<p>Hi
This is my first time to post in the parent forum. My D is a senior in high school. She earns As & Bs usually and I think her GPA going into Jr. year was 3.4. </p>
<p>Her courseload and grades for Junior year included</p>
<p>Honors English - B
AP US History - A (AP test = 4)
Honors Chem - C
Honors Physics - C (dual enrollment credit)
Math Analysis - A (dual enrollment credit)
Spanish 5-6 A
Entrepreneurship (at 0 hour one semester) - A</p>
<p>Cum GPA at end of Jr. Year: 3.1
(April of Junior Year) SAT: Verbal 600 Math 640 Writing 580</p>
<p>Having Honors Chem and Honors Physics together with APUSH was a challenge for her.</p>
<p>So far this semester in senior year, she is making all A's (we are at mid-term here in AZ).</p>
<p>She is applying to:</p>
<p>University of Arizona
Arizona State U
University of Texas-Austin
Colorado State University
Baylor University
Texas Christian University</p>
<p>For those of you who are familiar with the above schools, can you tell me her chances? Will two low grades adversely affect her for schools like these?</p>
<p>It seems most of the people posting on these forums are 3.4 and above, in the top 15% or higher and SATs above 650/650. Where are all the very average students?</p>
<p>Some are here lurking. Some are posting but your post is welcome whether they are here or not. </p>
<p>I don't think UT is in the cards, sorry. OOS is very difficult. Baylor and TCU are distinctly possible. I'd put them in the match category but I'd certainly show a lot of interest. </p>
<p>While a 3.1UW may be considered average , her courseload is a difficult one and that helps. And a 1240 is certainly not average. </p>
<p>I'm having a little trouble with your math unless the courses listed above are of different hours of credit (some 3 some 4). The C's are cancelled by two of the A's. The B is a 3.0. That leaves one more A to raise the average above a 3.1. (I get 3.1666) The cumulative average couldn't have fallen like you said, could it?</p>
<p>Part of the reason that there are not many posts from average students is that admissions simply is not as competitive at the colleges they target. It isn't that just any student can get in, but it's that at the less selective colleges the vast majority of student who meet the college thresshold requirements are admitted. If the college has rolling admissions, then the most important thing is to get the application in early -- because sometimes the selection process is more about filling the class on essentially a first-come, first-serve basis.</p>
<p>I don't know about the specific colleges you list, but I think the best thing to do would be to check their web sites about admission criteria and, as noted, get the applications in early. I am sure with that list, your daughter has a great chance of being accepted to several colleges fairly early in the season. While her test scores are not at the level that you see commonly discussed here, they are very solid for many of the colleges your daughter is looking at.</p>
<p>Added note: I agree with Cur about UT Austin -- my comments above are addressed more to the colleges like Colorado State or U. of Arizona. Please don't misinterpret this as a derogatory comment -- Colorado State was my "safety" back in prehistoric times, and I would very gladly have gone there had I not been accepted at my 1st choice. I only applied to 2 colleges, so I guess Colorado State was also my 2nd choice.</p>
<p>I appreciate getting input so quickly and with such apparent care and respect. She and I are aware that UT is a reach for her, but she wants to apply anyway. She has already submitted applications to ASU, UA and BU and is working on completing TCU and CSU. We know that early application is important. Since we live in AZ, her first choice is UA, but would seriously consider BU if accepted. She likes CSU, but may not want to go that far.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your input. I would appreciate more.</p>
<p>I agree with ebeeeee (how many ee's are there? I lost count...)--I'd take the SAT once more, especially since she will be trying to make a run at some schools that are more selective than the local state U.</p>
<p>For example, 580 on the writing is a score that could be bumped up on the retake--sometimes, if the test taker just can't get pumped about the subject, the writing juices just don't flow. </p>
<p>I told my D to write on the positive aspects of the question (ex. "Technology--good or evil?"--take the "good" side). She's just an upbeat kid--writing on the positive aspects of something is more her style. She wasn't happy with her first SAT Writing score (she chose to write about the negative side of the topic). Retook the test, writing about the positive side of whatever the new topic was, and she did just fine.</p>
<p>I agree with the parents. Also want to comment that it is intimidating to look at the stats on CC. It was also a surprise to me when I saw the so many of the kids have such high gpas when I was looking at some USN&WR stats. However, I found out subsequently that a number of students do not report gpas, and the colleges tend to report only those given.</p>
<p>the stats you see on this board are amazing and it makes one feel that their very average child has no chance to attend a school of their choice. (I always thought my D was at least average, if not slightly above average....but in today's economy a B seems to be regarded as a C and a C is a death knell for even qualifying for a second tier school). </p>
<p>Do schools such as Baylor University only accept students who are 3.5 and above with incredible SAT scores? </p>
<p>I am a Baylor graduate and I thought my experience there was excellent. We visited last year and she was very impressed (so was I!). She'd love to get in, but she is also hoping for UA here in AZ. </p>
<p>Well, thanks for "listening" with your eyes!</p>
<p>speech, Like I said BU is a match but I would let them know that it is a serious contender for y'all. I know students attending Baylor who have grades similar to your D's . I also know kids who have grades similar that were rejected. I don't know their test scores but your daughter's SAT is solid for Baylor. </p>
<p>I agree that another round of testing can't hurt. Just send the scores now and then don't list any schools or your high school on the next test. If you don't like the new score , don't send it.</p>
<p>Curm..thanks for adding that about the scores..duh, I forgot to put that in. Absolutely don't list any schools or HS and then if she does better send away....lots of kids do much better with the fall/senior year score than they did with the spring/junior year score. AND don't let the stats scare you....my slightly above average son is doing great as a freshman this year...</p>
