Application: Question about student samples and additional pages

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought about including it because he received it for his ability to focus and his dedication. It was for a year-round swim team. However, now that I have read some of the comments, I probably will not include it.

Have you thought about asking the coach to write a letter and say more about this? Focus and dedication are things that the committee looks for. It's on the parent questionnaire and also in the GBRS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:However, my child is a hard worker, loves to learn, etc.. I just want to give the committee an accurate picture of him.

Also, you as a parent can write a letter. If you don't feel that the questionnaire covers everything you want the committe to consider, write a letter of your own that provides more detail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you are over-thinking this. If you are immediately thinking of a special award your child received (involving reasoning ability or persistence/tenacity/dedication), then include it. If you are stumped to know what to submit, that's an indication that your child doesn't have any notable/useful awards. It's ok! REally.

I submitted NOTHING. No parent form, no letters from the soccer coach or cub scout leader. Those things aren't going to move the needle unless the award/letter shows that the kid is UNUSUALLY above his/her developmental level.

If your child won the chess tournament, then that would be useful. If your child has been taking piano since she was 3 and now performs with 8th graders, that would be unusual b/c it shows the ability to focus and work at something challenging. If your child writes short stories that are more intricate than most kids that age, then send it.

If your child is a decent kid doing normal 2nd grade activities, then please don't think that getting the coach's award for "most improved" is going to help.

If there isn't something that REALLY stands out in your mind, then your child needs to have good test scores. Being well-rounded with average test scores is not what they are looking for.

AAP IS challenging. One kid in my son's class that left after the first quarter, one left before Xmas and I've heard that others are thinking they will go back to the base school after the year is over (that may not be true -- who knows.). The point is, your kid needs to have the mental quickness to handle the curriculum.

It makes me feel better that some parents submit nothing. This part was stressing me out a bit. I couldn't decide about the coach's award. I thought about including it because he received it for his ability to focus and his dedication. It was for a year-round swim team. However, now that I have read some of the comments, I probably will not include it. My son doesn't have any other awards. Luckily, it seems like he is not the only one.

I have heard AAP is challenging. I feel like my child can handle the work, but I am a little nervous because I have heard 3rd grade is a big change (both AAP and general program). However, my child is a hard worker, loves to learn, etc.. I just want to give the committee an accurate picture of him. I'll trust their decision on whether or not he is a good fit. Thanks again for your advice. Your post was very helpful.

Is there any harm in submitting it? I could see if you were bumping up against the page limit and had to choose between that and something else ... but if not, will it somehow count against him if you throw it in? Like, will it make the parents look like they're "reaching" to prove their child worthy of AAP and therefore indicate that the kid isn't really up for it, or somehow "bring down" the overall application?

Not being snarky here - genuinely curious about the reasons for withholding something that you think the committee may not be interested in (but don't really know). My instinct would be to throw it all in and let the committee decide what they think is valuable, if anything.

God help the committee that has to wade through all this dreck.

I'm another parents who submitted nothing with my kid. Scores and teacher comments were enough to get him in no problem..

Two years ago the head of AAP told me that basically parents are allowed to add things out of fairness and because so many feel the need to be involved in the process, but the samples aren't given that much attention unless there is something extraordinary in them that isn't captured in scores and GBRS.

I would never stress not being able to fill up all the pages. You're kids either super bright and a fit, or not.

This person has no idea why those kids left. I am guessing it was NOT because it is challenging. Something had to be going on for kids to leave that early on...and I do not think it was the workload.