Is This A Realistic List for High Test/Lower GPA Son?

jmgradon
Thu, 07 Aug 2014 16:34:25 +0000

Parents and others, my S wants to go to an LAC (small size) and is planning to apply to the following:

Reed
Lewis And Clark
Skidmore
Beloit
Puget Sound
Bard
Goucher

He goes to a highly regarded public school in the Northern Virginia suburbs of DC. His stats are as follows:

3.47 weighted GPA (his school does not compute unweighted GPA’s)
2120 SAT (730 Critical Reading, 610 Math, 780 Writing)
800 SAT II World History, 780 American History
5 AP courses through junior year, 3 more scheduled for senior year (5 or 4 on all the tests)

Extracurriculars

4 years marching band
District band, baritone sax, junior year
4 years wind ensemble and symphonic band
2 years summer staff assistant TIC media/sports camp

Reed is his top choice and he is planning to apply early decision. Then come Lewis and Clark, Skidmore, Bard and Beloit, basically very close. Puget Sound a bit less so. Goucher is his safety. He has visited each school.

His strategy quite clearly is to apply to “Colleges That Change Lives” type schools, given his somewhat lower GPA and contrasting high test scores. (He studies and learns more outside of school than inside it.) My question to other parents out there is, is this a realistic list? I should add, finally, that he will not need financial assistance, an advantage, presumably, at schools that are not need blind.