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If your average SAT score (on each test) is 650 or above, there is no reason not to apply to an Ivy League school.
Of course, you will have to appeal to those schools on the basis of factors other than test scores and GPA. Below is a list of "pluses" that might help.
1) The school orchestra needs a good bassoonist, and you're a good bassoonist.
2) The school wants to have a geographically diverse class, and you're from a state that is not well represented.
3) The school wants a balance of urban, suburban and rural students, and you come from an under-represented area in this regard.
4) The school wants a balance of poor, middle class and rich students, and you come from an under-represented class in this regard.
5) The school wants to be racially diverse, and your race is underrepresented or otherwise favored by the school.
6) The school asks you to interview with an alumnus or an admissions representative. You are goodlooking, outgoing, engaging, articulate and generally presentable.
8) The school is looking for students who have overcome adversity, shown unusual leadership, performed acts of heroism, devoted themselves to service to others, etc., and you fit this profile.
9) The school actually reads your letters of reference, and the ones you have are impressive and sincere.
10) You have achieved something extraordinary: written a published book, sailed solo around the world, climbed Mt. Everest, speak five languages fluently, etc.
11) The school is seeking a balance of male and female students, and you just happen to be the needed female or male to balance the class.
12) You're an excellent writer, and your essay/personal statement stands out from the rest.
When I applied to Harvard way back when, the school prided itself on producing "leaders."Harvard could have easily filled its entire freshman class with nerds who did nothing but study and earn A's. That's not what Harvard wanted, and I doubt it's what any school really wants.
When my grandfather went to Harvard, it was basically a finishing school for "gentlemen." But those gentlemen were well educated and studied hard if my grandfather is any indication. He went on to Harvard Medical School, became a neurosurgeon and taught at Stanford Medical School.
Bottom line: Dream big but have a back up plan. In other words, shoot for a couple of dream schools, a couple of lesser schools and a couple of "sure things."
Then prepare for all the left-wing indoctrination that will be waiting for you. They call that "education" now.
Good list, wasn't going to go into it but #6 and #8 are the "hooks" they have.
If your average SAT score (on each test) is 650 or above, there is no reason not to apply to an Ivy League school.
Of course, you will have to appeal to those schools on the basis of factors other than test scores and GPA. Below is a list of "pluses" that might help.
1) The school orchestra needs a good bassoonist, and you're a good bassoonist.
2) The school wants to have a geographically diverse class, and you're from a state that is not well represented.
3) The school wants a balance of urban, suburban and rural students, and you come from an under-represented area in this regard.
4) The school wants a balance of poor, middle class and rich students, and you come from an under-represented class in this regard.
5) The school wants to be racially diverse, and your race is underrepresented or otherwise favored by the school.
6) The school asks you to interview with an alumnus or an admissions representative. You are goodlooking, outgoing, engaging, articulate and generally presentable.
8) The school is looking for students who have overcome adversity, shown unusual leadership, performed acts of heroism, devoted themselves to service to others, etc., and you fit this profile.
9) The school actually reads your letters of reference, and the ones you have are impressive and sincere.
10) You have achieved something extraordinary: written a published book, sailed solo around the world, climbed Mt. Everest, speak five languages fluently, etc.
11) The school is seeking a balance of male and female students, and you just happen to be the needed female or male to balance the class.
12) You're an excellent writer, and your essay/personal statement stands out from the rest.
When I applied to Harvard way back when, the school prided itself on producing "leaders."Harvard could have easily filled its entire freshman class with nerds who did nothing but study and earn A's. That's not what Harvard wanted, and I doubt it's what any school really wants.
When my grandfather went to Harvard, it was basically a finishing school for "gentlemen." But those gentlemen were well educated and studied hard if my grandfather is any indication. He went on to Harvard Medical School, became a neurosurgeon and taught at Stanford Medical School.
Bottom line: Dream big but have a back up plan. In other words, shoot for a couple of dream schools, a couple of lesser schools and a couple of "sure things."
Then prepare for all the left-wing indoctrination that will be waiting for you. They call that "education" now.
I disagree with Dechatelet's snarky aside on 'left-wing indoctrination,' but his/her take on the various aspects that matter to Harvard and other top universities in picking a diverse student base is exactly right. (This is based on my perspective as a Harvard grad from the 1990s who then worked for the university for a few years and served as a non-resident advisor for a couple of years during that time.)
"Diversity" is a buzzword and, for some, a politically-loaded concept, but it is every bit as wide-ranging as the dozen pluses that the PP mentions. For instance, Harvard typically prides itself on having a student body that includes students from all fifty states -- important for representation and the school's standing as a national university. A resident of Wyoming or West Virginia or, in this case, Nebraska will derive a certain advantage from this; a New Yorker or Californian, no such advantage if not disadvantage.
And, the diversity of experiences, talents and capabilities is crucial. This is what annoyed me so much by the UT-Austin lawsuit a couple of years ago from a student who didn't qualify under Texas' talented-tenth rule but felt that strictly having the "best" GPA/test score should have qualified her. Heaven help us if elite schools were populated only by the x-thousand applicants with the highest GPA and SAT/ACT scores! A university has athletic teams, theater programs, campus newspapers, and all manner of activities that require a well-rounded student base. We can agree or disagree on the merits of race (versus class/SES) as appropriate modalities for diversity, but anyone who thinks these aren't appropriate bases for differentiating among applicants is missing the forest for the trees, IMO.
