We had a conference with my daughter’s guidance counselor today to go over her final list. It was basically devastating. She has a 3.7 gpa without weighting and a 31 ACT. Her list is The College of NJ, Wake Forest, Lehigh, Middlebury, Bates, Hamilton, Boston College, Haverford and Colby.
Of these schools, her guidance counselor is only confident she will get in The College of NJ, Wake Forest and Lehigh. We were shocked.
He gave at best a 1 in 6 chance for the others. And he stressed at best.
Honestly, it’s good that the guidance counselor is so blunt…it’s a tough admissions world out there. Take Bates, for example. They turn away 76% of their applicants annually. Colby is the same. Doesn’t mean your kid isn’t going to land at a great place for her…it’s just that competitive colleges are really competitive.
Bates is much worse than that. His estimate is 85% of the girls and this year 80% of total, the other small schools similar numbers. We thought the smaller schools were easier because of lower notoriety.
I hear you…i did the same thing with my kid…I discovered the bad news first…then I gradually talked it through with her.
But once you accept reality, then i think it’s fair to try for the stars…she may well be at Bates next year…but it will be with a true appreciation of just how hard it was.
Wake is a beautiful school, but (a) expand list? (b) pull up ACT? did he think any of that was worthwhile, or just take your best shot with what you have?
So what is her top choice? What does she want to study? How much can you afford? We may be able to suggest other appropriate choices to look at.
You definitely want to have a safety school that she likes and is affordable. It sound like TCNJ is that for you and that is an overlooked gem of a school, from what I hear.
If she is interested in a small LAC, she’d have a very good shot at schools like Muhlehberg, Gettysburg, F&M, LoyolaMD etc.
Since your daughter seems to like LACs, consider some ones outside of the Northeast. There are wonderful schools like Kenyon, Macalaster, Denison in the midwest, schools like Whitman in the PNW. I could name others.
Less competitive schools like Dickinson and St. Lawrence in the northeast offer a great education with a higher acceptance rate - and possible merit aid.
Would she consider a women’s college or two like Bryn Mawr or Mount Holyoke?
I’d make your daughter’s list long. Competition is fierce in the northeast, especially for unhooked females.
Oh, boy. Is she at an elite prep school? Does he have some special relationships with these colleges?
Do you really know those college targets and what they like to see? Because the factors are more than gpa and scores. The GC may have been reflecting on this “whole” those schools look for. It includes her specific rigor, how she did in core classes (especially related to her major,) and in some cases, the sorts of “leadership” and academic determination her LoRs will note. And her standing relative to peers at that high school (not just rank, but how good a 3.7 really is.) And there will be lots of competition in NJ for some of those schools.
Pick one, dig into it, and see how she really matches, other than stats, including the personality and values of the college, opportunities it offers. If you still think these are that sort of matches, go for it. But have some happy ultimate safeties she can see in a positive light.
We are from NJ, and my daughter is a soph at Penn with a 31 ACT (2150 SAT and 2 subject tests over 700.) BUT she is a URM, and I know that matters. What is the rest of her app like? Leadership, jobs, AP classes, and the essay REALLY matter.
My D was president of the National Honor Society chapter at her school, went to Girl’s State as the school rep, choreographed for the middle and high school theater productions, was head cheerleader and had all AP classes. What will the rest of her application look like?
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The odds are terrible, even being average for each school, which she isn’t, close though.
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So, are you saying that her ACT 31 is in the lower 50%? If so, that is a problem, especially if she has no hooks, isn’t adding regional diversity or ethnic diversity.
If these schools are also “heavier female,” that could also be a disadvantage.
Is she limiting her list to a certain geography?
What is her major and career goal?
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There are wonderful schools like Kenyon, Macalaster, Denison in the midwest, schools like Whitman in the PNW. I could name others.
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Less competitive schools like Dickinson and St. Lawrence in the northeast offer a great education with a higher acceptance rate - and possible merit aid.
Would she consider a women’s college or two like Bryn Mawr or Mount Holyoke?
Not sure wake forest is definite either, based on stats from our HS. In 2010 8 of 16 applicants were admitted but last year only 1 of 19. How about Tulane? Bucknell? And be sure to visit Lehigh and show lots of interest. NJ is tough as there are many high achieving kids and a lot of these kids want to go to the same schools.
If your school has naviance you can look at overlaps for the colleges she is interested in.
Take a look at the public universities that used to be the “teacher’s college” in your state and nearby states. Normally those are full of happy, nice, students, offer a nice variety of programs, and are small enough that students don’t get lost in the cracks.
You might want to look at Hobart William Smith, too. She could get some nice merit there. I will also second St. Lawrence and Dickinson.
I can’t speak for the other schools on her list but 31 is the avg ACT score at Bates and since its test optional not all students even submit scores. Her GPA might be a tad on the low side but it’s hard to say as I have no idea of rigor of her classes or school.
Imo, it’s also important at most of these schools to interview,
No offense to the above, but a child in the 97th percentile and no grades below an A in the last two years can do better than a NJ teachers college.
The family meeting went well. Some selected comments, " TCNJ is for losers", “Muhlenberg is for theater geeks”, “If I don’t get into Lehigh I’m finished” and “Who’s fault is this, not mine”.
Emily Bee, the issue is being average at schools with 15% acceptance rates for females. Something we just didn’t focus on. It is very bad odds not to mention being white from NJ, so the odds are worse.
Lafayette will go on the list and Dickinson seems acceptable to her.
I think if you add just a few more safeties to her list there is nothing wrong with her applying to most of the colleges on her list. I only, the least likely on her list now are Midd and Hamilton.
My son got into Bates with a 30 ACT and a 3.8 unweighted GPA, with no AP classes only Honors classes, from a s,all private school in NYS. He had strong EC’s, but nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary. But it was 4 years ago and acceptance rate has gone down a bit from then. ( a few percentage points, iirc. ) n
She does need to interview, imo, even at the safeties.
If cost isn’t a factor she might want to apply ED 1 and/or or II at one of her top choices.
“Emily Bee, the issue is being average at schools with 15% acceptance rates for females. Something we just didn’t focus on. It is very bad odds not to mention being white from NJ, so the odds are worse.”
Where did you see that Bates has a 15% admit rate for females?
Am I missing something? To me her stats seem fine! Certainly nothing to be devastated over . . .
What does she want to study?
As an aside, we went to a “college consultant” in Miami who blindsided my husband, son, and myself. Maybe part of their job is to lower your expectations, and then look like a miracle worker when something good comes in.
Just a thought. I’m all for realism, but I detest the “negative” approach. We can handle disappointment but not defeatism going in.
Your daughter will do fine. The most important thing is her attitude and work ethic.
Yes, her stats might be fine- but not without telling what they consist of. What did she get less than A in, what’s the rigor, what’s the major, what activities, etc. And what are her strengths relative to what the individual colleges want? Otherwise, like several recent threads, we’re just looking at one tiny slice…,stats.
If you aren’t looking at the components of the match, it really is throwing darts.
Emily Bee, Bates Class of 2019 overall acceptance rate was 21% and 17% in regular decision. The female acceptance rate has been about 3% lower. This doesn’t account for the fact that NJ sends a lot of applications. It’s not encouraging. Neither is Hamilton and worse Middlebury. Hamilton is a tad better statistically.
