This is getting ridiculous

[Anonymous]

My kid got into a highly regarded school with strong stats.
He did not have any outstanding community service, just pretty basic stuff.
But his essay was outstanding and helped show what he would bring to the campus community.
You could be strong at coding but they want students who won’t just be shut in their rooms and on their laptops 24-7.
It helps if you can show why you would be a positive addition to the college community

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid got into a highly regarded school with strong stats.
He did not have any outstanding community service, just pretty basic stuff.
But his essay was outstanding and helped show what he would bring to the campus community.
You could be strong at coding but they want students who won’t just be shut in their rooms and on their laptops 24-7.
It helps if you can show why you would be a positive addition to the college community

So they want Winkelvi more than Zucks?

[Anonymous]

Are there any top schools that actually put any weight on kids with top standardized test scores any more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of Class of 2022 HS grad here — kid is CS major and admitted to 2 of the top 3 universities. I know most people do not listen to free advice, but for the ones who do, here it is….Focus your perfect stats kids HS years and application on two things. (1) What has your kid done to help others in their community? (2) How will they use the elite school education to help others in their community. It’s not about the perfect stats or the awards, although those help. It’s NOT about how well the essays are written — it’s about the HS experience affecting your kid in some way that they ended up genuinely helping others (not racking up hours at a food pantry), and what are they going to do beyond getting a good job that will change the world for the better?? Without the desire and evidence of having a positive impact on their community, my kid would have been at a safety school (which is really not as bad as some make it out to be!) Oh and leadership “titles” do not count as much as actual leadership — can your kid lead others without a formal title? I’m not saying that being President of a club is bad, just that the kid needs to do something after they get the title….or do lead others without a title. Make sure to have documentation — news articles etc.

Or “When others zig, your kid should zag.” Do something different. For CS, do not do robotics or build apps that no one uses. I cannot say what my kid did without doxxing, but this is also important. Why should a college pick your perfect stats kid who was President of their Robotics Club over the 100’s of other similar kids? What sets them apart?

I hope that makes sense!

It’s quite the phenomenon where your kid’s success somehow makes you the expert.

Considering that I took it upon myself to learn about college admissions during the pandemic when I had to quit my job, and my kid was in 10th grade….I’d say my strategies worked!!!

Way to devalue your kid in favor of your own “brilliance”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any top schools that actually put any weight on kids with top standardized test scores any more?

MIT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any top schools that actually put any weight on kids with top standardized test scores any more?

How do schools do this when 76,000 kids applied to colleges in 2022 using the Common App with SAT/ACT equivalent scores >1500??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of Class of 2022 HS grad here — kid is CS major and admitted to 2 of the top 3 universities. I know most people do not listen to free advice, but for the ones who do, here it is….Focus your perfect stats kids HS years and application on two things. (1) What has your kid done to help others in their community? (2) How will they use the elite school education to help others in their community. It’s not about the perfect stats or the awards, although those help. It’s NOT about how well the essays are written — it’s about the HS experience affecting your kid in some way that they ended up genuinely helping others (not racking up hours at a food pantry), and what are they going to do beyond getting a good job that will change the world for the better?? Without the desire and evidence of having a positive impact on their community, my kid would have been at a safety school (which is really not as bad as some make it out to be!) Oh and leadership “titles” do not count as much as actual leadership — can your kid lead others without a formal title? I’m not saying that being President of a club is bad, just that the kid needs to do something after they get the title….or do lead others without a title. Make sure to have documentation — news articles etc.

Or “When others zig, your kid should zag.” Do something different. For CS, do not do robotics or build apps that no one uses. I cannot say what my kid did without doxxing, but this is also important. Why should a college pick your perfect stats kid who was President of their Robotics Club over the 100’s of other similar kids? What sets them apart?

I hope that makes sense!

