The hardest part of this whole process is finding safety schools that these kids like and will attend without complaining. It is easy to find reach schools. Another thing that is hard is determining what, exactly, a safety school is for a high stats kid. That being said, our school recommended about 10-11 schools. 3 safety, 3-4 match, 3-4 reach. My daughter had 19 essays to do for about 11 schools.
I have to admit, though a tad stressful for an involved father, I am definitely enjoying this whole process.lol!
@snicks1234 I think a lot of long-time posters on CC did enjoy the college search process with their kiddos. I know I certainly did for my D.
Just a thought about the essay and the spelling bee experience. I do think that his work in HS prepping kids for the bee could be an interesting essay but I would have him take a pass on writing about something he did in 8th grade as it’s too far back and would probably lead the admissions committee to wonder/notice that his HS extra curriculars are not as compelling.
Thank you @GnocchiB . I get that. Makes sense. Makes me wish now we had busied him more with EC’s. Well thats hindsight. I would like to share this. My main goal since we had him is that he be happy. That whatever school he chooses and is accepted to will not only give him a chance at a great graduate school, a consideration, but will also be a great fit for him and that he will truly enjoy his journey through college. That whatever profession he chooses he will have a smile on his face driving to and from work. I don’t want anyone to think Im vicariously trying to push him to something that I think is best for him when that should be his decision.Through the process I have come to see that high GPA in good college puts you in good chance of getting into a great graduate school. Have a friend whose son just graduated from Georgetown law school. He had average grades in high school 3.0 GPA, went to university of pittsburg 4 years then was accepted to Nova southeastern law school. Had a great GPA there and was accepted to Georgetown law for his last two years of law school. He worked hard. Thats the ticket. And he knew what he wanted. Thats the other half of the ticket. His dream came true. I am just trying to help my son find his dream,but I know it’s his.
And it isnt hard for me to feel good for all those other Moms and Dads out there who simply want the best for their children. I wish them all the best luck.
Plus side: test scores, NM – they seem to favor these factors
Neutral: GPA – it’s in the range with a strong curriculum, esp. with test scores, just stay focused on finishing strong (and yes, you can send in updates senior year)
Minus: leadership – deep commitment great, but I think they really like to see leadership/differentiation (any opps for leadership here?)
Re APs: I would submit scores that are 4s and 5s
Other: focus on strong essays and recs
In this case, I would consider ED if Vanderbilt is a top choice. Use the net price calculator (they do meet 100% financial need). And, they state they will release students from ED commitment for FA reasons.
@twicearound thanks for the evaluation. Taking note on all suggestions and definitely going to look for leadership opportunities for summer/ fall.will do the calculations and consider ED if he decides he really wants to go to Vandy. My Question is,if he does ED do they consider your financial need still or do you just get what they offer at admittance?
One thing that may have already been mentioned is where your son ranks compared to his classmates (doesn’t need to be an official ranking). Are several of his peers closer to 4.0? Does your school provide a profile which you can read to see where he falls in terms of GPA and standardized scores? Do the other students have regional/state/national awards and honors?
These types of things are important because if your son’s classmates have higher GPAs, stronger leadership roles or national awards from competitions, etc. AND they are applying to same top colleges as your son, the AOs will be comparing them to each other. Ultimately, what makes your son stand out amongst top applicants from his school and from across the nation and the world? Just something for him to think about as he prepares his applications.
@scholardad Great points. Thank you. I am not sure where he falls as they dont do class rank,but I will find out if they give percentage. You are right. All these students are so outstanding and deserving.I would not want to carry the burden that AO’s have to carry of possibly depriving some child of their dream school when at times the choice is impossible. You have to submit SAT scores and such to even be considered for admission to the school he attends and go through an interview,etc.Heck I kind of feel we have already been through a college application process.lol! But, It has been worth it just to see his personal growth,academically and in his maturity. Appreciate your input.
If your school uses Naviance, you might be able to get an idea how previous students with your son’s stats did with respect to the colleges he is considering. Naviance only includes GPA and SAT/ACT scores so use it with some caution (e.g. doesn’t include info about legacy, URM status, athletic recruitment, development special cases, etc.).
