Average kid in an Ivy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the bottom line is people are likely to hype up their own kid in their minds (his grades aren't perfect, but look at those extracurriculars!!) and dismiss the achievements of kids not their own (assuming every URM would not have gotten in without that "hook," calling a kid average when you don't actually know their scores/GPA/essays). It's much more likely that the kid is actually an exceptional candidate in a way that is not on your radar than that the parents have bribed the kid's way in.

Like what? Examples?

Was it the four recreational trips abroad every year? Curious.

Sorry that something nice happened to an 18 year old that you, in your infinite wisdom, had written off as not worthy. May you find peace.

I don't think OP is from the US, and he striver rage is really apparent. She seems to think checking off every box means her child is entitled to go to an Ivy. She doesn't get that Harvard isn't a vending machine where you put the right sports in and an education pops out.

What if this was the situation with the parent involved? Then, how would you feel? I don't think you phrased it very nicely. You do not seem very introspective or grateful.

[Anonymous]

I am beginning to think it is obvious why some people bribe their way into things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher.

I know one average kid at Brown three years ago. He had no hobbies or activities outside of school and did not socialize or have friends of any kind. He was rude and disrespectful to teachers. His parents, however, were super pushy and would arrive to argue with any teacher who gave their child less than an A in anything.

This was at an international school in a country that happened to be experiencing some conflict. The family was American and the student had no interaction with the local community outside of his family, who moved in an expat bubble. The father, however, emailed me the son's application essay one evening, then arrived at school to offer me money to edit it and to provide a letter of rec. I didn't do either of those things, but I did read the letter, and it 100% fabricated: it was all about the boy volunteering to fight for the rights of locals in the country and experiencing real physical combat, etc., etc. All lies.

None of the American teachers at the school would agree to provide references, but I am sure the father paid off some of the "local hire" teachers, who were all paid far less than the expats and would have been happy to provide references in exchange for $$$

It worked. He got in.

I am sure there are many other average students with steamroller parents who can make things happen.

So a straight A student got into Brown? Wow, shocking.

It really depends on how you define "straight A student" here. If you mean a student who would not have had straight As if he had been given the grades he earned, then no. If you mean a student whose parents bullied and bribed to ensure that their child received grades he didn't earn, then yes.

There were multiple other students in his grade who were more intelligent, earned "real" straight As, and did not have parents willing to bully, lie, and bribe, and none of these kids got into the Ivies where they applied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher.

I know one average kid at Brown three years ago. He had no hobbies or activities outside of school and did not socialize or have friends of any kind. He was rude and disrespectful to teachers. His parents, however, were super pushy and would arrive to argue with any teacher who gave their child less than an A in anything.

This was at an international school in a country that happened to be experiencing some conflict. The family was American and the student had no interaction with the local community outside of his family, who moved in an expat bubble. The father, however, emailed me the son's application essay one evening, then arrived at school to offer me money to edit it and to provide a letter of rec. I didn't do either of those things, but I did read the letter, and it 100% fabricated: it was all about the boy volunteering to fight for the rights of locals in the country and experiencing real physical combat, etc., etc. All lies.

None of the American teachers at the school would agree to provide references, but I am sure the father paid off some of the "local hire" teachers, who were all paid far less than the expats and would have been happy to provide references in exchange for $$$

It worked. He got in.

I am sure there are many other average students with steamroller parents who can make things happen.

So a straight A student got into Brown? Wow, shocking.

It really depends on how you define "straight A student" here. If you mean a student who would not have had straight As if he had been given the grades he earned, then no. If you mean a student whose parents bullied and bribed to ensure that their child received grades he didn't earn, then yes.

There were multiple other students in his grade who were more intelligent, earned "real" straight As, and did not have parents willing to bully, lie, and bribe, and none of these kids got into the Ivies where they applied.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the bottom line is people are likely to hype up their own kid in their minds (his grades aren't perfect, but look at those extracurriculars!!) and dismiss the achievements of kids not their own (assuming every URM would not have gotten in without that "hook," calling a kid average when you don't actually know their scores/GPA/essays). It's much more likely that the kid is actually an exceptional candidate in a way that is not on your radar than that the parents have bribed the kid's way in.

Like what? Examples?

Was it the four recreational trips abroad every year? Curious.

If you'd gone to an ivy, why didn't you just ask these average kids how they got in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you think of the parents who have normal, average kids who are going to Ivies?

No "hooks", no history or connection, no family who attended, not outstanding in any sport, extracurricular or even grades.

Suspicious?

Do you think the Felicity Huffman thing is alive and well more than we know, in affluent towns?

Do you know an affluent family who has this situation? If so, please chime in. Example: a GMU-level kid going to HYPS? Not railing on GMU, because I know it is a great school. Just an example, and would rather not derail the thread.

I am a little surprised, that's all. Not entirely, but a little. You?

If you have an opinion about the situation (not me, since you don't know me), or have known this to happen, please share.