Yes to this. My kid wrote their supplemental essays about some of their community work but didn’t help. So with everything, mileage varies. But this is really good advice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of Class of 2022 HS grad here — kid is CS major and admitted to 2 of the top 3 universities. I know most people do not listen to free advice, but for the ones who do, here it is….Focus your perfect stats kids HS years and application on two things. (1) What has your kid done to help others in their community? (2) How will they use the elite school education to help others in their community. It’s not about the perfect stats or the awards, although those help. It’s NOT about how well the essays are written — it’s about the HS experience affecting your kid in some way that they ended up genuinely helping others (not racking up hours at a food pantry), and what are they going to do beyond getting a good job that will change the world for the better?? Without the desire and evidence of having a positive impact on their community, my kid would have been at a safety school (which is really not as bad as some make it out to be!) Oh and leadership “titles” do not count as much as actual leadership — can your kid lead others without a formal title? I’m not saying that being President of a club is bad, just that the kid needs to do something after they get the title….or do lead others without a title. Make sure to have documentation — news articles etc.

Or “When others zig, your kid should zag.” Do something different. For CS, do not do robotics or build apps that no one uses. I cannot say what my kid did without doxxing, but this is also important. Why should a college pick your perfect stats kid who was President of their Robotics Club over the 100’s of other similar kids? What sets them apart?

I hope that makes sense!

It’s quite the phenomenon where your kid’s success somehow makes you the expert.

Considering that I took it upon myself to learn about college admissions during the pandemic when I had to quit my job, and my kid was in 10th grade….I’d say my strategies worked!!!

Way to devalue your kid in favor of your own “brilliance”.

NP. Posting because you really need to stop. She obviously did her homework and had a child not only with high stats but who she shares a solid relationship.
You sound bitter and jealous and you really need to stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of Class of 2022 HS grad here — kid is CS major and admitted to 2 of the top 3 universities. I know most people do not listen to free advice, but for the ones who do, here it is….Focus your perfect stats kids HS years and application on two things. (1) What has your kid done to help others in their community? (2) How will they use the elite school education to help others in their community. It’s not about the perfect stats or the awards, although those help. It’s NOT about how well the essays are written — it’s about the HS experience affecting your kid in some way that they ended up genuinely helping others (not racking up hours at a food pantry), and what are they going to do beyond getting a good job that will change the world for the better?? Without the desire and evidence of having a positive impact on their community, my kid would have been at a safety school (which is really not as bad as some make it out to be!) Oh and leadership “titles” do not count as much as actual leadership — can your kid lead others without a formal title? I’m not saying that being President of a club is bad, just that the kid needs to do something after they get the title….or do lead others without a title. Make sure to have documentation — news articles etc.

Or “When others zig, your kid should zag.” Do something different. For CS, do not do robotics or build apps that no one uses. I cannot say what my kid did without doxxing, but this is also important. Why should a college pick your perfect stats kid who was President of their Robotics Club over the 100’s of other similar kids? What sets them apart?

I hope that makes sense!

It’s quite the phenomenon where your kid’s success somehow makes you the expert.

Considering that I took it upon myself to learn about college admissions during the pandemic when I had to quit my job, and my kid was in 10th grade….I’d say my strategies worked!!!

Way to devalue your kid in favor of your own “brilliance”.

NP. Posting because you really need to stop. She obviously did her homework and had a child not only with high stats but who she shares a solid relationship.
You sound bitter and jealous and you really need to stop.

Yea there are a few people (or maybe just one person) that is constantly posting crazy negative stuff like this. Really derails all the useful discussion!

[Anonymous]

CS won't be the lucrative major it is within 5-10 years. ChatGPT can write and repair computer code on command -- within five seconds. No one is talking about it yet. CS jobs are in for a massive upheaval. It isn't the field it was 15 years ago. It isn't a safe job field anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any top schools that actually put any weight on kids with top standardized test scores any more?

All of them. Honestly. My kid has a 1570. And multiple APs, all A’s, 4 years language, AP Physics C etc. Got into 1 T15, rejected at another. Same kid. It’s luck of the draw if you have the baseline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any top schools that actually put any weight on kids with top standardized test scores any more?