If the school does not use Naviance, the school profile and/or counselors may indicate how many students from your school each top college accepted in previous years. Some top high schools have several students accepted by top colleges each year while others may have only one at the very most. It’s that latter situation where the comparison between your son and his classmates might make a difference.
Best of luck to you and your son through this process!
Here’s a link to their info re ED and FA:
If your school doesn’t rank, they will look at the school profile to get an idea of distribution/rigor offered vs taken, etc. I would not worry about GPA/rank at this point because he is in the range (although keep the grades up and rising, and update Vanderbilt). He needs to differentiate himself outside of the stats and that’s where I would focus (again keeping the stats rising). And if he is serious about Vanderbilt, then he should seriously consider ED.
Look at the three signature merit scholarships to get an idea of the types of students that are most rewarded (I think it is very telling):
@twicearound excellent! Thank you for all the info and advice and the sites. I will check them out.
@scholardad thank you for that info.Outstanding. They do in fact use naviance and great advice on comparison checking.Thank you.
I applied to 12 schools when I was applying to college. 6 reaches, 3 matches, and 3 safeties. If I were to do it over again I would have applied to fewer reaches and more matches that I would have loved to attend. I currently attend one of those reaches, but the school I go to is one I would have applied to no matter how many schools I cut off my list because I love it so much.
@snicks1234 “Makes me wish now we had busied him more with EC’s” and “I don’t want anyone to think Im vicariously trying to push him to something that I think is best for him when that should be his decision.” If it was all really his decision then you wouldn’t feel the need to have pushed him to do more ECs. He should do that himself. But really as long as he does what he enjoys he will end up at a good place for him and be happy.
Also I agree, ED would help his chances, but only if he is 100% sure it is his first choice.
@picklechicken37 Yes,I don’t feel a need for him to do any more E C’s.The colleges either do or the students applying think the colleges want that.My personal feeling is that the child who is doing a thousand different things to the point of exhaustion and tremendous stress would not be doing so many unrelated things if they didn’t think the colleges wanted that. They would instead do the things that they truly feel strongly about. My son feels strongly about literacy and feels the key to that is reading,etymology,a true understanding of English,words and he is immersed in that.Thats what he loves so thats where he gives back. I think the idea,however, of leadership to differentiate is a good one. Just finding that opportunity is not always easy as a homeschooler,but I am sure if he looks hard he will find it.Either way,Im glad he isnt stressed out with too many EC’s and if he has to go to a lesser tiered school,as long as he’s happy,then Im happy.My main focus is that he find the lifes work that will tap into his passion.Then I know he will be happy wherever he goes to school,but ,a f ain,thats his journey.
to reiterate, I do understand the job of AO’s is an impossible one.With so many thousands of kids applying and so few slots,it is an almost impossible task to get it right all the time. Some very deserving children dont get their dream fulfilled every year. My son really has no dream school, he really hasn’t decided yet what he wants for a profession or even a major,he just loves learning. I just want him to get in the best possible environment to explore the possibilities and learn and set himself up for the next phase. He loves politics, debate, literature, and has a strong interest in law. He is very,very good at math,but doesnt love it. So it will be interesting to see where his talents land him.
Had it not been for CC, I would have been shocked that my daughter was wait listed to Vanderbilt. A few years ago students with the same profile as my daughter, coming from the same HS, were accepted. Her acceptances panned out exactly as I predicted, along with the merit she received. Many parents live in the same bubble as their kids; their kids are in the top 1-2% of their HS class with top test scores, etc, and they assume they will get into these schools. Then reality hits and they don’t. Good for your son for not having a dream school.
@snicks1234 good luck to you and your son as you go through this process. It is a very exciting time. Just make sure you have enough safety and match schools, and you will not be disappointed.
Thank you @twogirls .Thank you so much for the education and encouragement and thanks to all who posted their input on here. It will not be wasted as I intend to use all your advice. It was invaluable. Good luck to your children. I hope college and life brings them all the best.