Applying to Harvard and Princeton “for fun”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC’s friend was accepted REA to Stanford, but is planning to apply to Harvard and Princeton just “for fun”. Seems like the same set of kids end up getting all the acceptances to the T5.

Well it’s not like Stanford is #1 so why shouldn’t he try for Harvard?

[Anonymous]

I know a kid from a top prep school who was admitted to Harvard REA, went on to get into MIT RD but was rejected from Stanford RD. Stanford was her top choice so so wonder why they forced her to apply to Harvard REA. She went to Harvard.

[Anonymous]

For every kid like this, there are kids who do the opposite. Kids who, not only don’t apply elsewhere, but also pull applications after hearing non-binding SCEA bc they know others were waiting on those schools. He had no regrets.

He didn’t think he would get in everywhere but he also felt he wanted the AOs to focus on the applications of kids who would attend.

You can only go to college in one place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For every kid like this, there are kids who do the opposite. Kids who, not only don’t apply elsewhere, but also pull applications after hearing non-binding SCEA bc they know others were waiting on those schools. He had no regrets.

He didn’t think he would get in everywhere but he also felt he wanted the AOs to focus on the applications of kids who would attend.

You can only go to college in one place.

+100. Kudos to your kid for doing the mature thing. It’s already a hard process, with so much ego involved (parents and kids). There’s enough opportunity to go around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids had a friend who did this last year - applied to Harvard, Penn, Princeton and MIT after Stanford REA acceptance. He didn’t get in anywhere else.

It seems Stanford attracts a certain “type”

can you explain that "type"? I couldn't pinpoint it when we visited, but there was something about the vibe that I didn't like.

This professor, with experience teaching at Stanford, characterized its students as "very smart" but not, as a generalization, particularly intellectually oriented:

https://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/faculty-jason-cieply-russian-studies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I knew a kid who did this after getting into Harvard EA last year. Had to chuckle when they didn't get into Yale or Princeton.

I know a kid who did this last year too. Into Harvard early but had to "try" the HYS too in RD just in case they "changed their mind."
Didn't get in anywhere else. This was from a private and it really violated the entire ethos of the college admissions there (did it against their advice which involves looking out for your classmates). I wondered if maybe the school said or implied something to the other colleges. I wouldn't doubt it.

[Anonymous]

My daughter's friend from Fauquier High applied to Princeton and got in!

[Anonymous]

Students who need to compare aid packages often must do this; they have to see the comparison. Or could be applying for different majors or schools with the university. But I also wonder, if you turn down an offer from a great school, will this possibly be remembered when you are looking at graduate programs?

[Anonymous]

The thing is getting into one guest means will get into the others even if you applied to all 8 ivies/mit, etc.

For instance, I know kids that got into Harvard and Penn, but not Brown or Princeton. There are kids who will get into Dartmouth and Yale, but not Columbia or Harvard.

A lot of it is a little bit of luck and an AO liking you.

[Anonymous]

^doesn’t mean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Students who need to compare aid packages often must do this; they have to see the comparison. Or could be applying for different majors or schools with the university. But I also wonder, if you turn down an offer from a great school, will this possibly be remembered when you are looking at graduate programs?

Honestly, the aid thing is used as an excuse for all sorts of bad/selfish admissions behavior.
Yes, I get that aid is important (my kid gets a bit).
However the cost of attendance is not some giant mystery with net price calculators and the high income aid-cut-offs that the top schools all have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For every kid like this, there are kids who do the opposite. Kids who, not only don’t apply elsewhere, but also pull applications after hearing non-binding SCEA bc they know others were waiting on those schools. He had no regrets.

He didn’t think he would get in everywhere but he also felt he wanted the AOs to focus on the applications of kids who would attend.

You can only go to college in one place.

+100. Kudos to your kid for doing the mature thing. It’s already a hard process, with so much ego involved (parents and kids). There’s enough opportunity to go around.

That is kind of you to say but I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge it was also self-serving for him and us: he had way more fun senior year than he would if he was still thinking about college (he focused on his winter and spring sports, tried out for the play for the first time and ended up with a research accolade that is staying on his resume through college. If he was applying to more schools he wouldn’t have done any of that). And, we felt happy as parents that it is a great lesson in appreciating what you have and not creating stress.

[Anonymous]

Common App needs to add a form for parents and counselors to sign restricting multiple REA the way they do for ED. Kids shouldn’t be applying with multiple REA but some are. They found the loophole to exploit. A better solution would be eliminating all ED and REA. Hopefully that’s coming…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids had a friend who did this last year - applied to Harvard, Penn, Princeton and MIT after Stanford REA acceptance. He didn’t get in anywhere else.

It seems Stanford attracts a certain “type”

+1

Exactly what I thought.

[Anonymous]

My daughter applied to a top school REA (not an ivy) as her first choice and she has every intention to attend if admitted. She started getting ideas in her head to apply to some ivies in the RD round just to see if she can get in. She would still attend her first choice though. Her counselor shut her down on that idea almost immediately explaining to her that it would be unfair to her classmates unless she was serious about attending one of them. I am glad the counselor pushed back so that I wouldn't have to be the bad guy.