<p>My son is a freshman at St. Joseph’s University in PA. He had a GPA of around 2.8 (but from a very good school) and ended up getting into all but one of the private schools to which he applied. Most acceptances came in mid-May where he was accepted off the waiting lists. He ended up getting into PC, Loyola MD, Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Hofstra, Siena and URI. Because of the economy, the demand at state universities was much greater than the demand at private colleges. He did not get into UMASS, UNH or UCONN. It made for a very long college application process, but it ended on a very good note. My advice to you is if you think a school is a good fit for your child, go for it! It can’t hurt to apply. Good luck to all of you! There is hope!</p>
<p>masshysteria - how does your son like St. Joseph’s? We’ll be attending a campus tour soon but we have walked the campus on our own on a weekend. It seemed kind of empty…but the grounds were nice. Can you speak about the school spirit/school activities, campus safety and classes/professors? Also why did he choose St. Joes over the other schools like Loyola? Thx!</p>
<p>Success to report: my son, 2.92 gpa, was admitted this morning to Northern arizona University in Flagstaff. They didn’t even ask for test scores. Not his top choice, but at least we know he’s “going to college.” YAY!</p>
<p>Elizabethh</p>
<p>Congrats and best of luck with the rest of the process!</p>
<p>My son seems to have decided to ED to a school I like a lot, too, but would not be my first choice for him. He ranks my first choice second, as far as I can tell, because it is more selective and he is afraid he would have to work too hard and the kids would be too academically inclined.
I think my preference would help him more in the job market and that he lacks confidence academically because he only started working reasonably hard as a junior.
He wants to apply ED to get the process over with and enjoy his senior year.
My instinct is to let him make his own decision, even if I would not let him make such a huge investment of our money in any other way. Would anyone do otherwise?</p>
<p>Congratulations to you and your son, Elizabethh!!!</p>
<p>yabeyabe2, I sent a PM to you.</p>
<p>“…it is more selective and he is afraid he would have to work too hard and the kids would be too academically inclined.”
…he only started working reasonably hard as a junior.
… get the process over with and enjoy his senior year.
…I would not let him make such a huge investment of our money in any other way"
^^^^^
Yes, I would do otherwise.</p>
<p>I think your instincts are probably sound, yabeyabe2. The one thing I might do is question your son closely to make sure that this is not <em>all</em> about self-confidence issues–if he really prefers the same school you do, but is afraid he’s not up to it, then that doesn’t sound like a very good reason to apply ED somewhere else. It might make more sense to apply RD everywhere and see where his state of mind is once the acceptances are in.</p>
<p>But if he really does prefer his school on the merits, and the fact that it might be a bit less strenuous academically is just icing on the cake, then I think I would let him have his way, especially if you have a basically positive view of the school yourself, which it sounds like you do.</p>
<p>I was just thinking, if his first choice is a bit less selective, is there really a need to apply ED and lock in now? Might he change his mind if he were not locked in? 6 months for a high school senior is a long time, and he can really grow, develop, and change a lot in that period of time. Supposing he was not admitted to his “first” choice. Would this be so terrible for him, or could he roll with punches and attend his second or third choice school, if he even has a 2nd or 3rd choice clearly selected in his mind?</p>
<p>yabeyabe2, why go ED if you feel that they would possibly admit him anyway? Things can change so quickly with these 17-18 year olds! Why not just wait and see what he is offered elsewhere so you can compare? Even if you are not eligible for need-based aid, perhaps your S might get merit aid elsewhere. If he goes ED, as you are well aware, you will never know what those other schools were going to offer him! </p>
<p>I do understand the “need to know now” & “get this over with” attitude, but possibly if your S could get merit aid elsewhere, that might save your family some bucks and maybe even enable you to help him when he graduates even more: like new car, help with living expenses and so on. It is just so great to compare & have some choices! </p>
<p>By the time April 1st rolls around, he may have changed his mind how he feels about these schools more than once! It is our 4th time around for this & schools get added to the list, deleted from the list & then added back on again! Even those “Accepted Student Days” can be kind of fun!</p>
<p>I appreciate all your thoughts, although I could not discern aglages’ reasoning.</p>
<p>Right now, schools 3, 4 and 5 are far behind in the race for various reasons. </p>
<p>I had given serious thought to urging him to wait for RD, in case he somehow changed is mind. I even thought of offering him some or all of any extra merit aid we might get from my #1. However, we will not be receiving any financial aid (at times I think the rules penalize people who opted to put money into college funds rather than flashy cars, etc) and I am dubious we will get merit aid–my #1 is a reach and, at a session this weekend at son’s #1, they said their financial status was strong partly because they did not grant additional aid to last year (good for them, bad for parents). At son’s #1, he would not be in their top 20% in SATs, I think because he would not take either the ACT or a second SAT (another battle in our war of wills), so I suspect little or no merit is headed our way.</p>
<p>I talked to him again when he returrned from school today. It appears another factor is that his best friend has decided to apply ED to the same school (with the same #2). For the past few months, I have heard them speculate about rooming together, playing on the same intramural teams, etc. As he has no friends headed to my #1, is anxious about being away from home and this friend would be an ideal roommate (does not smoke or drink; wants to do well in school; understands my son’s quirks, etc), this is a significant plus.</p>
<p>Although I always opted for the most prestigious school for myself (with my parents’ support), I know my son does not have my academic drive or, sadly, ability. If he goes to my #1 and is overmatched, or just plain unhappy, I will feel awful and responsible. I would like to think he would respond to the competition; would not be admitted to my #1 if he were not likely to do ok; and that his strong junior year grades are more indicative, etc, but, in the end, think he is likely to be happier being a bigger academic fish and with his friend at his #1.</p>
<p>And, in my dark moments, I worry about his #1 not admitting him because of his refusal to build up his ECs, or he blew the interview or whatever. If he does not get in ED, at least it will be a wakeup call for him to look at a lot more schools (nothing like long drives across the northeast during December snows!).</p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>“I could not discern aglages’ reasoning.”</p>
<p>“…it is more selective and he is afraid he would have to work too hard and the kids would be too academically inclined.”</p>
<p>How hard is “too” hard? Too academically “inclined”? As opposed to more “party” inclined?</p>
<p>“…he only started working reasonably hard as a junior.”</p>
<p>Wouldn’t this statement indicate that your son had not worked even “reasonably” hard as a Freshman and Sophomore?</p>
<p>“… get the process over with and enjoy his senior year.”</p>
<p>He wants to enjoy his Senior year similar to the way he enjoyed his Freshman and Sophomore years?</p>
<p>“…I would not let him make such a huge investment of our money in any other way”</p>
<p>Considering his work ethic and HIS choice to pursue the easiest possible path, why would you let him make this decision with such a “huge” investment of your money?
