<p>This is my first post here and I am hoping to get some advice for a parent. Little background, I only a HS diploma and never went through the university selection, recruitment and application process. My son (who has pretty much been on his own when it comes to school the last 4 years) is now considering schools but things have changed the last 6 weeks, let me tell you how. My son had reconciled himself that he would need to attend our State U due to my limited ability to pay. He had dreamed of going to a great Eng school but I didnt know or understand the process, or just how talented he was. 6 weeks ago that all changed when he began to receive letters from (MIT, Harvard, Northwestern, Rose-Hulman, Columbia (fu), Cornell ect…ect) </p>
<p>As a result of the school contacts I took another look at the full need financial programs and realized that I had wrongly limited him due to sticker shock from the posted cost. Now Im in recovery mode helping him follow his dreams but with both eyes open so I have a few questions but first please meet T </p>
<p>T
17 Year old African American Male
Great Kid
3.85 GPA
680M/640V SAT
Subject Test (TBD)</p>
<p>Lettered in Wrestling, Track, Band and Academics, he participates in Academic Olympics that are on TV, his school is doing well. In addition he holds down a job 12-18 hrs a week where his boss (private business owner) says hes the best kid hes ever had work for him.<br>
Junior year classes 3.9
AP Econ (Test 5)
AP (Sci) (Test 5)
Spanish 4 Hon
English Hon
Chem B Hon
Physical Sci
Bio B Hon
Senior Year 3.9 (so far)
AP- Bio
AP- Chem
AP- English
College Math 5
Psychology</p>
<p>My questions.</p>
<li> Are these contact letters a sign of real interest or just boilerplate mailings?</li>
<li> How did they know to contact him, he didnt submit his SATs yet?</li>
<li> Does he stand a real chance with the type of schools I listed above, is it a realistic expectation or should he adjust his expectations?</li>
</ol>
<p>The letters are probably just boilerplate mailings and I don't know how they get contact info, but I think your son sounds like a very good candidate for the type of schools you are talking about. You can't really "expect" admission to those types of schools, but I think it's realistic for him to apply.</p>
<p>I don't know as much as some other posters on here, so take my comment with a grain of salt until others chime in.</p>
<p>First off, congratulations on a fine kid. You should be a proud papa.</p>
<p>Finances: Good for you for learning about the process. Indeed, for some income levels, it is less expensive to attend a well-funded private school than a public one.</p>
<p>How do the colleges know? Your son probably checked a box when signing up for the SAT that said he wanted interested schools to contact him. He got on the mailing list for two reasons (probably): (1) he did well on the SAT and (2) he is an African American male. AA males are in great demand at colleges because there are so few of them (a sad statement but it is what it is) who reach the level of achievement your son has reached.</p>
<p>Does he have a chance at these colleges? Yes. The mailings are almost certainly boilerplate, but I think there would be real interest. How much? Hard to say for sure. We don't know his GPA/class rank or how difficult his schedule has been for his school (though it appears it would be among the most difficult schedules at many schools).</p>
<p>If he were my kid, I'd have him apply to a number of these colleges (you can get application fees waived for certain income levels) as well as a safety school or two. You may find that he gets a very good financial ride plus an opportunity that you didn't have.</p>
<p>Thanks much, that's the basic question I was asking. I know they have a very low ratio of applications to admission, I was just wondering of it's even realistic for him to apply.</p>
<p>Thanks much!</p>
<p>Edit: Tarhunt,
Yes I am very proud of the person, grades and test don't begin to describe him. And you were right in both Junior and Senior year it was about as though a schedule possible with scheduling conflicts, lots of either/or choices had to be made (including a 20 minute lunch)</p>
<p>They're boilerplate mailings, but that doesn't mean he couldn't get in.</p>
<p>With the profile that you've given, I would say he should also look into Northeastern University in Boston. It has a very strong engineering school, and it also has what is often considered the nation's best co-op program, under which he would take an extra year to graduate, but would work one or two full-time six month internships in his field, for full pay. The university helps with job placement for these, and it would help offset expensive college costs.</p>
<p>DTDad, there are many excellent books out there about the college admission process and reading thru one will help you understand the options out there (LAC, large U, public, private, etc), how financial aid works, etc. One I'd recommend is called "Admission Matters" by Springer and Franck.</p>
<p>The colleges you listed are all among the most prestigious (and most selective) in the country. The acceptance rate is consistently well under 1 in 10, and when you consider some of those acceptances are for recruited athletes, legacies, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if the rate for the ordinary applicant is 1 in 20 or worse. Given his ethnicity the odds for him may be better, but I'm not an expert here. However since you titled your post "realistic expectations" I am guessing you might think these letters mean he has a good shot of getting into these schools, and I don't think that's likely to be true. He's probably like everyone else at those schools, a longshot.</p>
<p>So I have 2 comments here. First, while your son by no means should refuse to consider schools like this, think of them as the desert instead of the meal. If he gets into one, great, but his time is better spent looking for colleges that are likely to accept him. Concentrate on schools that are matches and with an eye to schools that have good financial aid, then think about applying to the reach schools. This way you know he'll be going to a good school, and then if one or more of the reaches comes thru so much the better.</p>
<p>The second is fit. You don't go into a restaurant and say "bring me the most expensive thing on the menu" even if you could afford it, right? You decide what you like. Same with colleges. Just because a college is highly ranked doesn't mean it is right for everyone. Students need to concentrate on fit. What type of kids attend the school? How many kids attend? Where is it located (urban, rural, part of the country, etc)? How large are the classes I'll take? What type of advising does it provide for students? Are professors approachable or do they spend more time on research and their grad students? There are no right/wrong answers here, just what fits your kid. For one, the large impersonal U may be perfect because its the chance to meet so many people and take charge of his life; the LAc with classes of 12 and profs always digging into his life may feel claustrophobic; while another kid may thrive and really find himself with the encouragement and close support the LAC gives but would have been lost in the wilderness at the large U. Again, a book on college admissions will lay out the alternatives and help you decide.</p>
<p>Thank you for the post, I will take your advice and get the book. </p>
<p>Regarding your observations, I should have phrased my question better. I think the underlying question was is he a legitimate canditate and does receiving letters indicate the school has some specific knowledge about the student. Since I have been reading, the 1 in 10 number is inflated by the self selection that takes place, the odds of a college bound senior getting in one of these schools is off the charts unlikley. I'm really trying to manage my son's (more likley my) expectations without being negative. If he is a legitimate canidate I might allow him to apply to 5 of those schools, 4 other and 2 in state schools. If he isn't really a legitimate canidate I would likley encourage him to apply to 2 of those schools, 5-6 others and 2 in state. </p>
<p>Because we (I) realized the true potential opportunites so late, (shame on me), we are going to cast a very wide net and hopefully have multiple good choices after the schools make their choices. Once we have a better understanding of where he can go, we can then figure where he wants to go. </p>
<p>The factors you list will be great things for him to consider as he continues this process, thank you.</p>
<p>There are also engineering schools to consider that are in between the in-state options and the superelite options that would very likely heavily subsidize your son's college education. These schools include (but are not limited to) Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Case Western, and the University of Rochester.</p>
<p>If financial aid is of major importance just know that "Need" is defined differently and met differently at different colleges. Some give more grant aid and some give more loans, for example. So not all "need based" or "meet full need" schools will come out the same at FA time. </p>
<p>On your sorting list look at:</p>
<p>-academic excellence
-fit
-reputation for giving generous (i.e. grant-based) FA packages</p>