I have put together a list of school for my kid based on his interests (natural sciences), location request (south) and Naviance data. Should I use Naviance as good way to tell if school is a true safety? He has good test scores ACT, first time, 34 and a 3.34 unweighted from a very good high school (they don’t rank). BUT he only has one club, newspaper. I am worried the results are skewed because other kids at his school are “rock stars” outside of the classroom. He shows that he is a match for the listed schools. (Vanderbilt is a reach for anyone) We are making plans to visit schools this summer. Thanks
My list -
Vanderbilt (would do ED! and hope)
GA Tec
Emory
Richmond
Washington and Lee
UGA-honors
Clemson -honors
SMU-honors
University of Miami
Naviance needs to be considered in a context. Remember, it’s telling you acceptances based primarily on GPA and standardized test scores. It does not consider other aspects of the applications…and it is based on PAST applications and acceptances. It does not predict how a future year will pan out.
In addition, Naviance doesn’t tell you why a student was accepted…or rejected from a school.
GPA will be an issued at all these schools…Even UGA and Clemson NON Honors are not a given. There is a very good chance that there are some superstars at your high school…He can be measured against those other students
One thing to watch for with Naviance is whether GPA reporting gets updated for senior year grades. At my school, our counselor said that Naviance does get updated with the final senior year grades. Given that many seniors applying to selective colleges from my school take about 4 or 5 AP’s in senior year, the GPA’s arguably can be up about 0.1 pts higher than what those GPA’s were at the end of junior year.
Can you speak to the school counselors? Naviance also doesn’t show you if the other applicants from your high school were hooked in anyway. Some of the schools you listed, such as Washington and Lee and Emory,may not be matches but reaches.
Vanderbilt is not a “reach for anyone”. In fact, among the top 20 schools it has the most deterministic admissions process. At our high school, above a certain GPA and test score, the admit rate approached 90%. And significantly below, the admit rate cratered.
Naviance is only as accurate as the information that goes into it.
Are senior GPAs, all SAT/ACT scores, and college acceptances updated yearly by your school, and for all students? Does your school use “the last 5 years” setting to show data? The Director of Guidance at your school should be able to answer that for you.
We are not in GA. I know it seemed rather off to me as well. I just started looking for a couple of reach schools and all of these schools seemed well within his range as compared to other kids in the past three years shown in the graphs. (except Vandy only ED were getting accepted with his gpa) His weighted is 4.32. Normal AP’s and honors like other kids in his school. His school produces very strong applicants who get into top school. He is set up to be one of three web editors next year. There are some serious rock stars so I don’t think it is a fair comparison…
So I am correct in disregarding this data point? This is why I asked the question. He says the counselors tell them to base their list on Naviance. I am just beginning this process and I am trying to use the resources suggested. What would some of you more experienced parents suggest? I am looking for a way to compare schools so he has solid realistic options.
We should be able to swing these price tags. His grandfather is helping with undergrad.
Thanks for all your advise I am a newbie. We really haven’t talked about schools until he got his first ACT score back. I didn’t want to put the cart before the horse.
His weighted GPA is a full point higher than unweighted?
What are YOU viewing as his sure things? SMU, Miami? The others more look like matches…not safety schools.
Any chance you are instate for Clemson?
His weighted GPA and ACT score are great…I don’t know which if these colleges used weighted GPA…that would be worth finding out.
I personally think his EC short list is fine…if that is what interests him. When schools review HIS application, they are not going to be doing it alongside other applications…comparing his classmates to him. They are going to be looking at his application in the context of creating a well balanced freshman class. For all you know…the schools might need someone with his newspaper expertise.
Navisnce is nearly worthless for small schools with only a handful of applicants to a given school. For example, my son was the first person in the history of his school (well, since Naviance) to apply to Oberlin.
Keep in mind that more selective the school is, the more likely they will use the unweighted GPA because there is already and expectation that student is taking most rigorous courses and doing well.
And some smaller selective schools recompute the GPA using the courses they want…and a uniform scoring system. Weighted GPAs can be calculated tons of different ways,