<p>I know of people who did not apply for financial aid and got into reach schools and people who did apply for financial aid who got rejected at reach AND at match schools. Sometimes when they say "need blind admissions" the schools are not really telling the truth. Its the dirty secret of admissions. Of course, its their school, their money, their decision to make so what can you say? You nod your head and move on.</p>
<p>I also know people who were valedictorians who got no money at their first choice school and others lower ranked who got full rides. Its a crap shoot sometimes.</p>
<p>My D had some unfortunate surprises as well. She got into an EXCELLENT match and is delighted and intends to go there. She is also waitlisted at WashU, and depending on whether they call she will go there perhaps....</p>
<p>but even then we are not sure, if they dont offer her any money...its a VERY expensive school..and while its programs are superb, we love St. Louis (we are southerners), its faculty is amazing, its campus serene and dignified, and all of that....one has to consider the cost of what you are "buying". </p>
<p>The very best grad schools take kids from obscure undergraduate schools just as often as big name schools.</p>
<p>It all comes down to fit, fit, and fit. If you don't fit, you must (quit)...oh never mind. But the point is, fit is MORE important than prestige.</p>
<p>Someone I know sent their kid to Princeton, it was a miserable experience for him and he came home in one semester. It was not a good fit. He transfered and was happy as a clam. Not pickin at Princeton, its a superb school, but its not for everyone with a 2400 SAT.</p>
<p>As an adult, you should know better than "lurking CC to gain some insights". It's a chat room for goodness sake. How do you know that anything posted by anonymous users is truthful or valid? Spend more time doing proper research and reading. CC offers some vicarious entertainment value and a thrill or two for the voyeur, but insights? Stop fooling yourself and grow up.</p>
<p>I actually found the parents' forum very useful after my yale deferral in helping me formulate a reasonable list of colleges to apply to RD. Before posting a chances thread, I had far too long a list and was considering Vassar, which would not have fit me at all. There was a lot of arguing on my thread about valid safeties, but otherwise, I received very reasonable advice. I got into all the colleges I chose to apply to in the end; all of them were good fits.</p>
<p>The chances thread I posted my junior year was a mess. My information was incomplete, and I received very definitive chance-responses, most of which were inaccurate.</p>
<p>I suggest having your information complete before posting chances threads--and expecting advice, not answers.</p>
<p>University of Vermont - Safety - Accepted
University of Maryland - Safety/Match - Accepted
University of Delaware - Safety - Accepted
The College of New Jersey - Safety - Accepted
Lehigh University - Match - Accepted
Cornell University - Slight Reach - Waitlisted
University of Pennsylvania - Reach - Rejected
Washington University in St. Louis - Reach - Waitlisted
Tufts University - Slight Reach - Accepted
Duke University - Reach - Waitlisted>Accepted>Attending.</p>
<p>Most people thought i'd get into all but Cornell, Penn, Duke, and WUSTL. They were right...until Duke called :-)</p>
<p>4.5 weighted GPA (out of possible 4.8), HS doesn't use class rank
Student Government 4 years, steering committe, 12
German Club, Pres. 11, 12
German Exchange
Jazz Band
Symphonic Band
Marching Band sec. leader 11, Drum Major, 12
Area Honors Band
Pit Orchestra, musical
Chosen for Rotary Leadership award by HS
Attending PA Governors School this summer, full scholarship program
Science Fair, 10, 11
Chem Club, 9-12
NOT a good tester, that's the problem: 28 ACT</p>
<p>Looking back over this thread, what can we learn from it? Here are a few suggestions:
1. While the "chances" predictions are often pretty accurate, there are many anomalies, on both the plus and minus side. So take them with a grain of salt.
2. The results seem to me to support the practice of applying to more, rather than fewer, elite colleges--very often, a student would get into one or two out of a larger number, with no clear indication of why--and it is not unusual to be accepted to a highly selective school and rejected from a less selective one.
3. Students who were the most disappointed seemed to me often to have too large a gap between their reach and safety schools--it's really important to have a range of schools.</p>
<p>So far I've been accepted to San Francisco State. Still waiting to hear back from Sonoma State and Cal State Long Beach. I was told all 3 were safeties for me.</p>