<p>If you have a child/children who have already gone through the college process, would you please make safety suggestions (or give brutal reality checks) to a student with the following credentials?</p>
<p>school: along the lines of "Andover, Groton, and St. Paul's"
gpa: 10.2/11.0
rank: no rank, about 15~20% from the top
sat: math 780 cr 720 wr 730 total 2230* retaking SATs this fall
sat2: mathII 800 bio 770 chem 750
ap tests: calc ab5, bio5, spanish4
EC:
12hrs-piano, piano ensemble president
15hrs-dance company, dance team captain, "adv. dancer" title
4hrs-environmental newspaper editor-in-chief
5hrs-yearbook sr board layout editor
3hrs-gospel choir-club head
2hrs-musical outreach club head
3hrs-liberty club president
2hrs-student council dorm representative
2hrs-MLK day committee
1hr-diversity council
7hrs-work
--total 56 hours (should this number be played down?)</p>
<p>If he were a public school kid, I'd say it sounds as if Chicago and Hopkins might be matches, HYPMS, Columbia, and Penn would be reaches to one degree or another (as they are for virtually everyone), and I don't know about Notre Dame. But schools like "Andover, Groton, and St. Paul's" devote significant resources to packaging their grads for college and getting them in, which improves his prospects significantly. I'd think that their college counselling staff could give you an excellent idea of his chances. (Is your son an URM? If so, his chances are obviously improved.)</p>
<p>If you are considering UMich, keep in mind that it has rolling admissions. Get that application in asap!</p>
<p>If it is a serious school (not a fourth, or fifth choice that you'd be unhappy attending) and if you get in, then you can refine your list to apply only to your true dream schools. Keep in mind also the ED schools. You can only apply to one ED school and if admitted, you are committed to attend. This is an important issue if financial aid is a consideration. In fact, look into the financial issues. Will you need aid? In that case, you need to know how much need-based aid you would be eligible for (colleges often have a different idea of what a student should be receiving) and merit aid. </p>
<p>If you won't be applying for aid, it is a very different scenario altogether. The schools on your list are mostly reachy types; I'd add some matches and safeties and prune the list of reaches.</p>
<p>Margobargo, Have you looked at the data available in your son's school's counseling office? At my kids' school, they compile data for the previous year and pooled for the past five years, showing how many students in each of several GPA ranges applied to each college, and how many were accepted. Ask your son's guidance counselor point blank where she thinks your son will definitely be accepted, and if there's anything your son and s/he can do to increase his chances at his favorite reach(es). The fact that a lot of kids at the kind of school you're describing will have serious hooks at particular colleges which might make them liklier to be accepted than an unhooked student with better stats, your son should have a very good shot and should be receiving a great deal of support from the school to solidify his chances.</p>
<p>Your stats look great. My advice is to listen very carefully to what the college advisor at your school tells you. He/she probably knows far more than we do especially since you are competing with your classmates and we have no idea where they are applying. That being said, try to finish your college visits soon, if you haven't already. The early decision thing really can give you a boost particularly at uPenn. Also, you know you do need some likelies.</p>
<p>Margot, Barnard likes dancers and would be a good solid match for your credentials -- Barnard course enrollment is fully integrated with Columbia for all but Columbia's core courses, so if you like Columbia for the urban environment or course offerings you really should consider Barnard and explore which school is the best fit. (The woman's college aspect is a significant factor for dorm life but not social life, given the proximity to Columbia & integration of student life). </p>
<p>I can think of many safeties for you but you really didn't give a lot of info about your interests or prospective major, or what type of school that you want. I mean, with your stats just about any college that takes half or more of its applicants is probably a safety -- as soon as you move outside the circle of high-prestige colleges or the colleges that are most popular among your classmates your prep school background will be an added plus - but your goal should be to find a safety that meets most of your needs just in case that is where you end up.</p>
<p>Agree re: find a safety and re: take into account any FA considerations. No matter what your income, tuition at private schools adds up after, particularly in the last year when you are reaching the 200K mark. </p>
<p>As far as the comm. service, 56 hours per week? As an outside reader I find that number somewhat incredible. Not sure if I would play it down or what...I will leave that to other parents as my kids weren't even in that realm. </p>
<p>Regarding the issue of finding a safety, there are so many kids now with great stats and great ECs and great SATs that a safety will be critical. AND in my mind as a parent, it is important that the parent and the child both get behind the safety. In other words as a parent your job now is to create the mindset that the safety will not be the end of the world as you have known it and that HYPMS are not the only schools that your child may attend.</p>