College admissions

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don't understand that College forum. Parents act like the Ivy acceptance rate is 0.00001% and that DC needs a Nobel Prize to be competitive. In fact, the Harvard acceptance rate is 5% (1 in 20 is getting in). Difficult, but hardly impossible.

You're right, you don't understand. It's a lot lower than 5% for these elite schools, closer to 3%, and once you take into account pulling in legacies, athletes, first generation, and underrepresented minorities, the chances go down to nearly non-existent.

Keep telling yourself it's simply "difficult."

At St. Ann's 48% will go to an Ivy, at Colligiate in Manhattan, 50+% will go to an Ivy.
I'll keep telling myself it's [sic] simply "difficult," while you keep making excuses for mediocrity.

Hmm…St. Anne’s shows 21 of 85 kids going to Ivy schools…is your math so bad that you calculated that at 48%?

Collegiate isn’t even consider one of the elite NYC schools so I doubt it’s higher than Trinity at around 40%.

Any more made up stats for us?

Maybe that person is including schools like Duke, Johns Hopkins, Williams, etc. that can get you close to 50%. You seem really triggered by this.

I just wrote above that we know many kids getting in but they all have smart parents who also attended top colleges.

DH and I went to HYP for grad schools and T30 undergrad. We have 3 kids who are stronger than us in every way. I expect they will do equal or better than us. While Dh and I come from humble beginnings. Our kids have had every resource available to them.

Oh, hon. Seriously, spend some more time on the college board so you don't get hit with a very rude awakening.

My oldest is a standout. He is far superior than Dh and me in every way. Of course nothing is guaranteed. Dh is very active at his schools. I have full confidence this kid will do just fine with UVA as his back up. With his stats from his school, he will at least get into UVA.

We are now in it preparing for college. All of friends have kids in high school or college. What I am saying is that if you have parents who went to T30 schools, have worked in law, medicine, tech, consulting, they have all recruited and seen how impressive these kids are. My kid is as good, at least my oldest one. If your mom went to Princeton, makes millions in finance, you go to a top private school in NYC, the likelihood of you getting into Penn is higher than your kid who has perfect stats from Fairfax high trying to get into Wharton.

This all started with there is a 5% chance of getting into Harvard.

Others than pointed out that people with money, legacy, athletes etc have greater than a 5% chance…which means the real chance for an average high stats/high gpa kid is actually less than 5%.

It’s weird that you are somehow saying…don’t worry, it’s not that hard to get into these schools…just make sure your parents are rich and you attend an elite NYC private school. How does that help this conversation?

In your example, if that kid applies to Princeton their chance is 20%+ due to legacy…which just chips away at the 5% for the random kid.

Sorry, I didn’t read the whole thread. Yes, all the kids we know getting into these top schools have well educated parents who are in the top 1%. I absolutely agree that an average kid who isn’t rich and isn’t legacy or an athlete has a less than 5% chance.

I see our friends and colleagues who all attended a T20 college or grad school have kids getting into T50 schools. Sure, there may be some kids who end up at Wake Forest or Tulane but that is the absolute rock bottom. If your dad went to Harvard law and your mom went to Wharton, the kid isn’t going to JMU.

We started with it's not that hard to get into Harvard (if you're not mediocre! Or poor God forbid) and now you're saying the worst you can do is Tulane. These are completely different conversations.

The OP never mentioned Harvard. People have different opinions on what is a good college. Some kids are excited to go to Penn State or VT. Some seem to think Northeastern is the new Harvard. Some parents are proud of their kids at UVA. Others would be disappointed.

In our circles of professionals, it seems like kids are getting into good schools. In our neighborhood, there are kids going to Penn, U Chicago, Harvard and Duke. These kids live in $5m houses, attend various private schools and have parents who went to similar schools. It is not all that surprising.

You seem to find a great deal of comfort in this idea that wealthy people will have wealthy kids, basically. Maybe they are. I am just wondering why you need this clutch so badly if your son is so brilliant, as you say.

