36 ACT.... Now what?

Cameron121
Thu, 09 Apr 2015 04:21:53 +0000

It all depends on what he wants to do and where he wants to go. Many posters have made many good points for you, but perfect scores are not the end-all. He needs to have multiple layers beyond being a statistical stud. His essays and recommendations need to be different and revealing. It’s a complete package these days and the top 15 schools are pretty much a crapshoot once you get to a certain level. I am an alumni interviewer for Duke, and I see many kids like your son, even ones who are mature beyond their years and articulate, who don’t get in. Duke actually gets twice as many applications from valedictorians as there are spots in the freshman class, so they reverse-discriminate against valedictorians so that the class is not comprised of all valedictorians (I think they cap it in the 20-25% range).

However, if you are willing to explore options and drop below the top 20 schools, your son will find many opportunities for merit scholarships, and full rides. Duke is notable among the elite schools for giving out a handful of full rides, USC hands out 150 full rides and 200 half-rides each year, and as you go down the roster there will be more and more full ride or heavy merit opportunities for your son. I suggest doing your research and figuring out what type of school he wants (large, small, LAC, comprehensive university, geography), and then start narrowing it down from there. Good luck!!!