Chances at HYP

[Anonymous]

I went to a HYP and interview in DC.

I can say that it's a total crapshoot for kids like your daughter--not a knock on her by any means, it's just the nature of the beast since there are so many applicants like her.

Why HYP though? Which among those is her dream school? And what are the other schools she is applying to?

I come from a really big family and so am familiar with the other HYP schools and I know they're very different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember reading last year on Ivy accept day...over 250,000 kids got rejected from Ivy league schools today (mine included)

250,000 reject letters or 250,000 different people were rejected? Because many kids apply to multiple Ivies

[Anonymous]

Your guidance counselor and looking at SCOIR/Naviance will give a much better prediction than asking here. Maybe a 3.9 from your Big 3 is a true mark of distinction that has gotten similar kids accepted in the past.

My kid's experience is that it won't be enough. Didn't go to a Big 3 but was #1 in class with an unweighted 4.0 in IB. 35 ACT, 800 and 780 on Subject tests, captain of 2 sports (though hardly a recruit in either), NSLIY scholarship and self-studied fluency in a less commonly taught language.

Shut out at HYP, not even wait listed. Get in everywhere else, has had a great experience (well pre-Covid, at least) at a "Lower Ivy." My sense is that HYP aren't looking for the all-around excellent kid, they're looking for kids who are stratospheric in one aspect of their application - be it academic, athletic, artistic, or community engagement.

[Anonymous]

It is a total crap shoot unless your family has a (recently) named building on campus. There are more students with stellar stats than there are seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a senior at a big 3 and is interested in HYP. 35 ACT, 3.9 unweighted most rigorous classes. No hook, but has played an instrument since first grade (no awards). We're full pay and she's thinking women's/gender studies . Chances? We are making her come up with some safeties but she has her heart set on HYP.

should have played a sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a senior at a big 3 and is interested in HYP. 35 ACT, 3.9 unweighted most rigorous classes. No hook, but has played an instrument since first grade (no awards). We're full pay and she's thinking women's/gender studies . Chances? We are making her come up with some safeties but she has her heart set on HYP.

should have played a sport.

I don't think the sport makes a big difference unless you're good enough to get recruited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a senior at a big 3 and is interested in HYP. 35 ACT, 3.9 unweighted most rigorous classes. No hook, but has played an instrument since first grade (no awards). We're full pay and she's thinking women's/gender studies . Chances? We are making her come up with some safeties but she has her heart set on HYP.

should have played a sport.

I don't think the sport makes a big difference unless you're good enough to get recruited.

But with a decent resume like the OP's DD, playing a sport at a high level would help.

[Anonymous]

of course without mentioning any specifics it should go without saying that the race, ethnicity are not mentioned but with those stats members of certain groups would have a better chance than others. Don't get angry with me - that's just the way it is.

[Anonymous]

Her chances are very low, like all applicants.

Make sure she LITERALLY confronts the numbers.

Then help her generate a list that can include them, but she must understand that the 90%+ likelihood is that she will wind up elsewhere.

Help her move beyond brand names and articulate what she wants in a college. She will likely find others that check those boxes, perhaps even better than HYP.

Her dream must be expanded.

[Anonymous]

She has an excellent chance. I bet more than 99% chance of getting in one or more of HYP! No safeties needed.

[Anonymous]

She must be near the top of her class with that GPA at a Big3. It would put her in the top 5 kids at my child's Big3 school.
So that in and of itself is huge.

That said, the only kids I know who got into HYP from a Big3 in recent years were
1)legacy
2)sports recruits
3)URM

Literally to a person the kids were one of these. The same at our local public. There were 5 HYP admits last year
4 were legacy; most of these were multi-generational legacies or double legacies (undergrad plus law).
1 was a sports recruit.
Then I know of 3 other HYP public school admits (we're in DC) and all 3 were URM, first generation.

It's wild. There is almost no way in from the DMV without one of the above hooks.
I think you can get in elsewhere in the US with just the generic 4.0, UW, 35 ACT plus national-level extracurriculars.
In the DMV you NEED to be legacy/sports/URM.

[Anonymous]

What other schools is she targeting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She must be near the top of her class with that GPA at a Big3. It would put her in the top 5 kids at my child's Big3 school.
So that in and of itself is huge.

That said, the only kids I know who got into HYP from a Big3 in recent years were
1)legacy
2)sports recruits
3)URM

Literally to a person the kids were one of these. The same at our local public. There were 5 HYP admits last year
4 were legacy; most of these were multi-generational legacies or double legacies (undergrad plus law).
1 was a sports recruit.
Then I know of 3 other HYP public school admits (we're in DC) and all 3 were URM, first generation.

It's wild. There is almost no way in from the DMV without one of the above hooks.
I think you can get in elsewhere in the US with just the generic 4.0, UW, 35 ACT plus national-level extracurriculars.
In the DMV you NEED to be legacy/sports/URM.

My kid's year in a DC private had at least five kids get into one of HYP who were not legacy/sports/URM. It's not impossible, just highly unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a senior at a big 3 and is interested in HYP. 35 ACT, 3.9 unweighted most rigorous classes. No hook, but has played an instrument since first grade (no awards). We're full pay and she's thinking women's/gender studies . Chances? We are making her come up with some safeties but she has her heart set on HYP.

should have played a sport.

I don't think the sport makes a big difference unless you're good enough to get recruited.

But with a decent resume like the OP's DD, playing a sport at a high level would help.

Not everyone can play sports at a high level. It's not a question of snapping your fingers and boom, you're an athlete.

I know recruiting for sports at the Ivies is controversial but even I acknowledge we're talking about kids who likely have put in far more hours and dedication to their sports than most of the bright Ivy qualified applicants did to their non sport hook areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a senior at a big 3 and is interested in HYP. 35 ACT, 3.9 unweighted most rigorous classes. No hook, but has played an instrument since first grade (no awards). We're full pay and she's thinking women's/gender studies . Chances? We are making her come up with some safeties but she has her heart set on HYP.

should have played a sport.

I don't think the sport makes a big difference unless you're good enough to get recruited.

But with a decent resume like the OP's DD, playing a sport at a high level would help.

Not everyone can play sports at a high level. It's not a question of snapping your fingers and boom, you're an athlete.

I know recruiting for sports at the Ivies is controversial but even I acknowledge we're talking about kids who likely have put in far more hours and dedication to their sports than most of the bright Ivy qualified applicants did to their non sport hook areas.

maybe these athletes should spend less time on their sports and more time on their academics, then. because right now, they've got the lowest academic ratings.