<p>Okay, let me help you. I found the college destinations for 2005 (not the latest, but I was trying to be quick)</p>
<p>407 graduates. 33 went to HYPMS. That 8% of the class. another 25 (6%) went to the othe ivies (NOT Ivy equivalents, just the five remaining ivies) thats 14% of the class that ended up at an Ivy, MIT, or Stanford. </p>
<p>Over 100 - over 25% of the class - ended up at the the top state univ in our state, which just happens to be one of two or three top rated public universities in the country (see public ivies) The average GPA for entering students there is about 4.0, IIUC. That state univ is ranked higher in USNWR than UR or RPI. </p>
<p>Another 60, 15% of the class go to the #2 and #3 state schools here, which are also very highly rated and quite selective. </p>
<p>Another 31 go to other ultra selective schools (Carnegie Mellon, JHU, Cal Tech, etc) that another 8%. </p>
<p>So thats 62% who are attending schools that I think my daughter should consider reach schools or beyond (well except for the #2 and #3 state schools which I think are match/reaches)</p>
<p>The schools that rank further down, get the bottom 38% of the class.</p>
<p>“I think you need to relax a little. Your DD will get into a good engineering program”</p>
<p>Theres good and theres good. Theres Bucknell and Drexel, and theres RPI and UR and Lehigh. Im trying to get at least a slightly better fix on where she fits among those - do we have her try CMU, or pass? Do we add U of Delaware as a safety? This is NOT about Harvard and MIT.</p>
<p>"So, why did your D get a C+ from this teacher? Where there personal issues? "</p>
<p>Because this teacher is, from what I understand the hardest grading BC calc teacher at the school, and the school is very hard (to understand how hard, pvt me) And no, my DD, smart as she is, is NOT one of the whizzes who will waltz into MIT.</p>
<p>Do you have any idea where the kids whose applications were similar to your daughter’s were accepted? I just think you have to look at your daughter as the individual she is and find the schools that are best for her because I don’t think the name of her high school will be as much of a draw as you think it will be. However, if that C+ is the only one, perhaps your GC could address it in the rec as it seems from your posts that there is an explanation. That might be a help.</p>
<p>Here’s another question: what are the finances like? If you’re not looking for a lot of money, that would be a boost. </p>
<p>What harm would it really do to add one or two real safeties like Delaware? Wouldn’t you want that piece of mind? I can’t, for the life of me, imagine that your daughter wouldn’t be accepted at Lehigh or Lafayette.</p>
<p>“I can’t, for the life of me, imagine that your daughter wouldn’t be accepted at Lehigh or Lafayette”</p>
<p>See, then you are more optimistic than we are. We know of about a half dozen kids from DDs school who ended up at the #4 to #6 state universities, which are NOT very good. Or at least we think they would be terrible matches for her. We don’t really know why = were they 3.3 GPA kids who didnt stand out? Did their SATs suck? Their essays? Were they limited to state schools only? Did they WANT those schools because of a special program? Did they not apply to enough realistic match schools? </p>
<p>As for safeties. Yes of course. But 1? Two? Three?</p>
<p>Remember that more important than the prestige of the school, is the fit with your daughter’s interests and personality. Apply to a range of schools and be sure to visit them when the students are present. Talk to the professors in her department of interest and also talk to admissions counselors. They will frequently give you a pretty honest opinion about your child’s chances of acceptance (especially at smaller schools).</p>
<p>Non-academics tend to way overestimate the importance of prestige for undergrad education. I got my Ph.D. at Cornell, and there were LOTS of graduate students there who had come from little podunk state schools of which I’d never heard. It’s all about what you make of the program once you’re there.</p>
<p>there are other questions too. She is scheduled to take Multivar (the first post AP math course) in the fall. She does not want to take another math course in the spring. Do we push her to take another post AP math course, to improve her chances? Or is she solid enough?</p>
