Where are the top unhooked kids at your Big3 going this year (not legacy, URM or sports recruit).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have kids at NCS.
It looks like there is one Ivy admit at NCS this year outside of the 3 hook categories (legacy/athlete/URM).
Is it the same at the other "Big3"?
Where are the top academic kids that are unhooked going?

I also have a child at NCS and the students I have heard of thus far are all going to top schools. I have not heard of a school below top 30 yet. Same with STA. Kids are all going to great schools.

There at many going to schools above 50. Some above 100.

Not true at all. The few you are referring to - guess what those were their number one choice. Full ride with a prestigious scholarship to a school with an amazing history means something to some people rather than impressing daddy's friends at the club. I am proud of students that do what is best for them and what they want to do. Keep the focus on your daughters and their happiness. Please don't stress about this stuff. Much of it is just numbers and it is how it goes. My advice to you is submit SAT scores because kids at NCS and other top schools in this area do well. Besides that remember they are only teens once and let them enjoy their teen years while of course learning and doing their best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have kids at NCS.
It looks like there is one Ivy admit at NCS this year outside of the 3 hook categories (legacy/athlete/URM).
Is it the same at the other "Big3"?
Where are the top academic kids that are unhooked going?

I also have a child at NCS and the students I have heard of thus far are all going to top schools. I have not heard of a school below top 30 yet. Same with STA. Kids are all going to great schools.

There at many going to schools above 50. Some above 100.

Oh my god stop. They’re teenagers. Seek help.

[Anonymous]

Where are the URMs going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are the URMs going?

None of your business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Athletes from these schools really don't have much of a "hook" getting into the "top" schools. Going through the process now with my kid. Highy desired by coaches almost universally, but can't get past the pre-reads because they're around the 25th percentile for the very academic schools. Middle of the pack "big 3" student and athletics not the hook everyone thinks it is.

My son has a different take. He used to tutor a kid early in high school who was admitted to an Ivy for sports. My kid, the tutor, would not get into an Ivy (despite 1550 SAT, highest rigor, and high grades) but this kid did for sports. Based on DS’ interactions with the recruit, he is pretty sure his stats are on the lower side and knows he takes easier classes.

Fwiw, my kid recognizes the athletic talent of this kid, which is worth something too. And, he is happy for his success. But the system seems a bit out of whack when a kid who is smart enough to teach the other kids, can’t even get a look from the same schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Athletes from these schools really don't have much of a "hook" getting into the "top" schools. Going through the process now with my kid. Highy desired by coaches almost universally, but can't get past the pre-reads because they're around the 25th percentile for the very academic schools. Middle of the pack "big 3" student and athletics not the hook everyone thinks it is.

My son has a different take. He used to tutor a kid early in high school who was admitted to an Ivy for sports. My kid, the tutor, would not get into an Ivy (despite 1550 SAT, highest rigor, and high grades) but this kid did for sports. Based on DS’ interactions with the recruit, he is pretty sure his stats are on the lower side and knows he takes easier classes.

Fwiw, my kid recognizes the athletic talent of this kid, which is worth something too. And, he is happy for his success. But the system seems a bit out of whack when a kid who is smart enough to teach the other kids, can’t even get a look from the same schools.

What else did he bring besides being "smarter?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Athletes from these schools really don't have much of a "hook" getting into the "top" schools. Going through the process now with my kid. Highy desired by coaches almost universally, but can't get past the pre-reads because they're around the 25th percentile for the very academic schools. Middle of the pack "big 3" student and athletics not the hook everyone thinks it is.

Yeah, I don't think people understand that for the schools everyone on this Board worries about, you still need really strong academics to get into the top D3 schools, and to get into an Ivy, you need both the academics and to be a good enough athlete to compete at the D1 level. Everyone acts like that's nothing. I don't get it. When DC graduated a Big3 several years ago two classmates were recruited to play a sport at top Ivies. They were really strong athletes, who had worked really hard at their sports, but also had always taken the hardest classes and had high GPAs. It was not as if they just wandered in and said "here I am."

I don’t think you understand the amount of parental time and resources a kid needs to have access to in order to be recruitable for most d1, d2 (often forgotten!), and d3 sports. Additionally, a lot of the sports that you can get recruited for garner no fanfare whatsoever.

I do understand. I have kids who are high school athletes, and no one is suggesting that we are only talking about football or basketball players. My kids have benefitted from a lot of parental time and resources, as have, I suspect, most of the kids of parents who frequent this board. That's not enough. The kid has to be talented and disciplined and still maintain strong academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Athletes from these schools really don't have much of a "hook" getting into the "top" schools. Going through the process now with my kid. Highy desired by coaches almost universally, but can't get past the pre-reads because they're around the 25th percentile for the very academic schools. Middle of the pack "big 3" student and athletics not the hook everyone thinks it is.

Yeah, I don't think people understand that for the schools everyone on this Board worries about, you still need really strong academics to get into the top D3 schools, and to get into an Ivy, you need both the academics and to be a good enough athlete to compete at the D1 level. Everyone acts like that's nothing. I don't get it. When DC graduated a Big3 several years ago two classmates were recruited to play a sport at top Ivies. They were really strong athletes, who had worked really hard at their sports, but also had always taken the hardest classes and had high GPAs. It was not as if they just wandered in and said "here I am."

I don’t think you understand the amount of parental time and resources a kid needs to have access to in order to be recruitable for most d1, d2 (often forgotten!), and d3 sports. Additionally, a lot of the sports that you can get recruited for garner no fanfare whatsoever.

