most of the bigger popular schools just see the lower gpa and put the application in the reject pile. They don’t care about STA’s rigor or even know what it is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of disappointment at STA as well.

Can you elaborate?

Thank you. There was a form IV meeting today and CCO was quite upbeat about boys' results.

It’s already been touched on. Good students not getting into their first choice or top schools.

Top 4 or so boys at STA typically get into Ivies without necessarily having a hook. That’s going to be a 94ish GPA (plus very high SAT/ACT score and good ECs.) A 91 GPA is probably top quarter of the class and without a hook, those boys are typically getting into non-Ivy top 25 universities or top 15 SLACs. U Chicago seems to be happy to have STA boys with an 88ish or better GPA if they are willing to ED. The rest of the Ivy admits have strong but not necessarily top grades and are athletes, URM, or have VIP parents. Those are my observations from having HS boys at STA over the past few years.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of disappointment at STA as well.

Can you elaborate?

Thank you. There was a form IV meeting today and CCO was quite upbeat about boys' results.

Some schools non-hooked top students are attending are Johns Hopkins, Williams, and Notre Dame.

A lot of disappointment at STA as well.

I don’t know if STA has had same challenges other Big3 schools have raised about having a harder time with college admissions this year for some of their top students.
Certainly it sounds like their CCOs are more transparent than other places about data etc.

STA has experienced the same. Some of the info on this thread regarding hooks was not shared by the CCO, unfortunately. Instead, the boys have shared with each other and their families.

Anonymous wrote:OP, your kid will make the cut for serious consideration to any school in the country. By he will be in the same boat as 20,000+ kids with the same stats and EC's.

Understand, these schools only have so many seats for the applicant pool, hence the low single digit admit rate.

Pick a good ED, pick a few EA's, make sure there are some actual safties your kid likes and would be thrilled to attend.

Imagine being the 20000th best at something and getting into an ivy

I don’t know if STA has had same challenges other Big3 schools have raised about having a harder time with college admissions this year for some of their top students.
Certainly it sounds like their CCOs are more transparent than other places about data etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year, several of the Ivy and other top schools like Duke and UVA are legacy and donor admits. Wealthy families got their average STA seniors into top schools that they could not have achieved on their own without their parents. Other Ivy admits are athletic recruits. When you look at a school's matriculation list, it is very deceiving unless you know the back story on many of the top college admits. Very few are purely academic admits without legacy, donor money, or athletics.

Where are some of the top non-hooked (not legacy or recruits) boys going this year?
My impression is that there are about 6-10 of them who are super smart (some in super advanced math classses, others outlying in other academic ways) but not hooked.
Curious where they are headed; my son is in form IV.

Have your son ask. He should already know them.

He actually doesn't know. I don't think the boys talk about this at half the rate that girls do. I have a daughter at NCS (not a senior) and she knows where everyone is going.

Then just wait until it’s published in the bulletin

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Few years ago my son with slightly higher GPA 93 and lower SAT 1520, got into Dartmouth ED
No Hooks
College counselors are very capable of helping you to the process.

Only Dartmouth legacies got accepted this year despite have above stats.

What kind of legacies matter? Parents, relatives, siblings?

Anonymous wrote:Lots of smart unhooked STA seniors going to Boston College this year. I believe at least six.

Yes, smart but these are not the top kids.

Where are some of the top non-hooked (not legacy or recruits) boys going this year?
My impression is that there are about 6-10 of them who are super smart (some in super advanced math classses, others outlying in other academic ways) but not hooked.
Curious where they are headed; my son is in form IV.

For those that don't have boys who know this information, can someone list a few schools?

Lots of smart unhooked STA seniors going to Boston College this year. I believe at least six.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year, several of the Ivy and other top schools like Duke and UVA are legacy and donor admits. Wealthy families got their average STA seniors into top schools that they could not have achieved on their own without their parents. Other Ivy admits are athletic recruits. When you look at a school's matriculation list, it is very deceiving unless you know the back story on many of the top college admits. Very few are purely academic admits without legacy, donor money, or athletics.

Where are some of the top non-hooked (not legacy or recruits) boys going this year?
My impression is that there are about 6-10 of them who are super smart (some in super advanced math classses, others outlying in other academic ways) but not hooked.
Curious where they are headed; my son is in form IV.

Have your son ask. He should already know them.

He actually doesn't know. I don't think the boys talk about this at half the rate that girls do. I have a daughter at NCS (not a senior) and she knows where everyone is going.