How to create a “spike”

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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

I just don't understand.

[Anonymous]

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.

[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.

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.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a problem with "We".

But you cannot create a spike where there isn't one, OP, not at the end of 9th grade. If she chooses to focus intensively on one aspect of her life, and ends up in the fall of 12th grade with several pieces of evidence that she has progressed to at least a regional, if not national or international level, then great! But how likely is it?

Most kids with a splinter skill were preparing for it, whether they knew it or not, years before high school. They had the conditioning to go far in their sports, or the music background to win major competitions, or the STEM knowledge to do well in Robotics or Math or Science events.

Also, schools ranked 30-50 are as selective now as higher-ranked schools used to be a few years ago.

So don't even think about T20. Think about building the best possible profile to open as many doors as possible. Maybe it will be a lower-ranked school, with merit aid and a nice Honors dorm. If that happens, you should be happy.

[Anonymous]

What is a “spike”?

[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.

Different poster: there is nothing in your post that makes it seem like this is kid-driven. You say the kid is "interested" - but in what? He doesn't know...and that's why you're posting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is a “spike”?

Is it like saying an applicant is “pointy”??

[Anonymous]

Google "MIT applying sideways".

Your welcome

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a “spike”?

Is it like saying an applicant is “pointy”??

Yes, it's the same idea. A child cultivate a "passion" or skill to such a high the degree that they stand out and are somewhat unique because of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a “spike”?

Is it like saying an applicant is “pointy”??

Yes, same thing

[Anonymous]

You can't invent their passion

[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.

Different poster: there is nothing in your post that makes it seem like this is kid-driven. You say the kid is "interested" - but in what? He doesn't know...and that's why you're posting.

It’s not that DD isn’t interested in anything, it’s that she’s interested in a lot of things and would like to narrow her focus. My question was simply about concentrating multiple state/regional level activities into a single national level one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a problem with "We".

But you cannot create a spike where there isn't one, OP, not at the end of 9th grade. If she chooses to focus intensively on one aspect of her life, and ends up in the fall of 12th grade with several pieces of evidence that she has progressed to at least a regional, if not national or international level, then great! But how likely is it?

Most kids with a splinter skill were preparing for it, whether they knew it or not, years before high school. They had the conditioning to go far in their sports, or the music background to win major competitions, or the STEM knowledge to do well in Robotics or Math or Science events.

Also, schools ranked 30-50 are as selective now as higher-ranked schools used to be a few years ago.

So don't even think about T20. Think about building the best possible profile to open as many doors as possible. Maybe it will be a lower-ranked school, with merit aid and a nice Honors dorm. If that happens, you should be happy.

What is a “splinter skill”?