Ivy help

Student Lounge African-American Students
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<p>Afraid- So sorry to hear what you and your daughter are going through {{{{ }}}s to you both.</p>

<p>You’ve both got to move on from the “what happened” to what we plan to do. Prefect has given you a list of schools with open applications.</p>

<p>There is a poster who speaks very highlighly of UAB, and it may even be a good option if your child is a STEM kid. See link below. Disclaimer- I have no knowledge of the school other than what the poster has posted and her son is currently a student there who has had a fantastic time there thus far.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15690215-post6.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15690215-post6.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I hope from your experience, many will realize that being a URM is not a given for Ivy’s and other selective schools. The students have to be competitive by all standards irrespective of race and ethnicity and also be the type of students that a college is looking for to build their respective classes.</p>

<p>Also remember Ivy’s and selective schools are not end all be all. The students, if motivated enough can do groundbreaking stuff regardless of where they attend. I say this, not as any sour grapes, because I do have one kid already in an Ivy and another who has received likely as well as acceptances at selective schools. </p>

<p>However, their list included the first and foremost “FINANCIAL SAFETY”. Once that was taken care of, everything else was dessert.</p>

<p>However, for you, its not over until its over. You still have not received all the results. It is not unusual that you may receive a surprise in the remaining options that you have and all of this worry was for nought. I encourage you though, to get your plan B going.</p>

<p>Do encourage and support your daughter through this time and remind her that her worth is not determined by the rejection of a school but by what she does when she matriculates at the school she chooses.</p>

<p>Good luck and do keep us posted.</p>

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<p>I would encourage you to get in touch with the college counselor now. Many private schools publish home numbers for staff members. I would call him/her at home even if it is spring break. Email also if you can’t get in contact with him or her otherwise. If your daughter is waitlisted anywhere, her counselor can be her best advocate.</p>

<p>Is your daughter high school class of 2012 or 2013? You say she’s taken a gap year in Asia-is she on gap year now or was it already done or planned for 2013-14? I’m not sure if that will make a difference or not, but some more knowledgeable posters might know.</p>

<p>You might also get more responses if you post this on the parents forum. There’s a lot more traffic there. </p>

<p>I’m sorry this is happening to you. It seems that you got bad advice about constructing a list. From what you’ve posted it seems that the list was U of Washington at Seattle, Smith, Occidental, Smith, Pitzer, 4 ivies. I’m not sure if this is the entire list, but it seems that the main problem is no safeties and possibly should have looked at matches with higher acceptance rates.</p>

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<p>feel free to pm me afraid…uab is an excellent school, about 11k undergrad, urban campus but all together, automatic merit, “reasonable cost” about 25k for oos, total. dorms are suite style or apartment. very diverse campus</p>

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<p>Looking at the Pitzer page on CC, it seems that the acceptance rate was around 15% this year, so that would be a reach also. Take advantage of PM ing. You will find a lot of helpful people around.</p>

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<p>Afraid - I am very sorry for what you and your daughter are going through right now. My thoughts are with you during this very stressful time for you and your daughter. I hope that other kids who are coming down the pike will take something away from this. You hear over and over, that a school is hard to get into unless you are a URM. DO NOT believe this. I just don’t think that is true in the competitive/crapshoot world of college admissions. You better write stellar essays, have a high GPA, good test scores, ECs that matter and great recommendations. You are not going to get admitted just based on the color of your skin/heritage. Go look on the admit sight for an Ivy, you will find minorities who have been wait listed or redirected with higher stats than afraid’s daughter. </p>

<p>Also, as many of the previous posters have stated, make sure that you have several true safeties (financial and academic).</p>

<p>Please keep up posted. Also, I agree about going to the parents forum. From what I have read, the people on that forum are very knowledgeable and helpful.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>