Insider Perspectives from a Highly Selective Admissions Office

[Anonymous]

Sorry "quoted" the wrong post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And, BTW - those SAT scores for alums that you want to denigrate were probably harder to achieve "back in the day" before the SAT re-sets and the mainstreaming of the prep industry

This is true. The SAT was "recentered" in 1996 (before they even went to the 2400 total possible score). Here's a chart that compares the pre-1996 scores to post-1996 scores. Many of the parents of applicants took the SAT before 1996, so their scores might appear to be lower than they actually would be had they taken the more recent versions of the tests.

Forgot the link:
http://www.greenes.com/html/convert.htm

I'm delighted to learn my 1987 score is better than I thought! LOL!

Yes, I was, too! And it partially explains why we hear about so many more 800s now than we did back then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yawn. White privileged folks prevail as usual w/ alumni connections and donations.

Of course, if you happen to be white and have parents who never graduated from high school and Dad makes less than $15 per hour with a SAHM, no special interest group cares about you and you are totally screwed....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basically, the essay is the one opportunity the applicant has to stand out and to offer a glimpse of his or her mind/voice. Be smart, be interesting, be thoughtful, be funny, take risks. Too often kids/families get hung up on saying the right things and not making any mistakes. Which leads to really pedestrian essays, especially when the questions asked are so trite (who inspires you, describe a lesson you learned from failure, why do you want to go to school X).

You want an essay that leaves the reader saying "I want to meet this kid!" Or that leaves people who know you laughing (or crying) and saying "Yeah, *this* is what I love about [your name here]."

This is where humanities kids have an edge on the STEM kids for elite admissions.

[Anonymous]

How do you handle applications that are below the cut-offs but the family has made a large donation to the school? Do those applications skip the committee since those applications are accepted?

http://gawker.com/how-the-rich-get-into-ivies-behind-the-scenes-of-elite-1699066450

[Anonymous]

I agree that a superb essay (of the kind I described) is hard to write and that most HS kids aren't capable of it. But that's what it takes for the essay to make a difference at the most selective schools. Kids with great grades and scores are going to get into very good universities, but grades and scores alone are never going to be enough to get a kid admitted to schools with single-digit admissions rates. The essay(s) aren't crucial at those schools (with UofC being the possible exception) -- most successful candidates got in because they stood out in some other way -- but, yeah, if you're going to be able to write your way into a top school, you need to be able to write exceptionally well and to have something really interesting to say. I don't think it's navel-gazing, but it does involve a kind of intellectualism that HS doesn't cultivate.

It doesn't strike me as unfair that kids who are extraordinarily thoughtful, who look at the world differently from most people, and who are very talented writers have an edge in admissions to elite colleges. Those are kids who are likely to get the most out of such schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yawn. White privileged folks prevail as usual w/ alumni connections and donations.

Of course, if you happen to be white and have parents who never graduated from high school and Dad makes less than $15 per hour with a SAHM, no special interest group cares about you and you are totally screwed....

Totally wrong -- you're a highly coveted "first-gen" student who will get a free ride if you have the credentials to get into HYPS. Doesn't mean it'll be easy -- if you fall in this category, you aren't likely to have had the educational opportunities and developed some of the academic skills that UMC kids have, and you may experience a real cultural schock, struggle financially (or cause your family to), and may not have the support you need at home. But college admissions officers do care about you and you are not totally screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basically, the essay is the one opportunity the applicant has to stand out and to offer a glimpse of his or her mind/voice. Be smart, be interesting, be thoughtful, be funny, take risks. Too often kids/families get hung up on saying the right things and not making any mistakes. Which leads to really pedestrian essays, especially when the questions asked are so trite (who inspires you, describe a lesson you learned from failure, why do you want to go to school X).

You want an essay that leaves the reader saying "I want to meet this kid!" Or that leaves people who know you laughing (or crying) and saying "Yeah, *this* is what I love about [your name here]."

This is where humanities kids have an edge on the STEM kids for elite admissions.

