I’ve never been to an on-campus info session – so maybe someone can clue me in – is it standard practice during an info session at a selective college that the presenter gives some indication of admission requirements and expectations? Im just wondering if the best way for a family to get a reality check might be to actually hear it from someone who actually works at the college they are visiting.
It depends. We went to some info sessions where the adcom clearly stated the number of applicants and the number of accepted students for the previous year. Almost all of them discussed HS course requirements…and the need for certain courses.
Then there were some that didn’t do that.
YMMV.
I also was going to say, don’t discount the connections that those parents might have. I know of a family whose son was in a similar situation and he indeed got accepted into one of his choice schools. Legacies and large donations can make a world of difference with school acceptance. You’d be surprised.
Yikes anyone even pondering “setting them straight” however subtle you think you are needs to read how to win friends and influence people. In short, congratulate them for having such a bright ambitious handsome son - leave the “honesty” to yourself. At least the dad is there for the kid. Over 50% of American kids are basically fatherless.
People hear what they want to hear at on campus pitches and let’s not pretend adcoms are honest. they want everyone to apply, they make it seem like those Bs and low SAT score don’t matter.
But if I did travel 1,000 miles to see a house I can’t afford, I wouldn’t expect my friends or neighbors to question whether I was wasting my time or money. Now if these parents start holding slide shows of their family’s college travels, then I think maybe they’re inviting a comment or two…
The fact is you could easily look foolish by judging the likelihood of acceptance based on GPA and test scores. Also, if they want to visit reach schools they think they have a chance of getting in, let them enjoy that too. Just tell them indirectly it never hurts to include few safeties. I never say discouraging things when it comes to someone else’s kids and go out of my way to say good things, even regarding kids we don’t like that much.
OTOH, it is also a shame to see a kid with no admissions to a desirable safety at this time next year. It is brantly’s kid’s best friend. I don’t see how subtly mentioning the need for a safety and mentioning some that might be suitable in this crazy tough admissions environment would be discouraging. I can’t imagine the OP coming out and saying that the kid will never get into those places, but commenting (with regard to his own kid) that they can’t believe how Tufts admit rate is down to 14% and even great kids are being denied is putting down this kid. While the parents may have “pull” at one school, it is hard to believe they have enough clout to make all of those schools possible.
Telling them not to apply to reach schools is discouraging. Telling them indirectly to consider one or two safeties is not. That’s what I said above.
College Confidential loves to bring people down to earth, but there are always amazing success stories if you look.
The bottom 25% is still accepted. We were at William & Mary this week and met two girls non-athlete/music freshmen. ACT was 29 and 30, they couldnt stop talking about show tons of interest and apply ED, but going by CC THEY SHOULDNT BE THERE. Plenty of non perfect kids here they said.
I agree websensation, my reply was in general not to you.
“is it standard practice during an info session at a selective college that the presenter gives some indication of admission requirements and expectations?”
Most of the time. But @momof2g1b is right that people hear different messages in the same talk.
“let’s not pretend adcoms are honest. they want everyone to apply, they make it seem like those Bs and low SAT score don’t matter.”
In the very entertaining threads about bad college visits, many families complain that the presentation came off as “It’s so hard to get in, you’re wasting your time.” Which, lets face it, is the truth for 95% of the visitors at Stanford et al., but it can create a negative impression. No pitch will satisfy the whole audience.
When I read that sentence I was thinking you must be talking about a low stats kind of kid. But a 31 ACT is 96 percentile and a 3.6 is more A’s than B’s. Perhaps he is planning on taking the ACT again and is targeting a 32-33, which is entirely possible and would change the outlook. yes - those schools he is touring are reaches, but not necessarily ‘out of reach’.
I wouldn’t say anything. Imagine what would happen if you did, and then the kid did get accepted to one of those schools. Let the guidance counselor handle the expectations.
Both my kids did stuff outside school that I don’t think even their best friends knew about. That was certainly true of my older son - the computer in his bedroom got him awards, an acknowlegement in a medical journal, a job which included doing work for WHO and Sky and Telescope Magazine. None of his friends could program, so they never talked about it. (And he’s not exactly Mr. Social.)
my older sister was told to be more realistic by allllllll kinds of authority figures from guidance counselor to parents to mentors who thought they knew everything. she got into Duke. google dunning-kruger – you aren’t as smart and well informed as you think you are. and prob due for some self reflection if you’re excited about the prospect of setting random people straight. are you that desperate to appear to be an authority figure in something? weird
^Well, that was a very authoritive and forthright way of setting a random OP straight.
I would not say anything. I’ve learned to just shut up and nod, or say something like those are all nice places.
Personally, I wouldn’t want any of my friends or even people on this site to tell me I shouldn’t take my kid on a campus visit.
@sorghum well I doubt OP is actually an authority figure with a stint in an ivy league admissions dept. why would any parent care what some person who reads a forum thinks about their kid’s college prospects? dim interpersonal skills to think someone wants to hear your bitter projecting or faux expertise. i’d look within to see what makes you crave even weighing doing something like this
and i say that as someone who saw my sister and parents get super irritated with people who did it to my sister. just stop. don’t act like you’re helping anyone; it’s obvi your own ego or bitterness you’re feeding
Could say the same about armchair psychoanalysis.
the difference, of course, is that OP made this thread asking for opinions. so i gave mine.
the parent didn’t approach OP asking them what they thought. OP wonders if they should weasel in and “steer” them away from certain schools.