Good post on here about top activities:
Search “birding” |
If you are Asian (no matter south or east) and not underprivileged or international kind, you better crack a code for NSA or do research for a scientist who found a possible cure for dementia. |
I agree with everything except that admissions will become easier again at some point. No, that’s a fantasy that people are clinging to but for top 25-50 schools, globalization means that any delta that might have been created by declining birth rates will be eliminated by increased international applications and acceptance rates. Some schools are really transparent about how they have increased their proportion of international students over time- Yale has tons of public data about this, for example. It’s more than doubled since the late 90s. I don’t see schools reducing their population or international students unless they’re a state school and it’s mandated by their legislature. |
What do you mean? Admissions is much harder for internationals |
the opposite, actually. |
There will never be any demographic cliff as there are tens and tens of thousands of internationals who are applying. Check out College Confidential or Reddit. All the "applying to college" threads are all internationals. And they have the same test scores/grades and better extracurriculars than almost any Americans---doing original research by 9th grade, multiple internships, etc. If that is your thing (and it seems to be the "thing" of universities) then the percentage of internationals will continue to increase each year and more than compensate for any decrease in the US birth rate. |
Ivies buy this BS? LOL |
Rich people can buy writers for the essays |
While obviously test scores, GPA and course path/rigor are important, your kid’s ability to tell a unique story about themselves in the essays (vs having totally unique EC or something mind blowing like curing cancer) is incredibly important. DD was a leader of several different clubs that were not impressive on their own, but she was able to show how they fit into a bigger picture of who she is—ie they were deliberate moves or stepping stones to learn about X in her pursuit of Y. Obviously I have no way of knowing for sure if that’s what helped her stand out, but she did very well in the application process and was happy with her results. |
Division 1 status stands out |
It is a hook- that’s different. As with any hook, any stats can be lower and the kid can still get the desired school. |
A lot of them do seem the same, especially the kids who focus on sports. Sports are great, but unless they are in the 1% with the talent to continue playing in college, they will not stand out to AOs. There are so many colleges out there, though. And same-ish kids with mid range test scores and the same ECs will find numerous options for schools they love. |
What’s wrong with regular high school clubs and activities? Kids are kids and not every kid (or family) has the wherewithal to pursue a passion project or start a nonprofit or do groundbreaking research. I’m wondering when there will be a backlash against the new admissions metrics and what it will look like. |
OK, but how long ago were you applying to those Ivies? It’s a whole different ballgame from the one this generation’s parents experienced in the 80s and 90s. |
Op, you said it yourself that everyone is doing these so that clearly implies none of them are impressive. |