<p>Wanted to reiterate the importance of showing interest, visiting, making contact with a professor in the area in which the student hopes to major, arranging an overnight. This also gives the student a much better idea of where she would be comfortable for 4 years. Taking the ACT without notifying the high school (in case you don't want to send the score) might also be helpful. Many students do better on the ACT than the SAT without a ton of test prep, and that might be a way to get a standardized test score boost.</p>
<p>Hi...I've never posted before, but I've been reading for about a year. I do think it's important to encourage more from "average" kids and parents so that they don't feel locked out. Both my kids have the "average" grades and high school transcripts, yet one is going to a very decent "2nd tier" with $12,000 in grants (Hobart and William Smith) and the other attends Amherst College. The boys did have high SATs (both 2240/2250) and my husband attended Amherst. </p>
<p>As parents, we were upset that when our H & W son was discouraged from applying to Amherst by his college counselor, who made him feel that there was NO way he'd get in, whereas the college counselor at his brother's high school basically said, "Why not? Go for it!" I think it's important to look at more than the SAT scores and grades--if you really want to attend a school, go all out for that one, because you never know what they are looking for in any particular year.</p>
<p>Many of us on this forum have above average kids as opposed to the truly gifted. Too often it's easy to forget that it's really the "whole package" when kids apply to colleges. As much as some people would like the entire admissions process to be black and white and based on stats or some concrete set of guidelines the process is not. Life is not. We should not loose sight of that ever. The only time I would really "steer" my children in a different direction is if they had their heart set on someplace that would be totally economically out of the question as we're not going to be eligible for much if any aid. After that, it's up to them to let their inner selves shine through. Most of us would give the world to our children if we could. Would we really not give them less than 100 bucks to apply somewhere they really wanted to go? Yes, there might be heartbreak in April, but isn't that a life lesson learned also? There is no "gimme" either at the end of the college years, no "you go here" and you "get this" so really this whole process is a lesson learned for the kids. I distinctly remember my parents telling me when I was little that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I realized somewhere along the line that this might not be necessarily true, but it's a lesson for the kid not the parent. If the OPs teen wants to apply somewhere that on paper looks like a super reach and teen really wants to go to that school and affordability isn't a question, I say let 'em apply. The OPs teen has a nice range of schools so let the process begin.</p>
<p>I am wondering why she has submitted so many applciations already....did she take proper care with them? was that her summer? Is she applying EA or ED....EA isn' even due for 2 months about</p>
<p>I think my question is valid because there is a risk in sending applciations in tht are not as good as they can be....</p>
<p>Just wondering...the applicatons may be perfect....but why the rush?</p>
<p>My D is working on hers for EA...she has approached the teachers for recs and help proofing, as well as talking to the GC to get assistance...most teachers told D in the srping they would be glad to help, but to re approach them in the fall....</p>
<p>it is of course good to get a head start, but is rushing always the best strategy</p>
<p>Citysgirlmom, state schools often only have one short essay and many don't require teacher reqs, just a GC req so in some cases it's just not that difficult to get the apps done. Some state schools have been "courting" kids since 10th grade. My S is only applying to 6 schools and he's going from the easiest app to the most difficult. The easiest required less than a 100 word short answer to a specific question only that he answered on the fly, no teacher reqs and the most difficult requires several longer essays, dicussion of the ECs, teacher reqs...the whole nine yards. Some kids don't stress about writing and it just comes easy and for them, maybe they don't need all the "think" time. My S is going to major in journalism/communication so writing is easy for him and he has his own "style" which I would never presume to "fix". Some kids just "want it done" so they can get on and enjoy their senior year. My S just thinks of apps as a must-do hurdle and the sooner it's done the happier he will be. He's only hit "send" two times so far and he's got 4 more to do, but there is a sheer look of joy as he crosses the apps off his to-do list. Also for rolling admission schools, early is sometimes better. Most if not all of our state schools reqs were up in August. If you look at the UofM dicussion board, several of those students already have their completed apps in. There are many on this forum whose kids are great procrastinators and are hitting send at the very last minute, too. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Depends on the kid, depends on their choice of schools.</p>
<p>A little input about UT. Send completed app & forms ASAP. If it's truly near the top of the list and she gets in, submit housing deposit IMMEDIATELY. On campus "affordable" housing was gone mostly full by Feb this year. D has many friends at UT. She even has a friend who submitted housing deposit during her jr. year just in case.</p>
<p>citygirlsmom: no she is by no means completed with her apps...I was not clear about that. Baylor does not require a personal essay this year...they are using the SAT essay. I don't think it gives the student an opportunity to make a personal statement. All she had to do was fill in an online application, check boxes, etc. They do not require letters, either.</p>
<p>And yes, the other two schools are state schools, one of which did not require an essay and the other required a personal statement of 500 words or less. That is her only completed essay so far and she worked on that one for quite a while. She is trying to get started on her second essay now, but is still thinking of her thesis. So we are in no way rushing. We haven't even looked at the applications for the other schools.</p>
<p>I appreciate your suggestion to have the GC look over essays or maybe a trusted teacher. I will pass that on to her. </p>
<p>The reason we are doing this now is that we were advised to get applications in as early as possible--we were told this at Baylor and at UAriz. As for visits, we have visited four schools so far (last year), going back to another and visiting a fifth next month.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the suggestions and encouragement. This is our first child, so it is all new. I welcome any other suggestions.</p>