Anonymous wrote:Biggest mistake we made with first kid was assuming high grades and test scores would lead to merit aid at upper tier schools. Got a bad case of sticker shock when that wasn’t the case. Kid ended up in a great state school honors program.

With second kid with similar stats, we targeted less competitive schools. Average merit has been $30K and cost will be less than state schools. This kid will do better at a smaller school.

Anonymous wrote:

Berkeley,UVA,CMU,UMCP,TA&M

Stats
SAT 1480, ACT 34, GPA 4.00 and 4.6 w, NHS,honors and 6 APs

OP, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but I don't think your DC is as competitive as you think. Given 4.6 wt GPA, I assume you are from MCPS (FCPS only give .5 to honors, I think) and given DC has 6 APs, I assume he has taken mostly honors courses. So, while his test scores are respectable, there are literally thousands of kids with similar or better stats in MCPS[b]. For UMD, I think you DC will get in no problem but probably not good enough for merit scholarship - nothing significant anyway. I say this so you can calibrate your DC's list of schools and add more safety schools. Good luck.

Anonymous wrote:If returning to the original question is appropriate, here's ours.

Not applying early enough.

The fact is that most competitive colleges are trying to assemble a good class early. It is easier to get in EA or ED than to not apply early and be in the scrum with the 80% of the other applicants who are all looking for the 60% of the remaining seats.

We made very, very serious mistakes by not applying early, and we are now suffering the consequences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid applied to 8. Choices ended up too limited.

How so??? 8 is more than enough.

Anonymous wrote:My kid applied to 8. Choices ended up too limited.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We'll just have to agree to disagree. I do believe Oxford and Cambridge are in the same level, but I don't think they are as difficult to get into as HYPS. Yes, only the cream of the crop applies and gets in, but the same is the case with HYPS and those have a far lower acceptance rate to boot.

Because everyone applies to HYPS. They give excellent financial aid if you make <$60k, love hooks,... I hear people come up with a reasonable list and then add “ HYPS, because it’s HYPS”....which is why their accepatamce rate is <10%. Only a certain bunch apply to Oxford/Cambridge....people who are comfortable with international, don’t mind being far from home as 18-19yo, have funds to travel, and have super high stats! I don’t know bout financial aid, but if they don’t offer much then add people who can pay full freight to the mix, and now you’ve cut down your number of applications; So it’s not easier to get in, there are fewer people applying. and it’s a niche group where almost all of them are qualified, so I would say it’s harder to get in.

Cambridge is much easy than HYPS


Entry requirements

Applicants from the USA taking College Board SATs and Advanced Placement (AP) Tests should note that offers are usually made on an individual basis. High passes in the High School Diploma and the SAT are expected. Recent reforms have altered the SAT scoring system and the new format has been in place since March 2016. A detailed and updated explanation of the changes can be found on the CollegeBoard website. For applicants who took the SAT before March 2016, a high pass in the SAT equates to at least 1,400 in Critical Reading and Mathematics and also 700 or more in Writing, to give a combined score of at least 2,100. For applicants who took the new SAT (first offered in March 2016) a high pass equates to at least 730 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 730 in Mathematics, to give a combined score of at least 1,460. An ACT score of at least 32 out of 36 may be accepted instead of the SAT.

We also require five College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Tests at grade 5 in appropriate subjects. Please note that SAT Subject Tests are not normally viewed as being equivalent to A Level/IB Higher Level/Advanced Placement (AP) Tests.

Applicants taking College Board SATs and/or Advanced Placement (AP) Tests are required to disclose all qualifications taken and scores achieved. Failure to disclose any scores may disadvantage your application and the Cambridge Colleges reserve the right to contact your school to confirm your results.

Entry requirements, means MINIMUM; they won’t look at your app unless you have this. 5 AP tests with a score of 5? In “appropriate subjects”, no less. So these a probably the calcs, physics, chems, etc.... that the student would’ve had to have taken by JUNIOR year. To have scores by app time. This proves my point even more. The acceptance rate is that of a self-selective pool of applicants...really really talented kids... already vetted to be qualified, and people who want to go to Cambridge, far away from home,etc. and only a small % of this creme de la creme even get an offer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We'll just have to agree to disagree. I do believe Oxford and Cambridge are in the same level, but I don't think they are as difficult to get into as HYPS. Yes, only the cream of the crop applies and gets in, but the same is the case with HYPS and those have a far lower acceptance rate to boot.

Because everyone applies to HYPS. They give excellent financial aid if you make <$60k, love hooks,... I hear people come up with a reasonable list and then add “ HYPS, because it’s HYPS”....which is why their accepatamce rate is <10%. Only a certain bunch apply to Oxford/Cambridge....people who are comfortable with international, don’t mind being far from home as 18-19yo, have funds to travel, and have super high stats! I don’t know bout financial aid, but if they don’t offer much then add people who can pay full freight to the mix, and now you’ve cut down your number of applications; So it’s not easier to get in, there are fewer people applying. and it’s a niche group where almost all of them are qualified, so I would say it’s harder to get in.

Cambridge is much easy than HYPS


Entry requirements

Applicants from the USA taking College Board SATs and Advanced Placement (AP) Tests should note that offers are usually made on an individual basis. High passes in the High School Diploma and the SAT are expected. Recent reforms have altered the SAT scoring system and the new format has been in place since March 2016. A detailed and updated explanation of the changes can be found on the CollegeBoard website. For applicants who took the SAT before March 2016, a high pass in the SAT equates to at least 1,400 in Critical Reading and Mathematics and also 700 or more in Writing, to give a combined score of at least 2,100. For applicants who took the new SAT (first offered in March 2016) a high pass equates to at least 730 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 730 in Mathematics, to give a combined score of at least 1,460. An ACT score of at least 32 out of 36 may be accepted instead of the SAT.

We also require five College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Tests at grade 5 in appropriate subjects. Please note that SAT Subject Tests are not normally viewed as being equivalent to A Level/IB Higher Level/Advanced Placement (AP) Tests.

Applicants taking College Board SATs and/or Advanced Placement (AP) Tests are required to disclose all qualifications taken and scores achieved. Failure to disclose any scores may disadvantage your application and the Cambridge Colleges reserve the right to contact your school to confirm your results.

Anonymous wrote:What about Canada and the Swiss system?