What activities are considered "impressive" to potential schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics captain
AND Lead Cheerleader
AND Math team captain
AND Debate co-captain
AND Faculty award for top student in HS

In at two of HYP

I would have classified these as meh. School activities + captain of a school club + an award that is already evident from the transcript/sch profile…

My guess is there was more (like a feeder school).

Or applying from bumf--- America. Or hooked. Otherwise, it is MEH!, indeed. HYP gets about 50K apps each of this (and more) profile kid.

The faculty award may be meaningful. If the college knows the high school and knows the award it could signify an exceptional student and might signify the student has outstanding LORs. The colleges are familiar with specific high schools and what is involved for high performance at a specific high School.

You act as if there aren't some students that have high ability that are desired by top colleges. That is not the case. Students are competing for colleges and colleges are also competing for students.

The stats at HYP show differently—they are not competing for students! I agree this is true at many schools, but for those three, not a chance! They have way more than enough applicants to choose from, and saying that two of the three admitted the student makes those stats even more challenging to believe. I understand what you're saying about the school "award"... my point is more about the ECs in general. Those types of ECs are pretty ordinary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics captain
AND Lead Cheerleader
AND Math team captain
AND Debate co-captain
AND Faculty award for top student in HS

In at two of HYP

I would have classified these as meh. School activities + captain of a school club + an award that is already evident from the transcript/sch profile…

My guess is there was more (like a feeder school).

Or applying from bumf--- America. Or hooked. Otherwise, it is MEH!, indeed. HYP gets about 50K apps each of this (and more) profile kid.

The faculty award may be meaningful. If the college knows the high school and knows the award it could signify an exceptional student and might signify the student has outstanding LORs. The colleges are familiar with specific high schools and what is involved for high performance at a specific high School.

You act as if there aren't some students that have high ability that are desired by top colleges. That is not the case. Students are competing for colleges and colleges are also competing for students.

How? Colleges know the historic and current GPAs of kids who apply from a school. So a kid who applies with a 4.5 GPA and they know from prior applicants OR from the school profile OR from the kid’s ranking, kid is at the very top of the class/school. How does the faculty award help? It is verification of what the school already knows.

And that poster is a liar bc FCPS has no faculty awards for the top of the class.

I don't know anything about this specific student. Two people can have outstanding GPS and one can be a terrific individual and one can be a jack ass. Top schools are looking for more than just a high GPA. There are thousands of pages on this forum writing about that issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics captain
AND Lead Cheerleader
AND Math team captain
AND Debate co-captain
AND Faculty award for top student in HS

In at two of HYP

I would have classified these as meh. School activities + captain of a school club + an award that is already evident from the transcript/sch profile…

My guess is there was more (like a feeder school).

Or applying from bumf--- America. Or hooked. Otherwise, it is MEH!, indeed. HYP gets about 50K apps each of this (and more) profile kid.

The faculty award may be meaningful. If the college knows the high school and knows the award it could signify an exceptional student and might signify the student has outstanding LORs. The colleges are familiar with specific high schools and what is involved for high performance at a specific high School.

You act as if there aren't some students that have high ability that are desired by top colleges. That is not the case. Students are competing for colleges and colleges are also competing for students.

The stats at HYP show differently—they are not competing for students! I agree this is true at many schools, but for those three, not a chance! They have way more than enough applicants to choose from, and saying that two of the three admitted the student makes those stats even more challenging to believe. I understand what you're saying about the school "award"... my point is more about the ECs in general. Those types of ECs are pretty ordinary.

Of course hyp are competing amongst themselves for top students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics captain
AND Lead Cheerleader
AND Math team captain
AND Debate co-captain
AND Faculty award for top student in HS

In at two of HYP

I would have classified these as meh. School activities + captain of a school club + an award that is already evident from the transcript/sch profile…

My guess is there was more (like a feeder school).

Or applying from bumf--- America. Or hooked. Otherwise, it is MEH!, indeed. HYP gets about 50K apps each of this (and more) profile kid.

The faculty award may be meaningful. If the college knows the high school and knows the award it could signify an exceptional student and might signify the student has outstanding LORs. The colleges are familiar with specific high schools and what is involved for high performance at a specific high School.

You act as if there aren't some students that have high ability that are desired by top colleges. That is not the case. Students are competing for colleges and colleges are also competing for students.

