What Top Universities Want

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many want to know how the applicant will be an asset to the campus community. Not - I really want to go here - more of a here’s how I will be additive. What I will bring, not what I will take. IMO

So true.
Biggest differential in outcomes is how well kid articulates this.

[Anonymous]

Do parents do this kind of research for their kids?

I’m thinking I should figure this - values - out for the 8 RD reaches as DD may want to highlight different things than originally planned in the supplemental essays?

Or do you let your kid wing it? Down to the final stretch here.

[Anonymous]

Went down the Reddit rabbit hole. There's a lot out there if you are interested in this topic, like I am, better sources than here. Below from a private college counselor (u/AppHelper) which i personally found helpful:

Harvard, for instance, cares a lot about you showing what you've achieved, UChicago cares a quite bit more about showing how you can think.

UPenn tends to prefer students who are seriously pre-professional in some capacity or another, whereas the Dartmouth Dean of Admissions on his podcast (Admission Beat) talked a little about picking students who demonstrated "kindness".

Generally, public universities put less emphasis on essays and extracurriculars, but there are huge exceptions to that, of course. The University of California schools are notorious for being particularly random, but they clearly do value diverse experiences, maybe more than a strict intellectual background. I've heard the Georgia Tech Dean of Admissions emphasizes "service", and that's something I've noticed in some of my students who were surprised to admitted to and surprised to be rejected from GTech. At these public universities, there can be differences even within the colleges selective programs. In my experience, Michigan Ross for business seems to want a particular profile from their applicants (which I don't feel like I've solved), whereas Michigan Engineering seems to favor academic excellence more generally.

A few years ago, another counselor who gotten a lot of students into Stanford but no one into UChicago. I'd only gotten one students into Stanford, but had had a couple get into Chicago. As we compared notes, it was just sort of clear that our students had similar grades and scores and "chance me" profiles, but presented pretty different vibes through their essays and activities that matched differently with the two universities' preferences (in a word, UChicago more curious and intellectually engaged; Stanford more driven and entrepreneurial).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Authenticity is a big factor as well. AOs can se through bullshit wording and embellishments

It’s better to pursue a few passions deeply rather than join a ton of clubs.

Same with essays and planned major - are you demonstrating actual, sustained interest or are you just chasing the big shiny ones?

I’ll also add cohesive narrative. Does the application highlight the student in a well-rounded way and does the story tie together strongly the characteristics and traits that make the student unique and attractive?

I agree with this post about authenticity. Colleges what to know who you are, what are you passionate about, and how you will make their institution a better place.

I interview students to be Jefferson Scholars at UVa. When I interviewed one high school student, he almost made me cry with his accomplishments. He overcame his initial autistic disabilities to be valedictorian and class president all the while taking care of one parent who was having her own personal issues. You have to let your own personal story shine.

BTW, that student later became a Marshall Scholar who student in England after UVa.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, my autocorrect is bananas. I meant to type: "That student later became a Marshall Scholar who studied in England after UVa."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What Top Universities Want:

Your money!

not really. they get plenty of that.

Yes really. That’s why full pay is a hook and the top 1% HHI is wildly overrepresented.

All of those schools are need blind so no full pay not a hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Authenticity is a big factor as well. AOs can se through bullshit wording and embellishments

It’s better to pursue a few passions deeply rather than join a ton of clubs.

Same with essays and planned major - are you demonstrating actual, sustained interest or are you just chasing the big shiny ones?

I’ll also add cohesive narrative. Does the application highlight the student in a well-rounded way and does the story tie together strongly the characteristics and traits that make the student unique and attractive?

I agree with this post about authenticity. Colleges what to know who you are, what are you passionate about, and how you will make their institution a better place.

I interview students to be Jefferson Scholars at UVa. When I interviewed one high school student, he almost made me cry with his accomplishments. He overcame his initial autistic disabilities to be valedictorian and class president all the while taking care of one parent who was having her own personal issues. You have to let your own personal story shine.

BTW, that student later became a Marshall Scholar who student in England after UVa.

So it looks like you need

A student who has some sort of disability or health issue + A parent who is messed up = Authenticity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do parents do this kind of research for their kids?

I’m thinking I should figure this - values - out for the 8 RD reaches as DD may want to highlight different things than originally planned in the supplemental essays?

Or do you let your kid wing it? Down to the final stretch here.

After we visited each school, we talked about how each school marketed itself was an indication of what they value. Then we talked about how the various things DC does fits into those values. So we did it together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What Top Universities Want:

Your money!

not really. they get plenty of that.

Yes really. That’s why full pay is a hook and the top 1% HHI is wildly overrepresented.

Is full pay as easy as googling our home and figuring out how expensive it is? Seems like an easy exercise for Admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Authenticity is a big factor as well. AOs can se through bullshit wording and embellishments

This is a common line, but there’s no evidence this is true.

It is very easy for admissions officers to tell which kids with high level achievements in an area are authentically pursuing their "passions" and which ones are just padding their resume. The non-asian kids are passionate and the asian kids are padding their resume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What Top Universities Want:

Your money!

not really. they get plenty of that.

Yes really. That’s why full pay is a hook and the top 1% HHI is wildly overrepresented.

All of those schools are need blind so no full pay not a hook.

You are very stupid if you believe this is an accident.



https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/2...lege-admissions.html

Elite colleges have long been filled with the children of the richest families: At Ivy League schools, one in six students has parents in the top 1 percent.

A large new study, released Monday, shows that it has not been because these children had more impressive grades on average or took harder classes. They tended to have higher SAT scores and finely honed résumés, and applied at a higher rate — but they were overrepresented even after accounting for those things.

"Need blind" - lmao of course they know who the rich kids are, nitwit.

[Anonymous]

Full pay students
Especially celebrity/famous family
Legacy

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Ofc they like full pay.

But even then, what Northwestern likes in an applicant is very different from Cornell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many want to know how the applicant will be an asset to the campus community. Not - I really want to go here - more of a here’s how I will be additive. What I will bring, not what I will take. IMO

So true.
Biggest differential in outcomes is how well kid articulates this.

My kid just finished his four Ivy applications and this was part of every supplement.

A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia's diverse and collaborative community.

How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn.

Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?

Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you?