My kid is amazing. I don’t have to prove to some anonymous person that he is. My kid also has had every opportunity available to him. My DH is very successful and the top of his field. My son has extremely strong extracurricular activities handed to him by DH. Yes, some kids start off at third base. When the kid is motivated and smart, it isn’t that hard to make it to home.

I have another kid who is naturally smarter than my oldest but he is lazy with school. He is super social and very athletic. I doubt he will end up at some top college but he will likely be more successful than my oldest.

You don't have to prove it to me, yet here you are, writing yet another post about your kid, so full of yourself and so certain about their future.

Shrug. I have great kids. People often ask me how I have such strong kids. They have strong parents!

You come from a low class family and it's obvious. Work on that.

I’m at our beach house sipping coffee. I don’t know why I’m responding.

DH went on a walk with our daughter.

I’m going to shower and get on with my day.

My kid(s) will go to good colleges whether it is an Ivy or T50. If they don’t, they will also be fine. I’m not sweating it.

Have a good day.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don't understand that College forum. Parents act like the Ivy acceptance rate is 0.00001% and that DC needs a Nobel Prize to be competitive. In fact, the Harvard acceptance rate is 5% (1 in 20 is getting in). Difficult, but hardly impossible.

You're right, you don't understand. It's a lot lower than 5% for these elite schools, closer to 3%, and once you take into account pulling in legacies, athletes, first generation, and underrepresented minorities, the chances go down to nearly non-existent.

Keep telling yourself it's simply "difficult."

At St. Ann's 48% will go to an Ivy, at Colligiate in Manhattan, 50+% will go to an Ivy.
I'll keep telling myself it's [sic] simply "difficult," while you keep making excuses for mediocrity.

Hmm…St. Anne’s shows 21 of 85 kids going to Ivy schools…is your math so bad that you calculated that at 48%?

Collegiate isn’t even consider one of the elite NYC schools so I doubt it’s higher than Trinity at around 40%.

Any more made up stats for us?

Maybe that person is including schools like Duke, Johns Hopkins, Williams, etc. that can get you close to 50%. You seem really triggered by this.

I just wrote above that we know many kids getting in but they all have smart parents who also attended top colleges.

DH and I went to HYP for grad schools and T30 undergrad. We have 3 kids who are stronger than us in every way. I expect they will do equal or better than us. While Dh and I come from humble beginnings. Our kids have had every resource available to them.

Oh, hon. Seriously, spend some more time on the college board so you don't get hit with a very rude awakening.

My oldest is a standout. He is far superior than Dh and me in every way. Of course nothing is guaranteed. Dh is very active at his schools. I have full confidence this kid will do just fine with UVA as his back up. With his stats from his school, he will at least get into UVA.

We are now in it preparing for college. All of friends have kids in high school or college. What I am saying is that if you have parents who went to T30 schools, have worked in law, medicine, tech, consulting, they have all recruited and seen how impressive these kids are. My kid is as good, at least my oldest one. If your mom went to Princeton, makes millions in finance, you go to a top private school in NYC, the likelihood of you getting into Penn is higher than your kid who has perfect stats from Fairfax high trying to get into Wharton.

This all started with there is a 5% chance of getting into Harvard.

Others than pointed out that people with money, legacy, athletes etc have greater than a 5% chance…which means the real chance for an average high stats/high gpa kid is actually less than 5%.

It’s weird that you are somehow saying…don’t worry, it’s not that hard to get into these schools…just make sure your parents are rich and you attend an elite NYC private school. How does that help this conversation?

In your example, if that kid applies to Princeton their chance is 20%+ due to legacy…which just chips away at the 5% for the random kid.

Sorry, I didn’t read the whole thread. Yes, all the kids we know getting into these top schools have well educated parents who are in the top 1%. I absolutely agree that an average kid who isn’t rich and isn’t legacy or an athlete has a less than 5% chance.

