Colleges for the average above-average student?

lunar_years
Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:35:55 +0000

People on CC act like there are only two types of schools-- HYPMS, and community college. They seem to lump public schools into the latter category, unless it’s Berkeley, or you’re getting a full ride.

The problem is, you need 2799 SATs, a 17.8 UW GPA, five varsity sport captaincies, and legacy status to get into the former, while the latter accept B students, maybe C students, maybe all students.

What about the average above-average students? The ones with 2000+ SATs, who are somewhere in the top 5% of their class, maybe play a sport or a musical instrument. Who are sure as hell not Princeton material, if the rumors are to be believed, but are bright and driven enough that they don’t want to be force-fed margaritas at some party school with a population twice the size of Belgium’s.

Okay, that sounds harsh, and way oversimplified. But what kind of colleges should kids like that be looking at? Would they be “wasting their potential” at their in-state public, or would they fit right in?