Success with Ivy-level admissions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The very top kids at my child's high school (valedictorian, salutatorian and a couple others) got into Ivy-level colleges. The kids (like my DD), who would have had a good shot at some of these schools even 5 years ago, didn't have a chance, and every one is going to a second-tier college or in-state school because of cost.

The top-ranked schools attract a lot of hyper-qualified applicants, so they can pick whomever they want from their applicant pool. These days you need a hook, a 4.0 and at least 1550 on your SAT to even be considered at the top schools.

Kids who aren't interested in working that hard in high school should be realistic about college admissions, even if they are extremely bright. Sure, they'd do fine at Harvard and Yale, but without stats, they don't have the admissions ticket, unless they are a top athlete or have some other unique skill or talent.

I know two superb athletes who went to Princeton and Harvard who are not at the top of their classes academically. But their athletic skill got them admitted.

Yes agree with this, and maybe this is part of what you are saying, but now the unhooked kids (which is really most kids) with 4.0s and 1550 SATs are not even candidates for colleges a step down from ivies.

So then who is a good candidate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The same number of kids got into Ivies this year, as last year, as the schools have not changed the number of kids admitted.

But the unis may have changed their goals for admission - two easy examples, maybe they are admitting more international students or wanted more geo diversity within the US.

Those are big "may" and "maybe" 's.

You'd need to cite evidence or it is easy to dismiss your post.

No need to get huffy. I'm not the PP, but have 2 DCs just going through these last cycles and both of these popped to mind when I read this thread. For example, I am aware of a T20 university with an overseas campus. There is an agreement that the students at the overseas campus will be able to study for one year at the US campus. That school is now having to accommodate two years' worth of students in this coming academic year. Given that, there are not as many openings for the incoming '26 class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The same number of kids got into Ivies this year, as last year, as the schools have not changed the number of kids admitted.

But the unis may have changed their goals for admission - two easy examples, maybe they are admitting more international students or wanted more geo diversity within the US.

Those are big "may" and "maybe" 's.

You'd need to cite evidence or it is easy to dismiss your post.

No need to get huffy. I'm not the PP, but have 2 DCs just going through these last cycles and both of these popped to mind when I read this thread. For example, I am aware of a T20 university with an overseas campus. There is an agreement that the students at the overseas campus will be able to study for one year at the US campus. That school is now having to accommodate two years' worth of students in this coming academic year. Given that, there are not as many openings for the incoming '26 class.

It’s not getting huffy to say “you just made that up without evidence” as people may read this forum, take your statement as fact and make uninformed decisions based on it.

This is a discussion forum. If you make a claim you should be prepared for it to be challenged. Your anecdote above is not evidence, and your lack of mentioning the school is a tell that you can’t support it with any facts.

PP is right - essentially the same number of seats for the same number of students. That’s all verifiable in the CDSs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The very top kids at my child's high school (valedictorian, salutatorian and a couple others) got into Ivy-level colleges. The kids (like my DD), who would have had a good shot at some of these schools even 5 years ago, didn't have a chance, and every one is going to a second-tier college or in-state school because of cost.

The top-ranked schools attract a lot of hyper-qualified applicants, so they can pick whomever they want from their applicant pool. These days you need a hook, a 4.0 and at least 1550 on your SAT to even be considered at the top schools.

Kids who aren't interested in working that hard in high school should be realistic about college admissions, even if they are extremely bright. Sure, they'd do fine at Harvard and Yale, but without stats, they don't have the admissions ticket, unless they are a top athlete or have some other unique skill or talent.

I know two superb athletes who went to Princeton and Harvard who are not at the top of their classes academically. But their athletic skill got them admitted.

Yes agree with this, and maybe this is part of what you are saying, but now the unhooked kids (which is really most kids) with 4.0s and 1550 SATs are not even candidates for colleges a step down from ivies.