<p>Brooklynborndad, what’s the rest of her package like? Does she have good/interesting ECs? Leadership? Will her essays be amazing? Those things are all important, too. Also, if she has a super-duper first semester of senior year, she could bring up the rank. The only thing I would be concerned about if I were you is the fact that most of her schools have no freshmen (or almost none) who were ranked so low in their high school classes. I ask again, have you seen the information that the high school will provide to colleges? That’s a very important piece of information. I know the school doesn’t officially rank, but depending on information provided, they may come very close in terms of context.</p>
<p>“Non-academics tend to way overestimate the importance of prestige for undergrad education”</p>
<p>Its not about prestige. Our kid is nerdy and socially sensitive. She has only come out of her shell in atmospheres (her High School, CTY) that are very nerdy and intellectual. We are afraid that if she goes somewhere where most or all of the kids are “regular” “alpha girls” socially normal moderately high IQ type kids, she will look weird and socially isolate herself. and even get severly depressed. Her experience with middle school GT was very much like that.</p>
<p>Does she have good/interesting ECs? Leadership? </p>
<p>Good, but not overwhelming. I don’t know how outstanding the essays written by kids applying to UR or RPI are - she can write a good essay, but Im sure most Ivy applicants (not thats what we are shooting for, but as a standard of comparison) will write essays about as good as hers. </p>
<p>Wife did ask an RPI admissions offer about DD’s school - he said something like “we just don’t get enough applicants from there, they all want to go to ivies”</p>
<p>“Its not about prestige. Our kid is nerdy and socially sensitive.”</p>
<p>All the more reason to visit the school and get a sense of the student body. Get the Fiske guide and read about the schools. It’s much better at giving you a picture of the school’s culture than the ranking publications. Have you looked at small LAC’s that have engineering or 3-2 or 4-2 programs? Harvey Mudd, Reed, etc. I know those are West Coast but you get what I mean? Having taught at both large universities and small LAC’s, IMHO, students like your daughter (intellectual, late bloomers socially) really flourish at small schools. Additionally, I think there’s no comparison when it comes to the actual quality of the education. Much more opportunity for research and interaction with professors.</p>
<p>
Well THAT is great news.</p>
<p>“All the more reason to visit the school and get a sense of the student body.”</p>
<p>we are doing our best to fits lots of visits in.</p>
<p>" Get the Fiske guide and read about the schools."</p>
<p>My DD has been reading it.</p>
<p>" It’s much better at giving you a picture of the school’s culture than the ranking publications. Have you looked at small LAC’s that have engineering or 3-2 or 4-2 programs? Harvey Mudd, Reed, etc. I know those are West Coast but you get what I mean?"</p>
<p>RPI, UR, Lafayette, other east coast equivalents. </p>
<p>But I dont think she can limit herself to those options, there arent enough of them.</p>
<p>" Having taught at both large universities and small LAC’s, IMHO, students like your daughter (intellectual, late bloomers socially) really flourish at small schools. Additionally, I think there’s no comparison when it comes to the actual quality of the education. Much more opportunity for research and interaction with professors. "</p>
<p>I attended a large school, and by and large I agree. If only she were a premed, I would without hesitation rule out large schools. Given her interests, I don’t think we can.</p>
<p>Sounds like you’re on the right track. I agree RPI is a great choice. Franklin & Marshall has a good 3/4-2 program and is great for all of the sciences.</p>
<p>If the school profiles provide deciles but the school does not officially report rank do the colleges just do the rank calculation for you :O? I find that pretty weird…</p>
<p>Wow, the most valuable suggestion on CC for us yet.</p>
<p>DD spent a CTY session at F&M, and has expressed some interest. I assumed it was out, as all liberal arts. 3-2 definitely looks interesting and we will explore it, this may change the itenarary of next weeks PA trip.</p>
<p>
Many will tell you straight out that if the school doesn’t rank, the colleges will then take the information provided by the high school and get a good idea of where the student falls. Heck, many re-calculate GPA, why would doing the same with rank be weird?</p>