I see our friends and colleagues who all attended a T20 college or grad school have kids getting into T50 schools. Sure, there may be some kids who end up at Wake Forest or Tulane but that is the absolute rock bottom. If your dad went to Harvard law and your mom went to Wharton, the kid isn’t going to JMU.

We started with it's not that hard to get into Harvard (if you're not mediocre! Or poor God forbid) and now you're saying the worst you can do is Tulane. These are completely different conversations.

The OP never mentioned Harvard. People have different opinions on what is a good college. Some kids are excited to go to Penn State or VT. Some seem to think Northeastern is the new Harvard. Some parents are proud of their kids at UVA. Others would be disappointed.

In our circles of professionals, it seems like kids are getting into good schools. In our neighborhood, there are kids going to Penn, U Chicago, Harvard and Duke. These kids live in $5m houses, attend various private schools and have parents who went to similar schools. It is not all that surprising.

You seem to find a great deal of comfort in this idea that wealthy people will have wealthy kids, basically. Maybe they are. I am just wondering why you need this clutch so badly if your son is so brilliant, as you say.

My kid is amazing. I don’t have to prove to some anonymous person that he is. My kid also has had every opportunity available to him. My DH is very successful and the top of his field. My son has extremely strong extracurricular activities handed to him by DH. Yes, some kids start off at third base. When the kid is motivated and smart, it isn’t that hard to make it to home.

I have another kid who is naturally smarter than my oldest but he is lazy with school. He is super social and very athletic. I doubt he will end up at some top college but he will likely be more successful than my oldest.

And if the kid is not motivated, just make excuses for him or blame affirmative action.

[Anonymous]

It seems like every kid in DCUM is super smart, humble, and a good athlete, etc... It makes you wonder what happens to all the average and dumb kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like every kid in DCUM is super smart, humble, and a good athlete, etc... It makes you wonder what happens to all the average and dumb kids?

They go to JMU or Alabama or other non selective colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems like every kid in DCUM is super smart, humble, and a good athlete, etc... It makes you wonder what happens to all the average and dumb kids?[/quote]

They go to JMU or Alabama or other non selective colleges.

Average kids go to JMU, but their parents think that the kids are brilliant, so they make up excuses or blame affirmative action.

[Anonymous]

Spouse has a Ph.D. from Harvard, I have a J.D. and joint M.B.A. from a T10. We have a DC in 2nd grade at a private. If DC doesn't get into a, say, T50, it will be because we the parents screwed up or because the DC screwed up. It won't be because of black applicants or because of affirmative action or because it was always "impossible."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spouse has a Ph.D. from Harvard, I have a J.D. and joint M.B.A. from a T10. We have a DC in 2nd grade at a private. If DC doesn't get into a, say, T50, it will be because we the parents screwed up or because the DC screwed up. It won't be because of black applicants or because of affirmative action or because it was always "impossible."

or it could because of international applicants, who will, by the time your kid gets there, be more than 50% of students at many top schools. top 50 will still be doable, probably, but more like what T20 is now. your kid is what they are. you don't know that they have it what it will take to be a top performer globally regardless of various privileges. i don't understand people who just assume this for their kids, and say this as a double ivy phd family with very bright and curious kids who are given every advantage.

[Anonymous]

if an international applicant, who didn’t go to school in English, does better on the SAT than my DC, than the international applicant deserves to take my DC's spot at a T10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spouse has a Ph.D. from Harvard, I have a J.D. and joint M.B.A. from a T10. We have a DC in 2nd grade at a private. If DC doesn't get into a, say, T50, it will be because we the parents screwed up or because the DC screwed up. It won't be because of black applicants or because of affirmative action or because it was always "impossible."

or it could because of international applicants, who will, by the time your kid gets there, be more than 50% of students at many top schools. top 50 will still be doable, probably, but more like what T20 is now. your kid is what they are. you don't know that they have it what it will take to be a top performer globally regardless of various privileges. i don't understand people who just assume this for their kids, and say this as a double ivy phd family with very bright and curious kids who are given every advantage.

