Results from "Parent of Worried Daughter with Relatively Interesting Stats"

Parents Forum
1

<p>Remember this? <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=254054&highlight=daughter+huntsman+chinese%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=254054&highlight=daughter+huntsman+chinese&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Well here are those results if you're wondering.</p>

<p>We ended up applying to:
[ul]
[<em>]Carnegie Mellon - Tepper School of Business
[</em>]Cornell University - College of Agriculture & Life Sciences - Applied Economics & Management
[<em>]Dartmouth College (Major: Economics, Arabic, or Chinese)
[</em>]Georgetown University - McDonough School of Business
[<em>]Johns Hopkins University (Major: Economics or International Relations)
[</em>]Middlebury College (Major: Economics, Chinese, or Arabic)
[<em>]New York University - Stern Business School
[</em>]Northwestern University - Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences (Major: Economics)
[<em>]Reed College (Major: Economics and East Asian studies)
[</em>]University of Chicago (Major: Economics and East Asian studies)
[<em>]University of Pennsylvania - Huntsman Program (Early Decision)
[</em>]Washington University in St. Louis - Olin School of Business
[/ul]</p>

<p>She didn't apply to our state school, U of Washington. Something about not wanting to apply to something she didn't want to set her foot in.</p>

<p>And the decisions we've gotten so far:</p>

<p>Rejected from:
[ul]
[<em>]University of Pennsylvania - Huntsman Program
She wasn't disappointed at all. She lost interest around February. So I would look at this as a good thing.
[</em>]Cornell University - College of Agriculture & Life Sciences - Applied Economics & Management
I can't say this wasn't a blow. We thought she'd get into this.
[/ul]</p>

<p>Wait-listed at:
[ul]
[li]Washington University in St. Louis - Olin School of Business[/li]Well, there wasn't much chance she would choose to go anywhere away from water anyways.
[/ul]</p>

<p>Accepted to:
[ul]
[<em>]Dartmouth College
[</em>]Johns Hopkins University
[<em>]Middlebury College
[</em>]Northwestern University - Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences
[<em>]New York University - Stern
[</em>]University of Chicago
[/ul]</p>

<p>Still awaiting from the rest.</p>

<p>Good news is that she got into her two (newest, and hopefully final) top choices: Dartmouth and Middlebury.</p>

<p>She decided that she didn't want to go to an undergraduate business school since she knew she was going to get an MBA anyways. So for college, she's going to focus on economics and becoming fluent in her third language (Arabic).</p>

<p>Dartmouth and Middlebury are almost exactly the same, except one's an Ivy.</p>

<p>Now the question is, how are we going to pay for all of this?</p>

<p>Conclusion: GPA & Stats aren't everything. Safeties are overrated.</p>

<p>In case you're wondering, she wrote two main essays for her Common Application.
One was about her having to perform at a big event despite having food poisoning. The other was how she became interested in Arabic & getting in touch with her own culture.
If the school had an Arabic program, she sent in the one Arabic-related. If not, then they got the dance essay.</p>

2

<p>Wow! Great news yannie. What are herr financial options?</p>

3

<p>We don't know about financial aid yet.
So far, we couldn't apply for financial aid at Dartmouth (she's a pseudo-international student). But that's the school she wants to go to right now.</p>

<p>Other than that, hopefully the other schools will give us lots and lots of money.</p>

<p>Maybe we'll sell our furniture.</p>

4

<p>Quote: "Safeties are overrated."</p>

<p>What were the "safeties" on her list?</p>

5

<p>According to the original thread and its posters, she did not have any safeties.
So she kept it that way.</p>

<p>But according to a source, her safeties were Reed, UChicago, and NYU.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for posting this -- I have been very curious how your daughter did. </p>

<p>There are differences between Middlebury and Dartmouth -- one thing I would look at is transportation from your neck of the woods. It might be a lot cheaper to fly into Manchester, N.H., than Burlington, VT. And then you have to figure out how to get to the campus, since both airports are about 45-60 minutes away. </p>

<p>They are equally cold, though. </p>

<p>And I totally disagree with your advice that safeties are overrated. There are too many kids crying their eyes out and terrified about the future right now because they either didn't have solid safeties or dislike their safety or didn't have a financial safety. Lots of very sad stores being told in the other forums. After this cycle, I believe in the importance of safeties even more.</p>

7

<p>Thanks so much for posting. I, too, had kept you in mind and was wondering how your daughter would fare. I did think that Reed & Chicago were good bets for your daughter, though I wouldn't have called them "safe". I think your daughter had a lot going for in terms of "interesting" - that is, the type of qualities that would make her application stand out and get noticed. But other than that I agree with sly_vt. Just because circus aerialists usually don't fall doesn't mean that the safety net is a bad idea. </p>

<p>Anyway, congratulations to your daughter and I hope you can find a way to make her final top choice affordable.</p>

