I’m always impressed by your sartorial savvy, @SevenDad. It is a skill set that remains as big a mystery to me today as it did when I was a kid. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s genetic, like the ability to keep a tune, knowing what looks good. I’m impressed when a boarding school kid, especially a guy, simply manages to wear clean clothes, and doubly impressed if he keeps his room neat. I guess you could say I have a low bar.
It’s been a while, but I came across something recently that I wanted to share.
A Stanford researcher recently completed a study that indicates that going to a “top tier” college doesn’t really matter (with the exception of first-generation students and low-income minorities).
I’ve long held a similar view about boarding schools…and used to bang the drum pretty hard for people to consider and apply to schools outside the “usual suspects”. But I soon tired of that because it was really swimming against the tide.
But hearing this person speak on a radio program rekindled my interest in the BS forum and in once again encouraging people to cast a wider net…not just to increase chances of admission, but also to increase the chances of finding the best fit for the student.
It might be too late to have any impact on this year’s applicants, but there’s always next year, right?
@SevenDad what great timing! DS is already considering what colleges he may be interested in, and is taking the approach we are using for DD’s search for BS. This is a huge change in approach from his search for BS, when we knew NOTHING! He’s looking at size, location, setting, majors offered and combined masters programs offered, as well as the ability to possibly stay for a PhD. The list is very broad since he has several things he’s interested in pursuing, but at least he’s getting an idea and not going with the Ivy only approach. Meanwhile, DD only has one or two big name BSs on her list (I say big name, but they aren’t the acronym schools). And she’s taking a very similar approach. Application year will get here before I know it!!!
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Love this thread and hearing the updates from some famous posters. So I’ll add mine. PPD1 also ended up at a state flagship (UC Berkeley) and graduated May 2018 from Haas School of Business with an undergrad degree in Business Administration. She was a regents scholar and National Merit Scholar and had top stats, but didn’t get into any ivy much to our surprise. She was also a 4 year Varsity Track Athlete but got injured just as apps were going in. Stanford had cooled their heels once she got injured. Oh Well. She ended up getting a very good job in Entrepreneurship field and is very happy.
PPD2 is a Junior at Pomona College finding a small liberal arts college a little too small, but passed up UCLA thinking it would be too big. She is getting ready to do a semester abroad at Trinity College, Dublin. Both kids chose Econ as their majors. Choate was a better fit for DD2, than DD1, and we had learned a lot more about the college app process so D2 got waitlisted at Harvard and turned down Penn to go to Pomona College with its 5 - 6% admission rate for women. I definitely am a bigger believer in fit for boarding schools. Kids need to feel comfortable if we want them to do their best. I’ve worked with several grads of Andover who did not do well in the college admission game, and its because they felt overwhelmed and over stressed at Andover where the highly competitive environment dwarfed their self confidence. Choose wisely. Don’t put too much stock in the school’s placement stats. Those kids who are going to the ivies may not be the same demographic as your student. They sure as heck did not resemble the placement stats for my kids who are ORMs.
Just saw an article online titled, “The 30 Colleges With The Best Campus Food You’ve Ever Seen.” I would be thinking about this if I were able to rewind the clock and apply to college again.
Even though my kids are past the college application phase of their lives, I somehow continue to be fascinated by the whole thing.
To that end, I recently read two books on the matter…neither entirely encouraging:
The Price Of Admission
https://www.amazon.com/Price-Admission-Americas-Colleges-Outside/dp/1400097975
and
Admissions Confidential
https://www.amazon.com/Admissions-Confidential-Insiders-Account-Selection/dp/0312302355
I think both should be required reading along with The Gatekeepers.
@SevenDad thanks…I need all the depressing information I can get. LOL. Seriously, though, I don’t think there’s a single one of those books that are too encouraging!
One key point of all of the books is that being a BWRK (Bright Well Rounded Kid) is not going to get you into the uber-selective schools. I continue to encounter people IRL that I think have crack-pipe aspirations for their kids…they don’t necessarily appreciate me giving my honest opinions…
^I appreciate them! I’d rather hear from the realist and know what I’m up against than sit with idealist and have sunshine and rainbows blown…well, everywhere. :-j And we’ve brought our kids up the same way. I truly wish I had had these tools prior to the first time around, although I am thankful for how it resulted. And I will always appreciate your (and your cohorts—they know who they are) candor!!!
Bumping to update my family’s story that I started chronicling back in 2010 (time flies!).
7D1 called us late last night (just the kind of phone call parents DON’T like getting, right?) to let us know she had been selected for an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. While she’s been admitted to some STEM PhD programs already, the GRFP is institution-independent and goes with her no matter which program she chooses.
Sharing this partly to show prospective BS students/parents that you don’t have to go to a high school with a DNA sequencer to be prepared for a STEM-centric future.
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Woohoo!!! Congratulations SevenGirl!!
Congrats!
Congratulations!!!
Her hard works acknowledges her, Congrats!
Love her story!! Congratulations!
That’s awesome!! Love to see more and more women travel the STEM road. 7D1 today and another Katie Bouman tomorrow!! Congratulations.
Congratulations!
(
this thread)
Congrats to Sevendaughter! Stemtacular! BTW NMH told me that the opposite of the well rounded kid is the “pointy” kid and evidently they are sought after too. I feel like there is a good amount of pressure for kids to excel at a very high level at at least one something, often before even applying to boarding school which is a lot of pressure, and also lessons the chance for the happy accidents that happen when teens have permission to just try something for fun, but I digress.
I have been off the board for a while, but figured it was time to post updates…
7D1 will start her PhD work at an Ivy next week. Impossible to imagine, given she only went to a “second tier” BS and a state school for undergrad, right?
7D2 will start her second year at a selective non-Ivy (out of a “second tier” BS as well…TWO, in fact!) next week, too. She had a great first season in NCAA competition…hoping she can continue the momentum.
I’m not on the BS side of the forum that often (or even on the college side, for that matter), but am open to questions about St. Andrew’s School, George School, and BS/College in general via PM.
A shout out to the old guard (you know who you are) and best of luck to the families in the 2019-2020 BS application cycle.
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@SevenDad your previous posts are some of my favs from these boards, and it’s lovely to hear an update on your kids. Thanks for all the thoughtful sharing you’ve left here for others to benefit from!
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