OP, you're getting a lot of "don't bother" advice in this thread. First, let the college tell your son no, not you (or random anonymous internet posters!) Second, I would encourage him to take a wide-ranging look at college options. A college trip, if you can, to look at some East Coast/West Coast elite and top private colleges, along with a look at strong private schools he might consider in the central states (WashU, Rice, Grinnell, Chicago come most immediately to mind), along with state school options, would give him a very useful and balanced chance to think about the right school for him. And ultimately, it should be about what he feels is best "for him."
And, don't discount financial aid opportunities. An HHI of $125k puts you among the top earners, but elite schools will care just as much about assets like your stock portfolio, 529s, trust funds, real estate holdings, etc. If you're middle-class without significant assets, you will almost certainly get aid. And if someone reading this is working class or lower-middle class, you may be able to attend an elite school for less than the cost of in-state tuition at a public university.
OP.... many of the "good" private schools will knock a significant percentage of the tuition (they don't do much with room and board) off the price. In my family case, with $55 grand in tuition, they knocked off about $15 grand. It was basically a grant based on academic performance, which was a nice incentive for an immature young lady to study instead of party.
A lot of all that has been mentioned in this thread, so no need to rehash.
What hasn't been mentioned is that there are a ton of private "scholarships" and "grants" given by a variety of causes. Any military connection? There's a group with $$$. Thinking about engineering? There are societies which offer money. Accounting? Teaching? Giving back to the community? Head to veterinary school? There is money available for just about any "cause" which you can imagine. It might be a grand here, or two grand there, but generally no strings are attached, and it all adds up. Generally, the student needs to fill out a form, or write an essay on "why I am want to be a XXX" (that didn't come out correctly, but....). Many/most students are too lazy to be "put out" for $1,000 so these local scholarships go lacking. Find out from your guidance department and have junior start writing.
I did my undergrad work at a private, but not remarkable school. I did my graduate work at a fine private school. The difference in networking was/is quite remarkable. I don't think the education quality was dramatically different, but I more than got my money's worth from the "better" school when it came to my career. Just something to think about, even if the money is tight.
Lastly, make sure that junior has some skin in the game. Part time job; summer job; using some savings...whatever it is, make sure that part of the bill is their responsibility. It is an important life lesson, and amazing how it motivates an otherwise indifferent student.
I would also consider some smaller colleges, mainly because students are likely to have more opportunities to participate at a high level in sports, the school orchestra, theater, student government, etc.
In other words, more opportunities to develop leadership skills and discover new interests and talents.
Most 18-22 year olds are still "finding themselves" and college is an opportunity to try new things, see if a subject you thought would interest you really does interest you, etc.
It's a place where it should be safe to be adventurous and even fail occasionally.
Unless the school is an Ivy or Stanford (or the equivalent), I would be much less concerned with the school's ranking than with whether or not it was a good fit for me.
Better to be happy and excel at a middle range school than to feel left out and just average at a higher ranking school.
It is especially important to visit the schools. Four or more years is a long time to spend in a place that rubs you the wrong way.
None. Your income is too high, his test scores are too low, nothing interesting as a candidate (that you have mentioned). The top private schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford etc) do not offer undergrad business or finance majors.
Our children's college years spanned 1996-2004 and there were families with six figure incomes still receiving financial aid, even though college tuitions in those days were about half what they are now.
I'm more astonished at the enormous increase in college tuition since then. In '96 when our eldest went off, the tuition at her Ivy was just about $29,000, inclusive of room and board. When our youngest graduated in '04 from another Ivy, the tuition was $39,000. Now those schools are charging over $60,000 per year! But that's a separate thread.
If the OP is the only living parent the child will probably qualify for some aid, but if there is another living parent it may move the child to the point where he will not.
I agree with others who say that the child should apply to a bunch of different schools and let the schools tell the child what he will get. There is no point is crossing a school off the list based on list price.
I also agree with others who say to look at the USNWR smaller, top 50 (but not top 10). Many of these schools give significant merit based awards. That is where my son wound up for college and it has worked out well for him so far.
Bold added. The OP is from Kansas. Cost of living is generally lower there. 125K isn't exactly poverty. Don't know how it would play out for financial aid, but they can most likely afford a little bit more than someone at 125K in LA or NY.
Private schools have more money to give.
My son got a full scholarship. That was a huge, wonderful surprise.
I think one of the secrets is being well rounded. A zillion kids have good grades. It is what you do with your free time.
Bold added. The OP is from Kansas. Cost of living is generally lower there. 125K isn't exactly poverty. Don't know how it would play out for financial aid, but they can most likely afford a little bit more than someone at 125K in LA or NY.
I plugged in $125k income, zero assets, only child, two parents, from Kansas into the Harvard net price estimator a few days ago and it came back with an annual scholarship of around $46k towards the total cost of $63k. The family would be expected to pay about $17k a year.
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