If every kid is doing the same damn EC

[Anonymous]

Everyone is not doing the same ECs unless they are following the pack.

[Anonymous]

No everyone is not crocheting, birdwatching, apple pressing and coin collecting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No everyone is not crocheting, birdwatching, apple pressing and coin collecting.

thankfully
enough with the weirdness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my coworkers' wife, who is an AO at an Ivy, said this to me at the company last year Christmas party:

How to get rejected by Ivies:
- I have 4.0 GPA with 12 AP classes
​AO response: There are 1500 Asian kids with the same achievement

- I am the violin first chair in the orchestra,
AO response: There are 1200 Asian kids with the same achievement

- I score 1570+ on the SAT
AO response: There are 1500 Asian kids with the same score as you

- I am an accomplished pianist
AO response: There are 800 Asian kids that can play piano just as good as you, if not better

- I found a nonprofit to help the homeless:
​AO response: There are 500 Asian kids that also do the same thing like you

How to get accepted by Ivies:

- I can play guitar like Slash of Guns 'n Roses. I can show you how I play "November Rain" or "sweet child o mine"
AO response: Now that's unique. We would love to have you at the university

- I have a TikTok influencer with over 2M followers
AO response: Amazing. You know how to monetize your influence. It means more exposure for the university. Welcome to the university.

You get the idea...

And this is why schools like Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Duke, and Northwestern prioritize “individual achievement, notoriety, success, or ranking” in non-academic areas.

These kids with some sort of fame, including an individual random “hobby” that will garner continued national recognition or achievement matter a lot more than a perfect scores and perfect grades.

A university wants successful accomplished and famous alumni.
A larger predictor of that is this exact type of individual drive/creativity and success in HS.
Test scores and grades do not get you there.
This is the entire point or reason behind holistic admissions.

Test scores a better predictor of success after college than almost anything else.
Everything from peer reviewed publications to financial success to scientific accomplishments.
If a 1600 SAT ukelele player is somehow more prone to success than a 1600 violin player, I would bet it has more to do with their risk tolerance and willingness to do new things.

Test scores are a predictor of someone doing well in a middle management job and maxing out at $350k a year.
That is not "success" in a T20 college eyes. Sure, they need some of those poeple....but they are willing to take a bet/leap on the more interesting creative kids who won't play by the rules.

Let me guess which one is your kid.

What a snub!
My kid is the former with near perfect SAT, GPA, amazing academic achievements and a degree from a top of top tier college. They're currently making $2M+ a year three years out of college. They're so much more intelligent and creative than you mouth runners.

Don't get mad, this is just how some people cope. High test scores correlate to creativity as well. This is just something people who can't accept that their kids are not that smart tell themselves to feel better about having kids that aren't that smart.

If you need creativity, you are almost certainly better off asking smarter people than dumber people.

100% true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my coworkers' wife, who is an AO at an Ivy, said this to me at the company last year Christmas party:

How to get rejected by Ivies:
- I have 4.0 GPA with 12 AP classes
​AO response: There are 1500 Asian kids with the same achievement

- I am the violin first chair in the orchestra,
AO response: There are 1200 Asian kids with the same achievement

- I score 1570+ on the SAT
AO response: There are 1500 Asian kids with the same score as you

- I am an accomplished pianist
AO response: There are 800 Asian kids that can play piano just as good as you, if not better

- I found a nonprofit to help the homeless:
​AO response: There are 500 Asian kids that also do the same thing like you

How to get accepted by Ivies:

- I can play guitar like Slash of Guns 'n Roses. I can show you how I play "November Rain" or "sweet child o mine"
AO response: Now that's unique. We would love to have you at the university

- I have a TikTok influencer with over 2M followers
AO response: Amazing. You know how to monetize your influence. It means more exposure for the university. Welcome to the university.

You get the idea...

And this is why schools like Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Duke, and Northwestern prioritize “individual achievement, notoriety, success, or ranking” in non-academic areas.

These kids with some sort of fame, including an individual random “hobby” that will garner continued national recognition or achievement matter a lot more than a perfect scores and perfect grades.

A university wants successful accomplished and famous alumni.
A larger predictor of that is this exact type of individual drive/creativity and success in HS.
Test scores and grades do not get you there.
This is the entire point or reason behind holistic admissions.

Test scores a better predictor of success after college than almost anything else.
Everything from peer reviewed publications to financial success to scientific accomplishments.
If a 1600 SAT ukelele player is somehow more prone to success than a 1600 violin player, I would bet it has more to do with their risk tolerance and willingness to do new things.

Test scores are a predictor of someone doing well in a middle management job and maxing out at $350k a year.
That is not "success" in a T20 college eyes. Sure, they need some of those poeple....but they are willing to take a bet/leap on the more interesting creative kids who won't play by the rules.

Let me guess which one is your kid.

What a snub!
My kid is the former with near perfect SAT, GPA, amazing academic achievements and a degree from a top of top tier college. They're currently making $2M+ a year three years out of college. They're so much more intelligent and creative than you mouth runners.

Don't get mad, this is just how some people cope. High test scores correlate to creativity as well. This is just something people who can't accept that their kids are not that smart tell themselves to feel better about having kids that aren't that smart.

If you need creativity, you are almost certainly better off asking smarter people than dumber people.

100% true.

Possibly, but you are confusing test scores with intelligence. There is obviously a correlation there, but some average kids prioritize studying and some genius kids don’t give a shit about tests (or even school).

[Anonymous]

Talked to drama activity parents. 4 of their kids have same/ similar stats and activities. How do they distinguish themselves??

[Anonymous]

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1214129.page

[Anonymous]

Not an expert by any means but this is just what I've observed:

At our well-regarded private, the curriculum is very rigorous, no one gets straight As/4.0, kids have normal club leaderships, varsity sports type ECs. BUT, the ones with strong art portfolios including even the STEM kids seem to get into Ivies/top 20. Caveat is those kids are all full pay.

