D isn’t terribly strong in math and the school wanted to put her in a sort of pre-pre-calc class (their repository for kids who have finished Algebra II and insist on taking another math class). She didn’t want to take it, and insisted on either pre-calc or AP stats-- so AP stats it is, because the math department wasn’t going to back down on the pre-calc issue. So far, she has a B-- the first test dropped her from an A. I’ve heard it gets a bit easier after this, as well. Hope so.
So, how is everyone gearing up to deal with the fallout from the inevitable denial/rejections? I anticipate that my D16 is going to be receiving her first rejection from one of her reach school this week. I am not sure if I should just say …“Sorry, I know that must have been tough to hear” or just “Sorry” or “Well, it was a reach”, “You still have options”.
In reality I am thinking. (which I am not going to say, lol)… you probably wouldn’t have received that rejection if you had put in just a bit of effort to raise your SAT/ACT scores. Like actually cracked open one of the study books sitting on your book shelf or used the online test prep program provided by your school or didn’t self sabotaged your test dates by breaking up with your boyfriend at 9:00 the night before you tested…TWICE!
Any advice?
@labegg No advice because I haven’t really thought about it yet. Your approach sounds good and your daughter probably has realistic expectations. If only the test scores are holding her back, is it possible the school could ask for an additional SAT or ACT? I broke up with my fiance the day before LSAT back in the day! Not a smart move.
I understand your frustration. My daughter’s test scores are fine (no thanks to all the prep books that she never opened), but she does have 3 Cs on her transcript as a result of basically slacking off the last quarter the last two years and then pretending that finals don’t exist. It seems like most schools she would want to go to are a reach. In a lot of cases, her GPA is at or near the bottom 25% and her ACT score is in the top 25%.
My D has submitted one easy application so far and has written zero words of zero draft essays. The school she applied to has her ACT score, but her transcript has an error on it and the GC has gone incommunicado so she can’t send it until it gets corrected. She has an OK chance of getting into the school, but it’s not one that we’ve visited. An acceptance OR a rejection will hopefully make the whole thing seem more real and kick her into gear.
@labegg our oldest D applied to 7 colleges. We discussed her choices and determined whether we felt them safeties, matches or reaches. We discussed what that meant and the ramifications. She knew ahead of time that her chances at the reach schools were slim. In the end she was accepted to all of her safeties and matches and rejected at 1 reach and waitlisted at the other. She was disappointed but expected it would probably happens hat way. We had some victories as her favorite school mad it possible financially for her to attend. She was a strong academic match for the school but financially I really didn’t think it was going to be affordable
My D is applying to 4 schools, one of which she received an acceptance letter the night before her 17th birthday. We decided to forgo the safety/match/reach setup and apply to schools we know she would get accepted too, be happy to attend, and has a very strong program of study in her major. I guess it would equate to all safety schools, but we looked for fit rather than the typical CC hierarchy.
My D is applying to 6-8 schools -
3 are matches, and I’m confident she’ll get in - so was her GC when D talked with her - but you never know…
So she’s also applying to 2 -3 schools where she will very, very likely be admitted.
So, no reaches in her application list, as of now, anyway.
We also looked more for fit, both academic and potential social fit, and didn’t pay much attention to fame, prestige or rankings. We did get feedback from a few people who attended a couple of the schools, or who have kids who currently attend.
@labegg with ice cream. LOL
Thank you all for your kind advice. She just received her acceptance email to U of Pitt. It was a big stretch, Definitely a reach for her stats, She was just below the 25th percentile for ACT Scores and her unweighted GPA was a 3.46.
I now feel bad for doubting her…bad mom.
@labegg Congrats on the acceptance! We’re hitting the submit button for Pitt tonight! How long did it take you to hear back?
@mamaduck Submitted her ACT scores Aug 1. HS transcript 8/26. Initial App 9/5. Short Answer Essays 9/13. Her app was marked complete before the essay was submitted…Good Luck, clearly it is possible even with Not spectacular stats.
