<p>SDonCC - I appreciate your points about the fine distinctions in stats and your suggestion that we take care. That is what this thread is all about, specifically about how complicated it is understanding how things fit together for these kids in high-selectivity admissions. And because we’re all really reaching, by definition, I appreciate anyone who gives us a reality check once in a while.</p>
<p>I took your advice and recalculated my D’s GPA with only Math, English, Social Studies, Science and FL grades. Up to Junior year, she had a 3.4 UW; after Junior year it was a 3.5 (still UW). This semester she’s carrying all As. She’s taken the highest rigor possible in every class, all advanced, honors, AP where possible. She had 2 APs last year (where she got her only Bs) and 3 this year. She was a late bloomer in Math/Science but always took the hardest classes. Another big ding was that while she loves language in general, she just couldn’t click with the FL curriculum/teachers at our school, and picked up some Bs there. And while I’ve taken out her arts grades, they show enormous dedication and advancement, too. </p>
<p>She has a very visible upward trend and all of her other app elements are excellent. It’s clear that she’s dedicated herself to literature and the arts, and that’s who she is, and definitely with an intellectual focus. I’d say she’s definitely a “well-lopsided” kid, and she’s doing her best to show that, plus that she’s ready for hard, exciting work in college.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t call our HS terribly competitive - it’s kind of more like mathmom’s description - but I can’t entirely explain her rank. Her first two years were a mixture of following her own unconventional path (writing papers on her own topics just for fun, and focusing less on studying for spit-out-the-facts tests - the papers usually never got turned in because the teachers “didn’t know what to do with them”), and some lack of confidence due to a variety of factors. Kids who gladly spit facts out their first 2 years are outranking her now, but they’re getting creamed in the AP classes while she’s shining more and more all the time.</p>
<p>Her ACT score is the reason she decided to “reach” after all, and she knows she’s taking her chances. She’s not the kind of kid on this thread who has a 3.6 because she’s at a tough prep school or doing an IB program. But as a displaced easterner I’ll remark that many, many kids from mediocre little HSs, with lopsided GPAs, are able to show their spark of potential and are accepted to a variety of very selective schools - maybe not at a high rate, but it happens. My D isn’t trying for HYP, but since most of her reaches take a holistic approach, and since she does fit their “range” stat-wise, I am happy she’s decided to put herself out there. </p>
<p>She’s also the type who jumps at those creative, quirky essays and relishes the chance to write them.</p>
<p>She’s done several EAs, but her higher reaches tend only to do ED. She didn’t do ED because of her priority of pursuing the auditioned theatre programs and also because it will be very helpful for this semester’s grades to be part of any selective admissions process.</p>
<p>You might hear about a long list of disappointments from us (including the auditioned, “other” side of her app process). But I think she’s doing the right thing right now, and she understands the big picture.</p>
<p>I wish everyone a lot of success. I agree with the comments that kids who didn’t sacrifice who they were for the sake of a grade or two, or kids who had a rough freshman year that is coming back to haunt them, should apply to the higher selectivity schools and that those schools do take them. Advice and support here, too, can definitely make a difference. I’m grateful for that.</p>
