Worth gaming the system?

[Anonymous]

In your experience, is it worth gaming the system by taking easier classes in high school to keep a very high GPA, just to improve chances of getting into a T20 or Ivy? Then once admitted, switching into a different major?

I recently heard about several students who entered T20 schools with less competitive or undersubscribed majors. Their plan was to move into premed after enrollment. But during freshman year they ran into the typical STEM weed-out courses, calculus, general chemistry, and physics. Many of them struggled and some had to abandon the premed track.

On the other hand, what about students who took the most rigorous courses in high school but ended up with a lower GPA and attended a non-T20 college? Do they tend to be more successful on the premed track because they are already used to the workload and difficulty?

For those who have seen this play out, does this strategy actually work in the long run? Or does avoiding rigorous coursework in high school end up making the transition to college stem or econ much harder?

[Anonymous]

Not everyone wants to be stem/pre-med. If you want that you can’t truly game it.


Might work for econ or math.

[Anonymous]

A girl in my DC’s class did this. She literally told her that she will apply for an undersubscribed major and then transfer to the most competitive major once admitted. She took the same classes as my DD and had similar grades. They both were in AP calc A/B in senior year. The girl also got help with EC’s (book publishing etc) from her parents. Ended up at HYP and then successfully transferred to the most prestigious department.. so yes u can game the system.. people do it all the time..

[Anonymous]

Taking easier classes in HS will keep a kid out of the top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A girl in my DC’s class did this. She literally told her that she will apply for an undersubscribed major and then transfer to the most competitive major once admitted. She took the same classes as my DD and had similar grades. They both were in AP calc A/B in senior year. The girl also got help with EC’s (book publishing etc) from her parents. Ended up at HYP and then successfully transferred to the most prestigious department.. so yes u can game the system.. people do it all the time..

This did not happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In your experience, is it worth gaming the system by taking easier classes in high school to keep a very high GPA, just to improve chances of getting into a T20 or Ivy? Then once admitted, switching into a different major?

I recently heard about several students who entered T20 schools with less competitive or undersubscribed majors. Their plan was to move into premed after enrollment. But during freshman year they ran into the typical STEM weed-out courses, calculus, general chemistry, and physics. Many of them struggled and some had to abandon the premed track.

On the other hand, what about students who took the most rigorous courses in high school but ended up with a lower GPA and attended a non-T20 college? Do they tend to be more successful on the premed track because they are already used to the workload and difficulty?

For those who have seen this play out, does this strategy actually work in the long run? Or does avoiding rigorous coursework in high school end up making the transition to college stem or econ much harder?

Nice troll post feed off of the other thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone wants to be stem/pre-med. If you want that you can’t truly game it.


Might work for econ or math.

Math?? How so?

Econ also requires a high level of math in calculus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In your experience, is it worth gaming the system by taking easier classes in high school to keep a very high GPA, just to improve chances of getting into a T20 or Ivy? Then once admitted, switching into a different major?

I recently heard about several students who entered T20 schools with less competitive or undersubscribed majors. Their plan was to move into premed after enrollment. But during freshman year they ran into the typical STEM weed-out courses, calculus, general chemistry, and physics. Many of them struggled and some had to abandon the premed track.

On the other hand, what about students who took the most rigorous courses in high school but ended up with a lower GPA and attended a non-T20 college? Do they tend to be more successful on the premed track because they are already used to the workload and difficulty?

For those who have seen this play out, does this strategy actually work in the long run? Or does avoiding rigorous coursework in high school end up making the transition to college stem or econ much harder?

Pure fantasy.

[Anonymous]

1) This is unlikely to work. Colleges want to see students take the most rigorous classes available, so taking easier classes will hurt your application.

2) Even if it did work, why would you want your student to learn less in high school? For overall life success, it's better learn more in high school and then do very well in a slightly less competitive college than enter a slightly more competitive college with worse preparation.

[Anonymous]

Better to go to lower ranked college and get good gpa and then go to top grad school. Best outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1) This is unlikely to work. Colleges want to see students take the most rigorous classes available, so taking easier classes will hurt your application.

2) Even if it did work, why would you want your student to learn less in high school? For overall life success, it's better learn more in high school and then do very well in a slightly less competitive college than enter a slightly more competitive college with worse preparation.

This. My kid with a 3.8 unweighted GPA took the most rigorous classes and ended up getting accepted to all her schools except for UF. A friend of hers took the easy, regular classes, got a 3.9 unweighted and couldn't even get into Maryland.

The schools want rigor and want to know you didn't take the easy road.

[Anonymous]

Art history at Dartmouth, then MBB or GS. I don't think anyone would complain about that outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Art history at Dartmouth, then MBB or GS. I don't think anyone would complain about that outcome.

Provide evidences to support your claim. Working in finance or consulting firm does not automatically mean someone get a high-paying job. Companies these days are much less motivated to hire individuals who do not bring value. Your example is most likely only effective for someone with nepotism.

[Anonymous]

Your premise is wrong, OP. Tier 1 universities pick students who have taken the hardest classes in their high schools. Sometimes they take kids who have not, but who have achieved excellence through other means: mostly atheticism, but also in the arts or other domains.

If you want "easy" classes in high school, you need to find a high school that does not offer advanced courses. Usually those will be in the rurality of your state. Bonus if you move to North Dakota - universities love to say their students come from all 50 states. Pick the least academically competitive state and move there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Art history at Dartmouth, then MBB or GS. I don't think anyone would complain about that outcome.

Um, it's not 1998.
My child is at Dartmouth and everyone aiming for top tier recruiting is taking the hardest classes they can and trying to get a 4.0.
The MBB and GS recruits from Dartmouth in this era are all math and STEM majors or complete nepo hires because their dad works for the bank.