If accepted to HYPSM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Non-DMV HS
H: Valedictorian with a 1550+ SAT (not sure of the exact score but it was 1550-1590). Was student council president and head of a funded club giving grants to non-profits. Also a team captain but was not a college-level athlete.
Y: Salutatorian with a 33 ACT. Worked a significant amount of time for a small family business and was still on student council and the leader of the entrepreneurship and business-related clubs. Another team captain who was not a college-level athlete. Not first-gen but a compelling backstory and a strong writer.
Following year:
P: Salutatorian with a 35 ACT (was an indirect legacy with a grandparent). Was involved in leadership for robotics and backstage theater, both of which were large passions over the entire HS career. That valedictorian went to Swarthmore.

Stalker

Where we were prior to DC, people were much more open about sharing college info. Here people view it as a zero sum game. You hardly know where people are applying even if they are legacies. The athletes are the only ones you really know about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard, jumping up and down and screaming: Every kid looks the same we are begging for an application that is really distinctive, if you’re imperfect it’s fine just be super duper interesting! Be different! Give us something appealing and unique!

DCUM Parents: What test score is most competitive for Harvard? My kid has a 1580 but he can sit again.

Another way to address this is, “Is my kid obviously a good subject for a Washington Post feature article about a nice, interesting kid.”

[Anonymous]

34 ACT from FCPS (not TJ). No hook

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is dumb. Please stop. There are plenty of kids who get into these schools who aren't "perfect". They don't want that. They want self starters, people who are interesting, those who are giving and community oriented, etc. They see your kid beyond the test scores.

+1

Certain parents only see test scores and rankings, and that is their failure as a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know that many many kids with perfect test scores and grades get rejected, but If your DC was accepted to HYPSM in the past few years, can you share what their SAT/ACT score was if submitted, which HYPSM accepted to and if they had a hook (legacy, athlete, URM, geographic diversity etc)?

There is no magic formula, OP - only parents who are obsessed with checking boxes. Often, checking boxes is not what the top schools want - they want (wait for it) INDIVIDUALS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that many many kids with perfect test scores and grades get rejected, but If your DC was accepted to HYPSM in the past few years, can you share what their SAT/ACT score was if submitted, which HYPSM accepted to and if they had a hook (legacy, athlete, URM, geographic diversity etc)?

There is no magic formula, OP - only parents who are obsessed with checking boxes. Often, checking boxes is not what the top schools want - they want (wait for it) INDIVIDUALS.

What they get is a college counselor concocted persona who applies for History&Literature and immediately transfers to CS because the top schools have open majors and are gullible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that many many kids with perfect test scores and grades get rejected, but If your DC was accepted to HYPSM in the past few years, can you share what their SAT/ACT score was if submitted, which HYPSM accepted to and if they had a hook (legacy, athlete, URM, geographic diversity etc)?

There is no magic formula, OP - only parents who are obsessed with checking boxes. Often, checking boxes is not what the top schools want - they want (wait for it) INDIVIDUALS.

What they get is a college counselor concocted persona who applies for History&Literature and immediately transfers to CS because the top schools have open majors and are gullible.

Nah. I think they are pretty good at sussing that out. The application has to bear out the declared interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that many many kids with perfect test scores and grades get rejected, but If your DC was accepted to HYPSM in the past few years, can you share what their SAT/ACT score was if submitted, which HYPSM accepted to and if they had a hook (legacy, athlete, URM, geographic diversity etc)?

There is no magic formula, OP - only parents who are obsessed with checking boxes. Often, checking boxes is not what the top schools want - they want (wait for it) INDIVIDUALS.

What they get is a college counselor concocted persona who applies for History&Literature and immediately transfers to CS because the top schools have open majors and are gullible.

At most of those schools you don’t apply for a specific major to begin with. The schools don’t care. You can switch all you want.