Oh btw also UT Austin, but this would also be a reach as an international student (Their OOS acceptance rate is single digit)
1 Like
I was going to mention Pitt as a safety also. Rolling admission and decent OOS merit. D got in on 9/3. Talk about a huge sense of relief to have an answer so soon!
4 Likes
I will chime in to say that I am sure that yield management affected some of my sonâs choices last year.
4 Likes
Other film safety options might be Rochester Institute of Technology, Arizona State, and Hofstra.
My younger child D22 is getting more acceptances than expected in the current climate with very good but not excellent statistics. Applications have focused on either film or art/technology. My conclusion is that her essays have given her applications a big boost.
2 Likes
Five. Iâll skip the math and social science. Just be careful not to mischaracterize a school such as, say, Wesleyan as a match (for fully qualified students, it tends to represent a high match or realistic reach).
2 Likes
Respectfully, I think that is fallacious.
Shotgunning (applying to a lot of colleges) doesnât by itself increase your chances of acceptance, any more than buying lottery tickets of many different lotteries increase your odds at winning any one of them.
You get in to a college because your profile matches what theyâre looking for. Therefore you can save yourself a lot of time, effort and money by targeting where you apply.
Otherwise, going literally by what youâre stating, any student with nothing noteworthy in their application should be able to apply to all the T20s and be guaranteed at least one acceptance. But it doesnât work that way.
21 Likes
Real life example to agree with a superior, not average, student. My daughters valedictorian last yearâŠwith 36 ACTâŠapplied to 18 schools. 16 of the US News top 20. 0 for 16.
The other two she got admits to. NYU full pay and U of TN where she is with merit.
Not sure how she did on the other components of the app but I know she did a few clubs.
9 Likes
yeah we know a NMFinalist with awesome stats that had a similar experience. Iâm so ready to get this process in the review mirror!
1 Like
The thread I linked above was about a very high stats, NMFâŠwho was not accepted anywhere. Thatâs whyâŠa couple of sure things are really essential on everyoneâs list. And ones with early action or rolling admissions are the icing on the cake.
9 Likes
Always have at least one safety that your child is enthusiastic about. As others mentioned, a safety with EA or rolling admission is even better. It can take some of the pressure off.
8 Likes
I wouldnât go as far as saying that you need to be enthusiastic, just willing to attend if nothing else comes along.
2 Likes
This was just on the U of Florida page - itâs not the first and wonât be the last post. They sent a 2nd note saying the daughter had 10 APs including Calc BC as a Junior. You already know - but just a real life example of a school that most elite students donât consider elite.
we are heart broken here, my daughter was rejected, she has 3.9 UW GPA, 1520 SAT, swimming, work, mock trial and some more extracurriculars.
1 Like
I think that everyone has hopefully convinced you of the need for true safeties. Below are some options I might research.
For your daughter:
- Drexel in Philadelphia has a major in Screenwriting & Playwriting with a lot of related opportunities (including coops)
- University of Cincinnati not only has a major in film & media studies, but also offers certificates in Directing for Film & Television and in Screenwriting for students in any major. Students also have the ability to create interdisciplinary majors, which might capture a lot of your daughtersâ interests. And UC also focuses on coops and experiential learning.
- SUNY Purchase is not quite as urban, but its focus on the arts & society seems right up your daughterâs alley. There are separate majors in Cinema and Television Studies, Film, Playwriting and Screenwriting, and minors in Film/Video Production, Playwriting, and Screenwriting. But thereâs also the sociology major and studying various aspects of society.
For your son things are a bit more wide open.
- University of Dayton is on the Princeton Reviewâs list of happiest students (Kansas State and University of Oklahoma are also extremely likely for your son, but seem bigger than what heâs interested in).
- Kansas State (and Whitman, which you mentioned upthread) made PRâs list for highest quality of life.
- Marquette and Xavier made PRâs list for schools where students are packing the stadiums.
- Elon in NC is noted for its beautiful campus as well as its career services and programs for first-year students, and has a relatively strong economics department as well.
- Saint Louis University has a strong economics program
- Texas Christian has economics strength as well with a preppy vibe and lots of athletic spirit
- Gonzaga is another one with some economics strength and athletic spirit
8 Likes
I disagree. What happens if thatâs the studentâs only choice? Then they go to school and theyâre depressed at the thought and frequently looking to transfer and itâs not setting up the experience as a positive thing. When a student sends in their enrollment deposit, they should be looking forward to the institution that theyâre going to be attending.
10 Likes
I tend to agree they should be pretty enthusiastic. Merit, honors, and any other special treatment at all REALLY helps. Admitted student days are also designed to make you enthusiastic. Iâm kind of leaning towards NOT touring safeties unless it comes to that (especially on the same trips as tours of Ivies.)
1 Like
Everyone has different thoughts on touring. In general, if you are somewhere where you can combine - it saves you a trip later.
But not all schools require demonstrated interest. Itâs likely the publics donât. So perhaps a strategy is to do a tour/info session at a high priority - but if youâre in the area of a possible safety, walk it yourself, have lunch, etc⊠Of course, as you probably know from your other student, too many info sessions wears one out anyway as theyâre all the same.
Plus, you really just need âa safetyâ and not a ton.
And yep, a student needs to be enthused or shouldnât bother applying.
Itâs hard enough with one kid at a time - how you do two - thatâs quite a feat!!!
1 Like
It doesnât appear that the lottery analogy supports your belief, since the above scenario would increase the odds of winning at least one lottery prize (compared to buying one ticket in one lottery).
2 Likes
A friend whoâs D was shut out said the thing to do is multiply all the inverses of the acceptance rates to get your likelihood of shut out. (Obviously doesnât take into account stats and averages though.) But it is another way to examine The List. Eye opening.
I donât think you need to prioritize the touring of schools where you children are extremely likely to be admitted, but I donât think they should be treated like the red-headed stepchildren, either.
What if an institution where your child is extremely likely to be admitted turns out to be their top choice, or one of their top choices? Prioritizing institutions where one is unlikely to be admitted means that there may be a lot of unnecessary visits and increased disappointment when admissions decisions come. It also makes it seem as though only highly-rejective institutions are worthwhile. Your children will definitely get the sense that you consider the schools that are highly likely acceptances as âsecond tierâ and what happens if thatâs where your child ends up going (whether thatâs how you feel or not)?
I would give all the schools on the list equal attention right now. Research the possibilities, map out how the curriculum would be for 8 semesters, see what special opportunities interest your students, do the online tours, etc. Then figure out what schools make the favorites in the categories of extremely likely for admittance (90+%), likely (60-90%), possible (25-55%), and unlikely (less than 25%).
Schools whose admittance rates are below 25% are unlikely for everyone, because students are self-selecting (they only apply if they think they have a decent shot). So 95% of the people receiving rejection letters in the spring from the Ivy League and similar institutions are in the top 5% of their class with super high test scores and great leadership and tons of extracurriculars, etc. Theyâre not students with a 2.5 GPA and a 23 ACT. Personally, Iâd focus more on the likeliest options and then visit unlikely options if your students receive admits.
18 Likes
Californian here - midwesterners are amazingly friendly and very practicalđ Donât knock IU until
you see it - gorgeous school with the most friendly kids.
12 Likes