When Things Appear to Just Easily Work Out

[Anonymous]

Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

Because you don’t understand that as long as you score high enough with a high enough GPA, it’s all the other attributes of your application.

You think you are flexing by claiming a 33-33 is a meh score, but a 34 (or 1500 SAT) is and always has been a competitive score.

You actually aren’t totally curious. If you were you would look at CDS data and do some Google research. That’s what “truly curious” people do.

[Anonymous]

Many times it is also about the ED working out. I know kids who got into Cornell ED with lower stats and profile versus those who were denied in regular decision with better stats from the same school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many times it is also about the ED working out. I know kids who got into Cornell ED with lower stats and profile versus those who were denied in regular decision with better stats from the same school.

+1. ED is particularly useful at Cornell (versus other Ivies) where athletic recruits make up a much smaller percentage of the ED acceptances due to Cornell's much larger size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many times it is also about the ED working out. I know kids who got into Cornell ED with lower stats and profile versus those who were denied in regular decision with better stats from the same school.

+1. ED is particularly useful at Cornell (versus other Ivies) where athletic recruits make up a much smaller percentage of the ED acceptances due to Cornell's much larger size.

Was it useful this year? Didn’t they take a smaller class in ED?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

These grades are equivalent to a 4.0 at a local public, meaning these kids are in the top percent of the class.

[Anonymous]

People who can afford it apply ED, and the barriers to admission are lower.

It is very clear to me after looking at college acceptances from many high schools (I don’t live in DMV) that students who have deeper pockets have all the advantage. That is not surprising and that’s the way the world works, but people should also be honest about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

These grades are equivalent to a 4.0 at a local public, meaning these kids are in the top percent of the class.

Not always.
3.85-3.9uw at private - sure
3.75uw ?

[Anonymous]

We have no idea what school goes with what gpa. Wash U, for example, accepts over 30 percent of ED1 applicants and it would be possible to get in with a 3.75 from our private, same for Emory. Don’t even need to be in top 20 percent for schools like Davidson or Wesleyan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

Those schools aren't as selective as you imagine they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

Those aren’t meh grades from a top private and the schools you mentioned are appropriate. Over a 3.85 is looking at Ivies, Duke, Northwestern etc.

Also there’s a lot more to an app beyond the numbers.

And….you don’t know the scope of people’s connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

Those schools aren't as selective as you imagine they are.

No — they are infinitely more so. When less than 15% of applicants get in, admissions are uber competitive. For every seemingly low stats student admitted, there are 19 other candidates with perfect or near perfect stats that are rejected. I was shocked at who didn’t get in to schools this year. Don’t kid yourself; this process is brutal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

Those schools aren't as selective as you imagine they are.

No — they are infinitely more so. When less than 15% of applicants get in, admissions are uber competitive. For every seemingly low stats student admitted, there are 19 other candidates with perfect or near perfect stats that are rejected. I was shocked at who didn’t get in to schools this year. Don’t kid yourself; this process is brutal.

Not that brutal for over a 3.75 from a top private school, which was your example. It’s under 3.75 where things get crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who can afford it apply ED, and the barriers to admission are lower.

It is very clear to me after looking at college acceptances from many high schools (I don’t live in DMV) that students who have deeper pockets have all the advantage. That is not surprising and that’s the way the world works, but people should also be honest about it.

If you can't afford a college it does not matter if you are admitted ED or RD.

The NPC is available for every college by law. If you can afford it according to the NPC, you can apply ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen selective college admissions “just work out” where it appears to happen by luck or easily for an apparently underwhelming candidate?

I keep hearing stories of lower Ivy admits (and other private T25) for seniors who had meh grades (3.75-3.85uw) and so-so scores (33-34) ending up at places like Cornell, WashU, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, USC - from private high schools.

How does this happen unexpectedly? Is the kid just a stealth achiever? Or did a pricey admissions counselor manufacture a story? Or a secret VIP?

Truly curious.

Those schools aren't as selective as you imagine they are.

No — they are infinitely more so. When less than 15% of applicants get in, admissions are uber competitive. For every seemingly low stats student admitted, there are 19 other candidates with perfect or near perfect stats that are rejected. I was shocked at who didn’t get in to schools this year. Don’t kid yourself; this process is brutal.

Not that brutal for over a 3.75 from a top private school, which was your example. It’s under 3.75 where things get crazy.

Where do the under 3.75uw private school kids go?