Throw Covid into the mix for these class of 22 kids. My son took Calc BC junior year in an asynchronous setting. Very difficult. Thankfully he had a PhD engineering dad to help out. Don’t know how other kids without these advantages fared compared to my son.
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Syracuse University Acceptance Rate | CollegeData says that overall yield at Syracuse is 17%. This site appears to offer a subset of Common Data Set information.
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Yeah - I’ve used it - but it often doesn’t match common data set - there’s just no way to know.
But either way to answer OP - they admit a heck of a lot more students than 425 - but 425 of their offers attend.
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For the daughter, I’m not sure why Wisconsin is on there because for screenwriting - they don’t appear on any list. I do see Wisconsin Milwaukee on one - but not Madison.
I’m reading all the stories here of people getting deferred - but business where they are strong.
I may be myopic but with a 4.6 weighted, 4.0 UW, and 34 ACT, I don’t see Wisconsin as a problem - short of the major being impacted. I think a school like Arizona is a much wiser choice - and will be cheap. Or even moreso a SUNY Purchase.
Communications isn’t a hard major to get into at most schools nor are the social sciences. Wisconsin admits over half the students from out of state and this students #s are far beyond the average Wisconsin student.
Not saying they shouldn’t have a super safety - but I’m confident Wisconsin would be an in.
But not sure given what OP’s daughter wants to do why it’d be on the list.
MY S22 also took AP Calc BC via online school at 50% instruction time compared to normal. It was not good. He plans to retake it in college regardless of whether credit is offered or not. Took much material for 50% class time.
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There’s a Radio/TV/Film major under B.S. Communication Arts. It was hard to find and we almost missed it. They also have a fantastic B.S. Sociology with data analysis major.
I agree- very difficult! On top of it, his whole junior year was a 4-day school week. Mondays were homeroom with a 10-min online check-in process. He got his only B that first semester and then pulled it up to an A- the 2nd semester. At least he got a 5 on both the AB/BC exams. But I wonder if the AOs truly know how cut off some students were from face time classroom time, particularly where we were in CA.
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No - I saw the major - but your daughter wants to do screenwriting - and that’s what I don’t see at Wisconsin. Fine school - I just didn’t see the fit.
You can get quant and soc put together at pretty much any college in the country. Most social sciences today are quant based - and there’s enough data classes or quantitative offerings that can be used to supplement.
Anyway, I’m in the minority - so take that for what it’s worth - but I think your daughter would get into Wisconsin - maybe not the ultra safety that many schools are - but I’d have it closer to safety than target - especially for communications.
Good luck
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tsbna44 - i pretty much agree with everything you say. 
but – i just know our friend - 34 ACT and high GPA very high rank in his class of 500 - applied to WI sort of late in the game, as an afterthought, and was not admitted. Mom thinks it’s because it was a late app and no visits. So . . just throwing that out there!
kid ended up at ISU, loved it and is very gainfully employed in software engineering. . . . .but just saying . . .
Yep - engineering a different animal than communications tho.
I could be wrong.
And since I have no life and i’m always on here, thank goodness someone actually agrees with me. Few do.
Most schools GPA/ACT is going to skew higher on the engineering/CS stuff…vs. a liberal art or majors people deem as fluff. I’m not calling them fluff btw…but they are deemed that way.
A 28 ACT may not make it in engineering - but they can be a superstar in history, sociology, women’s studies…u name it
In your case as you say could be timing too.
Thanks for being the first that agrees with some of my stuff.
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The CA question is a good one. Not sure it’s widely appreciated how shut down we were. Not just class time but essentially zero ECs available for 18 months.
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There are some students (regardless of ACT score, if any) who would do well in engineering but poorly in history, sociology, or women’s studies (and vice versa).
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That’s fair. But I think you know what I’m trying to say. In classes that are more qualitative, most have the tools to succeed. In engineering, typically only the most academically sophisticated (from a quant POV).
