If your child was accepted at a Top 20 School, what were their extracurriculars?

[Anonymous]

Am I wrong to think the high school is a key variable here? I think if you have top rigor, grade and score from a top HS (Sidwell/ TJ type or Dalton/ Stuy in NYC), you don’t need those insane ECs to stand out, esp if full pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I wrong to think the high school is a key variable here? I think if you have top rigor, grade and score from a top HS (Sidwell/ TJ type or Dalton/ Stuy in NYC), you don’t need those insane ECs to stand out, esp if full pay.

I don't think you need the "insane" EC's i.e. founding a nonprof, starting a business or publishing research but students definitely need EC's that demonstrate that they will bring something more than academics to college. For any school your student is interested in take a look at their clubs and organizations, those power the energy and social life on campus. Colleges want kids with demonstrated history of extracurricular impact in high school in order to sustain that on campus.
For my DC the EC section tied directly to the "why us" essays, had competed at a national high school competition held at the Ivy he will attend and was able to write about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP I see posts like OP’s on here so often but at our school (independent feeder school not in DVM or NYC), those kinds of ECs are almost unheard of. Kids play varsity sports, do things like write for the school paper, theater, debate, and each year 25- 30 out of 100 seniors get into Ivy/top 15. I’ve never heard of anyone publishing any research let alone develop an AI service used by real corporate clients

That's because the kids at this school get in because of the wealth and accomplishments of the parents. In the normal world, students tend to need to distinguish themselves beyond theater club.

What do you mean? This parent dare not donors. These days, you need 7-8 figure donation to move the needle on admissions at a top 20

a kid working on cars and getting paid as a part time job is retro authentic, and an absolute gem on the application - rich parents funding wood working hobby meh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP I see posts like OP’s on here so often but at our school (independent feeder school not in DVM or NYC), those kinds of ECs are almost unheard of. Kids play varsity sports, do things like write for the school paper, theater, debate, and each year 25- 30 out of 100 seniors get into Ivy/top 15. I’ve never heard of anyone publishing any research let alone develop an AI service used by real corporate clients

That's because the kids at this school get in because of the wealth and accomplishments of the parents. In the normal world, students tend to need to distinguish themselves beyond theater club.

What do you mean? This parent dare not donors. These days, you need 7-8 figure donation to move the needle on admissions at a top 20

a kid working on cars and getting paid as a part time job is retro authentic, and an absolute gem on the application - rich parents funding wood working hobby meh

How is woodworking a rich people hobby?

[Anonymous]

Nowadays you never know what is a rich EC. I knew uber rich families intentionally doing car mechanics part time job as EC. Woodworking to me sounds quirky but middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP I see posts like OP’s on here so often but at our school (independent feeder school not in DVM or NYC), those kinds of ECs are almost unheard of. Kids play varsity sports, do things like write for the school paper, theater, debate, and each year 25- 30 out of 100 seniors get into Ivy/top 15. I’ve never heard of anyone publishing any research let alone develop an AI service used by real corporate clients

That's because the kids at this school get in because of the wealth and accomplishments of the parents. In the normal world, students tend to need to distinguish themselves beyond theater club.

No, they are getting in bc they are smart enough, full pay, potential (perhaps) to give, and from a feeder high school (meaning the college knows the caliber of student from that HS, knows they’ll thrive academically and socially and have their own support system - not a net drain on system ).

And everything you've noted is a reflection of the parent's wealth and success.

[Anonymous]

How is this helpful to you, OP?

[Anonymous]

At a T15. Feeder high school (high rigor in all classes, school has minimal APs), 95 average, 1570 SAT. ECs - 4 years of baseball + basketball, captain of both; student gov't leadership (not president); newspaper editor; model UN; lots of comm service. So, nothing crazy at all. I think HYPSM is a different level however.

[Anonymous]

4 yr varsity HS cheerleader, all star cheerleader, DECA officer at high school, NHS, NEHS, 170 SSL hrs, Yearbook project manager, SGA member, cofounder of charity non profit at HS, Student Ambassador. Retail job. Very normal kid at a large public HS. Didn't start a company, didn't learn how to code at age 7, doesn't know multiple foreign languages, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP I see posts like OP’s on here so often but at our school (independent feeder school not in DVM or NYC), those kinds of ECs are almost unheard of. Kids play varsity sports, do things like write for the school paper, theater, debate, and each year 25- 30 out of 100 seniors get into Ivy/top 15. I’ve never heard of anyone publishing any research let alone develop an AI service used by real corporate clients

That's because the kids at this school get in because of the wealth and accomplishments of the parents. In the normal world, students tend to need to distinguish themselves beyond theater club.

What do you mean? This parent dare not donors. These days, you need 7-8 figure donation to move the needle on admissions at a top 20

a kid working on cars and getting paid as a part time job is retro authentic, and an absolute gem on the application - rich parents funding wood working hobby meh

Looks like this car thing is the new rich person EC because I know two kids (one is the son of a billionaire) who are both working in garages. I wonder which college counselor is advising this.

[Anonymous]

Three T10s unhooked as well as two in the 14-22 range; four other WL in the T10.
Picked an ivy in the top 10, Engineering.
Near perfect SAT, straight 5s in very difficult APs by the time of application--higher course rigor than anyone else in the school that year;
top private HS but not one of the known big feeders in the state that send >15% to ivy+ every year
performing art with competitive summer art program acceptance;
competitive northeast academic gov school;
research with a phd, not pay to play.
regional academic award/honor
one state and one national level volunteer honor/award--the state one was the more competitive one.

[Anonymous]

^and #1 in the class at the time of application

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP I see posts like OP’s on here so often but at our school (independent feeder school not in DVM or NYC), those kinds of ECs are almost unheard of. Kids play varsity sports, do things like write for the school paper, theater, debate, and each year 25- 30 out of 100 seniors get into Ivy/top 15. I’ve never heard of anyone publishing any research let alone develop an AI service used by real corporate clients

That's because the kids at this school get in because of the wealth and accomplishments of the parents. In the normal world, students tend to need to distinguish themselves beyond theater club.

What do you mean? This parent dare not donors. These days, you need 7-8 figure donation to move the needle on admissions at a top 20

a kid working on cars and getting paid as a part time job is retro authentic, and an absolute gem on the application - rich parents funding wood working hobby meh

Looks like this car thing is the new rich person EC because I know two kids (one is the son of a billionaire) who are both working in garages. I wonder which college counselor is advising this.

It's not new. It has been around for several years now. Some posters may be doing it right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP I see posts like OP’s on here so often but at our school (independent feeder school not in DVM or NYC), those kinds of ECs are almost unheard of. Kids play varsity sports, do things like write for the school paper, theater, debate, and each year 25- 30 out of 100 seniors get into Ivy/top 15. I’ve never heard of anyone publishing any research let alone develop an AI service used by real corporate clients

That's because the kids at this school get in because of the wealth and accomplishments of the parents. In the normal world, students tend to need to distinguish themselves beyond theater club.

What do you mean? This parent dare not donors. These days, you need 7-8 figure donation to move the needle on admissions at a top 20

a kid working on cars and getting paid as a part time job is retro authentic, and an absolute gem on the application - rich parents funding wood working hobby meh

How is woodworking a rich people hobby?

It is if they can afford to build a stick a woodworking shed in their backyard. Table saws and lathes ain’t cheap.

[Anonymous]

^build and stock a shed. Fat fingers, sorry.