College suggestions (northeast) for B+/A- student with high SATs?

College Search & Selection
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<p>After reading these forums for a while, this is my first post. I am seeking advice about where my son, a high school junior, might consider applying, and information about what schools might be a "reach," a target, and more of a "safety." </p>

<p>We live in NYC and he is interested in going to school in New England, New York State (but not NYC itself), or Pennsylvania, at a small or medium sized school. He doesn't know what he would study --he likes a lot of things, including writing, environmental science and art. He's kind of a hippie who marches to his own drummer.</p>

<p>He had an 85 average in 9th grade, an 89 average in 10th grade, and seems to have a 94 average this year in 11th grade. He's taking AP Calculus this year. He just got his SAT scores and they were higher than I expected: 800 reading, 770 writing and 750 math.</p>

<p>He's involved with certain activitives and has various interests but nothing like being editor of the school paper or captain of the baseball team.</p>

<p>What I can't figure out is, should he be applying to schools like Wesleyan, Amherst and Middlebury, or are his grades not high enough? The schools and the guidebooks often give you the average or range of SAT scores for a school, but not the grades. </p>

<p>What schools do people suggest we look at? Any and all advice would be appreciated.</p>

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<p>take a look at this list: <a href=“http://premium.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus[/url]”>http://premium.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Of course he can reach for a few schools higher than that but please do not waste your money applying to Amherst or Middlebury if your son has a B+ average. If you search the schools and add “Common Data Set” you can find the average GPA (on a 4 pt scale) of accepted students.</p>

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<p>I’m in a similar boat to your son in that my SATs were much better than my GPA, though your son is slightly better in both. I’m from SEPA. The LACs you mentioned tend to pride GPA over SAT, but your son may have a shot due to his immense improvement. He would most likely get in Bucknell and most of the PA LACs, like Gettysburg, F&M, etc. He’d at least have a shot at Haverford and Swarthmorr. Has he looked at 'Nova or BC? He is in good shape and will have a lot of options IMO. I applied to a different brand of schools but to give you an idea I was rejected Vandy and UNC, accepted by Wisconsin, PSU, UCLA, Miami (where I think I’m going), UF(spring, weird) and Indiana. Deferred by Michigan. Just have him explain the discrepancy between the GPA and SAT. Hope this helps, good luck.</p>

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<p>He should apply to these schools if he likes them, because he’s not completely out of range for them and a great set of essays might help him get in, but I’d set my sights slightly lower in terms of selectivity overall. I’d say something like:</p>

<p>Reaches: 3 out of Wesleyan, Middlebury, Swarthmore, Vassar, Amherst
Matches: 4 out of Skidmore, Bucknell, Colgate, Hamilton, Colby, Bates, Lafayette, Trinity, etc.
Safeties: 2/3 out of Bennington, Ursinus, Allegheny, Muhlenburg, etc.</p>

<p>Would be a reasonable list. You don’t even have to have 3 safeties, though; if one of his matches/safeties offers EA admission and he gets in early and likes it, and it’s affordable for you, you can just concentrate on his matches and reaches.</p>

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<p>What is his rank? It sounds like it may not be in the top 10% of his school. If he doesn’t rank highly, then some reach schools are going to be high reaches. High test scores with good, but not top grades, suggests to a school that he doesn’t work to his potential.</p>

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<p>Thanks to all who have replied so far. Ghostt, you list is something like what we have in mind. Mom2collegekids, I don’t know his rank – that’s a good question. I’ll find out. I think he’s working to his potential now, but it took him a while to get there. In 9th grade he had a lot of trouble with organization and figuring out what teachers wanted, and over the course of high school, he gradually got it together.</p>

7

<p>I was in the same situation as your son, except a little lower (I had a 34 ACT and ~89-90 UW GPA. Note: my school does not rank or report GPA (unless a school will not admit without it)), so I thought I’d share my experience. My list went as follows:</p>

<p>Reach: Tufts, Chicago, WUSTL
Match: Bucknell, Haverford, Lehigh, W&M
Safety: BU, Fordham, Connecticut College</p>

<p>I ended up being accepted to Tufts ED, so I actually applied only to Tufts, as well as Fordham and Chicago EA. I got into Fordham, but withdrew my application to Chicago before decisions. </p>

<p>When my counselor talked to our admissions rep why I was accepted, he said that my essays got me in. My grades were an upward trend like your son’s (I started with about an 86 UW and ended with a 96 UW first semester this year). So, while the numbers are important, they’re not going to make or break you. Your son’s SAT is great, and his grades aren’t bad (they might be below 50th percentile, but they’re not going to make acceptance impossible). Something else that is important is showing interest in the schools; a fellow classmate with better grades and test scores was waitlisted at Tufts because adcom couldn’t figure out “why he wanted [Tufts].” When I was applying I watched a video from Tufts admissions about how they accept students and the guy basically said that they look at your application as a whole and no one part will get you an acceptance. Your stats might get you 90% of the way there, and you just have to show them that other 10% in essays, ECs, ect. or, if your grades aren’t as good, your stats might put you halfway, and so everything else will have to be that much better than the person with the great GPA and SAT. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but basically he’s saying they’re looking to admit you and they add everything in your application up and if it passes a certain level (figuratively of course, they’re not assigning point values or something like that), you’re in. (Sorry most of this information is specific to Tufts, but its the school I know most about.)</p>

<p>I hope this information helps. My point is simply that you or your son shouldn’t eliminate a school because you’re afraid his grades aren’t high enough- you won’t know if he has a shot unless he applies. With that said, be realistic and have a good range of reach/match/safety schools.</p>

<p>P.S. I sound similar to your son in terms of marching to the beat of my own drum, so perhaps consider some of the schools I listed above (perhaps not Fordham, Conn College or BU though)</p>

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<p>For safeties, read this post and look for schools that he will be assured of admission to.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1314309-how-find-assured-admissions-safety.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1314309-how-find-assured-admissions-safety.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>UWS, It’s hard to quantify LAC admissions. Objective factors like grades, scores, rank are of course important, but so are subjectives like essays, recommendations, activities, talents, demographics. </p>

<p>The fact that he’s shown improvement academically is a plus. His counselor should talk about this in his/her recommendation.</p>

<p>At many LACs, including the most selective, non-traditional individual interests are valued more than typical ECs. The most important point is for his enthusiasm for whatever it is that he cares about comes across in his application plus his intellectual curiosity and intensity. This is where essays, recommendations, interviews and supplemental materials come to the forefront.</p>

<p>I’d suggest that your son apply to as many colleges as his energy level for processing applications allows. After he’s identified one (or ideally two) good, solid safeties, I wouldn’t worry about whether the others are reaches or matches.</p>

<p>If your finances are such that you don’t need to compare and negotiate financial aid, he should apply ED to his #1 choice. ED is a big boost at many LACs.</p>

<p>In LAC admissions (in my opinion, who knows really?) more information is better. Your son should definitely submit an arts portfolio and possibly examples of his writing. He should, in fact, put together an arts package which includes in addition to the portfolio a resume covering classes, accomplishment and awards, travel opportunities; an additional recommendation from an instructor or mentor; a media article if available.</p>

<p>The following LACs are especially art friendly: Williams, Wesleyan, Hamilton, Haverford, Conn College, Vassar, Bard, Skidmore.</p>