Most surprising admission stories of 2025

[Anonymous]

I’ve seen more private school kids get into super-selective out of state flagships this year than ever before. I have no idea what happened. It used to be the private school kids would not get in nor would they go and something has changed. They are getting in and they are going.
I’m talking schools like UT Austin, Berkeley, UCLA, GeorgiaTech & UVA out of state.

They’ve been getting in droves into Michigan for years and going, so I’m not counting that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen more private school kids get into super-selective out of state flagships this year than ever before. I have no idea what happened. It used to be the private school kids would not get in nor would they go and something has changed. They are getting in and they are going.
I’m talking schools like UT Austin, Berkeley, UCLA, GeorgiaTech & UVA out of state.

They’ve been getting in droves into Michigan for years and going, so I’m not counting that.

LOL if someone is paying private and they can not get into these schools they are financially irresponsible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen more private school kids get into super-selective out of state flagships this year than ever before. I have no idea what happened. It used to be the private school kids would not get in nor would they go and something has changed. They are getting in and they are going.
I’m talking schools like UT Austin, Berkeley, UCLA, GeorgiaTech & UVA out of state.

They’ve been getting in droves into Michigan for years and going, so I’m not counting that.

LOL if someone is paying private and they can not get into these schools they are financially irresponsible.

Maybe it’s just our high school but it’s always been notoriously hard to get into some of these schools. Like kids get into Harvard but don’t get into UCLA.
Weird.

[Anonymous]

My DD who had a 4.0/4.8 1360, mediocre ECs and very mediocre essays got into a top 15 and got into all almost all of the big public’s to which she applied. She has friends who also got into top 20 schools that were big surprises. MCPS. All full pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD who had a 4.0/4.8 1360, mediocre ECs and very mediocre essays got into a top 15 and got into all almost all of the big public’s to which she applied. She has friends who also got into top 20 schools that were big surprises. MCPS. All full pay.

My 3.98/1570, full pay kid was denied or waitlisted everywhere he applied inside the top 60.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Girl at our school. Probably a smart kid, probably good test scores, but not a top student and without top rigor. Got into Northwestern journalism.

I hate the parents who claim to know the gpa and schedules for other people’s kids. Mind your own business. You don’t know all that you think you know.

FFS!

kids in smaller private schools know who is in the advanced classes (most rigor) and have been around classmates for 4-12 years. they know a lot about each other. They may not know exact numbers, but they know who is taking what, how engaged they are in classes, who does what activities, who gets in trouble, etc.

Not to the point where they care to share with their parents.

The parents don't know sh*t, yet they spout OTHER kids's stats like they are the registrar.

[Anonymous]

A lying cheater going to NYU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Girl at our school. Probably a smart kid, probably good test scores, but not a top student and without top rigor. Got into Northwestern journalism.

With that major, she likely had amazing essays and some ECs that you are not aware of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Girl at our school. Probably a smart kid, probably good test scores, but not a top student and without top rigor. Got into Northwestern journalism.

I hate the parents who claim to know the gpa and schedules for other people’s kids. Mind your own business. You don’t know all that you think you know.

FFS!

kids in smaller private schools know who is in the advanced classes (most rigor) and have been around classmates for 4-12 years. they know a lot about each other. They may not know exact numbers, but they know who is taking what, how engaged they are in classes, who does what activities, who gets in trouble, etc.

Heck, even at large public HSs (my kid's had 2600 students) know who is taking AP courses and who is not. Who is taking the "easy APs" and who is taking the challenging ones. Not that difficult to figure out. Because similarly, they have been with some of the kids since ES and even more of them since MS (our MS is 3 ES put together and then 2 MS go to the HS).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD who had a 4.0/4.8 1360, mediocre ECs and very mediocre essays got into a top 15 and got into all almost all of the big public’s to which she applied. She has friends who also got into top 20 schools that were big surprises. MCPS. All full pay.

My 3.98/1570, full pay kid was denied or waitlisted everywhere he applied inside the top 60.

How many were in the 30-60 range? Because I find that difficult to believe if you applied to 5-6 in that range (and you should be doing that with those stats)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD who had a 4.0/4.8 1360, mediocre ECs and very mediocre essays got into a top 15 and got into all almost all of the big public’s to which she applied. She has friends who also got into top 20 schools that were big surprises. MCPS. All full pay.

My 3.98/1570, full pay kid was denied or waitlisted everywhere he applied inside the top 60.

How many were in the 30-60 range? Because I find that difficult to believe if you applied to 5-6 in that range (and you should be doing that with those stats)

Stem major or business likely to blame.
Lower stats that get in are fitting a need - often it’s major - when shaping the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Girl at our school. Probably a smart kid, probably good test scores, but not a top student and without top rigor. Got into Northwestern journalism.

I hate the parents who claim to know the gpa and schedules for other people’s kids. Mind your own business. You don’t know all that you think you know.

FFS!

Well, our school publishes top 10% and top 15% and she's not in it. Does that help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Girl at our school. Probably a smart kid, probably good test scores, but not a top student and without top rigor. Got into Northwestern journalism.

Do you know what she has published?

[Anonymous]

My DC. They only applied to two schools - an OOS Flagship EA with a very specific major they are passionate about, and Columbia, because they love NYC, and Columbia also had opportunities in their very specific area of interest.

Admitted to Columbia!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD who had a 4.0/4.8 1360, mediocre ECs and very mediocre essays got into a top 15 and got into all almost all of the big public’s to which she applied. She has friends who also got into top 20 schools that were big surprises. MCPS. All full pay.

My 3.98/1570, full pay kid was denied or waitlisted everywhere he applied inside the top 60.

How many were in the 30-60 range? Because I find that difficult to believe if you applied to 5-6 in that range (and you should be doing that with those stats)

Stem major or business likely to blame.
Lower stats that get in are fitting a need - often it’s major - when shaping the class.

Well then, yes if applying as a Business or stem DA major, those in the 30-60 are simply not even Targets, they are likely reaches or very close to it.
So in reality, that kid applied to all reaches and then is shocked they didnt' get in. Because yes, you have to go with your major acceptance rate, not the overall university (if the major rate is lower)