Chance my daughter (NY resident, 4.0 UW, 1460 SAT, for Public policy, American Studies, Political Science)

Chance Me / Match Me
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For someone interested in public policy, state and national capitals really have some amazing benefits. I obviously got tired, but these are examples of things your D can dig in for to see what extremely likely admits might be able to offer (not to mention the potential for big, exclusive scholarships that come with premier opportunities).

U. of Hartford (CT): 15% Jewish, per Hillel’s website. Has both Chabad and Hillel on campus and it’s a 10m drive from the state capitol.

The College of New Jersey: Has both Hillel and Chabad available. Tgere are many opportunities for students listed on the political science department’s webpage, and she also has the option of self-designing a major here, too. It’s a 10m drive to the state capitol.

Suffolk (MA): Steps from the state capital, 1.9 miles from the International Jewish Study Center of Boston, and is also served by Hillel. She can check out the poli sci major, the philosophy, politics, and economics major, she can concentrate in public history or American history within the history major, and if nothing seems to fit quite right there’s always the possibility of customizing her own. Plus its Political Research Center offers a lot of opportunities, too.

U. at Albany (NY): 12% Jewish per Hillel’s website. Has both Chabad & Hillel organizations on campus. It’s a 10m drive from the state capitol as well. There are a wide array of concentrations within the Public Policy and Management major and the political science major. Your D could live in honors housing or in living learning centers, including one around politics and public policy.

Siena (NY): Has a Chabad organization on campus and is an 11m drive from the state capitol. It offers a major in American studies (with certificates in Revolutionary Studies or in Public History). Within the political science major there is a public policy and administration track. There is also a public policy and economics concentration within the business school as well, should your daughter prefer that. Or she can create her own major here, too. She may also find extra opportunities at the Center for the Study of Government and Politics or the McCormick Center for the Study of the American Revolution.

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Yet she likes Vassar?

Because it’s only 15 mins from the Thruway :slight_smile:

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Because it’s less than an hour from home and she could come home every weekend.

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Very possible. But not magically appear. She has a list of 30 schools, so it will be 1 of those 30. (To be narrowed a bit more).

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UD does have a pretty strong Hillel.

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Well, how big a list are you aiming for? It doesn’t sound like you need more suggestions.

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Is she planning to come home every weekend?

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I don’t. I didn’t ask for more suggestions. As I said, her counselor and advisor feel she is well covered with safeties. We are actually trying to narrow the list.
But people here keep volunteering additional safeties.
My question in this thread was to chance her for her reaches.

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I think having the option is a plus, which is a big selling point for Vassar to her.

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We’re trying to help chance her for her reaches- but apparently her HS has different/more recent statistics which suggest that the wisdom of the hive is inaccurate. And you are slowly doling out more information as we go.

I know kids who are now coming to terms with their “loathed” safeties because they were rejected from their ED college, are waitlisted at several “sure bets” and need to decide whether to take a gap year and try again (with a somewhat more realistic set of " sure bets"), keep praying for the waitlists, or deal with reality- that if they want to leave for college in August, it’s most likely going to be at one of the safety schools. Not happy homes right now. Especially since the kid frequently pops up with “I guess I’ll start freshman year and then just transfer”, as if transferring isn’t its own little world of hell.

If she’s content with her safeties (which is not what you’ve told us, but ok) then sure, go ahead with the current plan. We’re trying to be helpful with safeties which share some characteristics with the schools she likes, that’s all.

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Ah. In that case, and in view of the last 5 or six posts, I would apply ED to Vassar and be done with it. She’s from New York, an over-represented state; her ECs aren’t that strong. And, assuming that these colleges read a ton of “I Come From a Mixed-Race Family” essays every year, it’s going to be difficult to judge how strong hers might be.

If you would like to start another thread of the “My Kid’s Journey in the Admissions Process” variety, that’s okay too.

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She is content with her safeties. Think I’ve been pretty clear there. She doesn’t love them in the sense she would not pick them over her more selective options. They fall into the category, “they are fine if I don’t get it anywhere else.”
Remember, she basically has 3 categories-
“I like it”
“It’s fine, I’ll go there if I don’t get in anywhere else”
“No”

I guess she has a 4th category — about half her list, “I know very little about it, I don’t have any reason to hate it yet, my counselor added it to my list. If I get accepted, then I’ll tour and research it.”

The schools I specifically listed in the first post were those that she has toured and therefore falls into a slightly more definite category.

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Your daughter is a good student, but there are many top 3-5% kids with unweighted 4.0s. I am not taking anything away from your daughter- she’s a great student! I am just stating the facts.

Her ECs are typical HS ECs. This is great! It means she enjoyed HS and was involved.

I agree she comes from an overrepresented state (so do we). There is no shortage of superstar NY area kids applying to these schools.

It seems she changes what she likes, doesn’t like, and has no clear pattern to the kind of school she wants. Doesn’t like state schools…but likes UVA. Wants a pretty campus.

I think her reaches are reachy. She doesn’t understand the type of kids who will be applying to the same schools. They are on a different level entirely.

If she is happy with her safeties, she’s fine.

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Her advisors do think Vassar would be an excellent ED2 option, since it’s offered. Try for a truer reach with ED1. But, the problem is she is pretty firmly against ED right now. Because she says she can’t be 100% certain.

Honestly, I think a tiny part of her hopes she only gets into 1 school RD so she doesn’t have to make a decision.

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Do not ED if she does not have a favorite. That is a mistake, imo.

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This is more common than you might think. Every time I see a Chance Me thread started by the parent, my first thought is “Who’s the stakeholder here?”

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She has 3-5 favorites, none 100% as the number 1 favorite.

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That is a reason not to ED.

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But, is coming home every weekend a deal-breaker? It’s the drip, drip, drip of new information that basically turns a Chance Me thread into a “Follow My Journey” thread, IMHO.

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ahhhh - and there in lies the problem - especially if she’s going to a $90K school.

Because if this is the case, she should go to New Paltz or a community college because as you know with your son at GW - academics are only a part of the college experience - it’s about growth, maturity, sampling new things.

And you are paying for so much more than class.

Especially for a policy major which is going to end up with a low paying career…or more school.

Many kids are afraid to leave home and that’s ok - it’s not for everyone.

Sometimes we have to push our kids out. It happened with my son - afraid to leave mom but now out west in a job and loving it.

Still facetimes mom 3 or 5 times a week.

And kids do get homesick - but if the plan is for her to always be home - I’d definitely send her to a local SUNY or community college type thing.

I know you get that…hopefully she’ll grow comfortable with the idea of being away.

I’m on their career dashboard - not good - but they show law and non profit. I used Poli Sci - they don’t list policy and here is the inherent problem.

btw - I have a similar student in school now - and while she’s had two internships - one with the state and one a think tank - the future scares the crap out of me!! :slight_smile: Mine is definitely not interested in law school - so then what? And frankly, the undergrad you go to doesn’t matter - that’s why you have such a high disparity of colleges at top law schools.

Their career site - like many - is terrible - so maybe I’m not seeing the complete data - I used the last two years but it keeps putting in all ten with very little data (I think why it’s going to all ten).

Well I hope if you’re spending $90K plus, that she is open to leaving. Bing seems a nice safety in that sense - you can get to her if needed but maybe too far for more than the every month visit, etc.

First Destination & Post-Graduate Outcomes – Career Education (vassar.edu)