Lessons learned: 2025-2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Why for girls? Yes they are the majority at most colleges but it's not that they are taking spaces that a "boy" would want.

[Anonymous]

UVA does not have specific cut offs for GPA. You are read in the context of your school. The stats are the overall average, not the "ticket" in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Why for girls? Yes they are the majority at most colleges but it's not that they are taking spaces that a "boy" would want.

Girl applications are generally stronger. And there are more of them. They all somehow look very similar to each other. Harder for them to stand out in a crowded pile. Once you become an admissions reader and you start seeing it, it’s hard to unsee it.

The key for girls is doing different things (not the same things Everybody else is doing). Going their own way. There’s so many of them. At some schools 2 or 3x the number of boys, it is easier for boy applicants.

There are a couple of good podcasts about the phenomena. Check out from a lot of feeder, private high schools and count the number of boys versus girls committed to T20 privates. Girls often end up at the top public flagship options after RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Not universally true. Some colleges have more guys than girls. When we toured Georgia Tech and CMU, we saw 50% asian boys, 20% asian girls, and 30% non-asians but mostly boys. I bet black, white and brown girls get a bump at these tech schools but most girls I know don't want to spend 4 years on these campuses where it's all intense work and little play (unless you count D&D with a bunch of nerdy boys as "play")

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Not universally true. Some colleges have more guys than girls. When we toured Georgia Tech and CMU, we saw 50% asian boys, 20% asian girls, and 30% non-asians but mostly boys. I bet black, white and brown girls get a bump at these tech schools but most girls I know don't want to spend 4 years on these campuses where it's all intense work and little play (unless you count D&D with a bunch of nerdy boys as "play")

CMU is 50/50, however, it's a strange school in that it is well known for both STEM and theatre/arts. STEM is heavily male, while the arts are heavily female. It has a strong business program which is also close to 50/50.

My guess is you were looking at CMU for STEM and only focused on what you saw in the STEM buildings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Why for girls? Yes they are the majority at most colleges but it's not that they are taking spaces that a "boy" would want.

Girl applications are generally stronger. And there are more of them. They all somehow look very similar to each other. Harder for them to stand out in a crowded pile. Once you become an admissions reader and you start seeing it, it’s hard to unsee it.

The key for girls is doing different things (not the same things Everybody else is doing). Going their own way. There’s so many of them. At some schools 2 or 3x the number of boys, it is easier for boy applicants.

There are a couple of good podcasts about the phenomena. Check out from a lot of feeder, private high schools and count the number of boys versus girls committed to T20 privates. Girls often end up at the top public flagship options after RD.

What do these everyone-looks-the-same girl profiles look like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Not universally true. Some colleges have more guys than girls. When we toured Georgia Tech and CMU, we saw 50% asian boys, 20% asian girls, and 30% non-asians but mostly boys. I bet black, white and brown girls get a bump at these tech schools but most girls I know don't want to spend 4 years on these campuses where it's all intense work and little play (unless you count D&D with a bunch of nerdy boys as "play")

Outside of “tech” schools, what other schools follow this anomaly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Not universally true. Some colleges have more guys than girls. When we toured Georgia Tech and CMU, we saw 50% asian boys, 20% asian girls, and 30% non-asians but mostly boys. I bet black, white and brown girls get a bump at these tech schools but most girls I know don't want to spend 4 years on these campuses where it's all intense work and little play (unless you count D&D with a bunch of nerdy boys as "play")

CMU is 50/50, however, it's a strange school in that it is well known for both STEM and theatre/arts. STEM is heavily male, while the arts are heavily female. It has a strong business program which is also close to 50/50.

My guess is you were looking at CMU for STEM and only focused on what you saw in the STEM buildings.

You could be right. We did the general admissions tour though, not any specialty STEM tour. Walking around campus for 1.5 hours and then grabbing lunch in the cafeteria (forgot which one), all we saw were Asian boys. I know CMU said they are 50/47/3 M/F/non-binary because DC and I sat in on the admissions info session after the tour. Literally when the AO said that, I thought to myself, where are these other 30% of girls hiding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Why for girls? Yes they are the majority at most colleges but it's not that they are taking spaces that a "boy" would want.

Girl applications are generally stronger. And there are more of them. They all somehow look very similar to each other. Harder for them to stand out in a crowded pile. Once you become an admissions reader and you start seeing it, it’s hard to unsee it.

