<p>I think your D is all but certain to be offered a spot in the Honors Program at Michigan which I’d urge her to consider very seriously as it’s an outstanding opportunity. I do think Michigan is pretty much a safety for an in-state kid with these stats. (For an OOS kid at this level, the Michigan adcom might calculate the kid is unlikely to attend and waitlist her, but I don’t think they can turn away in-state kids at this level of accomplishment). </p>
<p>That being the case, she needs just one other safety in the extremely unlikely event Michigan falls through. But since Michigan has rolling admission and a guaranteed answer by mid-December if she gets her app in by mid-October, she doesn’t even need to worry about finishing the application to that second safety until she hears from Michigan. That makes Michigan essentially a “free” second EA, one that doesn’t count against SCEA at Yale.</p>
<p>Then the question is, what other schools at or above Michigan’s level might make sense. Yale’s a great school but it won’t have Div 1 sports; neither will Penn. Duke and Vandy do. Some others to consider (some already mentioned): Northwestern, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Stanford. I have a hard time seeing Southern Cal, Fordham, Villanova, or Wake over Michigan; her academic opportunities will be stronger in Ann Arbor, though perhaps she’s considering one or more of these as the second safety. But if she’s willing to set aside Div 1 sports, why not add Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and Brown? Harvard, Columbia, and Brown are all urban, and to my mind Princeton has a pretty suburban feel. Columbia’s perennially lousy at competitive sports, but as for the rest, Ivy League sports competition, while not Div 1, can be pretty intense. The annual Harvard-Yale football game (“The Game”) is in its own way as storied a rivalry as Michigan-Ohio State.</p>
<p>I’ll just mention that USC School of Cinematic Arts (Film School) has a crazy low admit rate (4-6%) and admissions are not as heavily based on academic stats, so it cannot be considered a safety–while CLAS at USC sounds like a lock. The Honors College at USC (called Thematic Option) would be great for your D, too. In searching for warm climate, school spirit, great professors, wonderful career advantages in the film industry, and a guaranteed 1/2 tuition merit award, I’d keep this one on your list and visit. </p>
<p>But she sounds like a girl with a lot of good choices ahead of her. Best of luck as you go college-shopping.</p>
<p>While Econ is a great department at Michigan, I had my fill of TAs at Michigan. Perhaps Honors lets you avoid TAs. No TAs at Wake, and DN is headed there for that reason, albeit in a different program.</p>
<p>I concur with madbean regarding USC and have one thing to add. If she’s as good with interviewing as she is with other things, then she has a good shot at competiting to get one of USC’s top scholarships. (My DH is on faculty at USC and is frequently the faculty member on the committee that does said interviews.)</p>
<p>Did she look at Rice? D-I athletics, very strong academics, and waaaarrrrmmmm weather!<br>
Rice is actively (though slowly) increasing the size of the school and building new residential colleges (dorms).</p>
<p>“If she’s as good with interviewing as she is with other things, then she has a good shot at competiting to get one of USC’s top scholarships.” Agreed, as long as she gets her app in by Dec 1 and is asked to interview, which I’m sure will happen. Son interviewed for the Presidential scholarship[ he was already a NMF] but was bumped up to the Trustee scholarship based in great part on his interview with a prof in the dept he intended to major in.</p>
<p>For those who have made kind comments about DD, I am indeed proud of her. While there are days where she is definitely not a little angel, overall she is a great and gifted kid. </p>
<p>I guess our thinking to date had been to use Michigan as a benchmark and then consider better schools if admitted and comparable schools if her stats yield any merit aid and make them somewhat affordable. Then we threw in a couple of safeties just because. While she would be content at Michigan she would prefer if possible a chance to attend school out of state and experience a different part of the country.</p>
<p>I think what I am hearing from all who have responded is that it would make sense to apply to Michigan early, Yale as an SCEA applicant, and to submit a RD application to USC (as a NMF choice) but have it in by December 1st. Then, depending on what we hear back from Michigan and Yale determine whether to add more safe choices or shoot for the stars. Is that right?</p>
<p>MSUDad - Class sizes and TAs are the one thing that concern us about Michigan, too.</p>
<p>bclintonk - We would love an honors program acceptance at Michigan because it would be one way to help address a bit the class size and TA concerns.</p>
<p>dragonmom, Hunt, countingdown, kathyc - Thanks for the suggestions about specific schools. It is amazing the arbitrary reasons kids can choose to reject schools. At least right now, Rice is out for her just because it is in Texas, Northwestern is out because she knows I like it, Georgetown is out because her mother spoke too enthusiastically about it, and she has a mental block for some reason about Notre Dame. I’m sure all this may change a bit as she continues to do her research, but it is almost comical to watch how a kid can initially choose to decide whether or not she is interested in a school.</p>
