You should start a thread under the “College Search & Selection” category: “College A, College B, College C…which would you choose and why?” Describe your student’s “fit” characteristics for a school culture and location, and academic interests or intended major.
“If you build it, they will come.”
Until last week he was leaning towards Georgia Tech.
But this week he visited UIUC & confused now. Both are great CS programs.
Undeniably its difficult to choose. I think other aspects like cost to matriculate, distance to home, dorms, food etc should play a role now I guess. In this climate with CS being impacted, being a chooser is a great deal by itself. Bravo to your son!!!
Will be interesting to hear that final decision…
My older daughter is at UCLA. My senior got rejected with better stats and ECs. It’s such a crapshoot now.
RPI vs UCSC—just different schools! Have you visited either or both?
Wow. Those schools have such different vibes. Has your C spent time on campus when students were there? UVA is sort of the “in-between” school. Not too big, not too small. Not too techie. Not too artsy.
If small classes/ access to professors is important, I would take VT off the list. Many VT students and parents are complaining about classes at VT. Huge classes, many taught by TAs. Difficulty getting classes you need. Many math classes are asynchronous online with exams at a site 1 mile off campus.
Thanks for the reply. We haven’t visited RPI – getting to Troy is not easy! We do know the Santa Cruz area and it’s not a place my son really loves (though I do!)
I will PM you!
Had a recent illustration of the crapshoot nature of this year’s admissions, by way of the daughters of two friends. Girl A started a national social-justice movement, wrote a book, had a TV show, had a LOR from a former secretary of state – waitlisted at Georgetown. Girl B, demographically and intellectually similar but without any of those other distinctions – admitted to Georgetown. Go figure. (Possibly yield protection involved, but still.)
We don’t know the grades, scores and recommendations. Intellectually similar is non specific.
Certainly true, and any number of factors could have gone into either decision. It’s just that Girl A is widely thought to basically have her pick of schools (and indeed, she’s been admitted to other top schools), but not even being semi-famous and hugely deserving is a guarantee.
Thanks!
Yes, we are waiting for him too.
I don’t think it’s this year only.
sent PM
I have a twin study going on here. While my daughters are, to us, distinct individuals, with different strengths and weaknesses, on the college app scene, one is above the other across the board–gpa, rigor, test scores, ECs. Both essays were probably around the same level, maybe stronger student’s were slightly better. I insisted both apply to both flagships in our state (Uof and StateU). The stronger student was rejected at one, while her sister was waitlisted. At the other, the stronger student was admitted and her sister deferred (she pulled her app, but I don’t think she would have gotten in). Go figure.
Totally agree. I could tell similar stories from D16’s HS class. From her experience and that of her friends, I hypothesized that there were 3 factors of importance to the T20’s, assuming test, GPA and letters of rec were similar: The essay, whether applied REA/ED vs RD, and LUCK!
Where is she headed?!
Well, tonight marks the end of decisions. They are:
Accepted and considering:
Tulane: Honors and a Presidential Scholarship
GWU: CAS and a Presidential Scholarship
U of Florida: Bright Futures scholarship which covers full tuition
Accepted, but probably not attending:
Florida State: 12K Vires Scholarship on top of Bright Futures Scholarship for full tuition
U of Maryland: Carillon Communities and a Presidential Scholarship
Boston University: CGS: Spring start/London
Waitlisted:
NYU
Now comes decision time!!! 