The good news is that several of the schools you mentioned offer ED2.
Apologies if I missed it, but whatâs the financial situation? Are meets-needs schools like Hamilton and other NESCAC schools an option or do you need merit?
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@tonygrace yes we are trying to figure out the EA and ED2 route. BC is my alma mater and they look down on alum apps that dont apply early. DD needs to decide if she doesnt get in to her ED1 if BC is where whe would like to be and apply ED2.
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@Baltmom23 we looked at Tufts and did not like the campus and location. I am trying to get her to look at Wash U, UW, UM etc in the midwest but she has never been to those areas. I think we will look at Wesleyan. As far as wasting the ED on tippy top Ivy, that is here decision that she feels most comfortable with. She does not want to apply early just out of strategy, maybe another school will come around that blows her away this summer.
What did she not like about it? I canât imagine not liking Tufts but liking Wesleyan, though I canât say why exactly. Heaving said that, Iâm a huge Wesleyan fan.
If they look down then donât claim the legacy. Would seem odd to me but if thatâs the case.
Regardless of where you went, it should be the right fit - and that includes financially. ED isnât something to game with âŠ
I forget the financial part of this but you are applying to UMD for a low cost admit so I assume money does play a factor ?? In that case be especially careful of ED unless calculators show the desired price.
@TonyGrace. She did not like the campus. Mind you we saw BC, Yale & WIlliams I believe on that spring break trip. She likes leafy classic old campuses. The minute we drove on to Amherst campus my wife and I knew she would not like it and we were right. We were all not impressed by Amherst especially compared to Williams. We will look at Wesleyan because we keep hearing good things and it fits the SLAC academic environment.
Do you have a citation/link for this statement?
@tsbna44 of course money plays a factor but we have made the promise that if she gets in to a dream school we will do what is needed. Based on what I have seen she is likely to get merit aid where it is offered and we will see what Need Aid she gets.
I did not think about not putting legacy on BC application but it is a consideration if she applies ED. My secret hope is for her to apply ED2 and get the Gabelli Scholar, but this is not my choice or college experience.
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@Mwfan1921 that statement is anecdotal. They appear to give heavy legacy preference to kids who really want to go there. I believe they view a legacy kid not applying ED as not really wanting to go there. They seem to understand that they are an Ivy back up or alternative but they are getting more aggressive at trying to attract âIvy kidsâ.
I think itâs safe to say she will not like it if she didnât even like Amherst. She might like Bowdoin though⊠But Wes is fantastic and usually compromises need to be made somewhere.
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I think itâs common to see a policy of legacy consideration in ED round. Itâs not that you get penalized otherwise, but you become just another applicant in a huge pool.
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I was at BC two weeks ago and commented with S how it will be incredibly beautiful in 20 years. I looks like all quads have been somewhat recently redone and felt a little barren with their young trees.
S what unimpressed âI donât care what it will look like in 20 yearsâ lol
@TonyGrace that is interesting. Did you get to the main campus and Bapst Library? The lower campus where the stadium is is petty basic. The quads are called âThe Modsâ and are the best thing about BC. They are Sr housing where the on campus parties are. They were built in the 70s as temporary housing but have remained out of popularity.
I have heard of people not being impressed and/or turned off by the Catholicism. It was great for me and I have 10-15 friends with kids there who love it.
I think he meant they only consider legacy at the ED stage which is quite common.
I guess what I am calling a quad is not really a quad haha - I was referring to all the grassy areas and walkways between the academic buildings. All looking new with great, wide, walkways, but barren of trees. Maybe barren is the wrong word - they are there but are young trees. Nothing like the beautiful trees entering the campus.
Those red townhouses (thats what you are talking about right?) looked awesome. We definitely guessed they are the place to be.
The amount of catholic imagery did surprise me. Not that they are there, but that they are just as present in the new buildings (which are beautiful btw, major points for blending the architecture). Georgetown was not so âin your faceâ about it, though I imagine ND and Villanova might be more similar to BC.
As for the lower campus/athletic fields, that new addition is going to be incredible ($$$$$$$$).
My DS also went to a nationally ranked private school that did not offer AP courses because the rigor of their own offerings was deemed greater and they wanted to maintain control of the curriculum. Many students, mine included, sat for AP exams anyway and scored 4s and 5s across the board. I can assure you the absence of APs at a school otherwise known for a rigorous curriculum doesnât hurt students like your daughter. Graduates of my sonâs school were disproportionately represented at Ivies, top LACs, and other T20s. Your daughter will be fine competing for her spot at top schools without APs.
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Topography is destiny when it comes to New England colleges:
Amherst - For generations, they could fit the entire college on a 25 acre hilltop. But, modern times have required it to expand downward in a two-tiered campus connected by winding walkways.
Williams - Traditionally thought to be bisected by a two-lane highway, but theyâve managed, over the years, to shift the center of gravity to a grassy plain punctuated by marble slabs between the student union and main library. It kind of works.
Wesleyan University - Similar to Williams, but the grassy plain doubles as an athletic field. A bit eccentric but could appeal to some.
Tufts - Shares the same hilltop drawbacks as Amherst but with 10x the number of students (if you include graduate students.)
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The issue is a different one, op has said that his student did not take the most rigorous curriculum offered at her school. It isnât clear if this is only for math or also other subjects.
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@Cascadiaparent and @Baltmom23. We are not worried about AP classes or exams, the concern is there is a box to check âdid she take most rigorousâ. There are girls who have pushed the honors classes starting freshman year (school recommends none and you need approval to take any). My daughter had 1 Honors class in 10th(2 is the most with out approval) and she has taken 2 as a jr (3 is most with out approval). She is taking 5 advanced classes next year. She has a 93 unweighted average which comes out to an A but the weighted average for other girls is higher because of loading up on honors, but they do not assign rank. This past year girls in the top half of class are going to schools like Ivies, BC, GU, UofC, Vandy, RIce, UVA etcâŠ
It was very interesting to see her on the scattergram because she was top middle axis and no one is near her. There are cluster in all other sections.
At this point I would imagine she passes the initial stats screen and it comes down to the story that she has created over her 4 years of HS which I would put up against most as she is one of the top 2 or 3 most active and involved students in her school.
We will see where the cards land, at this point I need to enjoy the ride because it will be over soon and my baby will be gone.
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