Yeah, but STEM kids have more nationally-recognized competitions and research opportunities. So it probably evens out at the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, ignore the trollish/negative posts. One bit of information that is particularly eye-opening for me with a DC looking to be recruited -- Athletes need at or near a 4.0 UNWEIGHTED to achieve "non-committee-reviewed" spots? We are always telling our DC how important grades are, as well as how important it is to take a rigorous schedule of honors and AP classes, but do all the recruited athletes at elite schools really have straight As in rigorous schedules? Thanks for your time!

Not OP, but this is absolutely not true. Elite colleges, even Ivies, will recruit athletes and give them a pass on grades or SATs (to a degree). However, you have to be a very high level athlete - think Olympic level or you can lead your team to a national title.

false - there is no ivy league male soccer player that is remotely good enough to play in europe at an elite level or even carry a side to a ncaa national team title. But there are plenty of ivy league male players who skate in on the lower end of the Academic Index.

[Anonymous]

The only need blind school in this area is Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every source I can find says that scores on the new SAT are higher than the old SAT--except OP. One of the issues/concerns with the new SAT was that resulted in score inflations.

Care to post any of those sources?

You can do a quick search. This is what major news outlets (ala Wash Post) were reporting after the first exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yawn. White privileged folks prevail as usual w/ alumni connections and donations.

Of course, if you happen to be white and have parents who never graduated from high school and Dad makes less than $15 per hour with a SAHM, no special interest group cares about you and you are totally screwed....

Totally wrong -- you're a highly coveted "first-gen" student who will get a free ride if you have the credentials to get into HYPS. Doesn't mean it'll be easy -- if you fall in this category, you aren't likely to have had the educational opportunities and developed some of the academic skills that UMC kids have, and you may experience a real cultural schock, struggle financially (or cause your family to), and may not have the support you need at home. But college admissions officers do care about you and you are not totally screwed.

Actually the PP was correct. The majority of poor high performing students are white and the vast majority don't go to top schools.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/education/scholarly-poor-often-overlook-better-colleges.html?hp

"Only 34 percent of high-achieving high school seniors in the bottom fourth of income distribution attended any one of the country’s 238 most selective colleges"

And

"Among high-achieving, low-income students, 6 percent were black, 8 percent Latino, 15 percent Asian-American and 69 percent white, the study found"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every source I can find says that scores on the new SAT are higher than the old SAT--except OP. One of the issues/concerns with the new SAT was that resulted in score inflations.

Care to post any of those sources?

You can do a quick search. This is what major news outlets (ala Wash Post) were reporting after the first exam.

That's what every source I've read on this states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yawn. White privileged folks prevail as usual w/ alumni connections and donations.

Of course, if you happen to be white and have parents who never graduated from high school and Dad makes less than $15 per hour with a SAHM, no special interest group cares about you and you are totally screwed....

Totally wrong -- you're a highly coveted "first-gen" student who will get a free ride if you have the credentials to get into HYPS. Doesn't mean it'll be easy -- if you fall in this category, you aren't likely to have had the educational opportunities and developed some of the academic skills that UMC kids have, and you may experience a real cultural schock, struggle financially (or cause your family to), and may not have the support you need at home. But college admissions officers do care about you and you are not totally screwed.

Actually the PP was correct. The majority of poor high performing students are white and the vast majority don't go to top schools.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/education/scholarly-poor-often-overlook-better-colleges.html?hp

"Only 34 percent of high-achieving high school seniors in the bottom fourth of income distribution attended any one of the country’s 238 most selective colleges"

And

"Among high-achieving, low-income students, 6 percent were black, 8 percent Latino, 15 percent Asian-American and 69 percent white, the study found"

Doesn't make the PP right -- PP's point was that poor whites were ignored/screwed by elite colleges. They are not -- there's an active campaign by top schools to find/attract these kids. But if you don't apply, you can't be admitted. And if you are admitted but your family needs you to work PT and live at home, you may not be able to go. As I said, it's not easy, but the opportunities are there. And we do kids in this situation a real disservice to say no one cares about your education rather than pointing out these opportunities to them.

[Anonymous]

Are there really any sources that are basing "New SAT scores are higher than Old SAT scores" on anything other than the concordance tables themselves or the 2015 PSAT? Has any actual test score (not "study group") data been released by the College Board yet for the New SAT? (I don't think it has.)