or go into the trades...

Most strong students end up getting into college, even though the odds may seem impossible. But, if you are not happy with your choice, it really is better to reapply. College is very expensive, and some offer more opportunity than others. Find a good fit with appropriate opportunities for the student — even if it takes reapplying to get there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was in HS my good friend, who very high achieving and everyone expected to to go Yale or Harvard, was in the AP highest Math, Science, Language, History and English classes and getting A grades in all of those plus winning awards for her art work, and living with her sister and Dad who had won custody from the drunk mother. The only place that accepted her was her safety, Boston University. Everywhere else rejected her, not even a WL.

I don't know what went wrong for her, but if she had not had that one safety she would have been forced to take a gap year and reapply.

And the system has only gotten worse. I'm surprised that doesn't happen to more kids. These days you can't even be certain of safeties.

I would have taken a gap year rather than go to BU

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't be so mean to OP. A kid can have a reasonable college application plan, endorsed by school counselors, with some reaches and some safeties, and just have colossally bad luck. It's all probabilities. A college application plan that seems 99.9% likely to result in at least on acceptance can still fail.

+1 Every year this happens to 1-2 high achieving kids whose safeties and matches are watching their yields. My own DC had multiple RD elite acceptances after a horrible early round but waitlisted at the safeties and lower end matches. And this was before the RD round got impossible a few years back. Go figure.

Exactly. I’m surprised it’s just 1-2 kids per school. The RD round seems almost impossible these days.

Anonymous wrote:Don't be so mean to OP. A kid can have a reasonable college application plan, endorsed by school counselors, with some reaches and some safeties, and just have colossally bad luck. It's all probabilities. A college application plan that seems 99.9% likely to result in at least on acceptance can still fail.

+1 Every year this happens to 1-2 high achieving kids whose safeties and matches are watching their yields. My own DC had multiple RD elite acceptances after a horrible early round but waitlisted at the safeties and lower end matches. And this was before the RD round got impossible a few years back. Go figure.

Students can start taking courses as non-degree students if worst comes to worst. Or do CC as others have written. I wouldn't advise the military. Kid might be killed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And others may need to apply to less exclusive schools. Let this be a warning.

True, but there is nothing wrong with aiming high and trying again. I know lots of high achieving kids who got into better schools after reapplying or transferring. The college admission system is pretty random these days, and it may be more advantageous to try again.

I've known many students who started out at prestigious schools, flunked out, had to leave, and had such damaged confidence they could never graduate from college. My DH and I were professors (at the less prestigious school) and saw this dynamic a bit.

I've also known students who joined the military and then went to college, or went to a less prestigious, easier to admit college and we're able to transfer into a better school. Or, go to grad school at a better university. Sometimes it's better to go less prestigious and work your way up, than having your confidence shattered the other way around.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both the Army and Navy offer two year active enlistments (not the Air Force or Marines). Junior will grow up a lot in those two years.

actually, this is a really great idea.

A great idea for a kid who is not terribly academic and needs to grow up. Not for everyone though. Lots of high achieving kids do not get into the right college right away. Some need to reapply, others may transfer.

I think any strong university would be very very impressed with somebody with top academic credentials who had also served.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both the Army and Navy offer two year active enlistments (not the Air Force or Marines). Junior will grow up a lot in those two years.

actually, this is a really great idea.

A great idea for a kid who is not terribly academic and needs to grow up. Not for everyone though. Lots of high achieving kids do not get into the right college right away. Some need to reapply, others may transfer.

Our nation needs its best and brightest serving it. And everybody who serves in the military are not only protecting our nation, they learn invaluable lessons both on how to be a good leader, and how to be a good member of a team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both the Army and Navy offer two year active enlistments (not the Air Force or Marines). Junior will grow up a lot in those two years.

actually, this is a really great idea.

A great idea for a kid who is not terribly academic and needs to grow up. Not for everyone though. Lots of high achieving kids do not get into the right college right away. Some need to reapply, others may transfer.

The military can be pretty selective, too. Maybe it used to be true that they would accept everyone, I don't think that's necessarily the case now, though.

Anonymous wrote:And others may need to apply to less exclusive schools. Let this be a warning.

True, but there is nothing wrong with aiming high and trying again. I know lots of high achieving kids who got into better schools after reapplying or transferring. The college admission system is pretty random these days, and it may be more advantageous to try again.

And others may need to apply to less exclusive schools. Let this be a warning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both the Army and Navy offer two year active enlistments (not the Air Force or Marines). Junior will grow up a lot in those two years.

actually, this is a really great idea.

A great idea for a kid who is not terribly academic and needs to grow up. Not for everyone though. Lots of high achieving kids do not get into the right college right away. Some need to reapply, others may transfer.

Anonymous wrote:When I was in HS my good friend, who very high achieving and everyone expected to to go Yale or Harvard, was in the AP highest Math, Science, Language, History and English classes and getting A grades in all of those plus winning awards for her art work, and living with her sister and Dad who had won custody from the drunk mother. The only place that accepted her was her safety, Boston University. Everywhere else rejected her, not even a WL.

I don't know what went wrong for her, but if she had not had that one safety she would have been forced to take a gap year and reapply.

And the system has only gotten worse. I'm surprised that doesn't happen to more kids. These days you can't even be certain of safeties.

Anonymous wrote:Both the Army and Navy offer two year active enlistments (not the Air Force or Marines). Junior will grow up a lot in those two years.

actually, this is a really great idea.