“Impressive” Colleges

[Anonymous]

Tufts

[Anonymous]

Curtis Institute of Music and Colburn Conservatory


I'm sure someone will be along shortly to disabuse me, but to my knowledge there is no real way to "game" admission to the above schools. They both give full-tuition scholarships to all students (unlike Juilliard) so you are truly competing against the best of the best musicians. It can't be gamed with SAT prep classes or loading up your app with squash and crew, since they don't care about any of that, or being the child of someone famous because they only care about the talent that YOU have; anyone coming in on someone else's coattails while being a cut below the rest would be immediately exposed in ensembles and eaten alive by the other students.

Obviously Harvard etc. are nice but when it comes to unqualified "Wow, this person is incredible wholly on their own merits" it's the above two for me. Maybe also Caltech since I've never known anyone to get in there, ever.

[Anonymous]

HPYSM, University of Michigan,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I know so many beyond brilliant kids getting shut out, this is all starting to get meaningless to me.

My first thought when I hear someone got into a school like this in 2023 is what, arbitrary institutional priority/sob story/connection do you have?

My siblings and I have all of our degrees from the schools mentioned on this thread. I have little hope that the same will be true for my kids/nieces/nephews, despite stellar profiles. They will probably end up at state schools or lesser known privates and will hopefully thrive and do great things.

This rings true.

In our case this is true. One of us is a Princeton grad, the other Brown. We met at a different Ivy League law school.

Our kids applied to our alma maters and were waitlisted. DD ended up at Tufts and she loves it, is definitely thriving. Our DS is at University of Michigan and he is also very happy. We have one kid left at home and she said she doesn’t even know if she will bother applying to our schools. She’s looking at places like Case Western Reserve, where she thinks she might be able to get a merit scholarship. She is all about the “good deal” and couldn’t care less about going to an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tufts

Is this a joke lmao

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curtis Institute of Music and Colburn Conservatory


I'm sure someone will be along shortly to disabuse me, but to my knowledge there is no real way to "game" admission to the above schools. They both give full-tuition scholarships to all students (unlike Juilliard) so you are truly competing against the best of the best musicians. It can't be gamed with SAT prep classes or loading up your app with squash and crew, since they don't care about any of that, or being the child of someone famous because they only care about the talent that YOU have; anyone coming in on someone else's coattails while being a cut below the rest would be immediately exposed in ensembles and eaten alive by the other students.

Obviously Harvard etc. are nice but when it comes to unqualified "Wow, this person is incredible wholly on their own merits" it's the above two for me. Maybe also Caltech since I've never known anyone to get in there, ever.

Similarly, MLSPro players, these 16-22 kids are top talents in soccer in the US.
(Top of the top go to Europe or already playing in Major League Soccer, but we are talking about pre-professional/academical level so).
There's zero way to 'game', just pure talent and merit. Competition is rigorous and they even make money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some rich boy got in Yale and major in art history
Is that really impressive??

I know one who did fine arts there!

I know one, too.
A high school art teacher now.
Not impressive.

So, you wouldn’t want your child to have a Yale-educated teacher?

+1

If you paid more in yearly undergrad tuition than you make in yearly income as a graduate, then I would question your judgement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, I would not automatically be impressed with ANY of these colleges. It all depends on HOW they got in!

and WHAT they are studying

To an extent. Pretty much any field (with possibly some exceptions) can be impressive if that's what they are interested and good in

Pretty much any college is impressive then

You missed the part where I said it all depends on HOW the student got in

This last how comment is just sad. Did someone less deserving also get "your" promotion?

You seem to have problems with reading comprehension

So HOW is important but ultimately WHAT is it.

Most of ALDC or URM probably take easy majors.

The impressive real brains would be doing math, physics, CS, engineering, etc.

A. where do you go?
B. Yale
A. wow, what do you study
B. Art history, communication, etc.
A. Eh... ok

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curtis Institute of Music and Colburn Conservatory


I'm sure someone will be along shortly to disabuse me, but to my knowledge there is no real way to "game" admission to the above schools. They both give full-tuition scholarships to all students (unlike Juilliard) so you are truly competing against the best of the best musicians. It can't be gamed with SAT prep classes or loading up your app with squash and crew, since they don't care about any of that, or being the child of someone famous because they only care about the talent that YOU have; anyone coming in on someone else's coattails while being a cut below the rest would be immediately exposed in ensembles and eaten alive by the other students.

Obviously Harvard etc. are nice but when it comes to unqualified "Wow, this person is incredible wholly on their own merits" it's the above two for me. Maybe also Caltech since I've never known anyone to get in there, ever.

Similarly, MLSPro players, these 16-22 kids are top talents in soccer in the US.
(Top of the top go to Europe or already playing in Major League Soccer, but we are talking about pre-professional/academical level so).
There's zero way to 'game', just pure talent and merit. Competition is rigorous and they even make money.

correction: it's 'MLS Next Pro"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ASU

Funny!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I know so many beyond brilliant kids getting shut out, this is all starting to get meaningless to me.

