Rising senior DD

[Anonymous]

My kid had dream stats/profile and did not get into Stanford or any ivy for that matter. Whoever said 1-2% chance is right. We had two kids go from our high school in recent years and they were both athletic recruits. That said, Stanford wrote the nicest rejection letter of all, so if you want one of those....

[Anonymous]

What is your child passionate about? What makes them someone the school wants?
You said she plays a niche sport - but is not at the level of being recruited - so the uniqueness does not really matter that much unless her service hours are about creating a program to make the sport more accessible and there is a specific story to tell.

The great thing is it sounds like your DD is not spending the summer SAT prepping - rather spending time narrowing in where she wants to spend the next 4 years. Enjoy this time

[Anonymous]

Both are highly unlikely. My kid had very similar stats - perfect ACT, one B in all of high school which was also a magnet program, 13 APs (mostly 5s, a couple 4s), team captain, multi-sport athlete, interesting extracurriculars, strong demonstrated commitment to a particular volunteer program, etc. - didn’t even bother applying to the Ivy+ schools because he knew the odds (among other reasons as well). One of his closest friends - perfect stats, similar activities AND a double legacy at Harvard was flat out rejected. Your DD can still apply but she shouldn’t expect to be admitted to either needs to be realistic about other options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

Mine blew her scea on Yale, but the rejection prompted her to refine her app, better highlighting her strengths and refine her essays. She added several awards in the meantime as well. Got into 3 Ivies/T10 and a couple top LACs.

[Anonymous]

Two kids got on from Langley this year. I think both had major leadership roles and at least one had a non profit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

Mine blew her scea on Yale, but the rejection prompted her to refine her app, better highlighting her strengths and refine her essays. She added several awards in the meantime as well. Got into 3 Ivies/T10 and a couple top LACs.

Right, so your kid applied to the RD schools with fantastic essays and impressive awards. If OP’s kid has/does similar, that will improve the odds. But right now it does not sound as if the OP’s kid has anything going on that would distinguish her from thousands and thousands of similarly situated high stats students all applying to the same top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

Mine blew her scea on Yale, but the rejection prompted her to refine her app, better highlighting her strengths and refine her essays. She added several awards in the meantime as well. Got into 3 Ivies/T10 and a couple top LACs.

Right, so your kid applied to the RD schools with fantastic essays and impressive awards. If OP’s kid has/does similar, that will improve the odds. But right now it does not sound as if the OP’s kid has anything going on that would distinguish her from thousands and thousands of similarly situated high stats students all applying to the same top schools.

PP here. Yes. That is essentially what I posted earlier in the thread as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two kids got on from Langley this year. I think both had major leadership roles and at least one had a non profit.

Two out of hundreds from the top ranked public high school in the county and state. Not exactly reassuring.

A friend's niece got into Stanford a couple years ago from one of the lowest ranked FCPSs -- one that most posters here would advise people not to move to. White, UMC, etc., with very, very strong stats. But a legacy.

[Anonymous]

most parents if you heard there was a 1-2% or even 10% chance of rain, you wouldn't bring an umbrella. BUT if you hear there is 1-2% chance or even 10% chance of a child getting into X school, they are confident it will happen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

All applicants collectively have a 2-6% chance of admissions. Each applicant individually has a different chance. I lurk on this board, and having done this for 25 years professionally, I think a kid with those stats has about 20% chance. Still very unlikely but different than the average. That’s actually really important to absorb … your DC can have all the stats in the world, and the chances rise from “cloudy with a chance of meatballs” only to “extremely unlikely.”

[Anonymous]

I have read so many universities planning to do 3 more cycles or more of 'test optional' to continue to drive up 'under-represented and no legacy admits'. Minorities and persons claiming more than one race.

The goal for many is as high as 40% at many top Universities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two kids got on from Langley this year. I think both had major leadership roles and at least one had a non profit.

Two out of hundreds from the top ranked public high school in the county and state. Not exactly reassuring.

A friend's niece got into Stanford a couple years ago from one of the lowest ranked FCPSs -- one that most posters here would advise people not to move to. White, UMC, etc., with very, very strong stats. But a legacy.

It wasn’t intended to be reassuring. Everyone knows the chances are slim for even the best students.

Your friend’s niece benefited from her low ranked school. In two ways: less competition so easier to be a standout and two, colleges like to feel like they’re pulling a kid from poverty. Even if she’s the one rich kid in school, Stanford (or Harvard or wherever) gets to put a feather in their cap for taking a kid from a high FARM school or whatever the high school title 1 equivalent is. This is actually a hook. All things being equal on their applications, the kid from a title 1 type of school has a better chance than a kid from Langley.

[Anonymous]

Everyone's chances at Stanford are low. They deny over 95% of their applicants. No one should even bother asking about chances. There's just no way to predict who is going to get picked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

This. Highly rejective schools like Stanford are basically evaluating applicants along two axes: (1) Can she do the work? (Almost certainly a Yes for this particular kid); (2) How will she contribute? (This is where people talk about "hooks" and there are no obvious ones here; unless she can demonstrate a truly beautiful mind somehow, she won't be admitted to Stanford or other schools of its ilk. Just being another smart, diligent, great kid doesn't move this needle at the most rejective schools.)