Help with Ivy fascinated kid

[Anonymous]

My kid is fascinated with the ivies and is planning to apply to everyone of them. Brown and princeton are her favorites. She goes to a top private and has the reputation as being a hot shot there. So she is confident that she won’t apply to any safeties like northeastern or even targets like jhu. Her college counselor pleaded with her to add more schools. But she argues that her school has never been shut out of the ivies (true) and if someone gets in it would her (since she feels she is the best in her batch). Is that a compelling argument? Or is she in for a surprise. Any suggestions on what to do as parents. I don’t want to ruin her confidence. But want her to be more realistic. Can someone explain why a place like brown and Princeton has this mystique that captures young minds. Growing up in Europe we just went to a local university that gave a solid education. So I am puzzled.

[Anonymous]

Don’t worry I’m sure she’ll get in! 😂

[Anonymous]

Ivies are a reach for everyone and it’s a crapshoot. A shut out is definitely possible. Truthfully northeastern isn’t even a safety anymore. What’s the harm in her throwing in more applications. If she’s right it won’t matter anyway.

[Anonymous]

OP here. She thinks she will be out of place in a non Ivy and would rather take a gap year if she doesn’t get into brown princeton or another Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. She thinks she will be out of place in a non Ivy and would rather take a gap year if she doesn’t get into brown princeton or another Ivy.

Lol. With that attitude, she will be out of place, but not for the reasons she thinks.

[Anonymous]

I was absolutely infatuated with Princeton as a high schooler (applied ED and was accepted) and currently conduct alumni interviews with prospective students so I get the appeal/mystique, and continue to believe it’s an amazing and unique place, but it’s definitely a very different atmosphere than Brown (which I didn’t like at all) and many of the other Ivies. Her planning to apply to all of them shows that she’s focused on the brand name alone and that will be apparent to admissions officers and probably further hurt her chances of admission at any. (Which maybe is an argument that would resonate with her if nothing else will).

And yes, regardless of her qualifications it’s incredibly arrogant and misguided to assume that just because her school has traditionally been successful with Ivy placements that the same will hold true (as admissions are getting more and more competitive each year) or even if so that she will be the one selected as it all depends on what the admissions officers are looking for and not just a matter of who has the best grades/test scores or whatever else leads her to believe she’s “the best of the batch”.

[Anonymous]

Op - I hope you are a troll or you are kidding. I interview for my top ivy college every year and if any student came off as this arrogant I think it would drastically hurt their chances. That’s part of why they have alumni interviews - to suss out arrogance and hubris. The rest of the 4000 colleges in the United States aren’t good enough for her. Give me break. I hope she at least learns to fake some humility or she is going to turn off some of these schools - who all have extremely low admissions rates anyway.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, with that sort of attitude and understanding of the process I would question if she is intellectually mature enough to attend an ivy

[Anonymous]

Confidence and hubris are two different things. With her attitude, she won’t get in anywhere that actually meets her in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is fascinated with the ivies and is planning to apply to everyone of them. Brown and princeton are her favorites. She goes to a top private and has the reputation as being a hot shot there. So she is confident that she won’t apply to any safeties like northeastern or even targets like jhu. Her college counselor pleaded with her to add more schools. But she argues that her school has never been shut out of the ivies (true) and if someone gets in it would her (since she feels she is the best in her batch). Is that a compelling argument? Or is she in for a surprise. Any suggestions on what to do as parents. I don’t want to ruin her confidence. But want her to be more realistic. Can someone explain why a place like brown and Princeton has this mystique that captures young minds. Growing up in Europe we just went to a local university that gave a solid education. So I am puzzled.

Why are you paying for a "top" private unless you are trying to live your "top" ivy dream through your kid?

[Anonymous]

Damn OP. Posting at 1:15am. Don’t you have to get up early to catch the bus for school. You don’t want to be late for home room.

[Anonymous]

“I don’t want to ruin her confidence.”

You OP need to parent and not avoid conflict. It’s ok if she wipes out and reapplies next year. It may help her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is fascinated with the ivies and is planning to apply to everyone of them. Brown and princeton are her favorites. She goes to a top private and has the reputation as being a hot shot there. So she is confident that she won’t apply to any safeties like northeastern or even targets like jhu. Her college counselor pleaded with her to add more schools. But she argues that her school has never been shut out of the ivies (true) and if someone gets in it would her (since she feels she is the best in her batch). Is that a compelling argument? Or is she in for a surprise. Any suggestions on what to do as parents. I don’t want to ruin her confidence. But want her to be more realistic. Can someone explain why a place like brown and Princeton has this mystique that captures young minds. Growing up in Europe we just went to a local university that gave a solid education. So I am puzzled.

Is she an athlete (those constitute admits from the top privates every year)? Is she a development admit (also admits from top privates)? Legacy (ditto)? First Gen/URM? Class president? Editor of the school paper? The number of kids who just get in based on academics is pretty small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is fascinated with the ivies and is planning to apply to everyone of them. Brown and princeton are her favorites. She goes to a top private and has the reputation as being a hot shot there. So she is confident that she won’t apply to any safeties like northeastern or even targets like jhu. Her college counselor pleaded with her to add more schools. But she argues that her school has never been shut out of the ivies (true) and if someone gets in it would her (since she feels she is the best in her batch). Is that a compelling argument? Or is she in for a surprise. Any suggestions on what to do as parents. I don’t want to ruin her confidence. But want her to be more realistic. Can someone explain why a place like brown and Princeton has this mystique that captures young minds. Growing up in Europe we just went to a local university that gave a solid education. So I am puzzled.

Why are you paying for a "top" private unless you are trying to live your "top" ivy dream through your kid?

The vast majority of kids attending top privates will not attend top ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is fascinated with the ivies and is planning to apply to everyone of them. Brown and princeton are her favorites. She goes to a top private and has the reputation as being a hot shot there. So she is confident that she won’t apply to any safeties like northeastern or even targets like jhu. Her college counselor pleaded with her to add more schools. But she argues that her school has never been shut out of the ivies (true) and if someone gets in it would her (since she feels she is the best in her batch). Is that a compelling argument? Or is she in for a surprise. Any suggestions on what to do as parents. I don’t want to ruin her confidence. But want her to be more realistic. Can someone explain why a place like brown and Princeton has this mystique that captures young minds. Growing up in Europe we just went to a local university that gave a solid education. So I am puzzled.

Shocking lack of humility. Idiocy of thinking Northeastern and JHU are safeties/targets.
Arrogance that will not serve her well in the workplace.
Absolutely gross.