<p>One of the dangers of getting up before the rest of the family is that I have a chance to worry about things. I'm hoping for advice from some of you more seasoned parents. My daughter will be a senior this year and we've been visiting an assortment of schools. I had thought we were pretty much done but now I'm wondering if that's wise. </p>
<p>Background-- she is one of those really bright kids who is also artistic. Was in the gifted program and is interested in everything (she is an undecided major because she wants to major in it all). She took the ACT twice and got a 29 composite and 30 composite (subtest scores bounced around a fair amount). If super-scored, she has a 31. That surprised us but I think she is just one of those kids who standardized, multiple-choice tests don't always measure well. She can think of too many possible ways different choices can be right. She can take the ACT again in September but I told her there wasn't really a point unless she studied. Bought her a book, she has good intentions, but it's summer... you know how that goes.</p>
<p>She has taken a slew of AP and honors classes and works hard during the school year-- has a 3.75 GPA. One hook we are hoping for is her music ability. She has been first chair all-state in bassoon for the past two years, is dual enrolled in a college bassoon ensemble, had a paid position with a professional symphony this summer (she was a sub, but was still thrilled), and does a bunch of singing and other music stuff. Bassoon is an uncommon instrument and she's gotten a lot of interest from music faculty when we visit. She does other activities as well-- Co-founded a science honor society at her high school last year, will be president of NHS this year, varsity volleyball, and so on.</p>
<p>After all our visiting, she is most interested in Rice University and U of Denver. She has a family member going to Drake in Des Moines and that is a mild interest also. She is a big legacy at Wash U in St. Louis (both her dad and I, three cousins, Uncle at the med school) and we are visiting it for a second time this week.</p>
<p>I think we went into this assuming she would be a reasonable prospect at pretty much any school she was interested in-- no guarantees of course. But now her ACT and GPA seem like reaches for Rice and Wash U-- unless her hooks or legacy count for a lot. She will likely get into Drake and U Denver, though I don't know if she will be enough of a standout for scholarships and we were counting on that to some degree. Her GPA is average for U Denver and ACT is at about the 75th percentile. She is a bit higher in the standings for Drake. They liked her for music at both places.</p>
<p>I'm having a mini crisis this morning-- am wondering if we should even keep our visit at Wash U this week and whether we need to add more schools (groan). Maybe I need to pull together numbers and sit down with her-- have done that in a less formal way several times and she doesn't respond wonderfully well. I'm not trying to be pushy with her but also don't want her to end up without good options in a few months. My husband wishes she would study for the ACT but also thinks it will all work out....</p>
<p>She might be one of those people who scores better on the SAT. Has she considered it? I really believe that if a student has two safeties they really like, you can aim as high as you like, both my kids aimed high and got into at least one real reach and rejected from several others. Legacy definitely makes a difference, it’s often hard to predict just how much of a difference.</p>
<p>I agree with mathmom. Try the SAT. Some kids do much better on the ACT, some do much better on the SAT.</p>
<p>She has a good GPA, demanding courseload, significant legacy hooks at a fine college and plays an unusual instrument at a high level. I don’t think you should worry this much.</p>
<p>She might also want to look at the test optional,schools.</p>
<p>Your daughter sounds a lot like mine. She was 8th in a class of 192 students. HS GPA weighted was about the same as your daughter’s. SAT CR and Math…1230. She took it twice and could not crack 1250. Our daughter played (and owned) the English Horn and oboe…and was top in our state for a couple of years.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t see any “hooks” in her background. Yes, bassoon is an “underrepresented” instrument, but the key is…does the orchestra NEED a bassoon player? If not, that won’t help her at all. Our daughter’s oboe/English horn expertise did not help her in admissions at all (we know that because after the fact, we asked). But her school was delighted to have a student who actually owned her own English Horn…because the school did not!</p>
<p>I don’t know how much of an “edge” being a legacy at WUSTL is… It she certainly should apply, and see. I would say it is a reach at this point.</p>
<p>Rice has a music conservatory. If they have ensembles for NON-music majors, her bassoon might be an asset. If not, bassoon seats in their orchestra will go,to the music majors.</p>
<p>Our daughter graduated from Santa Clara University. She entered as an undeclared arts and sciences major…but she took the engineering sequence starting freshman year. She graduated from there with bioengineering and biology degrees…and played in their orchestra and took lessons for four years.</p>