The key for girls is doing different things (not the same things Everybody else is doing). Going their own way. There’s so many of them. At some schools 2 or 3x the number of boys, it is easier for boy applicants.

There are a couple of good podcasts about the phenomena. Check out from a lot of feeder, private high schools and count the number of boys versus girls committed to T20 privates. Girls often end up at the top public flagship options after RD.

What do these everyone-looks-the-same girl profiles look like?

The two common ones I’ve seen a lot are: pre-med and poli sci/pub policy. Journalism/writing as well.

Premed:
CNA/EMT
Health club at school - founder or officer
Red Cross club/volunteer
Summer program
Research
Feminine hygiene drives/women’s public health awareness
Women’s mental health EC

Poli Sci/Pub Pol:
Stuco Pres
Model UN/Debate (and awards)
Political internship
Canvassing for local issues/grassroots
School board liaison or similar
Summer program
Women’s political issues
Voter access drives or similar
Teen incarceration or wrongful incarceration types of ECs/research

[Anonymous]

Women are competing with women candidates. Men are competing with other men.

At our private non-DMV, the women are doing really well but they are extremely motivated, organized and prepped for this since grade 9. The boys seem to be a year or more behind developmentally.

ED/REA applications have been successful for girls so far at DC's small private at Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, Northwestern, Dartmouth, Penn, Wellesley, Barnard, Michigan etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Women are competing with women candidates. Men are competing with other men.

At our private non-DMV, the women are doing really well but they are extremely motivated, organized and prepped for this since grade 9. The boys seem to be a year or more behind developmentally.

ED/REA applications have been successful for girls so far at DC's small private at Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, Northwestern, Dartmouth, Penn, Wellesley, Barnard, Michigan etc.

How could that possibly be unless your private school has a very diverse economic student body (like many parochial schools).

You don't see boys at Sidwell or GDS or STA or Maret or really any private schools with large %ages of UMC kids being "a year or more behind developmentally".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't listen to your private school counselor's advice. That's the biggest lesson I have learned this year. Do your own research.

Mine is a little different — don’t assume your private school counsel gives a crap about helping your kid get into more than one “good enough” school. They don’t. They want the easy path (hence the ED push) and are not invested in your kid.

It's like saying that your real estate broker doesn't have your best interests at heart. They want you to sell your house and they would like the highest price they can get for the least effort so that they can make their commission. Selling your house for $100K more for twice the work is not worth it for them. Similarly, counselors want your kids to ED a "good school" that is a low target school rather than shoot their shot on a lot of reach and high target schools.

[Anonymous]

My adhd fall birthday girl is so screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any new wisdom you gathered in the last few weeks?

It appears to be an extremely difficult year for girls. Unless you have a ton of unusual or uncommon awards in an uncommon major.

Without something extremely uncommon / unusual or an early decision application from a feeder private school, being test optional is a kiss of death (even at Vandy).

Beware and be strategic with early decision for girls.

Why for girls? Yes they are the majority at most colleges but it's not that they are taking spaces that a "boy" would want.

Girl applications are generally stronger. And there are more of them. They all somehow look very similar to each other. Harder for them to stand out in a crowded pile. Once you become an admissions reader and you start seeing it, it’s hard to unsee it.

The key for girls is doing different things (not the same things Everybody else is doing). Going their own way. There’s so many of them. At some schools 2 or 3x the number of boys, it is easier for boy applicants.

There are a couple of good podcasts about the phenomena. Check out from a lot of feeder, private high schools and count the number of boys versus girls committed to T20 privates. Girls often end up at the top public flagship options after RD.

What do these everyone-looks-the-same girl profiles look like?

The two common ones I’ve seen a lot are: pre-med and poli sci/pub policy. Journalism/writing as well.

Premed:
CNA/EMT
Health club at school - founder or officer
Red Cross club/volunteer
Summer program
Research
Feminine hygiene drives/women’s public health awareness
Women’s mental health EC

Poli Sci/Pub Pol:
Stuco Pres
Model UN/Debate (and awards)
Political internship
Canvassing for local issues/grassroots
School board liaison or similar
Summer program
Women’s political issues
Voter access drives or similar
Teen incarceration or wrongful incarceration types of ECs/research

lol this is so accurate. And I say this as a parent of a 9th grader who wants to do pre-med and is looking at all of these activities. If anyone has better ideas for how to stand out, would love to know!