Vanderbilt


Pre-Covid Georgetown put a lot of weight into standardized test scores. Don’t know if they still do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of Class of 2022 HS grad here — kid is CS major and admitted to 2 of the top 3 universities. I know most people do not listen to free advice, but for the ones who do, here it is….Focus your perfect stats kids HS years and application on two things. (1) What has your kid done to help others in their community? (2) How will they use the elite school education to help others in their community. It’s not about the perfect stats or the awards, although those help. It’s NOT about how well the essays are written — it’s about the HS experience affecting your kid in some way that they ended up genuinely helping others (not racking up hours at a food pantry), and what are they going to do beyond getting a good job that will change the world for the better?? Without the desire and evidence of having a positive impact on their community, my kid would have been at a safety school (which is really not as bad as some make it out to be!) Oh and leadership “titles” do not count as much as actual leadership — can your kid lead others without a formal title? I’m not saying that being President of a club is bad, just that the kid needs to do something after they get the title….or do lead others without a title. Make sure to have documentation — news articles etc.

Or “When others zig, your kid should zag.” Do something different. For CS, do not do robotics or build apps that no one uses. I cannot say what my kid did without doxxing, but this is also important. Why should a college pick your perfect stats kid who was President of their Robotics Club over the 100’s of other similar kids? What sets them apart?

I hope that makes sense!

It’s quite the phenomenon where your kid’s success somehow makes you the expert.

Considering that I took it upon myself to learn about college admissions during the pandemic when I had to quit my job, and my kid was in 10th grade….I’d say my strategies worked!!!

Way to devalue your kid in favor of your own “brilliance”.

NP. Posting because you really need to stop. She obviously did her homework and had a child not only with high stats but who she shares a solid relationship.
You sound bitter and jealous and you really need to stop.

Why should I be bitter or jealous? When my kid got into college, I recognized it was his accomplishment, not mine. They didn't suddenly make me an expert on college admissions, especially after one kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of Class of 2022 HS grad here — kid is CS major and admitted to 2 of the top 3 universities. I know most people do not listen to free advice, but for the ones who do, here it is….Focus your perfect stats kids HS years and application on two things. (1) What has your kid done to help others in their community? (2) How will they use the elite school education to help others in their community. It’s not about the perfect stats or the awards, although those help. It’s NOT about how well the essays are written — it’s about the HS experience affecting your kid in some way that they ended up genuinely helping others (not racking up hours at a food pantry), and what are they going to do beyond getting a good job that will change the world for the better?? Without the desire and evidence of having a positive impact on their community, my kid would have been at a safety school (which is really not as bad as some make it out to be!) Oh and leadership “titles” do not count as much as actual leadership — can your kid lead others without a formal title? I’m not saying that being President of a club is bad, just that the kid needs to do something after they get the title….or do lead others without a title. Make sure to have documentation — news articles etc.

Or “When others zig, your kid should zag.” Do something different. For CS, do not do robotics or build apps that no one uses. I cannot say what my kid did without doxxing, but this is also important. Why should a college pick your perfect stats kid who was President of their Robotics Club over the 100’s of other similar kids? What sets them apart?

I hope that makes sense!

It’s quite the phenomenon where your kid’s success somehow makes you the expert.

Considering that I took it upon myself to learn about college admissions during the pandemic when I had to quit my job, and my kid was in 10th grade….I’d say my strategies worked!!!

Way to devalue your kid in favor of your own “brilliance”.

NP. Posting because you really need to stop. She obviously did her homework and had a child not only with high stats but who she shares a solid relationship.
You sound bitter and jealous and you really need to stop.

Why should I be bitter or jealous? When my kid got into college, I recognized it was his accomplishment, not mine. They didn't suddenly make me an expert on college admissions, especially after one kid.

DP here, it's because you criticized a poster for offering college admissions advice in a forum designed for exactly that purpose. Maybe you are not bitter or jealous but it sure seemed it. And your criticism is counter-intuitive to the purpose of the forum. If you are not here for that, why are you here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CS won't be the lucrative major it is within 5-10 years. ChatGPT can write and repair computer code on command -- within five seconds. No one is talking about it yet. CS jobs are in for a massive upheaval. It isn't the field it was 15 years ago. It isn't a safe job field anymore.

There are different aspects to CS. It's not all about programming.

Low to mid level programming has been offshored for a decade, and yes, more susceptible to AI take over. But, not everything in tech will be taken over by AI.

There are other professions and degrees that are/have become redundant due to AI, like English majors.