My son received cold calls from schools last year. I think it was based on info he’d provided at PSAT and ACT sign ups, where they ask for the classes you’ve taken, your GPA, hobbies and interests. This call, however, was completely unprofessional. I would call the school and if she is actually an employee, she should be retrained in customer service.
They do ask for your GPA on one of the tests. I think it is the PSAT.
I remember an extensive series of bubble in questions asking what grades my kid made in more than one subject. My kids have taken both the SAT and ACT, not the PSAT. I can’t remember which test the series of questions on grades was on.
How did the your alma mater connect your daughter with the fact that you are an alumni?
Nowhere does it say the woman knew the OP was an alum.
I’d suggest telling your kids NOT to fill out those bubble in type questions regarding their grades, intentions on majors, and any other personal info on standardized tests. It is purely optional.
We got a ton of cold calls junior and senior year but no one made any disparaging remarks about scores/grades. Definitely follow up with your alma matter. If it was legit, that caller has no business in that role.
How rude and unprofessional. Never got a call like that at our house. Really only got calls from students at specific colleges where she had applied .
I answered a few calls from colleges I had never heard from that were trying to interest my son in applying. I know it happens – but the call the OP described seems very strange. I’m thinking a non-well-trained paid solicitor armed with a call list including SAT/PSAT data. Think paid solicitor not meeting her targets for interested candidates. What better way to get a “please send me info” response than to imply that your kid won’t be able to get into a top 50 school.
Why did you feel the need to include that last bit, that she was looking at schools “just under Ivy level”?
^^ I was thinking the same thing. Perhaps the caller was put off by your comment and just made a snide remark. For clarity, I would call your alma mater.
@Muad_dib “Why did you feel the need to include that last bit, that she was looking at schools “just under Ivy level””?
Agree. Why would you engage a cold call like this? If you really thought it was your alma mater, I might report the call to admissions. On the other hand, you engaged this person in a somewhat rude manner. If you get a phone call you’re not interested in, just say you’re not interested and hang up. Or say, my kid is considering all her options, thanks for the call if you want to be a little kinder to your alma mater.
Every school has a range of kids anyway. I don’t think that info was particularly relevant or would discount a school from consideration. Every kid should have some solid safety schools in this admissions environment. A acceptance rate of 85% doesn’t necessarily tell a full story. Lawrence university has an acceptance rate the 70%'s, but has an average ACT range of 26-32 and is generous with merit for high achievers. I know a number of high flyers that also considered more elite schools that chose it. It’s a rural school with a pretty self selecting student population.
We tend to just filter calls through caller ID. I don’t think any of us have ever picked up when colleges call.
Regardless of the OP’s response, the caller (assuming a legitimate marketing call) was totally unprofessional in commenting on the kid’s GPA. If she had said, we hope she would also consider our school, and here is why it would have been fine.
I recall the PSAT (or even SAT) signup asking about GPA. My guess is that the college found alumni with kids getting ready for HS and reached out to the families in a marketing push.
Google the number, but to me it sounds like a prank caller trying to mess with you. People are nuts these days.
No random prank call is going to do this. But someone trying to dissuade the kid from applying to the schools they plan to apply to as well might.
I agree that it was an odd call. I also agree with the posters about not giving out information like that. It’s not anyone’s business and you truly have no idea to whom you were really giving information.
It sounds like it was “tit for tat.” She was offended by the “just under ivy” comment. What does that mean? That the school you attended is really sub par? Ivies take kids with outstanding stats and some other kids who check another box with much lower stats. So there are no “ivy” and “just under ivy” stats per se.
I’m as shocked by the answer you gave as I am by the rude phone call. No, sorry, my kid is too good for your school? That is in essence what you said. This may be true (and it sounds like your daughter really does need to aim higher), but it’s not very diplomatic to say it. How about “She’s considering other options, but thank you, and have a nice day?”
My kids would be wasting their education going to that school. I know, as it was my college.
I am going to call admissions today ( my college ) to see if it was a real call from them. BTW, the call came from some place called “Planning 4 Edu” (cation ) according to my phone… which I don’t usually pick those phone calls up, but I did this time… not sure why.
I don’t think it’s necessary to be diplomatic or even polite to people who make unsolicited phone calls.
In any case, the OP was perfectly civil and gave the woman an honest answer. it’s her problem if she got offended by a polite answer because it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
Why disparage the OP on his response? It was an off-putting statement and they said they were calling from “his” school, making it a warm call not a cold call, on top of being strange.
I remember the bubbles to fill in to register for the ACT and they did include core courses and grades. We opted out of everything possible, but I can’t remember if you could opt out of the grade bubbles.