i guess i missed it showed gpas. i need a new eyeglass prescription.
UMD is one of those schools that the stats have changed - rapidly. Clemson is another and UGA to an extent - I think.
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Holy cow, thatās a lot of schools! Good luck to her, I hope she finds her perfect spot.
Whatās the strategy to apply to the others after she maxes out her 20 schools on the common app? It looks like that will happen in the first round(s).
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Too bad StOlaf is too far -I understand how issues of mental health make it impossible but itād have been a great match (serious but laid back students, high level vocal music, and the Enduring Questions seminar).
Not that you need an extra college anyway!
Pitt Honors is a safety.
UMass also but Honors college not necessarily (admission to it seems a bit mercurial) -would she be okay as āregularā student there?
UMD has all sorts of programs (Honors&Scholars) and she has a good shot at Humanities Honors.
What ācourseā would she be applying to at stA?
Does she already have her AP5s in the 3 pre reqs? If so, you could apply through UCAS now (why not add UGlasgow and Aberdeen to stA and Edinburgh, since itās the same cost for 2 or 5 and only 1 personal statement?) and have a response before Christmas.
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Not sure Pitt Honors is safe. My daughter was a stronger applicant and was WL. Didnāt stay on. But you donāt need to be in Honors to take Honors classes.
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I believe thereās a priority for instate applicants over OOS for Honors.
Unlike Penn State, which weighs GPA much more than scores, Pitt weighs both, so this would benefit OP.
Letās hope for OPs sake that Iām not wrong because the list would become unbearable at resultsātime/would need to be reworked. Pitt Honors instate is the safest admission on the list.
(Iām as confident as one can be wrt this but ofc there cannot be a 100%.)
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This Newsweek article may reinforce your daughterās interest in one or two of her tentative choices, such as Skidmore:
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Health concerns and you are looking at Edinburgh?
Brandeis seems like a better social fit than some of the schools you have here.
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Around post 1884 of this yearās Pitt thread, there start to be the notifications about people receiving (or not) an admission to Honors: University of Pittsburgh Class of 2027 Official Discussion Thread - #1889 by Gatormama, though only a couple of people share their studentsā stats in that section. You could search through the thread though to find out, as Iām sure each person probably posted them earlier.
The class of 2022 actually had a separate thread for Pitt Honors: Pitt Honors Discussion and Results 2022, Class of 2026. Around post 46 is when results start to come out.
Although there werenāt many clear indications of in-state vs out-of-state, the bar seemed to be pretty high for acceptance into honors at Pitt. But there was also an indication that recognition programs seek different characteristics. For instance, in the '22 thread one person who was awarded a Stamps Scholarship at Pitt did not receive an invitation to honors.
What this means for your Dās chances at Pittās Honors program? No clue. Perhaps the guidance counselor knows, but I would make sure your D puts forth her best effort on the app. Several people commented that they thought their essay may have been a deciding factor in their acceptance.
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Pitt has become extremely popular in the past few years, with many OOS applicants (especially premed and Engineering) using it as a safety. I think I read volume of applications has increased by 60%. Frederick (the Honors College) admits a relatively large cohort, twice the size of Schreyer for about half the undergraduate population. Thatās why a denial there would require some changes on the list, with more colleges in the 25-45% acceptance rate range.
AFAIK beside the obvious (grades, rigor -there I think your HS will be an asset- and scores) IS vs OOS matters, as well as variety of majors and colleges represented. Thereās only one essay (3 topics, you choose your favorite) and it does make a difference since it will show thoughtfulness, knowledge, analytical&writing skills - all qualities Frederick is looking for. Itās recommended instate (or nearby) students make an appointment with s.o from Honors - now and September are good times.
The advice to put forth your best effort on the app and not āwing itā is spot-on.
That being said, I would recommend the PBS documentary āTry Harderā.
Whew!
Itās basically about mostly Asian studentsā senior year at a competitive public HS aiming for competitive colleges. The students are awesome. The happiest ones are not necessarily the perfect overachievers who shotgun top colleges. The saddest are students who say āI did all that to end up atā¦ā (very respected and prestigious instate public university) a feeling we often see here.
Thereās a thread on CollegeConfidential.
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Interesting parallel 
. Thatās why I went āWhew!ā
Indeed a high bar.
According to the Pittās honors thread from last year, they received @ 7,000 applications and offered @600 spots. Their site states that the average test scores are 1450-1500 SAT and/or 32-33 ACT with an average unweighted GPA of 3.8.
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@AustenNut , my D22 got the Pitt Stamps her year. She was initially Waitlisted for Honors. I honestly believe that all Stamps awardees will be admitted to Frederick regardless if they were initially waitlisted or denied. Pitt wants their Stamps students to be in the honors college, but you are correct the different award programs are looking for different characteristics in the students.
Another note, when we went to an accepted students before D knew she got Stamps and before Frederick came out, we saw the brand new Frederick Dean. I asked her what the acceptance rate to honors would be. She said 50%. It used to be 75%. This may have changed since 2022.
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I appreciate your thoughts and I 100% agree with you. I have explained it to my daughter on several occasions. Because I cannot tell her that no one has gotten in with her stats - and I canāt - she wants to take her chances. I cannot tell her to give up on her dream. Her current philosophy is if she goes for it and only gets into U Mass, sheāll apply to transfer after first year. I personally think she should ED to W&M. I wonāt be the reason she has regrets, in either direction, and having explained everything to her, itās her decision how to proceed.
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I hope if she attends UMass she gives it every chance, she can achieve all her goals from there. Typically, transfers receive less financial aid as well, especially merit aid (meet full need schools will still meet demonstrated need as they calculate it, although some schools use loans above the federal student loan limits to get there.)
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I can appreciate how difficult this would be as a parent, she sounds like quite a determined person, and of course you canāt tell her to give up on a dream, how could any of us do that? Sigh. I hope she lands in a good place. Things may change between now and November, and W&M may end up her ED 2 choice, and U Mass as a safety with the intent to transfer, well, okay itās a plan of sorts.
I have a D24 as well, and after a year of my own anxiety about the application process for her (her older sister is at an under 5% admit school and D24ās stats, rigor and personal drive are nowhere near this) Iāve decided it really will work out, no matter where she ends up, and that the process needs to be hers, not mine. Best of luck to her and your family as you navigate it all.
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I sympathize, but I also feel as though she has grown up with a lot of ātrash talkā around what is and what isnāt an āeliteā education. I donāt know how you put the genie back in the bottle at this point.
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Just want to say, again, that at some selective schools, a music supplement can help quite a lot with admissions, in some cases. I honestly think that her classical voice experience enables her to aim a little higher. No promises of course. This applies regardless of intended major.
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