<p>If your daughter wants to continue playing her bassoon in college, she needs to contact the music department head, orchestra director, and bassoon teacher at the colleges and inquire about this. Our daughter did this and they were most helpful. Some schools dropped off of her list simply because they did not allow non-music majors to play in their ensembles.</p>
<p>Anyway…I would guess that both Rice and WUSTL are reaches…but hey…why not try? You never know what will jump out in admissions decisions.</p>
<p>The rest of list sounds good to me…but I’m just a parent!</p>
<p>Since she was in the gifted program, she’s probably an intuitive thinker and those kids tend to do better on the SAT. My D didn’t take the ACT, but I’m pretty sure she would not have done as well as she did on the SAT. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t bother encouraging your D to take the ACT again. Get her a practice book for the SAT and have her review the math and just familiarize herself with the types of questions on the other sections. A few practice hours ought to do the trick.</p>
<p>If she sits for the October test, her scores will be ready to send in time for ED, if she chooses that option.</p>
<p>I think your list sounds good. I wouldn’t cancel your visit to WUSTL. It may be a reach, but the legacy factor could push her over to the admit pile. As thumper1 said, why not try? </p>
<p>Since you said you are looking for scholarship $, I may just add one or two schools (matches or safeties) that she likes and would be likely to give her some $. </p>
<p>Don’t take Wash U off the list - legacy does count for something. As for the ACT, I agree that some people just do better with one test over the other. Have her take the SAT (with studying, if possible) and see. </p>
<p>I think your daughter may want to add another safety or a school where she is more likely to get merit aid. There are colleges out there that give out aid to kids who are exceptional in music. I don’t think they have to be music majors but they probably have to be active in the music community.</p>
<p>Unless she wants to major in music and enroll in the conservatory at Oberlin, it is hard to participate in conservatory groups. The OP doesn’t actually say if she wants to major in music.</p>
<p>Her other schools are not LACs, but Lawrence might be a good fit. Her stats are a good fit for them, they have a conservatory where she could participate even if she chooses to major in something other than music, and they give pertty good merit aid there.</p>
<p>If she is going to apply to Wash U and you have a visit scheduled, do the visit. They have a history of rejecting students who don’t show much interest… I wouldn’t say to jet around there if it isn’t a top choice for her. But since you already have it planned, go ahead and visit.</p>
<p>WashU admits more students like your D from our school than students with much higher stats. It’s a reach only because they are so unpredictable, not because her stats are too low.</p>
<p>If you are interested in Rice you may want to consider Trinity University (arguably the second best school in Texas). Smaller than Rice and a very good school in a beautiful part of San Antonio. It uses a liberal arts core curriculum, but also offers undergrad business, education, health sciences and engineering degrees. It is well known for its ability to get its students into good med and law schools.</p>
<p>What is the problem here?
Your kid has a 3.75 GPA with a slew of AP courses, a 31 SAT, and decent ECs. Those are very good qualifications. No, she’s not quite a shoe-in for WUSTL. But who is? WUSTL and Rice are reaches for nearly anyone.</p>
<p>Her ECs are centered on one well-developed interest (music), not just a laundry-list of activities. That’s good. She needs match/safety schools, but especially with a little boost in her scores, along with good essays and LORs, I think she would indeed be a credible candidate at many very selective colleges.</p>
<p>Would she be willing to apply to WashU early decision. It seems like that would really help her. I wouldn’t worry about her test scores, they are very good and it is what it is. </p>
<p>Rice and WashU as everyone says are reaches for just about everyone, they are not predictive. The problem is that when you get these scores/GPA nothing is a given and I think there are very few matches anymore. More safeties, reachy matches and reaches.</p>
<p>I guess I don’t see why test optional. Her scores are very good. I don’t see how a 30 is so bad that you wouldn’t submit it.</p>
<p>Just saw that intparent. I wouldn’t count on much money from either Rice or WashU unless there is some need there.</p>
<p>If the family wants to compared financial aid (merit and/or need based) then ED is not a good idea.</p>
<p>Unless WUSTL is the clear front runner for colleges, the ED is not a good idea. Parent indicated Rice and U of Denver were the front runners.</p>
<p>I say…go on that visit to WUSTL. Have fun. See what is what there. Apply RD to the schools and see what happens.</p>
<p>I will add, if ANY of your daughter’s choices have an Early Action option…do that. It is non-binding but would give her an answer probably before Christmas. If there is a rolling admissions school she is considering, get that done early too.</p>
<p>It’s nice to have an acceptance or so in the bag early in the senior year.</p>
The 31 superscore is in the 97th percentile. It’s not low compared to the GPA, if anything it’s high. Quoting the OP, “Her GPA is average for U Denver and ACT is at about the 75th percentile.” So it seems odd that the the thread is emphasizing a problem with the ACT score.</p>