<p>@mom2collegekids, that’s true…</p>
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<p>Easy to look up for a specific school.</p>
<p><a href=“Indiana University Bloomington Acceptance Rate | CollegeData”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=815</a> says that IU does consider relationship with alumnus.</p>
<p>IU probably does, but maybe more so to students who are within the 50% range I bet. My older son was waitlisted, then denied. </p>
<p>conmama, kudos to you on helping your son craft such an excellent list of schools where he will fit in and thrive. I hope he appreciates you. It looks like he will have the option to at least finish his degree at IUB. I agree that that is an attractive option, from a cost standpoint and also to give him time to get his ‘college legs.’ He may have a better college experience if he takes that route, rather than enrolling direct to IU if admitted.</p>
<p>Just wanted to add that a good proportion of the students in bottom quartile are probably special category students. For example, IU has a top music conservatory and while some music students compile a good school record, others are so focused on music, that academics slips. I am sure a block of spots is held for students like these. And as auditions often go on into March, they do have to hold those spots for some time.</p>
<p>Similarly, there are athletes, artists and other talents for whom consideration is given.</p>
<p>Then there are the URMs, first generation, and other students who may have suffered some sort of hardships that interfered with school performance. Low-SES kids who worked through HS to help support family. Kids who struggled with cancer or other serious illness. Etc. </p>
<p>IU has a bit more than 1/3 of UG non-resident. That is fairly high, so perhaps your state does not restrict OOS enrollment? At desirable universities where OOS enrollment IS restricted, the OOS admits often have much higher stats than in-state. For example UNC-Chapel Hill, which releases this info from their IR office. You can see in-state vs.OOS GPA, SAT scores. I’m not sure how it works at UMIchigan which seems to attract huge numbers of high stat OOS and they don’t restrict enrollment, or at least not much. I have a feeling those kids have pretty good stats too. But IU isn’t quite that high-ranked, still admitting over 70% of applicants, so it’s possible that OOS kids are competing for bottom quartile spots with in-state. You should call or e-mail admissions and ask these kinds of questions. Things like what proportion of bottom quartile typically is unhooked? And of those unhooked, what proportion are OOS? Also, in the past several years, how many kids were waitlisted, and how many admitted from waitlist? Some schools put that info on CDS, but IU does not. And you could ask what to expect. Some schools may defer applicants to regular round awaiting first semester senior year grades. Ask if they do this. Did that happen to your older S? You might ask if there is anything else S could send that would help his app. LOR from coaches or employers. Updates to app. You seem like a very nice person. I’m sure you can get get someone in admissions to open up and talk to you about these things.</p>
<p>Also, you mentioned ED in your original post. IU does not appear to have ED. There are 2 app deadlines. Everyone who submits before the first deadline is considered together in the early round, unlike a few schools, eg, UMiami FL, that have both EA and ED. But some students with very good stats may be quickly waved through and admitted while the rest are saved for a more careful look. Good luck.</p>
<p>The other thing to consider is that big state universities often have different levels of admission competition for different divisions or majors, since some divisions or majors are much more popular relative to their capacity. Overall stat ranges do not give the full story for a specific division or major being applied to.</p>
<p>@celesteroberts…thank you for your kind words and support. also, thank you for your well thought out response in answer to my question. Yes…it seems like that bottom quartile will be held open for OOS students, or students with something else that stood in their way…whether it be other talents, difficulties or what not. That makes sense…but the one that still gets under my skin is that the “state” isn’t providing enough money for our Universities to operate and that state students are being turned away. Personally, getting accepted to IUB would be a double edged sword. It would be nice to be accepted and it would make DS happy…but I think that first year he would do so much better at IUPUI, have more support at home with those first college classes. </p>
<p>Based on our experience yesterday with one of the other public universities in your/my state, you may want to consider calling and just asking how long you should expect for an admissions decision. D had everything in Aug. 28. Their applied student portal showed that and has shown it “under review” since. I saw on cc some other students received their acceptances to that school within 2 weeks. I called, they said “it slipped through the cracks, didn’t know why, etc.” and they would send it to review. Within an hour the Admit decision was on the site.</p>
<p>Good luck and best wishes. Our school has quite a few grads go to IUPUI and they seem well pleased. The transfer of credits should also be seamless, something that I’ve seen severely lacking between both Ivy Tech/4 yr colleges and between 4 year colleges themselves.</p>
<p>Are you sure that IU has everything? While it was 2 years ago, DS13 applied there (he was OOS). We ended up having to have the transcripts and senior class schedule sent 3 times through the mail and then DS’s GC had to email the senior schedule twice on top of that. Ugh. While they were nice about it when I would call, they also were the only college he applied to that “lost” stuff. I spent more time on the phone with them then all the other colleges he applied to combined. I think they end up swapped with applications of kids trying to make the merit aid cut off of November 1st. Maybe things are better now but I would call to make sure everything is there. </p>
