Hi,
I posted some time ago asking for chances, now im just plain anxious… DD2 was rejected at Stanford REA. shes RD other top schools but with everything I’m reading Im just getting VERY nervous about acceptance… she applied @ Harvard, Upenn, Columbia, Northwestern Swarthmore Vanderbilt (already denied Cornelius Scholarship) WashU (also did not qualified for the Merit scholarship she applied)
SAT: 1520
ACT: 35
SAT II:
Math 2: 750
US History 750
World History 780
Spanish 800
Unweighted GPA 4.20 (school does not say whats the max)
Weighted GPA: 4.88
Rank: Valedictorian (class of 96 ppl- small private Jewish school with good record but kids have only applied to few top schools like Penn or Columbia, and gotten in…)
AP (place score in parenthesis):
AP Human Geography (5)
AP US History (5)
AP Calc AB (5)
AP Leng and comp (5)
AP Comp Sci (4).
AP world (5)
AP Physics (4)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Lang, AP Compsci 2 AP phisics 2 AP Gov Hebrew honors 7
Subjective:
Harvard Book Award
National Merit scholar finalist
National Honor society
Book club (Founder)
Lifegard - has worked for the past 3 summers at the local JCC
swim instructor (WSI certified) - works 1 to 2 h / week during the school year.
Dance instructure (Folkloric Israeli dance) - works 3h / week during the school year
More than enough social hours but all within the community…
Which schools did you think of as a safety? Do you have any budget restrictions? I am not sufficiently familiar with all of the schools on your list but you do have some that are reaches for everyone (even a kid with great stats such as your D).
One daughter does have a friend with very similar stats who went to Wash U and loves it (and graduates in two months). I liked it quite a bit when I visited a few years back.
In our area safeties for top students are frequently either the in-state flagship or are in Canada (since admission is more predictable and stats-oriented up there).
She’s in at some safeties - what are you nervous about? Just in general? We’re all eager/anxious/nervous about pending decisions! At the top schools you’ve mentioned - Harvard, etc. - nothing is for sure. I am not sure how “chancing” helps with anxiety.
Oh, whew! What a relief! I don’t know what’s going to happen with the schools you’re still waiting to hear from – “chance me” threads should be banned IMO, because no one can be a valid, reliable prognosticator for that these days – but the similar stats kids I’ve known have gotten into Vanderbilt and WashU, at least. But honestly, these days, it’s anyone’s guess.
I hope she’d be happy at the schools that have accepted her. Tulane is a great, “hot” school right now, and NEU has been getting better since the 90s too.
If the worst thing academically that happens to your daughter is attending Tulane, then she is doing very well. She may not be admired to an Ivie, but has great choices. Please don’t let your anxiety color your daughter’s choices. Her joy and enthusiasm are what really count.
Relax. She already has some great choices. The rest are just gravy at this point.
I don’t normally do chances, but your daughter has strong stats. So in this case I’m going to go out on a limb and say that, unless she has some smudges on her application (weak essays or recs for example) that we don’t know about, I predict she will get into at least one of her remaining schools. I can’t tell which one, but I bet at least one of those reaches takes her.
I know… but non of those were the schools she saw herself at… thats all… they are very good schools but she wants more… I know she has good options, I just believe the system is a little bit “broken” Yesterday one of the schools admitions officer let her know that she would most probably be waitlisted because her “demographics” not her grades or achivments but for being lucky enough to be who she is, and I just feel all of this is completly wrong! Sorry… just venting…
You mention receiving merit at the three “safeties”. There is little or no merit at topmost schools. Are you prepared to be full pay at them if she is accepted?
Demographics is part of the equation. Vanderbilt. For example… does not want their entire class to be made up of high stats kids from the NYC suburbs ( using this as an example). Many perfectly qualified kids get rejected or waitlisted to the schools you mention. A match on paper does not make it a match… they are reaches for most.
Her acceptances so far are Tulane, Michigan (?), and Northeastern (?). These are great schools that are not easy to get into- she will find many, many strong and highly driven students. What do you mean …she wants more? What do the other schools have that these 3 schools will not offer her? What is your D looking for in a school? No sarcasm intended… I am trying to help.
I really don’t know how to answer you @twogirls … I know the schools she has (tulane Miami and Northeaster- all in honors all with half rides) are VERY good choices. But she dreamed of a “top school” in a way… and she tried her hardest to achieve all she could so that she could apply there, and now, its not only about scores, EC, volunteer work, its also your demographic?? I just don’t think its right… thats all… ( Believe me I know she will be fine! I was not raised in the US. and in my country you had only 4 schools from where to choose… )
Tulane, Miami, NE… all in honors, all with money…go way way beyond “very good choices.” Your D will be immersed in a community of very intelligent, highly driven students similar to her. Demographics is real… like it or not. Lots of similar …very high stats kids… at our HS… are rejected at your D’s top choices. That being said… she may get in.
Your D has some outstanding opportunities … congrats! The qualities that your daughter has that make her a competitive applicant at her top choice schools… are the same qualities that will make her successful at one of her safeties.