Put another way - there’s a reason the College of Arts and Sciences is typically the fallback for the undecided or the - we won’t let you in Comp Sci or Engineering but you can go there and transfer in. It’s what happened to me at Syracuse - I had to transfer into Newhouse - they just wanted my dad’s money so they let in the kid with a 2.8 and 1070 SAT and said - we’ll take your $$ for two years - via Arts & Sciences. Different era…
There’s a reason a person like me has a double major in journalism and history and an mba with a marketing focus. Fluff all around.
I don’t know what thermal dynamics or multi variable calculus are…but I do know I’d not pass a single class as an engineer. Not a one.
This was true for a huge number of students around the country. Colleges know this and will understand any gaps related to the worst part of the pandemic. Try not to fret over things that are beyond the control of you or your kids.
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That’s really good advice although it’s difficult when you read about students being accepted at different schools with incredible ECs and you wonder how the schools will evaluate one vs. another.
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I think the bigger issue is - you’ve done what you’ve done. You can’t recreate the record.
And there’s many schools that don’t care about ECs in admission. But of course, everyone has their sights on the higher.
Truth is - ECs were happening in years past. One could have gotten a job but I understand why one wouldn’t want to with covid.
One could have walked dogs at the shelter or found something through their synagogue or church. One could have done on-line tutoring.
You can’t take back time though - so you have to ensure you apply to schools that will accept you.
ECs are not only at school - is my point.
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I don’t know where you live but this is blatantly false for my area. Churches were closed. Animal shelters were closed (to volunteers). Most jobs that teens would have one were shut down. Only just now are some nonprofits and volunteer opportunities opening back up.
This is exactly the kind of thing I worry AOs don’t know either.
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“Incredible EC’s” in my mind, would be a small handful that they are very passionate about and have been doing for more than a few months or a year. Huge bonus points if they can move into a leadership position and even better if they can tie their passion into an essay which then highlights why the particular college and/or program would be a best fit. Incredible EC’s won’t come from just signing up for 15 random clubs on club day junior year.
If they started early enough in their high school career, the pandemic wouldn’t have had a major effect other than a temporary pause in the activity, which could be easily explained on the application. Depending on the nature of the activity, it’s possible that they could have pivoted to virtual/online efforts during the shutdown. Being fully established in an EC activity would have made that transition easier.
Those looking to begin their EC accumulation process late sophomore, junior or even senior year are the ones that would be majorly affected by the lack of EC’s due to the pandemic. Of course no one anticipated this whole debacle but it’s a good lesson learned to current 7th-9th graders to get started earlier.
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Well - if that’s the case and yes CA was restrictive - then I imagine the AOs will know - because at most high level schools, CA is typically one of the biggest feeder states.
Your kids have great records - like all, get in your reaches but ensure your targets and most importantly like others have written - your safeties.
I think both kids have those - but maybe not enough. Others disagree.
So please be sure to add that true safety for both.
You can’t control the decision making - you can just try and impact it. For example, it may be raining/depressing outside or an AO may have sat through an hour of traffic and be in a bad mood when they get to your app.
There’s not much you can do.
Have your kids be the best that they can be - to their level - don’t worry about the competition - and ensure you find them a home by choosing at least one “safety school” - since you don’t have budget issues, one that they will love. Don’t forget, there are brilliant and well accomplished kids at most every state flagship so they will find their crowd. And there are Honors colleges to give a smaller feel. Or - find a less competitive small/mid size school - as a just in case.
Ultimately, your kids success will be because of who they are in life, not the name of the institution on their diploma.
If they are smart, persistent, hard working and adaptable, they’ll be fine - I promise you.
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Majors which require more than merely passing the prerequisites to declare or change into are typically that way because they attract more students than the department can teach. This is not necessarily the same as the major being more rigorous.
For example, physics and philosophy are not generally regarded as “easy” or “fluff” majors, but they are typically open admission within a college, because they do not have so many students that they are overflowing. At less selective colleges, engineering majors are often open admission within the college, because the number of students interested in relatively rigorous majors is relatively low.
On the other hand, some other arts and sciences majors may require more than just passing the prerequisites. Economics is a popular major at many colleges, and may limit enrollment where the department is “full”. Actual art and music may also limit enrollment because the nature of instruction limits how many students the faculty can teach. Also, some colleges have computer science in the arts and sciences division.
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