@cypresspat What you’re saying make a lot of sense and matches what I have seen in my kid’s school - there are clear and often dramatic differences in the acceptance rates of kids from the HS to colleges with very similar acceptance rates and very similar character. The closer a college is geographically, the more likely there is to be a connection. We’re in Chicagoland, and acceptance rates to UChicago and Northwestern are much higher than the average, while acceptance to most of the Ivies is as expected, based on the number applying. Acceptance rates to Carleton and Macalster are much higher than to most LACs in the NE with the same average acceptance rates, and similar academic profiles. However, some colleges in the NE, like Brandeis and Vassar , or Tulane in the SE, which is very popular choice for students from the HS, also accept kids at far higher rates than average. There is nothing that would explain this variance as well as connections.
I don’t know whether it’s even connections between a specific GC and admission, as much as the fact that the admissions people are familiar with the school, and give more weight to things like GPA. they know that the Honors courses are challenging, whereas an admissions officer who is not familiar with the school may have less trust in the course designations.
Another college which accepts kids from the HS at a higher rate than their average is USC. I don’t know how I feel about that…
@mwolf. I know that most kids go to college within just a few hundred miles of home (even the more elite schools) so it makes sense for both HS and colleges to focus relationship building within that radius. It is really really tough for a ‘regional’ College to build awareness outside of its region. My son’s Uncle who lives in Boston suggested he look at Williams. Silly son scoffed ‘I never heard of it!’ Ya, you WISH you could go to Williams! But my son bases his school familiarity on NCAA championships. So, there’s that.
This is what D19 and I heard in our session as well.
Interestingly, it seems that with the 2020/21 admissions cycle, Georgetown will accept AP tests in lieu of Sat Subject tests. There are multiple reports (on college counselor group chats/communication boards) that AOs have stated this during info sessions over the last week or so. Website isn’t updated to reflect that yet, but it does say 20/21 app will be open in early June.
@Mwfan1921 I was at a Georgetown info session within the past week, and can confirm that they said that scores of 5 on AP tests will be accepted in lieu of subject tests.
That’s interesting about Georgetown and AP. I wonder why they set a score level that they will accept - seems odd. (Not to mention the logistical issue, not knowing AP scores until July, when many take subject tests in May/June at the end of the course.)
@evergreen5 - to clarify, a student asked a question at the end of the info session about whether Georgetown will accept AP scores instead of subject tests, particularly if a student doesn’t have 3 subject tests. The admission officer said that AP scores (and she said under her breath, in an exaggerated way - “5s”) would be accepted. So it was not a statement of policy. I thought it was interesting that she mentioned only 5s specifically. I guess we will have to see if 4s will count too.
@evergreen5, many students start doing APs in sophomore or even freshman year. My daughter would certainly have had a few AP scores already to send in with the application, and I know others had done more APs than her by that stage.
@Faulkner1897
Would GTown take any APs of 5 “in lieu of” any SAT subject tests or only those APs that have (somewhat) corresponding SAT subject tests? AP Calc for Math I/II, Physics etc.?
This isn’t the Georgetown topic or the Subject Test or AP test topic. It’s at least the third time it’s veered off into an extended exchange about Georgetown. Can we stick to admission stats and move the other discussion to the Georgetown Forum?
@ironside - Idk about Caltech, but I believe Stanford stopped posting numbers as a matter of policy last year. They can be calculated whenever the Common Data Set is released.