How? Colleges know the historic and current GPAs of kids who apply from a school. So a kid who applies with a 4.5 GPA and they know from prior applicants OR from the school profile OR from the kid’s ranking, kid is at the very top of the class/school. How does the faculty award help? It is verification of what the school already knows.

And that poster is a liar bc FCPS has no faculty awards for the top of the class.

LOL

Your post makes no sense at all. You are quite the nut job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics captain
AND Lead Cheerleader
AND Math team captain
AND Debate co-captain
AND Faculty award for top student in HS

In at two of HYP

I would have classified these as meh. School activities + captain of a school club + an award that is already evident from the transcript/sch profile…

My guess is there was more (like a feeder school).

Or applying from bumf--- America. Or hooked. Otherwise, it is MEH!, indeed. HYP gets about 50K apps each of this (and more) profile kid.

The faculty award may be meaningful. If the college knows the high school and knows the award it could signify an exceptional student and might signify the student has outstanding LORs. The colleges are familiar with specific high schools and what is involved for high performance at a specific high School.

You act as if there aren't some students that have high ability that are desired by top colleges. That is not the case. Students are competing for colleges and colleges are also competing for students.

How? Colleges know the historic and current GPAs of kids who apply from a school. So a kid who applies with a 4.5 GPA and they know from prior applicants OR from the school profile OR from the kid’s ranking, kid is at the very top of the class/school. How does the faculty award help? It is verification of what the school already knows.

And that poster is a liar bc FCPS has no faculty awards for the top of the class.

I don't know anything about this specific student. Two people can have outstanding GPS and one can be a terrific individual and one can be a jack ass. Top schools are looking for more than just a high GPA. There are thousands of pages on this forum writing about that issue.

+1

Teachers and counselors often know the difference. Our school gives out 10-12 awards to juniors at the end of the school year. Nice ceremony- includes “book awards” sponsored by Penn and Dartmouth etc. and some subject area awards.

Counselors and teachers choose the recipients. Year after year, the winners are kids at the tippy top of the class, but none are the known back stabby jerks.

The teachers and counselors know. And I have to believe that comes through in their LOR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A normal summer job. And I'm not kidding.

This unfortunately can be faked. Not that the student wasn't there at all. But the level of commitment can be exaggerated. Some employers don't send W-2 forms for low-level jobs like working at a car wash, and the student made so little that they need not file a tax return. So anyone can easily exaggerate the number of weeks/year and number of hours/week worked. It is not possible to disprove, even if colleges wanted to.

You mean like an essay written by someone else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP:
You might want to read this to understand:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingIvyLeague/s/RhzuFuM1ea

of course reddit took it down - can someone explain what it said? TY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics captain
AND Lead Cheerleader
AND Math team captain
AND Debate co-captain
AND Faculty award for top student in HS

In at two of HYP

I would have classified these as meh. School activities + captain of a school club + an award that is already evident from the transcript/sch profile…

My guess is there was more (like a feeder school).

Or applying from bumf--- America. Or hooked. Otherwise, it is MEH!, indeed. HYP gets about 50K apps each of this (and more) profile kid.

The faculty award may be meaningful. If the college knows the high school and knows the award it could signify an exceptional student and might signify the student has outstanding LORs. The colleges are familiar with specific high schools and what is involved for high performance at a specific high School.

You act as if there aren't some students that have high ability that are desired by top colleges. That is not the case. Students are competing for colleges and colleges are also competing for students.

How? Colleges know the historic and current GPAs of kids who apply from a school. So a kid who applies with a 4.5 GPA and they know from prior applicants OR from the school profile OR from the kid’s ranking, kid is at the very top of the class/school. How does the faculty award help? It is verification of what the school already knows.

And that poster is a liar bc FCPS has no faculty awards for the top of the class.

LOL

Your post makes no sense at all. You are quite the nut job.

Makes sense to me

[Anonymous]

FWIW OP, DS wanted to major in aerospace engineering and wanted to become an astronaut. He took flying lessons and got his license. He flew himself (leased plane) down and up to Virginia Tech for tours, interviews and admitted students' day. Admissions told him that was a first for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW OP, DS wanted to major in aerospace engineering and wanted to become an astronaut. He took flying lessons and got his license. He flew himself (leased plane) down and up to Virginia Tech for tours, interviews and admitted students' day. Admissions told him that was a first for them.

How did VT find out?