<p>Time to bring this thread back up to the first page. I am reading through all the colleges suggested, but my D is just not interested in any of them for a variety of reasons; some valid an some just valid for 16 year olds. Any suggestions for real safeties?</p>
<p>Queen's Mom, please remind us of the location in which she's interested and the area of study.</p>
<p>She has no clue what she wants to study (her mind changes frequently). She is interested in the DC Area or NY ( the campus does not have to be urban, just close by). I think she would do better in a smallish school, but not tiny. She is willing to look south as long as the school is driving distance to the beach.</p>
<p>Typical unfocused teen. What she does really want is heavy duty academics and a traditional core curriculum.</p>
<p>OK, everyone on this thread seems to be coming at the topic from a high-B perspective. But what about the kid who was a content C student for frosh and soph years, but then AT LONG LAST saw the light and is now on the honor roll with a junior year GPA of 3.78. If you do the math, you'll see that a 3.78 for this entire year will NOT be enough to drag that horrible two-year GPA out of the basement.</p>
<p>So... my question is, are any schools going to be tolerant of a kid who started off slow but ended much better?</p>
<p>He is interested in midwestern state universities.</p>
<p>pickwitch - Hmm let's see. A decent ACT score, a couple good recommendations indicating "This kid just came alive junior year" plus a well-written essay on this academic transformation ought to do it. Plan B might be one year at a a lower-tier state school with the objective of transferring to flagship for sophomore year. Good luck!</p>
<p>Senior here.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any opinions on Loyola MD? I'm applying there as my out of state school along with some other schools in VA(not UVA or W&M)</p>
<p>Loyola of Md is a fine school. Since I live in the Baltimore area, I come across Loyola alum all the time. Never met one that didn't impress me. </p>
<p>The dorms have a repuation for being VERY nice. </p>
<p>The student body is quite white and Catholic. </p>
<p>As a jesuit school, of course you know there's no Greek scene.</p>
<p>NewHope thanks so much. I printed your response and taped it to the fridge.</p>
<p>Pickwitch I think colleges are willing to forgive freshman year (and to a slightly lesser extent) sophomore year grades, but that you can't completely count on it. I would apply to a few reachier schools than I might otherwise. Much will depend on how enthusiastic his teachers and GC are about him and how convincingly he can sell himself.</p>
<p>pickwitch - Good luck to your son!</p>
<p>polihist - My daughter and I visited Loyola MD. Nice area, nice kids, fabulous recreation center. I think it's a school you have to visit before making a decision.</p>
<p>"Loyola of Md is a fine school. Since I live in the Baltimore area, I come across Loyola alum all the time. Never met one that didn't impress me.</p>
<p>The dorms have a repuation for being VERY nice.</p>
<p>The student body is quite white and Catholic.</p>
<p>As a jesuit school, of course you know there's no Greek scene."</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>"polihist - My daughter and I visited Loyola MD. Nice area, nice kids, fabulous recreation center. I think it's a school you have to visit before making a decision."</p>
<p>If I get in, I definitely plan on visiting so I know whether or not I would fit in since I would be a part of the 14% minority population there.</p>
<p>I am so glad to hear this stuff. I wish I had known about this forum a month ago. I wouldn't have lost so much sleep.</p>
<p>If her were applying to an Ivy or to the top-tier schools, I would still be nervous I suppose. I spoke with his GC who said she is willing to go the distance with his rec, and several staff members have offered up their best recs as well.</p>
<p>Do colleges care about recs from people who are not affiliated with his high school? For instance, coordinators of the community service organizations that he participates in, etc.</p>
<p>Pickwitch, I think it depends a bit as to how much weight outside recommendations will have. Our son ended up including two. In his case he wanted to demonstrate how much computer science he had mastered on his own after taking the Comp Sci AP as a freshman. And we also felt it would be helpful to show that while he hadn't done a lot of ECs in school, he had a very active life outside school where he was able to play (or work) with others. The recommendations highlighted his intelligence, his work ethic, and his willingness to teach himself in a way that his teachers really couldn't address to the same extent because he simply never got that challenged at school.</p>
<p>S1 included two additional recs for most of the same reasons as mathmom. Both were profs S had studied with outside of the traditional classroom context and could give the admissions committees perspectives beyond the usual teacher recs. </p>
<p>Pickwitch, if these other recs can speak to your S's creativity, leadership, willingness to learn, etc. -- you bet that colleges will look at them. It's best not to inundate colleges with extra letters, but one or two (at most) could be a nice enhancement.</p>
<p>pickwitch - some suggestions - midwest state universities</p>
<p>look at missouri, kansas, iowa, oklahoma, and nebraska schools.........maybe even include texas:</p>
<p>to mention some.........wichita state, univ. of kansas, kansas state, univ. of nebraska-lincoln, univ. of nebraska-kearney, univ. of nebraska-omaha, iowa state, iowa, oklahoma, oklahoma state, texas tech, texas, texas a & m, univ. of missouri, missouri state, missouri unv. of science and technology (formerly missouri-rolla).</p>
<p>This thread kind of bothers me. I currently have an unweighted 3.6/4.0 and weighted 4.2 averages. A 3.6 is an "A-" not a B+. I understand CC students are way above average, but I do not feel I am the student described in this thread. I am a very hard worker and very smart with a great test score and very tough schedule. I think this thread just adds to the CC 4.0 2400SAT mentality that this thread is going against.</p>
<p>Just my two cents...</p>
<p>^maybe it should be the "B" students thread??? and for what it's worth, according to certain state schools, a 3.6 is 1/10 below an A-, but I personally agree with you.....</p>
<p>My school does not use the +/- system, but an A is a 4.0, B is a 3.0, C is a 2.0</p>
<p>By that scale a 90% would be a 3.5/4.0, and a 3.6 would be around a 92% or A-</p>
<p>Can Someone Chance an Average Student</p>
<p>GPA: 3.25 (As and a lot Bs, around 5 C+s, 3 were in Honors Courses)</p>
<p>ACT: 24 (taking again in sept. expecting 25 to 28, taking a prep course)</p>
<p>ECs:
Captain of Varsity Wrestling Team
JV Cross Country
Internship in Michigan House of Representatives
Internship with University of Michigan Dearborn Professor
100+ Volunteer Hours
Student Council</p>
<p>Awards:
Honor Roll
Leadership Award
Science Fair Honorable Mention
Varsity Wrestling Award
Varsity Letter Award</p>
<p>Honors Courses: 3 </p>
<p>APs: 0 (school only offers 3 and they were all in history (hate history))</p>
<p>State of Residency: Michigan</p>
<p>Recommendations:
University of Michigan Ann Arbor Professor
A State Representative
2 Teacher (very good recommendation and I can get more)</p>
<p>Schools
University of Minnesota TC app in Oct
Indiana University B app in Oct
Michigan State University app in Sept
University of Arizona app in Oct</p>
<p>smallcolleges, interesting point! If A- is really a 3.6 then my D is not a B+ student. How do I know? her HS uses 4.0 for uwgpa.</p>