Among friends/neighbors at public schools, it seems it's MUCH harder to stand out. Know over a dozen kids in past 3-4 yrs whose parents said had top scores and grades who were shut out of their EA/ED schools and were stressed out for months. Don't laugh – true story – but the only 2 kids I know who got into HYPMS last few years from a public school, one was legally blind, and the other is a very visible social media influencer who collabs with celebrities. Everyone else, no matter how many ECs, awards or straight As, APs, they seem to have better success with schools like Tufts, Rice, Northeastern, Michigan, Cornell. All terrific choices obviously but even valedictorians with 1580 from public schools don't get into HYPs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No everyone is not crocheting, birdwatching, apple pressing and coin collecting.

thankfully
enough with the weirdness

Those are not weird. How mean!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not an expert by any means but this is just what I've observed:

At our well-regarded private, the curriculum is very rigorous, no one gets straight As/4.0, kids have normal club leaderships, varsity sports type ECs. BUT, the ones with strong art portfolios including even the STEM kids seem to get into Ivies/top 20. Caveat is those kids are all full pay.

Among friends/neighbors at public schools, it seems it's MUCH harder to stand out. Know over a dozen kids in past 3-4 yrs whose parents said had top scores and grades who were shut out of their EA/ED schools and were stressed out for months. Don't laugh – true story – but the only 2 kids I know who got into HYPMS last few years from a public school, one was legally blind, and the other is a very visible social media influencer who collabs with celebrities. Everyone else, no matter how many ECs, awards or straight As, APs, they seem to have better success with schools like Tufts, Rice, Northeastern, Michigan, Cornell. All terrific choices obviously but even valedictorians with 1580 from public schools don't get into HYPs.

what type of art?
i think kids with strong music/dance portfolios do tend to get in assuming top grades. but they usually say they are planning to double major in those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did yours stand out?
Grade inflation, mid range test scores, no test scores. Don't most seniors seem the "same?"

One stands out by having one of the top 3 GPA’s in the grade, and taking the hardest classes in all 5 core areas, and having 1550+. The counselor letters of these kids will say the top this year or top few, based on gpa and rigor. If the kids are nice helpful fellow students who participate in class and enjoy learning, the teacher recs will be stand-out. If they are really a good writer the essays will be unique and have a voice and only need a proofread. The ECs can be average but this type of kid is not average: they usually have many years spent on writing or volunteering or music, plus they love that or some different activity so much they have leadership in it, and likely some awards because they have spent time getting good at it.
Read MIT applying sideways. True standouts find a way to stand out; parents don’t need to help navigate the process. If your kid is not naturally a top kid, they are not getting into an ivy/elite unless they are hooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talked to drama activity parents. 4 of their kids have same/ similar stats and activities. How do they distinguish themselves??

Stop lying to yourself. A kid who could score high on a watered down standardized test regardless whether they study cannot be a genius.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not an expert by any means but this is just what I've observed:

At our well-regarded private, the curriculum is very rigorous, no one gets straight As/4.0, kids have normal club leaderships, varsity sports type ECs. BUT, the ones with strong art portfolios including even the STEM kids seem to get into Ivies/top 20. Caveat is those kids are all full pay.

Among friends/neighbors at public schools, it seems it's MUCH harder to stand out. Know over a dozen kids in past 3-4 yrs whose parents said had top scores and grades who were shut out of their EA/ED schools and were stressed out for months. Don't laugh – true story – but the only 2 kids I know who got into HYPMS last few years from a public school, one was legally blind, and the other is a very visible social media influencer who collabs with celebrities. Everyone else, no matter how many ECs, awards or straight As, APs, they seem to have better success with schools like Tufts, Rice, Northeastern, Michigan, Cornell. All terrific choices obviously but even valedictorians with 1580 from public schools don't get into HYPs.

what type of art?
i think kids with strong music/dance portfolios do tend to get in assuming top grades. but they usually say they are planning to double major in those things.

PP: I noticed the kids who consistently acted in school plays or always submitted strong work displayed in school art shows got into HYPMS and from the college result reports, i didn't see them listing art as an intended major or minor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Talked to drama activity parents. 4 of their kids have same/ similar stats and activities. How do they distinguish themselves??

Stop lying to yourself. A kid who could not score high on a watered down standardized test regardless whether they study cannot be a genius.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did yours stand out?
Grade inflation, mid range test scores, no test scores. Don't most seniors seem the "same?"

One stands out by having one of the top 3 GPA’s in the grade, and taking the hardest classes in all 5 core areas, and having 1550+. The counselor letters of these kids will say the top this year or top few, based on gpa and rigor. If the kids are nice helpful fellow students who participate in class and enjoy learning, the teacher recs will be stand-out. If they are really a good writer the essays will be unique and have a voice and only need a proofread. The ECs can be average but this type of kid is not average: they usually have many years spent on writing or volunteering or music, plus they love that or some different activity so much they have leadership in it, and likely some awards because they have spent time getting good at it.
Read MIT applying sideways. True standouts find a way to stand out; parents don’t need to help navigate the process. If your kid is not naturally a top kid, they are not getting into an ivy/elite unless they are hooked.

i think it depends on what you mean as elite?
i know lots of kids who weren't top 3 (AT ALL), some TO, all with amazing ECs though and stellar essays (and great recs) from our private who got into schools like:
Duke, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Vanderbilt, Michigan, USC, Emory, WashU

I think coming from a "feeder" private school helps for some colleges tbh. But it does also depend on luck (how many hooked kids from HS are applying that year etc). Be flexible with your REA/ED choices.