Private school parent. There is no one with a 4.0 at my kid’s school but I thought most kids with “high stats” got into top 25-ish type places, regardless of hook. Ivies seem to be reserved for cum laude society and kids don’t have a plethora of choices but it seems like most kids get at least into somewhere where they are happy.

I have a rising senior in public school with close to a 4.0uw, 4.7w and 1560 SAT. We’ve been told by his school counselor and private college counselor that T20 colleges are all extremely high reaches for him, to the point that they suggest he focus on the next rung “down” (eg, Wake Forest instead of Emory; Case Western instead of WUSTL).

Emory,WashU, Notre Dame especially are very much attainable if you apply early. WashU's ED rate is 35%, similar for the others. But some of you want to shoot for Yale early so you et shut out from both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The same number of kids got into Ivies this year, as last year, as the schools have not changed the number of kids admitted.

But the unis may have changed their goals for admission - two easy examples, maybe they are admitting more international students or wanted more geo diversity within the US.

Those are big "may" and "maybe" 's.

You'd need to cite evidence or it is easy to dismiss your post.

I wasn’t trying to assert these are true statement. I was using as examples to say that it isn’t as simple as saying that numbers admitted haven’t changed, so same kids are getting admitted.

NP who thinks that you are onto something. We were shocked when we toured BU and they said that 25% of their students (I don’t remember if it was admitted or enrolled) are international.

BU has always had a high percentage of international students. They are cash cows. And BU has always been $$$

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The same number of kids got into Ivies this year, as last year, as the schools have not changed the number of kids admitted.

But the unis may have changed their goals for admission - two easy examples, maybe they are admitting more international students or wanted more geo diversity within the US.

Those are big "may" and "maybe" 's.

You'd need to cite evidence or it is easy to dismiss your post.

No need to get huffy. I'm not the PP, but have 2 DCs just going through these last cycles and both of these popped to mind when I read this thread. For example, I am aware of a T20 university with an overseas campus. There is an agreement that the students at the overseas campus will be able to study for one year at the US campus. That school is now having to accommodate two years' worth of students in this coming academic year. Given that, there are not as many openings for the incoming '26 class.

It’s not getting huffy to say “you just made that up without evidence” as people may read this forum, take your statement as fact and make uninformed decisions based on it.

This is a discussion forum. If you make a claim you should be prepared for it to be challenged. Your anecdote above is not evidence, and your lack of mentioning the school is a tell that you can’t support it with any facts.

PP is right - essentially the same number of seats for the same number of students. That’s all verifiable in the CDSs.

Before you mouth off in defense, read the original post which started all of this. The poster said: “But the unis MAY have changed their goals for admission - two easy examples, MAYBE they are admitting more international students or wanted more geo diversity within the US.” (I added the caps.) As was already said, stating “the numbers are the same so nothing has changed” is not close to the full story about admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s always a crapshoot. Not much difference from last year at our school.

For mediocre applicants, it’s indeed a crapshoot. But not for top achievers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The same number of kids got into Ivies this year, as last year, as the schools have not changed the number of kids admitted.

But the unis may have changed their goals for admission - two easy examples, maybe they are admitting more international students or wanted more geo diversity within the US.

Those are big "may" and "maybe" 's.

You'd need to cite evidence or it is easy to dismiss your post.

No need to get huffy. I'm not the PP, but have 2 DCs just going through these last cycles and both of these popped to mind when I read this thread. For example, I am aware of a T20 university with an overseas campus. There is an agreement that the students at the overseas campus will be able to study for one year at the US campus. That school is now having to accommodate two years' worth of students in this coming academic year. Given that, there are not as many openings for the incoming '26 class.

It’s not getting huffy to say “you just made that up without evidence” as people may read this forum, take your statement as fact and make uninformed decisions based on it.

This is a discussion forum. If you make a claim you should be prepared for it to be challenged. Your anecdote above is not evidence, and your lack of mentioning the school is a tell that you can’t support it with any facts.

