There are about 40 kids in the “honors” track however the top 5 are the only ones that have the top grades. The other “honors” kids are solid but certainly don’t have a 4.0. The bottom 30 kids are more the 2.75-3.3 gpa in the same classes - although only the top 15 take all of the 4 AP classes offered. The school offers dual credit classes through a local small junior college and the HIGH SCHOOL teacher is the instructor. There is not a college professor to write a LOR because he has never had one teach a class for him. The “honors” kids make mostly 3s on AP tests but the top 4 all made the same as him. There was one kid that made a 5 on Chemistry but he is a serious STEM kid. DS is more of a Humanities kid NOT STEM at all! He is the only one that is applying to anything in the T20.
Dual credit was one year of Spanish (Spanish 3 in 10th grade) but they didn’t offer anything past that due to not having a qualified teacher so he only has 3 years of another language. He took Spanish I in junior high. Also took DC Physics and taking DC Economics/Government now. But again all taught by the high school teacher that has a masters degree. There is a SERIOUS lack of qualified teachers at his school so it limits all upper level classes. He made 99-100 in all those classes and honestly they were easy classes when he compared them to his AP classes.
He has a college fund that his grandparents left him. We would/will qualify for financial aid at the top schools but not for the whole amount. We have run the NPC and are willing to take care of what he is lacking. We aren’t allowing that to be part of his decision. And no - neither of us are college professors, doctors, or lawyers. We went to school at a close-by commuter college and now local business owners.
Summers: he works full time - no prestigious summer programs. He did list those on applications. He did qualify for those Duke TIP summer programs from his 7th grade test but we weren’t able to afford them. We are middle class so in that in-between area. He also has solid volunteer hours including one local non-profit he has been volunteering with since elementary school.
There is typically only 1 student a year that attends UT but certainly not get accepted to the honors programs…not sure when or if that has happened in the last 10 years. Typically 6-8 kids attend Texas A&M; 2 attend SMU/TCU; and another 10-12 attend other smaller colleges. Maybe 6-8 go on to the local junior college and/or Vocational school but the vast majority of the class of 200 do not go off to college.
Your son’s story sounds familiar. I applied to a couple local safety schools. I also took a couple of shots at a little more prestigious schools. Not Ivy caliber. Accepted to one and wait/denied at another if I remember correctly. Some great suggestions like a Grinnell.
Coming from a disadvantaged background it was “I didn’t know what I didn’t know” about college life, how to succeed and use the many resources that schools offer. That’s where these smaller schools outshine your large public schools unless you get into a good honors program. Good luck.
He took the AP English Literature test last year and got a 4 but he hadn’t taken the class yet. He is taking that class this year and hopes to make 5…of course. I believe he was very close to receiving a 5 on the AP English Language & Comp and may retake it in May. It depends on which school he decides on and if they use AP credits etc.
Yes! His sister is attending a LAC and loves it. It fits her personality perfectly and the same school offered him a full ride (he applied as a safety) but he has already declined it. He wants a slightly larger campus but not as big as UT. He is a pretty social kid and wants bigger school feel for the sports/Greek life. He really loves Cornell and Duke. He will be fine at UT but wanted to give it a shot.
He shouldn’t retake the AP Lang exam. His college intro composition or seminar (different names depending on the college) will be NOTHING like AP Lang. That class is just the default assumed background for Plan II, Harvard, Yale, Grinnell (etc.) Freshman English, not a replicate.
For that reason, most “elite” colleges don’t give credit for many AP courses. Some use AP for placement.
He/you could read Harlan Cohen’s_The Naked Roommate_ - real freshman questions, good intro to college.
Private universities will have tons of resources that public universities (even UT) don’t have - for instance, enough to support rent for a summer internship in a city for the child of a middle class family. Lots of support for kids who “don’t know what they don’t know”. There will also be more wealthy kids.
With UT Plan II/McCombs as his sure thing, he’s right to be shooting high. No regrets.
He is a rural kid from a low-performing school and his scores and the rest make him a star in his setting. All of that together is a hook. With the SC ruling, colleges are looking at much broader definitions of diversity, and rural plus lower socioeconomic high school is a pull. I think he will get in to one of those reaches! If not , he is still set on a great path with what he already has. Best of luck to him!
Thank you! He was accepted to McCombs and Plan II in the first round of acceptances which is an honor! UT does crazy admission roll-outs and their top applicants typically get acceptances into majors earlier. He was invited to apply for their most prestigious 40 Acre Scholar program. Supposedly now the invitation only goes to those they consider their top 1% of all applicants (no longer a separate application anyone can apply to). So perhaps he is only good/star/standout in his “setting” but UT sees something! Not sure the other schools will but we hope…perhaps UT has a good idea of what he has faced academically in our district and understands how hard it is to achieve what he has in that setting??? That is what we worry about - the others may not have context… No way to know obviously but we are thrilled with UT offer and remain hopeful!
Agree that Plan II is a great admit, congratulations! I think the real standout element here is the welding; honestly, top schools have plenty of middle-class white applicants with very strong grades and 32 ACT, but hardly any are certified welders. It’s an unusual choice for a top student even in the context of his local school, and I can see an AO at one of the high reaches taking an interest in that.