I am amazed because there was not opportunity for her to “shine” through her EC’s. Guess that they saw she was a hard working student.
My D is still not doing well in AP Statistics. By that I mean, she has a C- so far.
She is doing fine in all of her other classes, As and Bs…
I think she should drop the Stats class, as she has her three years of math behind her already - she also took AP Calc last year (got a C - she’s not a math whiz, apparently…)
So this is her fourth year of math - and it’s going to bring her down, again. I don’t see the point when a 4th year of math is not even required by any of the college she wants to apply to.
I’m the one who suggested she take Stats, as I think she will probably need it in college as a Humanities or Social Sciences major - but maybe not. Anyway, it still may be better for her to wait.
She also got a 3 on the AP Calc test, so maybe she can test out at the school she ends up at, who knows?
But at this point, I see this going in a bad direction. I really don’t want to see a repeat of last year where she is constantly floundering and stressing out…
I’m talking with her tonight about it… She has a few days left to drop with a W/P.
Is she enjoying the class? I don’t feel like a bad grade or two will sink you. It shows she pushed herself.
Is she applying to any school EA or ED? If she is applying early the grade will not really show up on her app…it would possibly put her in the deferred pile. But I guess if you are deferred from a U because of a few c grades, the U was probably an academic reach for you anyway and why torture yourself going to a school where you are continually worried about passing a class. At the worst the U could withdrawal an acceptance I suppose, but that doesn’t happen very often.
My D insists on taking AP History classes that she rarely escapes from with anything better than an 83. But she loves them.
Yeah, that’s the thing - she will actually argue for keeping the class, 
Her argument with Physics and Calculus last year was that, although she was getting a low grade, she was still learning - and - with Calculus, although she got a C both semesters, she ended up getting a 3 on the AP exam. If that’s the case here, then - well at least she’d test out of Stats. And that was the main reason I suggested she take it to begin with…
Sigh.
I just hate that she is putting herself through this again.
Will colleges really see that she is challenging herself? Because, honestly, I know, as her Mom, that is exactly what is going on. If she took easier classes, she’d be bored. And she doesn’t do well when she’s bored, either. I know, deep down, it’s really a good thing for her to push herself - and to be so willing to take a risk. I do hope others see it that way.
And, yes, she’s done this all through high school - taken the most challenging classes and refuses to drop them, just keeps plowing through…
I also hope she is turning in all of her homework, though… She has a history of ignoring homework deadlines because she feels it’s just busy-work.
I’ll see what she says tonight.
And yes, she is applying EA everywhere, because if there is any merit $ to be and from her safeties, I’d like her to go ahead and take advantage of that.
However, I’m also thinking if she’s rejected or deferred anywhere, she can still have time to apply elsewhere…
Well, I asked her if she wanted to drop, and of course, she said No way! lol
Sigh. I am proud of her, anyway, for wanting to stick with it.
Stats will help so much with many majors, jobs, and life. Maybe If she had a weekly one to one tutor for stats it’d would take off some of the stress and ensure homework it getting done. Just a thought.
Acceptance #2 - Ohio University. It is good to have choices. Now just to secure an acceptance at a school with a Freshman direct entry 6 yr DPT program. Of course that means she actually has to complete the application and submit it. Hopefully the 2 acceptance will boost her confidence. Rolling admits are great!
My D wants to be a physical therapist also. She also wants to attend school in Texas, we haven’t found a 6 year DPT option in Texas. Her first choice school has an athletic medicine option under its kinesiology majors that I thought was great.
@labegg That is awesome! Congrats to your daughter!
So stressed waiting for ACT results AGAIN! Our luck that my son’s scores were not released with the first batch. Coach at my son’s #1 school asked him to try the ACT again. He is borderline. I do believe that he studied and tried his best.
@allboyz We feel your pain. My DS16 did not get his scores either. He’s right on the cutoff for double the scholarship money at one of his schools. Hopefully , your son will hear on Wednesday.