8

<p>mom:</p>

<p>Congrats to your D. But your conclusions are questionable, IMO. </p>

<p>Your D's gpa was 3.86 uw, which is not a slacker by any imagination, particularly given the most rigorous HS schedule, arduous ECs, and the fact she is taking Arabic (which is extremely hard, and rather rare in US high schools). Moreover, her SAT scores was 770 m/710 cr, not exactly low. She scored a 5 on AP Calc, and wants to major in languages -- heck, what's an adcom at a liberal arts college not to like? A future Arabic language major who is also great in math - a real nice hook.</p>

<p>(with the Calc AP 5 and the SAT 770 math , her math II score is meaningless for a language major, and is easily offset by the 770 language...)</p>

9

<p>So with a sample of 1, "safeties are overrated". Your D was well qualified and congrats on the acceptances. The same kid might have had different results any other year or day. Safeties which the student loves are always a good idea.</p>

10

<p>
[quote]
Safeties are overrated.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I've had life insurance for 40 years now and haven't used it yet. I don't, however, feel that it's overrated. :)</p>

<p>Yan, I'm glad things worked out so well for your daughter, but for the benefit of those in the next round of applications: Don't neglect your safeties -- both selectivity safeties and financial safeties. If in the end, you don't need 'em, great. Send them a nice regrets letter and let someone else have your place. But going into the process with a top heavy list is still high risk.</p>

11

<p>Thanks everyone :).</p>

<p>The "safeties are overrated" was a bit of a joke because in the other thread everyone was posting about her lack of safeties.</p>

<p>bluebayou: She is actually going to be mainly a business/economics major. And since her initial dream school/program was Huntsman, the Math II score probably did hurt her. She's thinking of double majoring in Arabic simply because she doesn't think Chinese is enough of an edge in the future.</p>

<p>PS. My name is Frank, if you're wondering.</p>

12

<p>We applied!? That's good; I can't imagine doing twelve applications by myself! :)</p>

<p>Congratulations to your daughter. My sister is at Dartmouth and really loves it.</p>

<p>
[quote]
There are too many kids crying their eyes out and terrified about the future right now because they either didn't have solid safeties or dislike their safety or didn't have a financial safety.

[/quote]
Well said. Safeties, in my opinion, are extremely important. You should love your safeties almost as much as your top picks; in fact, I think it's strange when people look down on a safety simply because it's easier to get into. In some cases, the schools are just as good for the kid.</p>

13

<p>Well, she applied, but I paid for them.</p>

14

<p>Frank:</p>

<p>then you contradict yourself:

[quote]
Conclusion: GPA & Stats aren't everything.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>For the Huntsman, Math 2 is a big deal, and they so state. But, other than Math 2 for Huntsman or an engineering school, it's hard to imply that a 1480 is not good enough, or to use your words, "relatively interesting stats." </p>

<p>btw: If possible, have your D attend Dimensions.</p>

15

<br>


<br>

<p>congratulations to your DD. What a wonderful selection of colleges. I agree that GPA and stats are not everything...but having a safety you love is NOT overrated.</p>

16

<p>If my daughter had applied to the same group of schools your daughter did, I wouldn't have slept for months. There wasn't a sure bet in the group.</p>

<p>I'm glad everything worked out for your daughter, but I wouldn't want to recommend her approach to anyone. I think having a safety school is essential.</p>

17

<p>Yes, I agree with Marian. I always felt a little ashamed when I named my schools and someone mentioned that I didn't have a safety (happened a few times). Well, it didn't look like I did because all my schools were in the top 25, but I was a legacy at a school that admits all academically qualified legacies. Beyond that, I had two colleges that I and my college advisor really felt I would get into. I felt a little embarrassed anytime it came up, though.</p>

18

<p>In Frank's defense, my impression of his d. in the original thread is that she is the type of kid who would have done some interesting and amazing things during a gap year, if it had come to that. So I agree that the list lacked a "safety"... but somehow from the portrayal of his daughter, I can't imagine his daughter "crying her eyes out" over anything. Maybe a sniffle or two, but the kid's approach to life suggests that she would have gone off in an interesting direction if things hadn't gone the way she planned.</p>

19

<p>concur, Calmom. Frank's D IS impressive, which is why I think the underlying premise is either naive or......</p>

<p>
[quote]
her grades and test scores are less than ideal for the schools she's looking at.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>If a 3.86 gpa, slew of AP courses, and 1480 SAT is less than ideal.... :)</p>

20

<p>If your D really is interested in Arabic, Middlebury's foreign language program is without peer. D was accepted there, and after visiting, decided it was too isolated for her. But she is thrilled that she was accepted into their Study Abroad Program for fall semester. She was torn between it and another program in another city, and all her profs and advisors told her that if she got in, that she should go to Middlebury's, because grad schools know its program, but the other one...?</p>