DS didn’t get into Notre Dame EA, Accepted UIUC engineering, and deferred Wisconsin. Great 1st semester grades. Will probably get admitted to Wisconsin also. I understand why Wisco often defers OOS - in order to see if they are serious and make instate kids happy. Still stings to get rejected from ND, but know that UIUC is better at engineering and obviously a lot cheaper. Right? Obviously still stinging and looking for affirmation. Ha
@smithve One practical bit of advice - When people ask her about her applications and where she wants to go, she doesn’t have to tell them! She can be vague, saying that she is applying to a variety of schools and will see what her options are.
I should have been more clear on this part. She IS confident and proud of her decision She just gets upset and questions herself when people continue over and over to question her choice. I am very proud of her for standing strong Just wish she didn’t have to
We have got lots of “great” suggestions about where DS20 should apply. We live in a an influential NY area where “good” schools include Ivys, MIT, Stanford, and nothing more. You get to hear “He got NYU only” or “He got accepted by CMU only”. People are insane. S20 has great scores, lots APs, DE. and outstanding EC. The fact he didn’t apply to Ivys or MIT is something many people don’t get and gave me lots of hard time about especially last year. By now I am quite ready with "Oh, you don’t know about xxx, let me tell you what S20 likes about it. … "
S20 started answering with “I will tell you in April once I make my final decision.” In April, when all is set and done, people will hopefully be significantly less critical. At the very least, there will be quite a few of those whose Ivy bound kid will no longer be Ivy bound 
And yes, S20 is very happy with his choice.
@smithve I suggest either the “will tell you in April” line or “Let me tell you why I like …” and don’t hesitate to add “Does xyz offer … ?” or even “What is that you like about … ?” People often know the ranking only but very few specifics.
DS20 got accepted to NJIT Honors College too (computer science). I think the campus looked lovely though it isn’t DS top choice (UTD CS^2 is the current winner). I think the safety concerns were addressed during our visit. I don’t recall if we were given statistics, but I was satisfied with the answer.
@ProfSD - ask your father to Google “Governor Charlie Baker’s greatest regret”. Maybe he (and others) will change their tune.
Living in Massachusetts is rough when it comes to comparing colleges, there’s just no way to get around it. @smithve Worcester State is known for its excellent program in communication disorders and your DD will have a good experience if she enrolls.
@MAandMEmom Thank you! Yes it has a great program and is the perfect fit for her. You’re correct about Ma being rough.
@smithve and @MAandMEmo Totally agree! If I have another person ask me why my D isn’t applying to BC or BU or one of the “other great schools in NE” I’m going to scream . She wants to get out of N.E. and she wants a small LAC. Most people have never heard of most of her choices. She got into Fordham (but doesn’t want to attend) but she usually just leads with that school and then just mentions another more obscure one and says she’s deciding between them. Something about having a more well known acceptance has really helped her confidence in dealing with other’s opinions.
Another MA resident who understands all too well how crazy it is around here. One of my DS20’s top choices (???) is Northeastern. People know it, it’s not obscure, but a lot of our family/friends don’t realize how it has changed in the last 30 years. It is much harder to get into! But if he brings it up they act like it’s some kind of safety school.
I think sometimes it depends on your location from the school. An example is UIUC. You live anywhere outside the Chicago area getting admitted is like winning the lottery. In the Chicago area its the safety school.
I hear you @mtemmd and my DD is going to Northeastern but I think some people and especially my age, have dated info on just how hard it is to get accepted there. Their average scores are super high these days.
I have to admit, I grew up here and it has been a bit strange watching the shift. I remember when Northeastern and (especially) BC were safeties for top students. Tufts was considered a solid fallback if you were rejected from an “elite” college. That is certainly not the case anymore!
BC was one of the colleges on D20’s list. My parents didn’t understand why it wasn’t in her “safety” category. LOL
I guess the reverse can be true as well when I get the oohs and ahhhs over having my grad degree from BU:).
@ProfSD my husband, who was not the best student back in the day, keeps shaking his head and saying, “What happened? I got into Northeastern (way back when. Lol.
@MAandMEmom how does your daughter like Northeastern?
Bostonian/MA native here relating very much to all of the posts about perception and the evolution of perceptions of schools. I remember getting in to “Zoo Mass” as my safety and choosing to head west to Boulder. Now, living in CT with my family, I couldn’t be more thrilled that my son was accepted EA with merit to Umass Amherst. This is in large part because UConn is by no means a safety for my solid B+ kid. Yes, he has decent SATs, lots of APs, and strong extracurriculars, but he could very likely not get in to UConn. If he does, we will be shocked if he gets a dime in merit. We are schoolteachers—making too much to qualify for any need-based aid, but not enough to afford it easily. In all likelihood, UMass Amherst will end up costing about the same as UConn.
When we tell people about the small regional LAC where he received a sizable merit award, many haven’t heard of it, or remember it as an all girls nursing school from long ago. Keeping his head on straight and making the choice that’s best for him regardless of anyone else’s ideas will be challenging but worth it. In the end, he will go where he goes and make the most of it, we are certain. The only way out is through!
The UMass thread is amazing at the stats of accepted and rejected students. Also how many are international and oos.
I love it. Keep it up students. I get smarter every year with my UM Amherst degree lol.
In my part of New England. BC even 20 years ago was upper tier students only. NEU was great for engineers and accountants. BU seemed like an oos destination than for local students.
Today BC has surpassed BU in terms of being considered by only the very top students at Moses Brown type environment in RI.
However BU seems to get a lot more applications and is incredibly hard to be admitted with sub 20 percent admissions rates for fall.
Most who apply to these three also apply to the ivies and the like as well. NEU like BU has become a national player in a big way too.
I am pretty sure my dad would be surprised at the BC change over the years. He went in the late 50s on the train and the parish helped pay for the tuition. He got in because the parish priest wrote a nice note on his behalf I am told. He barely made it out of high school.
@mtemmd my DD is a senior as well. She applied ED as she’s an athlete. She’s pretty happy about being in the city and we are pretty happy as her brother (S19) is right next door!
Who else has a kid working on RD apps? Here’s hoping they can finish well!
@SCgirl1 D20 is working on 2 RD plus a big merit scholarship essay due Jan 5. I wish this stage was over!