What has surprised you - as your kid comes to the end of this process

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:‘24. The role of hooks, narratives, and packaging.

Where did you learn about this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:‘24. The role of hooks, narratives, and packaging.

Where did you learn about this?

DCUM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how many free resources there are if you just take a bit of time to use them, learn about them.

oh and some private counselors are a total and utter waste if you do the abovementioned learning and listening.

100%!

DCUM is actually very helpful if you take it with a grain of salt and understand that not everyone has the pressure-cooker MD/VA suburban experience.

[Anonymous]

Hooks matter more than anything else at the top 20 schools, and especially the Ivies. A kid at the top of the class, with perfect grades and scores and impressive, unique ECs, will almost always lose out to a kid without those things who has a hook. I heard this so many times but did not fully absorb it without personal experience.

[Anonymous]

If your aiming for the t30 schools, have your child focus or enter into national academic competitions, they don't have to win but at least place. ie debate, business case competitions, national science fairs. etc. From what I witnessed kids from same schools, those with national awards, and lower grades and scores got in over others.

[Anonymous]

How much time you’ll waste trying it understand a process that is largely unknowable as we won’t ever be able to predict institutional priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your aiming for the t30 schools, have your child focus or enter into national academic competitions, they don't have to win but at least place. ie debate, business case competitions, national science fairs. etc. From what I witnessed kids from same schools, those with national awards, and lower grades and scores got in over others.

Is there a list of such competitions?

[Anonymous]

I think the people who enter these competitions do that solely to get a leg up, on other kids when applying to college. I noticed its overwhelmingly stem competitions where they have research publications etc. not sure when they have time to do all this stuff. But i guess it helps in writing a good essay story.

[Anonymous]

There a lists out there, that colleges measure my prestige on what award or regional competitions a student placed at. i know in the dmv area, its the science fair, and then they go to isef, sts, some math Olympiads. I know sts if you get top 300 its like your automatically admitted to a top school. for humanities i know the national debate circuit, which is dominated by TX, CA schools i think those public schools do a better job in promoting debate.

[Anonymous]

Try not to be a stem major

[Anonymous]

The humanities kids get in to T25 with lower stats, especially if they have ANY sort of well-regarded honor or award.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That it's really easy to get into college if you're a good student with pretty good scores but not top scores (in this case a 1400). My ds got in everywhere he applied but one college as a normal kid who picked easier APs and enjoyed his life without stress. I was so worried and thought it would be a lot harder than it was.

This should be the number one takeaway. I would say not only will a kid get into a “good” college doing this, but even a “very good” college if applying ED1. No need for any of this nonsense to get into a “great” or “elite” college, especially when most of those applicants will fail and join you at your same type of college anyhow.

[Anonymous]

Surprising ? How “state school” has been rebranded to “public FLAGSHIP dammit” in just 3-4 years’ time.

Look, Beth, we all knew your kid was never going to apply, let alone attend, UW-Stevens Point. Just say your kid is applying to “several state schools” and chose “Wisconsin.”

FLAGSHIP dammit is the new North Bethesda North Potomac Hill East

[Anonymous]

My DD, did national debate circuit. Yes that is a huge commitment travel, overnight stays, judging . But most of schools and students she competed against went to T15 schools and she became friends with across the nation. Funny some one mentioned TX, CA, its the sheer volume of schools.

[Anonymous]

That my kid, who applied as a normal student in Dec for a STEM PhD would have plans completely trashed by this sh!th0le of an administration in January.

The scientific brain drain and decades-long lingering health and economic effects mean she'll now try and emigrate to another country to study - hopefully before they shut the borders to keep white flight in check.

The offers are being rescinded left and right at the moment. I'm not sure how aware the public truly is. Hoping the veteran's show up in force tomorrow and teachers start walking out in masse soon.