Me, I'm shaking my head. Not entirely surprised, but yeah, I'm surprised.

I'd think they wrong a slightly larger check and made it out to the development fund rather than a coach. Of course, I also realize IVYs are private institutions and entitled to admit whomever they choose

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you think of the parents who have normal, average kids who are going to Ivies?

No "hooks", no history or connection, no family who attended, not outstanding in any sport, extracurricular or even grades.

Suspicious?

Do you think the Felicity Huffman thing is alive and well more than we know, in affluent towns?

Do you know an affluent family who has this situation? If so, please chime in. Example: a GMU-level kid going to HYPS? Not railing on GMU, because I know it is a great school. Just an example, and would rather not derail the thread.

I am a little surprised, that's all. Not entirely, but a little. You?

If you have an opinion about the situation (not me, since you don't know me), or have known this to happen, please share.

Me, I'm shaking my head. Not entirely surprised, but yeah, I'm surprised.

What do I think of parents in this situation? I have never experienced some like this, but I would think how nice that their kid got in somewhere they are excited about. I would also assume that I don't know the full story, and that the kid has something going for him/her I don't know about. I would not assume the family cheated. Seems like a pretty big leap. (Unless I knew them to cut corners otherwise.)

[Anonymous]

PP claiming this is an "unusual" situation - you know this was just in the news, right?

Do you read the national news?

[Anonymous]

OP it goes on all the time with very influential parents. Duh. It does make me scratch my head when someone recently arrived here with a small store thinks their kid “deserves” an Ivy because “only the best will do”

[Anonymous]

My son was at Stanford and told me about a boy who transferred in his second year. He said the boy worked his ass off, and there were many, MANY talks among everyone who knew him worrying he was going to have a nervous breakdown. He told me the guy would cry, bang his head against his desk, yell at people who were trying to help him that he couldn't calm down enough to work.

I think his parents pushed him really hard. All the other kids rallied around and tried to tutor him and help as much as they could without getting sucked into his vortex. A couple of friends invited themselves home with the kid, with the express purpose of telling the parents to dial down the pressure.

It was really sad, and at the same time I was so proud of all the other kids for how much they tried to help. Every time I sent my son a care package I'd send a second one for this kid - his parents were so hard on him that I wasn't sure they were doing that.

[Anonymous]

There are so many affluent areas in the U.S., this post could be about anywhere. IDK why PP is taking this to heart.

[Anonymous]

I think it's entirely possible for someone to get in on the basis of an invented sob story that isn't checked. Recently read essays for a scholarship in my home town and people wrote about their dad the heroin addict and their identical twin that died and people in jail and refugees in camps and rafts and honestly a lot of it is compelling but we don't verify it and some of it could be fiction. The question is how many people are unscrupulous enough to invent a family tragedy or claim they have cancer etc. I think there are more sociopaths in our midst than we suspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's entirely possible for someone to get in on the basis of an invented sob story that isn't checked. Recently read essays for a scholarship in my home town and people wrote about their dad the heroin addict and their identical twin that died and people in jail and refugees in camps and rafts and honestly a lot of it is compelling but we don't verify it and some of it could be fiction. The question is how many people are unscrupulous enough to invent a family tragedy or claim they have cancer etc. I think there are more sociopaths in our midst than we suspect.

And you are pulling this right out of your bottom. There is no evidence to believe what you believe.

Not saying a kid can't lie on his essays -- but you forget about references, relationships with GCs, and you ignore how hard adcoms - particularly at the ivies where there is so much scrutiny -- work to admit the right kids. I guarantee you not only can they spot BS after readying tens of thousands of essays, they know when they have to check and when they don't. Takes one phone call.

[Anonymous]

The unimpressive kids who went Ivy from our children’s private high school were all URM and/or athletes. 100%. And it was obvious to everyone they were not in or anywhere near the top bucket academically. Eye opening to all. And these were not poor URMs, I’m talking a blue-eyed “Hispanic” with a multi-millionaire dad and a Black teen with two MD parents.

The smartest most overachieving URM I’ve seen there in 10 years was an authentic Hispanic gal with truly middle class parents, who went to UVA. I think she pursued marine biology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you think of the parents who have normal, average kids who are going to Ivies?

No "hooks", no history or connection, no family who attended, not outstanding in any sport, extracurricular or even grades.

Suspicious?

Do you think the Felicity Huffman thing is alive and well more than we know, in affluent towns?

Do you know an affluent family who has this situation? If so, please chime in. Example: a GMU-level kid going to HYPS? Not railing on GMU, because I know it is a great school. Just an example, and would rather not derail the thread.

I am a little surprised, that's all. Not entirely, but a little. You?

If you have an opinion about the situation (not me, since you don't know me), or have known this to happen, please share.

Well if there’re average there’s definitely a hook – they just don’t want to advertise it.

Me, I'm shaking my head. Not entirely surprised, but yeah, I'm surprised.