PP is right - essentially the same number of seats for the same number of students. That’s all verifiable in the CDSs.

LOL. It's Duke and heard directly from a board member. So maybe Duke spun the board member, IDK.

Again, I'm not the PP with the original assertion. I responded because those were the first two points that also crossed my mind based on college search, tours, etc over the last three years. You can still have the same number of seats but fill a fair percentage of them with international students. That translates into a smaller pool of seats available for US applicants.

Again, no need to be huffy. You could have framed everything you did above without immediately accusing people of acting in bad faith. This is DCUM, not a Congressional hearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s always a crapshoot. Not much difference from last year at our school.

For mediocre applicants, it’s indeed a crapshoot. But not for top achievers.

Hmmm, I know a handful of students with stellar records, ECs, published research, etc shut of out of Ivies this cycle. Still in shock over one. Assumed they were going to be one and done in ED1, but not until RD and then rejected at Ivy after being deferred in ED and rejected at another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s always a crapshoot. Not much difference from last year at our school.

For mediocre applicants, it’s indeed a crapshoot. But not for top achievers.

You are the exact parent that will be back here in May complaining that your kid was “shut out.” It will turn out that their list contained only t15 schools because you did not listen to anyone. This happens every single year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The same number of kids got into Ivies this year, as last year, as the schools have not changed the number of kids admitted.

But the unis may have changed their goals for admission - two easy examples, maybe they are admitting more international students or wanted more geo diversity within the US.

Those are big "may" and "maybe" 's.

You'd need to cite evidence or it is easy to dismiss your post.

No need to get huffy. I'm not the PP, but have 2 DCs just going through these last cycles and both of these popped to mind when I read this thread. For example, I am aware of a T20 university with an overseas campus. There is an agreement that the students at the overseas campus will be able to study for one year at the US campus. That school is now having to accommodate two years' worth of students in this coming academic year. Given that, there are not as many openings for the incoming '26 class.

It’s not getting huffy to say “you just made that up without evidence” as people may read this forum, take your statement as fact and make uninformed decisions based on it.

This is a discussion forum. If you make a claim you should be prepared for it to be challenged. Your anecdote above is not evidence, and your lack of mentioning the school is a tell that you can’t support it with any facts.

PP is right - essentially the same number of seats for the same number of students. That’s all verifiable in the CDSs.

LOL. It's Duke and heard directly from a board member. So maybe Duke spun the board member, IDK.

Again, I'm not the PP with the original assertion. I responded because those were the first two points that also crossed my mind based on college search, tours, etc over the last three years. You can still have the same number of seats but fill a fair percentage of them with international students. That translates into a smaller pool of seats available for US applicants.

Again, no need to be huffy. You could have framed everything you did above without immediately accusing people of acting in bad faith. This is DCUM, not a Congressional hearing.

Duke CDS Enrollees:

2021: 538 non-resident aliens
2020: 631
2019: 636

I guess we'll have to wait for the next CDS to absolutely check what you heard, but the current data, for the "last three years", shows the number as around 10% and declining slightly. Enrollments are what matter, if they are taking the same number of enrollees, there is no net reduction.

If requiring facts and one minute of research makes me "Huffy", then I embrace huffy, and feel there is a total need for facts and none for "may and maybe"s. This process is hard enough on people.

Have a great day, and try not to be so sensitive when you have your facts checked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s always a crapshoot. Not much difference from last year at our school.

For mediocre applicants, it’s indeed a crapshoot. But not for top achievers.

You are the exact parent that will be back here in May complaining that your kid was “shut out.” It will turn out that their list contained only t15 schools because you did not listen to anyone. This happens every single year.

Yeah, having gone through and having seen it since 2020, not all top kids go ivy. Not all top kids want ivy. I think some parents are messed up in the head. It does and will adversely affect your children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The very top kids at my child's high school (valedictorian, salutatorian and a couple others) got into Ivy-level colleges. The kids (like my DD), who would have had a good shot at some of these schools even 5 years ago, didn't have a chance, and every one is going to a second-tier college or in-state school because of cost.

