How to create a “spike”

[Anonymous]

If you're in 9th grade and people aren't already talking about how you're too good, and this town is holding you back from your potential, it's too late to be a standout for nationally competitive college selection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You hire a $20,000 college coach to market your kid. Sad but true.

I'll pay you $1000 to give me your marketing package plan after your kid matriculates.

[Anonymous]

There's no real win in fighting to be the filler student that get admitted to a T10/20/30 just so the real talent all have a high class rank.
That only helps if you already are a child of privilege going to work for Daddy's company, or be a trust fund kidult, who needs the elite degree to fit in socially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is a freshman who has always been “well rounded”- does a few ECs well, but not exceptionally so (I.e. at a national level). However, we are aiming for T20s and I’ve heard that to get in without a hook, students need a “spike”.

If this is true, how should we get around this? Should we focus on one EC and drop the others? Should we tie them together to create a strange niche?

Thanks.

Move to West Virginia and apply for there. Instant hook.

[Anonymous]

Apply ED to a need-aware place like UChicago

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is a freshman who has always been “well rounded”- does a few ECs well, but not exceptionally so (I.e. at a national level). However, we are aiming for T20s and I’ve heard that to get in without a hook, students need a “spike”.

If this is true, how should we get around this? Should we focus on one EC and drop the others? Should we tie them together to create a strange niche?

Thanks.

Your use of “we” instead of “she” is something to reflect on.

T20 schools are lottery ticket schools, plenty of spiky kids get denied (and some kids with no spikes get in). College admissions has become a wild ride and while there’s nothing wrong with aiming high/reach, you should also focus on other schools as well - statistically no matter how amazing the student is, there are only so many spots to go around at a T20.

Plus, a "T20" college might very well be a worse fit for a specific (talented, driven, etc.) person than a college ranked 90th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a spike? Did you just invent this term?

No, OP didnt invent this term. It's been around for several years now.

Not really - the term is pointy.

NP

Spike has been used for years, especially on college confidential. You can search for it there. Sorry man not sure why you have an issue with this but that is the fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You hire a $20,000 college coach to market your kid. Sad but true.

I'll pay you $1000 to give me your marketing package plan after your kid matriculates.

Just buy that horrible book posted above and save yourself $970.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't invent their passion

Pretty sure most of the Ivy admits invented their passions, or their parents, or their expensive college counselor from NY whom they hired in upper elementary did

Nope. We are squarely middle class and couldn't afford a counselor. Both at Ivies with multiple T10 admits. I shared my love/knowledge of arts, helped brainstorm on activities, and acted as chaffeur. There were things my kids couldn't pursue because we just couldn't afford it. There were times when I said that if they wanted to stick with something, they needed to make more of an effort practicing if we were paying for pricey lessons (and getting a discount from the teacher), but that they didn't need to stick with it if they didn't want to. I gave them ideas on how to take their talents out of the box a little, but they chose what they wanted to pursue.

Oh ok, well besides your perfect kids that are the exception, there are plenty more that had actives and hobbies highly curated by parents and paid help

And you "know" this how exactly? My kids are far from perfect and neither are the friends at T10. Most are passionate and highly skilled in areas complementary to academics as well as very bright and accomplished in academics. Some are connected, some have had a lot of help from wealth, but others are like mine. On FA, made choices, pushed themselves out of comfort zone and tried to find ways to show competence (awards, portfolios).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people do this to their children? Posts like this honestly have me wondering…

Why? If a kid is interested and ambitious and a parent wants to help them, I don’t see a problem.

Kids should do the activities they are interested in, not package their life for a college. It's fine to be ambitious about activities. It's screwed up to be ambitious about college and as a result stop pursuing their actual passions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people do this to their children? Posts like this honestly have me wondering…

Why? If a kid is interested and ambitious and a parent wants to help them, I don’t see a problem.

Kids should do the activities they are interested in, not package their life for a college. It's fine to be ambitious about activities. It's screwed up to be ambitious about college and as a result stop pursuing their actual passions.

It's awful that college admissions departments feed this by rewarding obviously over the top activities.

I worked at Harvard Business School for a while in the nineties and the hobbies of these people were all like "trekking in Kyrgyzstan" and "restoring antique lutes." Nothing mundane. Who were they fooling? (And I realize some people do these things)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am NOT recommending this book - I have not read it and I think the very concept is a nightmare.

But this book answers OP question:

What High Schools Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You to Know): Create a Long-Term Plan for Your 7th to 10th Grader for Getting into the Top Colleges

https://www.amazon.com/What-Schools-Other-Parents-toKnow/dp/0452289521

In order to succeed in the fiercely competitive college admissions game, you need a game plan—and you have to start young. In this empowering guide, Elizabeth Wissner- Gross, a nationally sought-after college “packager,” helps parents of seventh to tenth graders create a long-term plan that, come senior year, will allow their kids to virtually write their own ticket into their choice of schools.

Parents should start by helping their kids identify their academic passions, then design a four-year strategy based on those interests. The book details hundreds of opportunities available to make kids stand out that most high school guidance counselors and teachers simply don’t know about or don’t think to share. This indispensable guide should be required reading for any parent whose child dreams of attending one of the country’s top colleges.

Again, I disapprove of the idea of this book and offer it up at your own risk.

+1 I skimmed through that book when my DS was in 9th or 10th grade and thought it was definitely NOT for us. But for a kid who is motivated and cooperative with the plan and a family with a lot of money, it does provide some ideas.

[Anonymous]

Right now, pointy kids are what is looked for at top schools. But in 3-4 years, who knows? They may be back to wanting well rounded kids. See what happened with test optional? Let your kid be who they are and follow their interests. It’s too hard to game college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am NOT recommending this book - I have not read it and I think the very concept is a nightmare.

But this book answers OP question:

What High Schools Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You to Know): Create a Long-Term Plan for Your 7th to 10th Grader for Getting into the Top Colleges

https://www.amazon.com/What-Schools-Other-Parents-toKnow/dp/0452289521

In order to succeed in the fiercely competitive college admissions game, you need a game plan—and you have to start young. In this empowering guide, Elizabeth Wissner- Gross, a nationally sought-after college “packager,” helps parents of seventh to tenth graders create a long-term plan that, come senior year, will allow their kids to virtually write their own ticket into their choice of schools.

Parents should start by helping their kids identify their academic passions, then design a four-year strategy based on those interests. The book details hundreds of opportunities available to make kids stand out that most high school guidance counselors and teachers simply don’t know about or don’t think to share. This indispensable guide should be required reading for any parent whose child dreams of attending one of the country’s top colleges.

Again, I disapprove of the idea of this book and offer it up at your own risk.

Holy sh¡tballs anyone who buys and follows this book is messed up in the head. Truly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no real win in fighting to be the filler student that get admitted to a T10/20/30 just so the real talent all have a high class rank.
That only helps if you already are a child of privilege going to work for Daddy's company, or be a trust fund kidult, who needs the elite degree to fit in socially.

This is absurd. At these schools there are few who are just simply more talented. And then there are many who have the credentials to get in and may do extremely well but there are not enough spots.

I wasn’t the top of my HYP class and I was middle class. And yet it exposed me to tons of things that changed my trajectory.