My first thought when I hear someone got into a school like this in 2023 is what, arbitrary institutional priority/sob story/connection do you have?

My siblings and I have all of our degrees from the schools mentioned on this thread. I have little hope that the same will be true for my kids/nieces/nephews, despite stellar profiles. They will probably end up at state schools or lesser known privates and will hopefully thrive and do great things.

So true. I look back on what it took for me to get into an elite school and there's no way I'd get in today.
My son works so hard and there's zero chance of getting into an Ivy or little Ivy. I'm not saying it's owed to him but it's sad that the process has become so arbitrary. Perfect grades, SAT's and activities seem meaningless. These kids kill themselves and in the end, have little to show for it.

I keep hearing people value colleges less and less but admissions stats aren't backing that up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

USMA at West Point
USNA--Annapolis
USAFA--Colorado Springs

This, and surprised it took four pages before someone mentioned them.

+ 1000

Also follows with the how they got in and what they're going to do afterwards. Those kids are beasts academically, physically, and mentally. Tap or drummed out otherwise.

I've had the pleasure of knowing more than a dozen grads (mostly WP and Annapolis). With one exception, all were humble and just exuded a quiet strength until the pressure was on. And then. They really, really shinned. They had are the kind of person I'd want on my side in any kind of a fight (court room, board room, battlefield).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I know so many beyond brilliant kids getting shut out, this is all starting to get meaningless to me.

My first thought when I hear someone got into a school like this in 2023 is what, arbitrary institutional priority/sob story/connection do you have?

My siblings and I have all of our degrees from the schools mentioned on this thread. I have little hope that the same will be true for my kids/nieces/nephews, despite stellar profiles. They will probably end up at state schools or lesser known privates and will hopefully thrive and do great things.

So true. I look back on what it took for me to get into an elite school and there's no way I'd get in today.
My son works so hard and there's zero chance of getting into an Ivy or little Ivy. I'm not saying it's owed to him but it's sad that the process has become so arbitrary. Perfect grades, SAT's and activities seem meaningless. These kids kill themselves and in the end, have little to show for it.

I keep hearing people value colleges less and less but admissions stats aren't backing that up.

The process is not arbitrary at all. Instead, elite schools operate pursuant to a fairly clear set of rules where the most privileged continue to enjoy advantages, just not as many as they used to; URMs get bonus points (or their equivalent) based on race or ethnicity; and unhooked White and Asian kids effectively get points deducted because those elite or once-elite schools have decided those kids don’t need and won’t get the boost that a degree from one of those schools might be expected to provide.

It is what it is. Kids should excel for the sake of excelling, or for preparing them for the next stage of their lives, not because it will assure them of an admission to a particular school. The Black girl who founds a new Black Student Union at her school may well end up at Harvard; the Asian boy who aces every exam may end up at UMCP or VT; and one can reasonably hope and expect they’ll both go on to have successful, productive lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I know so many beyond brilliant kids getting shut out, this is all starting to get meaningless to me.

My first thought when I hear someone got into a school like this in 2023 is what, arbitrary institutional priority/sob story/connection do you have?

My siblings and I have all of our degrees from the schools mentioned on this thread. I have little hope that the same will be true for my kids/nieces/nephews, despite stellar profiles. They will probably end up at state schools or lesser known privates and will hopefully thrive and do great things.

So true. I look back on what it took for me to get into an elite school and there's no way I'd get in today.
My son works so hard and there's zero chance of getting into an Ivy or little Ivy. I'm not saying it's owed to him but it's sad that the process has become so arbitrary. Perfect grades, SAT's and activities seem meaningless. These kids kill themselves and in the end, have little to show for it.

I keep hearing people value colleges less and less but admissions stats aren't backing that up.

The process is not arbitrary at all. Instead, elite schools operate pursuant to a fairly clear set of rules where the most privileged continue to enjoy advantages, just not as many as they used to; URMs get bonus points (or their equivalent) based on race or ethnicity; and unhooked White and Asian kids effectively get points deducted because those elite or once-elite schools have decided those kids don’t need and won’t get the boost that a degree from one of those schools might be expected to provide.

It is what it is. Kids should excel for the sake of excelling, or for preparing them for the next stage of their lives, not because it will assure them of an admission to a particular school. The Black girl who founds a new Black Student Union at her school may well end up at Harvard; the Asian boy who aces every exam may end up at UMCP or VT; and one can reasonably hope and expect they’ll both go on to have successful, productive lives.

Glad you have it all figured out. But as long as these 'elite' schools have institutional priorities, that they purposely keep hidden to drive up applications numbers and rankings, it is actually completely arbitrary to the students who have no hope of deciphering it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Deep Springs. And I actually know one kid who went there.

This. Harvard, not so much.

Same on Deep Springs!

Me three!