<p>Thanks for all of that info. He applied Septemeber 7th, and they acknowledged through email that they had received his transcripts from the H.S. and SAT scores. It said a decision would probably be made in 4-8 weeks, but possibly sooner. SInce many of his friends received their acceptances within 2 weeks…I thought they possibly could just be holding his for consideration for that lower quartile block…never thought it could be lost. Since it’s only been 3.5 weeks…i will wait another 2 weeks then call and check. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Well, DS found out yesterday afternoon that he is waitlisted at IU-bloomington. Honestly, I wish they had just denied him flat out, so we could get on with it. There is no way they are going to admit him and I think this is just a “nod” to our legacy status. They want to see his 7th semester grades and they were concerned with his SAT scores and suggest he take the SAT or ACT again and send those. There really isn’t a chance he’s getting in. We had an honest talk about it…the group of kids they will probably admit in that lower quartile (OOS, those with special talents or circumstance, etc.) and he understands. But, he needs to see this through and I agree, so he’s going to take the ACT in December. I doubt very much he’s going to put much time into studying…more than likely he’ll just familiarize himself with the test more than he has in the past (he’s just done SAT), but he’s going to do this anyway. I guess it’s nicer to be able to say to his friends that he’s waitlisted rather than flat out denied. At the end of our conversation, he did say “I’m going to get there one way or another”. Good for him if that’s his goal! </p>
<p>Is he willing to retake the SAT or ACT? </p>
<p>OP, my one son had test scores well in the lower quarter of most of the schools to which he applied, including a number of state flagships. I knew that head on, he would get rejected, as many state school process apps based on test scores and GPA/class rank. My son’s Academic Index so calculated was not going to get him any of the OOS schools on his list even applying early in the season when the chances are better. </p>
<p>I took what was considered a bad calculated risk and had him apply LATE in the season, rather than early at those schools that I found out did more careful screenings than “plug the #s in the computer and let’er rip” He had a consistent upward trend in grades which we highlighted and he applied as A &S major on a bit of an offbeat area and he was taking an intro college course in that subject first term and he aced the course. We then crossed our fingers and he did get into UMD, UDel, and some other flagship schools as well as privates schools liken Northeastern, Drexel, Gettysburg, Dickinson that were all high reaches based on his stats. He did not have a 3.5 average either.</p>
<p>In your case, I would work with your son and help him get great grades this year. Each QUARTER those grades should be sent to IU with a note how he’s keeping it up, how well he’s doing that senior year. Upward trend is great. Believe me, senioritus hits hard and there will be a lot of kids who will be falling off, including those superstars who were accepted early, and someone on the WL who has chugged on like the Little ENgine Who Could, and really wants to go there, starts looking mighty good by second semester. </p>
<p>If that still doesn’t work, consider transferring. For schools that take a lot of transfers, by far the most important thing is the first year college grades. The test scores pretty much go out the window. Where transfers are not good options are at schools that simply take very few transfers since they don’t have the seats, and when financial/merit aid is an issue. But schools like IU get massive drop outs and transfer outs, and someone who has shown good first year college work looks mighty good to them. </p>
<p>I also got the feeling, nothing certain, and I hesitate to even write this because I have no proof, that low ACT scores are less damning than low SAT scores. I did not report my son’s low SAT scores to ANY schools. NONE. ZIP, ZERO , ZILCh. The reason I did not , other than my “feelings” about this, was the concrete fact that if a school has those scores, they have to be reported, and they bring down the averages for the schools in all kinds of ratings. A below 1500 SAT1 isn’t going to enhance anyone’s profile. ACTs do not seem to have as much of an impact. Looking at admissions info at a number of schools where the students only used ACT info, it seemed to me that it was easier to get into schools with a low ACT than with a low SAT. I didn’t look at your old post, so I have no idea what kind of numbers we are talking about but my son did not crack 1500 on his SAT1 or 1000 for that matter on the 2 part. His ACT was considered equivalent to his SAT1 score. </p>
<p>Oh, and he’s doing well at a top 50 university, on track to graduate. Think he has a shot at departmental honors, in fact. Doing a lot better than kids who flushed out in the top 25% test wise. A few of his good friends and relatives who did not get into their first choice schools, are in them after strong first years, and transfers. What a difference a year could make. </p>
<p>@cptothehouse…thanks for your great response and suggestions. He only did the SAT and he only got (super score) a 1410…so very, very low. He has never taken the ACT and will do that in December just to see. I wish I had known to wait to apply, but unfortunately it’s too late. I never thought about the schools not wanting to publish the avg. SAT…I guess that all makes sense, but to my son’s detriment. His GPA right now is about a 3.1, but he’s doing well in his classes this semester and should be a little higher at the end of this semester. </p>
<p>He says he will go to the regional campus…IUPUI…and then transfer if he doesn’t get in. All you have to have is a 2.0 and 12 credit hours…fairly easy in my book. I want him to be happy, of course. But I really think the best thing for him would be to stay at home one semester or a year…go to IUPUI…then transfer. Support at home, not so many distractions to start off with, the burning desire to get to IU, so I know my son…he will study. Will he study as hard his first year being at IUB with all his friends? Probably not. So maybe this will be a blessing (a denial). </p>
<p>That is great about your son…and I think a wonderful thing to comment about how lower ranking students should WAIT a bit before applying. I’m sure that will help others who read this! Thanks Again.</p>
<p>Oh I feel for you, waitlisting is the worst! At least they told him what they were looking for. Unlike private colleges that play a lot of games with the waitlist I’m inclined to take them at their word. If he really wants this he’ll step up to the plate even if it requires a transfer later.</p>