Rising senior DD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

All applicants collectively have a 2-6% chance of admissions. Each applicant individually has a different chance. I lurk on this board, and having done this for 25 years professionally, I think a kid with those stats has about 20% chance...

Nonsense. For that to be true, ~80% of the Stanford applicant pool would need to be significantly less qualified academically than OP's kid. And that's just not the case; Stanford's applicant pool is mind-blowingly strong. Maybe 25% have no business floating in apps, but no more than that. So maybe you lift the overall odds for academically qualified applicants from 4% to 5%...but without a strong hook, OP's kid's odds will be significantly below that overall average, not above it....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My rising senior DD is in an FCPS top school. High stats, perfect SAT, 10 AP's with 4 and 5's. She plays a niche sport and has many service hours in her related sport. She will not be applying as an athlete recruit. Her dream school is Stanford. What are the chances for someone from East coast to get to Stanford. Harvard versus Stanford, any advice?

You need to encourage her to develop a list of schools she is excited about attending. I would completely discourage discussing "dream schools". Stanford is not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

All applicants collectively have a 2-6% chance of admissions. Each applicant individually has a different chance. I lurk on this board, and having done this for 25 years professionally, I think a kid with those stats has about 20% chance. Still very unlikely but different than the average. That’s actually really important to absorb … your DC can have all the stats in the world, and the chances rise from “cloudy with a chance of meatballs” only to “extremely unlikely.”

This seems off base to me. Have you been in admissions for 25 years professionally? Have you seen the caliber of students applying last year and this year? I have. I don't think this student has a 20% chance with those stats, honestly. Maybe a few years ago. She would have to garner at least a few awards. The collective average may be 2-6%, but most of the applicants have OP's stats or near them to begin with. So, I don't get how this (albeit amazing) kid would have a 20% chance.

I have the kid who got rejected SCEA from Yale. She had a national award, state award, regional awards in a variety of areas, NMSF, sports capt, club pres, 5s on APs, professional arts experience, exceptional musician, variety of ECs, super advanced math and from a top magnet. I know every kid is different, and OP's kid may have that thing Stanford wants to complete their class, but she really needs more for them to have a 20% chance of noticing her. Mine picked up a regional award, NMF and a national award during RD and was able to contact AOs w/ that, which is a big reason I think she got into 3 Ivies/T10 in RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two kids got on from Langley this year. I think both had major leadership roles and at least one had a non profit.

When you say major leadership roles what does that mean? president of the debate club? or started their own citywide volunteer organization?

[Anonymous]

Are all the Ivies like this? My similar high stats DC is interested in Columbia....is applying ED just throwing away the ED chit?

[Anonymous]

Stanford accepted about 4% of applicants for 2022. If you assume about 33% not/less qualified academically, the probability only goes up to about 6%. If Stanford is her dream, she should apply but realize it is not likely. Why Stanford? And what does she want to study? That can make a difference. Competition for CS or premed wil be fiercer than for humanities or less Popular science like geology, etc.

[Anonymous]

I know 4 kids at Stanford. All 4 are very, very smart with lots of academic and service related accolades. However, 3 are recruited athletes (crew and football) and one is a double legacy.

[Anonymous]

Eeek some 4s on APs and no hook - I am sorry she does not have a real chance at HYPS. College admission is so miserable. That profile needs to use ED wisely - maybe go for a Rice, Cornell, JHU, Pomona etc. even that isn’t a lock ED without a hook. If she is prone to anxiety and really wants to get the process over in ED try one step below - tufts, BU, etc. The 1600 on SAT is amazing, good for her, she’ll do amazing at any strong school.

[Anonymous]

0% chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two kids got on from Langley this year. I think both had major leadership roles and at least one had a non profit.

When you say major leadership roles what does that mean? president of the debate club? or started their own citywide volunteer organization?

Maybe a class president? DC was a president of the debate club and one more club, NMF, very high stats, got rejected by Harvard and Stanford and accepted by a non-Ivy T10 on a full ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two kids got on from Langley this year. I think both had major leadership roles and at least one had a non profit.

When you say major leadership roles what does that mean? president of the debate club? or started their own citywide volunteer organization?

President of honor society. And maybe UN or debate- not exactly sure of that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My rising senior DD is in an FCPS top school. High stats, perfect SAT, 10 AP's with 4 and 5's. She plays a niche sport and has many service hours in her related sport. She will not be applying as an athlete recruit. Her dream school is Stanford. What are the chances for someone from East coast to get to Stanford. Harvard versus Stanford, any advice?

You need to encourage her to develop a list of schools she is excited about attending. I would completely discourage discussing "dream schools". Stanford is not going to happen.

NP. This, above. Rather than expending your energy or hers on any dream school -- Stanford or any other -- encourage her to work on a bigger-picture list. Not just because Stanford is a difficult admit, but because there very, very likely are quite a few schools where they have the programs/majors/opportunities she wants, at extremely high academic quality, with peers she will learn from and enjoy. But if she focuses too hard on one dream school she might not give those other places due consideration (as Im sure you know).

Is Stanford the dream because...why, exactly? If it's just the name and general reputation and CA location, those frankly aren't very detailed reasons. If it's because Stanford has a terrific program in her planned major or fields of interest (she doesn't have to know her precise major just yet, it's OK!), then start looking at other schools re: how course progressions are structured. Whether the college uses an "open curriculum" or not and what that means to her potential course choices. Class sizes starting freshman year (150-person lecture or 15-person seminar? She might realize she wants the latter at a smaller school, not the former at a huge university and nope, that's not a dig at Stanford, it's a general statement). Research opportunities as an undergrad. Summer opportunities as an undergrad. Is the atmosphere more collaborative or competitive. How well do students know the professors and vice versa. How much is handled by grad student TAs rather than professors....And so on.

Sorry, I know this doesn't address your question about her chances with Stanford. Just general thoughts re: "dream school" as a way kids unwittingly set themselves up for disappointment when there are so many great colleges out there. But a lot of high schoolers just don't know to delve much into the details of academics, course selection and department structure at schools they're considering. (No reason why they should know that stuff exists, so it's up to us parents to point them that way.)

As for her shot with Stanford, College Confidential website used to have a lot of "Chance Me" posts where people would post stats and details and other PPs would weigh in on that candidate's chances and it was just about as accurate as here, I'd guess, so you could try CC. Not sure if they still do a lot of Chance Me posts but they used to.

[Anonymous]

I have read so many universities planning to do 3 more cycles or more of 'test optional' to continue to drive up 'under-represented and no legacy admits'. Minorities and persons claiming more than one race. The goal for many is as high as 40% at many top Universities.

This is complete racist BS, and doesn't reflect what we've heard at admissions events or from our private college advisor. Please cite your sources.

[Anonymous]

How does Brown evaluate applicant? Similar to Harvard and Stanford? Or different? May be easier and so could be the target?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My rising senior DD is in an FCPS top school. High stats, perfect SAT, 10 AP's with 4 and 5's. She plays a niche sport and has many service hours in her related sport. She will not be applying as an athlete recruit. Her dream school is Stanford. What are the chances for someone from East coast to get to Stanford. Harvard versus Stanford, any advice?

It’s unlikely for her to get accepted at both. I doubt it’s going to be an issue. I say Harvard and Stanford are a wash, it’s personal preference. She should tour and research.