Okay cool. What does that have to do with the misperception that athletes going to high academic schools have a "hook" and are less qualified academically? I'll answer that: nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This obsession has to stop. It's literally killing kids.

You don't know me from Adam but I honestly don't have an obsession with the Ivy League. However, it also really sucks to learn that many top schools are essentially off-the-table.
I hadn't realized this. I don't think many of us do when we apply to the top high schools with a top academic kid.
We don't view the Big3 (or similar) as a ticket to a good college but it also sucks to realize that your kid will have significantly FEWER options.

If you truly hadn't realized this, that's on you, not the schools. It has quite literally always been this way, including when you and I would have been applying to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Athletes from these schools really don't have much of a "hook" getting into the "top" schools. Going through the process now with my kid. Highy desired by coaches almost universally, but can't get past the pre-reads because they're around the 25th percentile for the very academic schools. Middle of the pack "big 3" student and athletics not the hook everyone thinks it is.

My son has a different take. He used to tutor a kid early in high school who was admitted to an Ivy for sports. My kid, the tutor, would not get into an Ivy (despite 1550 SAT, highest rigor, and high grades) but this kid did for sports. Based on DS’ interactions with the recruit, he is pretty sure his stats are on the lower side and knows he takes easier classes.

Fwiw, my kid recognizes the athletic talent of this kid, which is worth something too. And, he is happy for his success. But the system seems a bit out of whack when a kid who is smart enough to teach the other kids, can’t even get a look from the same schools.

"Smart" alone doesn't make for a well-rounded class. If your kid recognized the athletic talent, lean into that. It's the same as when someone has a remarkable talent in another area - music, theater, debate, etc. That unique talent sets them apart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Athletes from these schools really don't have much of a "hook" getting into the "top" schools. Going through the process now with my kid. Highy desired by coaches almost universally, but can't get past the pre-reads because they're around the 25th percentile for the very academic schools. Middle of the pack "big 3" student and athletics not the hook everyone thinks it is.

My son has a different take. He used to tutor a kid early in high school who was admitted to an Ivy for sports. My kid, the tutor, would not get into an Ivy (despite 1550 SAT, highest rigor, and high grades) but this kid did for sports. Based on DS’ interactions with the recruit, he is pretty sure his stats are on the lower side and knows he takes easier classes.

Fwiw, my kid recognizes the athletic talent of this kid, which is worth something too. And, he is happy for his success. But the system seems a bit out of whack when a kid who is smart enough to teach the other kids, can’t even get a look from the same schools.

"Smart" alone doesn't make for a well-rounded class. If your kid recognized the athletic talent, lean into that. It's the same as when someone has a remarkable talent in another area - music, theater, debate, etc. That unique talent sets them apart.

It’s actually not the same because in the US, athletics is more highly valued than the arts. It is the way we do things here. No sense is pretending otherwise.

Now how about that D1 cello recruit!?!

[Anonymous]

It’s hugely competitive for everyone these days, public or private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Athletes from these schools really don't have much of a "hook" getting into the "top" schools. Going through the process now with my kid. Highy desired by coaches almost universally, but can't get past the pre-reads because they're around the 25th percentile for the very academic schools. Middle of the pack "big 3" student and athletics not the hook everyone thinks it is.

My son has a different take. He used to tutor a kid early in high school who was admitted to an Ivy for sports. My kid, the tutor, would not get into an Ivy (despite 1550 SAT, highest rigor, and high grades) but this kid did for sports. Based on DS’ interactions with the recruit, he is pretty sure his stats are on the lower side and knows he takes easier classes.

Fwiw, my kid recognizes the athletic talent of this kid, which is worth something too. And, he is happy for his success. But the system seems a bit out of whack when a kid who is smart enough to teach the other kids, can’t even get a look from the same schools.

"Smart" alone doesn't make for a well-rounded class. If your kid recognized the athletic talent, lean into that. It's the same as when someone has a remarkable talent in another area - music, theater, debate, etc. That unique talent sets them apart.

It’s actually not the same because in the US, athletics is more highly valued than the arts. It is the way we do things here. No sense is pretending otherwise.

Now how about that D1 cello recruit!?!

PP here, my comment was meant to supply an anecdote that not all recruits are academic super stars too (though some are, I am sure). I also acknowledge others are certainly below the academic standards, which keeps them out of top schools. It was meant to be a reminder that this is a nuanced idea, with individual circumstances for each kid.

As for my son, he is a year-round, multi-sport athlete (good enough to play D3, but not d1) and captain, earned some regional awards in subjects of interest, and served as president of a club in his interest area that brought some meaningful change to his school. He also had a summer job each year. But he mostly studied a lot to keep up with his advanced coursework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are the URMs going?

Right where they belong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This obsession has to stop. It's literally killing kids.

You don't know me from Adam but I honestly don't have an obsession with the Ivy League. However, it also really sucks to learn that many top schools are essentially off-the-table.
I hadn't realized this. I don't think many of us do when we apply to the top high schools with a top academic kid.
We don't view the Big3 (or similar) as a ticket to a good college but it also sucks to realize that your kid will have significantly FEWER options.

“Fewer options,” really? Here are the admission numbers from several of the better public schools in the area. Would you rather have these odds for your child? There are plenty of legacies, athletes, and other “hooked” applicants at public schools too.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-magazine/september-october-2021/college-bound-6/