I’m the pp who said I had a motivated smart kid. Yes, DH and I went to HYP for grad school and my kids are given every advantage. My oldest is a total go getter and would have done well with or without us.

My younger two kids are TBD. My daughter is at least very pretty and smart. She could always do fine on just her charm. DD can light up a room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if an international applicant, who didn’t go to school in English, does better on the SAT than my DC, than the international applicant deserves to take my DC's spot at a T10.

Regardless of what you would prefer - the point is, none of us can assume that, just because we are XYZ, our kids are going to be, too.

Btw, there are many kids abroad who speak English as well as and sometimes even better than their own language. They are also pursuing golf, fencing, squash, riding horses, obscure instruments, summer camps, college advising and all that crap. The world is no more poor. Plenty of privileged, smart kids there, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spouse has a Ph.D. from Harvard, I have a J.D. and joint M.B.A. from a T10. We have a DC in 2nd grade at a private. If DC doesn't get into a, say, T50, it will be because we the parents screwed up or because the DC screwed up. It won't be because of black applicants or because of affirmative action or because it was always "impossible."

He’s only in 2nd grade. Just relax and stop worrying about college already. Most kids do ok. Some kids seem to have everything to their advantage but they still turn to drugs or hanging out rather than doing school work or they hate school because of a learning disability. Just hope for the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like every kid in DCUM is super smart, humble, and a good athlete, etc... It makes you wonder what happens to all the average and dumb kids?

The athlete brags are definitely exaggerated. Parents pay big money for their kids to learn a sport and then label their kid an “athlete”.

The dmv is not known as an area that sends a lot of kids to the ivies but that doesn’t stop the bragging about their own Ivy League degrees. Maybe it’s insecurity when compared to NYC and Boston area public and private schools who take more than their share of spots in the ivies and top 20. High achieving kids are found everywhere and so is money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spouse has a Ph.D. from Harvard, I have a J.D. and joint M.B.A. from a T10. We have a DC in 2nd grade at a private. If DC doesn't get into a, say, T50, it will be because we the parents screwed up or because the DC screwed up. It won't be because of black applicants or because of affirmative action or because it was always "impossible."

It wasn't always impossible. It is now. I am glad you don't realize this - you should not be thinking about college admissions with a 2nd grader. By the time they are a teen, you'll find out what college admissions is actually like at the most elite schools, and at some point you'll make peace with it. Apparently, that day is not today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spouse has a Ph.D. from Harvard, I have a J.D. and joint M.B.A. from a T10. We have a DC in 2nd grade at a private. If DC doesn't get into a, say, T50, it will be because we the parents screwed up or because the DC screwed up. It won't be because of black applicants or because of affirmative action or because it was always "impossible."

It wasn't always impossible. It is now. I am glad you don't realize this - you should not be thinking about college admissions with a 2nd grader. By the time they are a teen, you'll find out what college admissions is actually like at the most elite schools, and at some point you'll make peace with it. Apparently, that day is not today.

It's apparently not impossible for the tens of thousands who get into T50's every year. It's only impossible for the mediocre DC's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spouse has a Ph.D. from Harvard, I have a J.D. and joint M.B.A. from a T10. We have a DC in 2nd grade at a private. If DC doesn't get into a, say, T50, it will be because we the parents screwed up or because the DC screwed up. It won't be because of black applicants or because of affirmative action or because it was always "impossible."

It wasn't always impossible. It is now. I am glad you don't realize this - you should not be thinking about college admissions with a 2nd grader. By the time they are a teen, you'll find out what college admissions is actually like at the most elite schools, and at some point you'll make peace with it. Apparently, that day is not today.

It's apparently not impossible for the tens of thousands who get into T50's every year. It's only impossible for the mediocre DC's.

Your child is so young... Why are you setting yourself for disappointment like that?