<p>Thanks again to all who replied. Your continued comments are appreciated and welcomed.</p>
<p>Speaking as a Michigan resident mom, she won’t have trouble getting into UofM. But aren’t kids funny! Every kid in NY state wants to come to Michigan and is willing to pay a fortune to do so and “our” in-state kids want to leave the state to pay a fortune somewhere else. I don’t begrudge them these feelings, but as a parent there’s a certain irony! Your daughter doesn’t need “good luck” but good luck to you…sounds like you’ve got a sound plan formulating. BTW my kids wouldn’t even think about going anywhere in Texas (probably from one car trip across the Panhandle) or anywhere in Indiana…ditto…one car trip down through Indiana. They probably feel the same way about Iowa and Nebraska LOL.</p>
<p>Apparently kids from different parts of the country think differently. Here in CA, it’s sometimes a struggle to get some kids to think of options out of state, and in some cases, you can’t blame them. There are many tiers of schools, great climate and an attractive culture many of them grew up with. What’s not to like? </p>
<p>Of course, my DH and I know there’s a big wide country out there and are gently nudging S to make some OOS application, which I think in the end he will. Also, I’d think my S would have learned from watching his calculus team partner, who was denied at Stanford for SCEA and then proceeded to get in Yale RD.</p>
<p>After getting S1 back and forth to his remote college I’m kinda leaning toward the OP who wrote the thread earlier this month about colleges with Southwest Airlines connections…I’m all over that with S2! I wouldn’t even want to drive to Ann Arbor to pick up a kid in a snowstorm, one trip to look at Michigan Tech during snow took that one in-state off the list for a neighbor’s son. It took my son three days to get home at Christmas but at least it involved planes and not tires on ice and snow and our hands on a steering wheel.</p>
<p>momofthree - Kids ARE funny. Entire swaths of the country have been ruled out because those states are “boring”. I’m reasonably convinced her only objection to Notre Dame is that it is in Indiana. Sigh.</p>
<p>momofthreeboys,
I’m not sure I understand your point about Southwest Airlines but just for the record, Ann Arbor is served by Southwest out of Detroit Metro airport, 20 minutes away.</p>
<p>Sorry bclintonk I was vague…my kids don’t desire to stay in Michigan so when they look at schools, I the parent, think about how long and how much it will take to get them back and forth from our tiny little burg in Michigan and to the tiny little burgs that tend to be the places my kids want to go.</p>
<p>One more piece of advise about USC. My daughter was rejected there inspite of well over average stats, leadership, etc. We think one of the reasons was that she chose a highly competitive, impacted major that only takes about 100 freshman. She most likely would have been admitted had she gone in undeclared. Although with admissions the way they are these days it’s impossible to know. So the USC film school would not be the way to do. Go for undeclared and explore those classes or change the major once in if possible.</p>
<p>Michigan is the safety, don’t worry about it (just make sure she applies). Have her apply to schools at least as good as Michigan, don’t bother with lesser schools (use a bit of a range in the rankings when considering equal to Michigan). We were in a similar situation with our son- stellar stats won’t guarantee any super elite admissions (more kids with the top credentials than spots available) but she may as well try for them if finances allow. We couldn’t justify encouraging our son to apply to private schools with less to offer or with students mainly of lesser ability than his. Honors programs are great, and the competitiveness of your flagship ensures a good peer group. Consider yourselves lucky you have a top flagship school and are only looking to improve on a great choice. She’ll improve her chances of attending an elite private if she applies to more of them.</p>
<p>Have her aim high and not settle for a school just because it is private. At this stage, before the actual applications, open the field to all schools in the top 50 and go through a process of elimination to narrow the field. It is fine to eliminate schools for seemingly arbitrary reasons, unless that makes the list very small. For example- we didn’t even consider Michigan- why pay more for a similar school in many respects with the hassles of driving through Chicago? A student with your D’s abilities has all schools as her choices and must find a way to eliminate most of them. It will probably come down to intangibles- good fit- among many top academic caliber schools. You have to aim high to give her the academic peer group she needs.</p>
<p>I can understand the desire to leave home. Minnesota/Wisconsin reciprocity has helped these two states have an affordable flagship option.</p>
<p>I would have Northwestern and Georgetown in there for sure (I personally prefer both to Vanderbilt). Probably also WashU in St. Louis and UVa, both of which are absolutely great schools. Depending on the size and location of preference, I would consider Rice and Tufts, and smaller (and more remote) LACs like Williams, Amherst, Colgate, Hamilton and maybe a few others.</p>