ABRSM 8

[Anonymous]

Kid is in 8th grade now, and has been playing their instrument for about 5 years. They are close to ABRSM 8 level (they used to be very good).

However, they refuse to practice regularly and have lost interest in the instrument. From the perspective of college admissions, is the worth making the effort to obtain ABRSM 8 certificate?

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

If they are not interested, let it go. Help them explore and build upon things they are interested in. The frustration and possible resentment for a certificate is not worth it IMHO. They will not get in for having nor be rejected by not having this certification.

[Anonymous]

Are you familiar with the level of skill this certification requires?

[Anonymous]

I had the post above the last, so not sure if it was directed at me. But yes, I do. Im very familiar with the program.

Not a question of how much talent is involved, but one thing that has become abundantly clear to me in learning about modern admissions is colleges/universities are businesses. And the most selective schools (which I presume is what is of interest) have their pick of the litter. A ton of high talented, qualified students are competing for a small number of spots.

The ultimate question that will need to be answered, when the time comes, is how will this student meet the institutional priorities and mission of the school, if accepted? Will Level 8 certification assist in that?

I think the key will come down to the students narrative and how it is relevant to the school and show qualities of fit. How does Level 8 cert fit into that? Is it done as part of an authentic passion for music and instrument? Has played a pivotal role in their development and activities? Have they made an impact on others with this talent over time? Do they intend to use this talent to enrich the college community as demonstrated in their activities before college?

Or is it checking a box? Answer these questions and I think there lies the answer to whether the certification will materially help.

[Anonymous]

It’s checking the box, for sure, but so is “impact” and “passion”. None of these are real, and when they are (very rarely), they almost never go with 1600 SATs and 20 APs

[Anonymous]

^ I should add, I am not belittling the value of the certification. Very cool if he/she is able and wants to obtain it. Im just suggesting that one be very clear-eyed when thinking about impact on admissions. In 4-5 years, when they are in application season, who know what is going to matter and/or tip the scales?

Legacy could be gone at most schools, NIL in athletics might radically change the athletic recruiting landscape creating more opportunities for 'something else' to matter

[Anonymous]

If you do, wait until 9th grade so it is actually a high school activity. They don't care about things that don't continue into high school. And don't make a kid do something they hate, when they could be doing something the love, which is healthy and which will have much more value.

It the kid is not going to keep playing and won't say they intend to play in college, then it won't really be helpful and may raise questions: why did someone so talented quit so young? You probably will end up not listing it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s checking the box, for sure, but so is “impact” and “passion”. None of these are real, and when they are (very rarely), they almost never go with 1600 SATs and 20 APs

I think impact and passion can be real, though I agree that there is much that appears 'manufactured' when reading forums such as this one. There are college consultants that have turned cultivating the 'perfect application' into business grooming kids from 7th, 8th, or 9th grade. Which personally feels icky to me, but that just my opinion.

But in this context, to the question of "Is it worth checking the box?" I cant answer that, but I do think by itself, with nothing else, it will show itself as just that. Will that then help? I wouldn't think so, but wouldn't the first time I was wrong about something if proven otherwise

For you and anyone else that happens upon this thread, I will leave the link to the "Applying Sideways" blog entry on MIT's admission site 10 years ago. For me, this post helped me frame how to think about helping my child through the admissions process.

https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways/

[Anonymous]

^ Wow, it was actually 14 years ago that it was written