The top-ranked schools attract a lot of hyper-qualified applicants, so they can pick whomever they want from their applicant pool. These days you need a hook, a 4.0 and at least 1550 on your SAT to even be considered at the top schools.

Kids who aren't interested in working that hard in high school should be realistic about college admissions, even if they are extremely bright. Sure, they'd do fine at Harvard and Yale, but without stats, they don't have the admissions ticket, unless they are a top athlete or have some other unique skill or talent.

I know two superb athletes who went to Princeton and Harvard who are not at the top of their classes academically. But their athletic skill got them admitted.

Yes agree with this, and maybe this is part of what you are saying, but now the unhooked kids (which is really most kids) with 4.0s and 1550 SATs are not even candidates for colleges a step down from ivies.

Private school parent. There is no one with a 4.0 at my kid’s school but I thought most kids with “high stats” got into top 25-ish type places, regardless of hook. Ivies seem to be reserved for cum laude society and kids don’t have a plethora of choices but it seems like most kids get at least into somewhere where they are happy.

I have a rising senior in public school with close to a 4.0uw, 4.7w and 1560 SAT. We’ve been told by his school counselor and private college counselor that T20 colleges are all extremely high reaches for him, to the point that they suggest he focus on the next rung “down” (eg, Wake Forest instead of Emory; Case Western instead of WUSTL).

This is true. These were my sons stats roughly and the highest school he got into (in terms of ranking) was like 40. He was more focused on his programs strength (CS) but ultimately those stats got him only into his safeties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The very top kids at my child's high school (valedictorian, salutatorian and a couple others) got into Ivy-level colleges. The kids (like my DD), who would have had a good shot at some of these schools even 5 years ago, didn't have a chance, and every one is going to a second-tier college or in-state school because of cost.

The top-ranked schools attract a lot of hyper-qualified applicants, so they can pick whomever they want from their applicant pool. These days you need a hook, a 4.0 and at least 1550 on your SAT to even be considered at the top schools.

Kids who aren't interested in working that hard in high school should be realistic about college admissions, even if they are extremely bright. Sure, they'd do fine at Harvard and Yale, but without stats, they don't have the admissions ticket, unless they are a top athlete or have some other unique skill or talent.

I know two superb athletes who went to Princeton and Harvard who are not at the top of their classes academically. But their athletic skill got them admitted.

Yes agree with this, and maybe this is part of what you are saying, but now the unhooked kids (which is really most kids) with 4.0s and 1550 SATs are not even candidates for colleges a step down from ivies.

Private school parent. There is no one with a 4.0 at my kid’s school but I thought most kids with “high stats” got into top 25-ish type places, regardless of hook. Ivies seem to be reserved for cum laude society and kids don’t have a plethora of choices but it seems like most kids get at least into somewhere where they are happy.

I have a rising senior in public school with close to a 4.0uw, 4.7w and 1560 SAT. We’ve been told by his school counselor and private college counselor that T20 colleges are all extremely high reaches for him, to the point that they suggest he focus on the next rung “down” (eg, Wake Forest instead of Emory; Case Western instead of WUSTL).

Think of it this way. for schools with 5 or 6% acceptance rates, it's a reach for everyone, there's no such thing as "target" when the acceptance percentages are that low

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s always a crapshoot. Not much difference from last year at our school.

For mediocre applicants, it’s indeed a crapshoot. But not for top achievers.

You are the exact parent that will be back here in May complaining that your kid was “shut out.” It will turn out that their list contained only t15 schools because you did not listen to anyone. This happens every single year.

This is so true. I have an ivy league degree and assumed my kids would do the same, but it is indeed a completely different landscape out there. It takes your kid going through it to really get it.