Got a Smart Kid Applying for College Anytime Soon? Read this NYT Article (if you haven't yet)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This trend makes those families who focused on athleticism as a way to stand out, look increasingly savvy.

Not really. I'm the parent of 2 college varsity athletes (at an Ivy) and unless your kid is good enough to be recruited and wants to continue playing in college, HS athletics won't really make you stand out. And, even then, your child has to be a really strong candidate w/re to grades, scores, recommendations and essays. Many, many families whom we met as our kids played sports together over the years vastly overestimated how much of a boost their kids would get from sports.

I was referring to families like yours, in which the children are truly good athletes. I often wondered if that was time well spent, and now I see that is obviously is.

Some athletic involvement is essential for the development of a boy, whether he uses it to get into college or not.

For positions requiring teamwork, wouldn't hire anyone who never played a team sport.

[Anonymous]

Here's a classic

http://www.chinalawblog.com/2013/06/riot-after-chinese-students-prevented-from-cheating-and-the-meaning-is.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This trend makes those families who focused on athleticism as a way to stand out, look increasingly savvy.

Not really. I'm the parent of 2 college varsity athletes (at an Ivy) and unless your kid is good enough to be recruited and wants to continue playing in college, HS athletics won't really make you stand out. And, even then, your child has to be a really strong candidate w/re to grades, scores, recommendations and essays. Many, many families whom we met as our kids played sports together over the years vastly overestimated how much of a boost their kids would get from sports.

I was referring to families like yours, in which the children are truly good athletes. I often wondered if that was time well spent, and now I see that is obviously is.

Some athletic involvement is essential for the development of a boy, whether he uses it to get into college or not.

Athletic involvement is good, but not essential, for girls and boys. Some boys don't like sports, some girls love sports and vice versa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This trend makes those families who focused on athleticism as a way to stand out, look increasingly savvy.

Not really. I'm the parent of 2 college varsity athletes (at an Ivy) and unless your kid is good enough to be recruited and wants to continue playing in college, HS athletics won't really make you stand out. And, even then, your child has to be a really strong candidate w/re to grades, scores, recommendations and essays. Many, many families whom we met as our kids played sports together over the years vastly overestimated how much of a boost their kids would get from sports.

I was referring to families like yours, in which the children are truly good athletes. I often wondered if that was time well spent, and now I see that is obviously is.

Some athletic involvement is essential for the development of a boy, whether he uses it to get into college or not.

Athletic involvement is good, but not essential, for girls and boys. Some boys don't like sports, some girls love sports and vice versa.

Apart from the coaches, I don't think colleges care much at all about athletics. But, in some professions and corporations there is a strong preference for those who've been immersed in team sports. Not necessarily the stars either, some think you learn more as a non-star. For those who don't like team sports there are other careers that don't require the skill set developed through team sports. Every organization needs the "grinders" who prefer to work alone.

[Anonymous]

There are ways apart from sports to develop an ability to work as a team. Some non-athletic examples include Mock Trial, Model UN, Science Olympiad or Math Team. If you are looking for a great sport that is all about teamwork, have your kid go out for crew. There's no way to row a boat of 4 or 8 competitively without a high level of teamwork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:... I would think that an applicant with all of these qualifications but and had to overcome adversity of some kind would stand out. I don't know really know how else an applicant from a middle-high income family can stand out these days.

Yes, if you're deciding between two applicants with essentially interchangeable stats (GPA, SAT, APs, etc), wouldn't you want to pick the one who accomplished those things despite a more difficult path?

It's sort of like picking Ginger Rogers over Fred Astaire, because she did everything he did ... but backwards and in heels.

Hey, I like that analogy. Works for just about everything women do compared to men

Including college admission. More young women then young men apply for college admission but colleges/universities seek gender parity. With a few exceptions, it's harder for young women to get into college than young men.