All these smart kids are getting rejected across the board

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a very different world than it was for us in the 1980s and 1990s.

Ranking is now seen as prestige, and people have been fooled into thinking that a low acceptance rate means a good school. As a result, the schools are working to pump up their applications with a goal to simply rejecting more kids, because it makes their rate go down. Presto: "prestige".

Add the basic demographics of a lot more kids. Then throw in the desire for schools to build brand (which also drives up applications) by signaling that they are at the forefront of social engineering and fixing the wrongs of the past, and URMs get prioritized, as do kids from places with few students. It means a non-URM kid from the DMV is second or third in line, and in some cases allegedly means that Asian kids are at an even greater disadvantage.

Note that the above has F$$^# all to do with the quality of education. So if you build a good list with your kid based on the actual education likely received, it'll be just fine.

we jokingly say that we should've moved to podunk some state rather than DC area because of how competitive this area is for top tier college admissions.

My junior is in a magnet, straight As, 1590 SAT, good e.c. But, we will be happy if DC gets into our local state univ which has a fantastic program in their chosen major. DC will still apply to the "top tier" but also to the state school as a safety, but even that is no longer a shoo in.

Even if DC ends up in the state school, IMO, the hard work DC put in in HS is not for nothing because 1. the state school is competitve for that given major 2. DC will have a leg up going into college with all those AP credits, and already used to college level work. College should be a cake walk after the rigorous HS experience.

Neither my spouse nor I have any legacy connections. We are the first in our family to go to college, and a B/C rated on at that. But, because DC is not URM, and we are not low income, that's a strike against DC.

[Anonymous]

OP--if your kids are in Pre-school, elementary, it will probably be very different---I think much less competition.

[Anonymous]

But, because DC is not URM, and we are not low income, that's a strike against DC.

This often repeated line just isn't true. Our private admissions counselor said only first gen kids are getting a bump (in addition to recruited athletes, major donors, geographic diversity etc). There are just so many variable now that you really can't predict what will help or hurt your kid. An Asian male applying to CS or Engineering with have tough competition from other Asian males, but that same kid might have an advantage if he wants to be a nurse or a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But, because DC is not URM, and we are not low income, that's a strike against DC.

This often repeated line just isn't true. Our private admissions counselor said only first gen kids are getting a bump (in addition to recruited athletes, major donors, geographic diversity etc). There are just so many variable now that you really can't predict what will help or hurt your kid. An Asian male applying to CS or Engineering with have tough competition from other Asian males, but that same kid might have an advantage if he wants to be a nurse or a teacher.

white people are going to blame URMs no matter what you say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents of seniors at our school are using words like bloodbath to describe the seniors acceptances. Kids who worked hard and did everything they were supposed to are not getting in to top 20-50 schools. Too many white, UMC families who saved and can pay full price are not getting in whereas 10 years ago they would have. It's partly due to test-optional and partly due to more diversity (socio-economic and racial) being sought after at top schools.

No one ever seems to blame legacies, children of people with connections (if you think this doesn’t happen often, think again), and kids who represent geographical diversity). The previous poster almost makes it sounds like a full-pay family has more of a right to a spot than those who can’t pay in full and may need loans and/or merit scholarships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless OP has young elementary students. We are in a bubble of lots of high school now but there is a much smaller cohort coming.

Op here. My kids are in elementary and preschool. I’m just surprised that these super smart kids are getting rejected from every school they applied to.

If they’re getting rejected from EVERY school they applied to, they got bad advice on what their target and safety schools are.

+1
At a minimum, top stat students should be applying to the top 2 or 3 public schools in their state. If all they are doing is applying to the same T20 schools as every other top stat kid, they are not understanding the process.

For a humanities kid in MD, that’s a steep drop off after College Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Their list is unrealistic

BINGO! Applying to all the T20 schools with acceptance rates under 10% doesn't really increase your chances. You need true safety and target schools. But yet this happens every year and it is ridiculous that parents/counselors don't guide the students to be more realistic.

[Anonymous]

A typical scenario:
- I have 4.5 GPAs and 10 AP courses:  there are ten thousands Asian kids with the same stat, you are not special,
- I have 1550+ on the SAT:  there are ten thousands Asian kids with the same stat, you are not special
- I play level 10 piano and first chair in violin:  there are thousands Asian kidsthat you do, you are not special
- I play high school sport and am a member of the varsity team:  there are thousands Asian kids that do what you do, you are not special
- I volunteer after school:  there are thousands Asian kids that do what you do, you are not special

- I am a rapper, tiktok and a youtube star with millions of followers:  Now you're different from other Asian kids.    Ivies will admit you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A typical scenario:
- I have 4.5 GPAs and 10 AP courses:  there are ten thousands Asian kids with the same stat, you are not special,
- I have 1550+ on the SAT:  there are ten thousands Asian kids with the same stat, you are not special
- I play level 10 piano and first chair in violin:  there are thousands Asian kidsthat you do, you are not special
- I play high school sport and am a member of the varsity team:  there are thousands Asian kids that do what you do, you are not special
- I volunteer after school:  there are thousands Asian kids that do what you do, you are not special

- I am a rapper, tiktok and a youtube star with millions of followers:  Now you're different from other Asian kids.    Ivies will admit you.

so the Asians that made up 28% of this year's class at Harvard are all in your last bucket?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of seniors at our school are using words like bloodbath to describe the seniors acceptances. Kids who worked hard and did everything they were supposed to are not getting in to top 20-50 schools. Too many white, UMC families who saved and can pay full price are not getting in whereas 10 years ago they would have. It's partly due to test-optional and partly due to more diversity (socio-economic and racial) being sought after at top schools.