^^^^^
Yes, I would do otherwise.</p>
<p>Presumably most of us are advising each other to the best of our abilities, based on experiences with a similar type of kid (lower GPA but with other, perhaps less tangible, qualities) Aglages, do you have a kid that fits this profile? You appear to have a kid with these stats, based on other posts:</p>
<p>“GPA 3.8 uw
SAT 1330/1600 2000/2400”</p>
<p>Obviously anyone is welcome to post anywhere, but I have to wonder why someone whose child doesn’t fit this profile would want to post in such a critical manner and make certain presumptions about yabe’s kid.</p>
<p>Back to the question at hand…ED worries me in general because I know how much kids can change their minds (and their friendships!) and many of our kids are just now getting to the point where they are really maturing and ready to go in new directions. So, I’d hate for your kid, yabe, to settle for a school which doesn’t scare him so much right now, and then find out in May that he has changed as a person and wants something different…you know?</p>
<p>Intended Major - EE/Mechanical engineering</p>
<p>SAT I - 1470/1570 (taken twice both out of 2400)</p>
<p>Critical Reading 440
Math 620
Writing 510</p>
<p>Critical Reading 420
Math 520
Writing 460</p>
<p>Retaking on October 10 , mostly a 1800+</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA - 3.06 (Grades 9-11)</p>
<p>Grades -</p>
<p>Grade 9 :-
English - A-
Hindi - A+
Maths - A-
Science with practicals - A+
Social science - A+</p>
<p>Grade 10 :-
English - B-
Hindi - B+
Maths - B+
Science with practicals - A+
Social science - B+</p>
<p>Grade 11 :-
English - B-
Maths - D+
Physics - C+
Chemistry - D+
Economics - B-</p>
<p>Grade 12 (worked my ass off , all A+ in mid term exams ) :-
English - A+
Maths - A+
Physics with practical - A+
Chemistry with practical - A+
Economics - A+</p>
<p>E.C - Prefect Grade 11 , Did 50 hrs community service , computer club , vice captain badminton team , a few debate competitions .</p>
<p>Recommendations - Great , my counselor was impressed with my improvement from grade 11 to 12 . So she wrote about the problems I faced in grade 11 .</p>
<p>Hooks - International student who does not require financial aid .</p>
<p>Potential College list :-</p>
<p>1)UIUC
2)UMichgan
3)Georgia Tech
4)UTexas - Austin
5)Purdue
6)ASU
7)RPI
8)Drexel</p>
<p>What are my chances ? . Is my college list good to go ? (if not suggest changes)</p>
<p>It was just the opposite at our house…
S1, a “high stats” kid could have gone to ranked/name schools (he had a ROTC scholarship) but was adamant that he wanted to attend one of our big state u’s where his best friend and a host of other h.s. friends were planning to attend.
I’ll admit I was a little disappointed at first, thinking he was turning down a chance to “broaden his horizons”. In the end, it was his decision and we let him make it( with him informing me that the military would provide plenty of horizon broadning after graduation!). </p>
<p>He went to state u., roomed with best friend, got a good education, had a ton of fun and never regretted his choice. He graduated in May. Sometimes they just know. Even when Mom isn’t so sure :)</p>
<p>Priyanka…well you do have some super reaches on there (i.e. Michigan, UTexas) but what the heck…aim high as long as you have some safeties as well. I think ASU and Purdue might be matches but I’m not sure…hopefully someone can give you a better idea if you have a safety on the list. One safety not on your list might be University of Rhode Island.</p>
<p>Packmom…I’m hoping your S’s situation holds true for my own S, who is convinced he wants a big school and won’t apply to any small ones. But locking into one specific school early worries me, because even if some kids “just know” I couldn’t predict if my kid will be one of them!</p>
<p>“Aglages, do you have a kid that fits this profile?”
Despite what you may have been told by your spouse, it is possible to have more than one child.</p>
<p>“I have to wonder why someone whose child doesn’t fit this profile”
BIG assumption</p>
<p>“would want to post in such a critical manner and make certain presumptions about yabe’s kid.”
My post was clearly based on “yabes” post about his “kid”.
As far as WHY…perhaps the last line of “Yabes” post might contain a clue for you…</p>
<p>"Would anyone do otherwise? "
You may recall that my first response was a simple “Yes, I would do otherwise.” until Yabe “could not discern aglages’ reasoning” which resulted in my second post in this thread.</p>
<p>This is my third post…will I need a fourth?</p>
<p>Okay I’m done with aglages, who is either a teen or a very angry adult (or just a ■■■■■).</p>
<p>Now, where were we? :-)</p>
<p>Okay I’m done with ReadyToRoll, who is either a teen or a very poor parent (or just a ■■■■■).</p>