@ShrimpBurrito if U of T is still sitting back in the pack with 7% odds of attending per your list, I’d probably punt on it and mostly due to application pain not the crazy fee. A friend’s kid applied a couple of years ago and also had to do a video/interview submission (Business).
Funny as we had similar issues with the McGill app re citizenship questions which took us off on the wrong track and had to redo but they were very helpful.
I’m guessing McGill and UBC are almost safeties for your D with her stats, and USC certainly a match. So for 7% odds it may be an easy call re U of T.
Thanks @my2caligirls. H is saying to punt on the U of T app, too. It’s scary to cut down the app list, especially with stories like we are hearing here with Cal Poly SLO. Did D make a small but lethal mistake on her other apps? So many What Ifs. The only acceptance she has in hand is for ASU, and her recent visit kinda put a nail in that coffin. We were hoping to stall the Toronto app until Dec, when she’s likely to hear another college decision or two, but that may not be a reasonable option.
Ugh!!
Meanwhile, my2caligirls, D really liked SDSU. She’s considering applying. Maybe she could do that app instead of U of T. I’ll suggest that to her. (I’m pretty sure her middle school math classes are on her HS transcript!)
Edit: and so now I’m wondering how D filled out the citizenship questions on the McGill app. I did not help her.
@ShrimpBurrito I’m sure your D will do very well with her short list - the perks of having excellent stats and a good list of schools.
With all the USC love I was hesitant to even ask how SDSU went!! My D really likes it as do I - she may be one of the few kids passing on the UC’s for SDSU but it’s a great fit. Have your D apply for honors if she does apply to SDSU as the perk is guaranteed nice dorms.
Note if you do the CSU app (Apply Now) - just put the middle school classes that apply under 9th grade - they are self-reported.
Re McGill - sure you are fine - by not selecting a Citizenship answer earlier in the app it presented an obvious issue for us later in the app. Your D would have noticed - the downside is there was not option to edit previous pages so just started over and all good.
Thanks @mommdc! We visited Pitt summer before junior year, and unfortunately the tour guide killed it for D. We haven’t talked about it in awhile, so I will remind her about it this weekend.
We have a good list of schools, but I am struggling to sort them into categories. I would be grateful if anyone can tell me how to determine match/target schools for my son. From what I have read it basically involves looking at his SAT or ACT scores against those of the last incoming (or admitted?) year? So, GPA doesn’t figure into determining target schools (or reach, or safety?). Thanks!
I wouldn’t discount GPA entirely, but it’s harder to compare apples to apples. Do you have access to Naviance? If so , you can see how kids from your school, with the same GPA calculation and weighting, have fared getting into each school.
@newenglandjane It’s more of an art than a science, and different people might have somewhat different ideas about what constitutes a reach, match or safety.
Our family figures a reach is any school where S’s stats are in lower part of the middle 50%, or school has low admit rate (no matter where S’s stats fall compared to others).
We figure match is a school where S is in upper part of the school’s middle 50% in terms of stats and the school has a 30 to 50% admit rate.
We figure a safety is a school we can afford without aid that has an admit rate higher than 50% and S’s stats put him in top 25% of students.
We use the school’s Common Data Set for source of gauging stats. We also look at Common Data Set to see what other criteria the school may use in admissions decisions to get a better feel for S’s likely chances. With some schools, you also have to be aware of peculiarities that Common Data Set might not reflect, such as UNC Chapel Hill has limit on number of OOS students it can accept and is therefore much more selective when it comes to such students than it does for NC residents, which makes it a reach (at least in my estimation) for anyone who isn’t a NC resident.
But there’s no way to be precise. To some extent, the whole thing is pretty much a crapshoot.
@ak200008 Oh my, I’d be dying inside. Is he just not ready with the material or is he being stubborn?
Luckily my kid inherited my “don’t wait till the last minute because crap happens” mentality. That’s a bit of a joke, because she’s adopted, but she is a mini me in many ways, good and bad. :))
Good luck to everyone pushing through the next couple days.
Thank you so much. I have a follow -up: when you say “stats” what are you referring to? Just SAT and ACT scores? The reason I am asking is because my son’s test scores are high but his GPA is low. Thank you so much.
@newenglandjane I think when people say “stats” they mean standardized tests and GPA mostly. I guess you could throw AP scores into the mix, but I’m not sure colleges look at those very closely until it’s time to award any college credit.
Don’t feel bad @newenglandjane, it’s not an exact science and the more selective the school, the more arbitrary the results can seem. In our case we had a disconnect between our son’s test scores and essays (excellent) and grades and ECs (meh). We have been fortunate that he likes our in-state flagship public university so it gives him a safety school he feels good about as every other college he is applying to is a reach of some degree or another.
Yes this is exactly our situation, excellent test scores and essay, with “meh” grades!!! So, in many cases his SAT makes him a MATCH for a college but his GPA makes that same college a REACH. Which should I go with? Thanks in advance for any advice. We just want to have a balanced list!
S18 seems to be finally making progress!!
But just informed us that one of his reference letters isn’t done. He’s been emailing about it, but now the teacher is a a funeral. This is why I wanted things done earlier
@newenglandjane, as others have said, it is more of an art than a science. If it were my kiddo, and any part of his stats put his app in the reach category, then I’d consider it a reach. Is there a reason for the mismatch? Illness or super-competitive school? If so, maybe the GC could address that in his/her recommendation.
Good luck to all with kiddos working to meet the November 1 deadline! My D got one app in earlier this week (with a snafu that got remedied but had her mother freaking out and talked off the ledge by some helpful folks) and she’s got one more to go for the early deadline. After that one, the apps are all pretty much reachy reach schools and I’m not worried about those one way or the other.
@newenglandjane I am certainly no expert, just another parent trying to figure it all out, but because I keep hearing that some of it is a crapshoot my D has a large list and a very wide range on her list. She is literally applying to a couple of ivies and to a school that has over 70% acceptance rate, and two more over 55%. Part of that for us is chasing merit money so if money is not a consideration that factors in. But since it is not black and white personally I would create a list that includes both ends of the spectrum. Also since you don’t really know how each school weighs GPA make sure there are some that seem super safe.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck!
@newenglandjane - I would use your son’s GPA as the primary criteria to determine reach/match/safety. Time and again I hear that GPA (within the context of rigor on your transcript) is the most important factor in college admissions, with test scores used to support - but not lead - the academic picture. GPA is considered to be the best indicator of college success because it shows the student’s performance over time.
@bearcatfan - I think you’re right; my understanding is that AP scores are not a factor in admission but are used upon matriculation to determine college credit.
Our kid is in the “B student with test scores in the top 7-8 per cent” boat as well. He’s just never liked school very much. I’m glad that he visiting and liked at CTCL school. I certainly consider Fordham a reach, even though he’s solidly within the middle 50% for admitted students on the SAT.