No, it’s due to everyone “shooting their shot” at the same colleges. Stop blaming testing and diversity. Colleges have been looking for diverse classes for decades. It’s not new.

What’s new is clear. The applications are exploding at top schools and falling at the rest. The reason is probably layered, from subtle things like adults belittling good options that aren’t impressive (my gosh, even JMU gets ripped here) to grade inflation making parents think their middle of the pack student is at the top of the class…again there are many reasons.

Stop blaming stupid stuff that makes you made and use reason.

If you think test optional is not a factor, you are ignoring reality. In the past, students with not-so-great standardized test scores would not even bother applying to very selective schools as they knew their scores would likely make them non-competitive, absent some hook. (The schools were too concerned that lower scores would drag down their rankings and perceived prestige.) Now, students don't have to worry about such scores, so why not apply if you have very good grades and ECs? And the schools don't have to worry about reporting test scores that might lower their rankings since only applicants with high scores will choose to submit then. Please note that I am NOT saying this is a negative development -- eliminating an unnecessary barrier to higher education is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents of seniors at our school are using words like bloodbath to describe the seniors acceptances. Kids who worked hard and did everything they were supposed to are not getting in to top 20-50 schools. Too many white, UMC families who saved and can pay full price are not getting in whereas 10 years ago they would have. It's partly due to test-optional and partly due to more diversity (socio-economic and racial) being sought after at top schools.

No one ever seems to blame legacies, children of people with connections (if you think this doesn’t happen often, think again), and kids who represent geographical diversity). The previous poster almost makes it sounds like a full-pay family has more of a right to a spot than those who can’t pay in full and may need loans and/or merit scholarships.

You don’t spend much time here. We blame legacies, athletes, celebrities, and wealthy people in general. Does it bother me that URMs get in with my kid’s stats but my white kid gets rejected? A little. But at least there’s a noble reason for it. All those kids born into wealth and privilege coming from their fancy schools and $$$ coaching for their sport? That injustice infuriates me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But, because DC is not URM, and we are not low income, that's a strike against DC.

This often repeated line just isn't true. Our private admissions counselor said only first gen kids are getting a bump (in addition to recruited athletes, major donors, geographic diversity etc). There are just so many variable now that you really can't predict what will help or hurt your kid. An Asian male applying to CS or Engineering with have tough competition from other Asian males, but that same kid might have an advantage if he wants to be a nurse or a teacher.

The first poster is so clueless and determined to be victimized that they think somehow THEIR kid is the one being punished. As if growing up as an URM and/or low income in this country isn't a HUGE "strike against" those kids. Colleges and universities are just trying to recognize this and even the playing field a little, but people like this poster view this through the lens of "my kid is being deprived" as if they have some god-given entitlement to compete for slots at colleges based on the terms and criteria THEY deem fair (and which, naturally, advantage themselves) rather than based on whatever criteria these institutions deem appropriate. It's gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A typical scenario:
- I have 4.5 GPAs and 10 AP courses:  there are ten thousands Asian kids with the same stat, you are not special,
- I have 1550+ on the SAT:  there are ten thousands Asian kids with the same stat, you are not special
- I play level 10 piano and first chair in violin:  there are thousands Asian kidsthat you do, you are not special
- I play high school sport and am a member of the varsity team:  there are thousands Asian kids that do what you do, you are not special
- I volunteer after school:  there are thousands Asian kids that do what you do, you are not special

- I am a rapper, tiktok and a youtube star with millions of followers:  Now you're different from other Asian kids.    Ivies will admit you.

Ivies want a kid that was not "dictated" from birth by their tiger mom, since you brought it up.

Any college (not just ivies) know when a kid has had certain help from their parents, and I am not talking about money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But, because DC is not URM, and we are not low income, that's a strike against DC.

This often repeated line just isn't true. Our private admissions counselor said only first gen kids are getting a bump (in addition to recruited athletes, major donors, geographic diversity etc). There are just so many variable now that you really can't predict what will help or hurt your kid. An Asian male applying to CS or Engineering with have tough competition from other Asian males, but that same kid might have an advantage if he wants to be a nurse or a teacher.

white people are going to blame URMs no matter what you say.

I think because there are "white people" (ie: not brown, not yellow) who were, just one or two generations ago, who were first generation, and they got nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a very different world than it was for us in the 1980s and 1990s.

Ranking is now seen as prestige, and people have been fooled into thinking that a low acceptance rate means a good school. As a result, the schools are working to pump up their applications with a goal to simply rejecting more kids, because it makes their rate go down. Presto: "prestige".

Add the basic demographics of a lot more kids. Then throw in the desire for schools to build brand (which also drives up applications) by signaling that they are at the forefront of social engineering and fixing the wrongs of the past, and URMs get prioritized, as do kids from places with few students. It means a non-URM kid from the DMV is second or third in line, and in some cases allegedly means that Asian kids are at an even greater disadvantage.

Note that the above has F$$^# all to do with the quality of education. So if you build a good list with your kid based on the actual education likely received, it'll be just fine.

+1

Concentrate on the FIT FOR *YOUR* CHILD.

Not what your neighbors are doing.

That, and if your kid needs tutoring for good grades since middle school - how are they going get through college? More tutors?

What about when they enter full time work after college? More tutors (for work)?

Time to be real, parents.