Lessons learned so far: 2024-2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid has gotten in to more selective schools than expected and I wish we had chosen a SCEA option. Applied to T20 for RD only

What schools? What major?

NMF, applied for Film/Media Studies or English

In at Purdue (Honors + merit), Case Western ($40.5k merit), Northeastern (merit), plus all his safeties

Waiting on Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Wash U, Vandy, NU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there any situation barring finances that you can think of where it makes sense for a kid to turn down an Ivy in favor of a strong state school (think UT, UVA, UNC) in this current climate? What if the kid is worried about politics or campus culture? Do they just stick it out bc they are all but guaranteed to get a good job in 4 years?

UT Turing CS is better than most Ivies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That it's a discouraging process favoring rich kids and kids who gamed the process early by picking certain classes to maximize GPA early on, carefully crafted everything, tutored to the max for scores. My only hope is employers realize the cost and general landscape mean good students with potential end up at all sorts of colleges.

They know, don't worry. I think many employers are less excited about elite schools, especially Ivies.

I’m a hiring manager at a F50 company. Employers are always excited about elite schools. Those applicants get the interviews, and fast tracked for promotions internally. They get ear marked for the best opportunities.

But strong graduates from other schools can fair just as well, it will just take them more effort to stand out during their career and get ahead of the pack and get noticed. Networking is and social climbing at work is crucial for this group.

There are way more than 50 places to work and succeed and make a ton of money un the U.S. Just like there are more than 10 colleges for extraordinary students to attend.

Exactly. Some of the most accomplished people I know went to no-name state schools. And I also know Ivy grads who are not doing as well.

+1

I have the same title and make roughly a little more salary than an Ivy leaguer. We are similar in age and years of experience.

[Anonymous]

Found this thread helpful. Bumping up.

[Anonymous]

Choice of major really impacts the outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Choice of major really impacts the outcome.

100% this every day x10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Though I consider myself at this point more than informed when it comes to college admissions, I wasn't quite prepared for the extent to which Harvard and Stanford cater to legacies and donors, at least at our top private, and at least in the early round. It is eye-opening. If you are the very top in a top private (think Dalton/Andover/Harvard-Westlake tier) and unhooked, you target mid-tier Ivies, not HYPS. There are just too many well-connected legacies who are also contributing a lot, active in alumni circles, have already sent other siblings.... these kids are typically but not always strong students, rarely the very top. These families know how the game is played and have been setting this outcome up for a decade, since elementary school. If you've seen it, you know.

This is so true! DD is unhooked public school kid admitted to H a couple of years ago and says sibling legacy has been huge this year. Kids are not spectacular. There are families who know how the game is played!

[Anonymous]

1. Do not ask DCUM for college recommendations
2. Do not ask DCUM to rank your choices
3. Do not ask DCUM to pick a college for your kid
4. Do not ask DCUM which college is the prettiest
5. Do not ask DCUM if your kid can get into an IVY
6. Do not ask DCUM when acceptances will be sent
7. Do not ask DCUM if schools still do interviews
8. Do not ask DCUM to compare two random schools

[Anonymous]

I knew this going in, but:

1. it is TRULY a lottery at most competitive schools. Multiple kids from a high school class apply, equally high GPAs/SATs, and only one gets in.

2. EDI, EDII, and EA truly matter. Figure out how you are going to approach this in September.

3. Read the Common Data Sets for each school, this information is so valuable.

4. Game 'how' (school or major) you are going to apply to each school and, if you get in, how you are going to navigate that major.

5. Where is your kid going to be successful? This matters more than a school's ranking.

6. What can you afford?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Do not ask DCUM for college recommendations
2. Do not ask DCUM to rank your choices
3. Do not ask DCUM to pick a college for your kid
4. Do not ask DCUM which college is the prettiest
5. Do not ask DCUM if your kid can get into an IVY
6. Do not ask DCUM when acceptances will be sent
7. Do not ask DCUM if schools still do interviews
8. Do not ask DCUM to compare two random schools

lol, trying to think if there is any topical at all that is truly safe.

[Anonymous]

I think the number one thing is knowing how your high school fares with each college. This isn’t a private/public debate, it just seems like having an established relationship with a track record of acceptances is crucial. I’m sure some without a track record happen, but it’s important to look at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the number one thing is knowing how your high school fares with each college. This isn’t a private/public debate, it just seems like having an established relationship with a track record of acceptances is crucial. I’m sure some without a track record happen, but it’s important to look at.

Agree. It’s why the schools data is more important than anything else.

If a school hasn’t EVER accepted a kid from your HS, they likely are not starting now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Though I consider myself at this point more than informed when it comes to college admissions, I wasn't quite prepared for the extent to which Harvard and Stanford cater to legacies and donors, at least at our top private, and at least in the early round. It is eye-opening. If you are the very top in a top private (think Dalton/Andover/Harvard-Westlake tier) and unhooked, you target mid-tier Ivies, not HYPS. There are just too many well-connected legacies who are also contributing a lot, active in alumni circles, have already sent other siblings.... these kids are typically but not always strong students, rarely the very top. These families know how the game is played and have been setting this outcome up for a decade, since elementary school. If you've seen it, you know.

This is so true! DD is unhooked public school kid admitted to H a couple of years ago and says sibling legacy has been huge this year. Kids are not spectacular. There are families who know how the game is played!

This is true at all the Ivies. From what we’ve seen so far, spot always goes to the legacy or VIP’s child over a stronger student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That it's a discouraging process favoring rich kids and kids who gamed the process early by picking certain classes to maximize GPA early on, carefully crafted everything, tutored to the max for scores. My only hope is employers realize the cost and general landscape mean good students with potential end up at all sorts of colleges.

They know, don't worry. I think many employers are less excited about elite schools, especially Ivies.

I’m a hiring manager at a F50 company. Employers are always excited about elite schools. Those applicants get the interviews, and fast tracked for promotions internally. They get ear marked for the best opportunities.

But strong graduates from other schools can fair just as well, it will just take them more effort to stand out during their career and get ahead of the pack and get noticed. Networking is and social climbing at work is crucial for this group.

Agree with Both points.

Freshman at Ivy who sent out 10 emails /applications for paid summer positions in last month. Have heard positively from 7 of them and interviewed with several by zoom. Kid’s high school friends at non-elite schools have struggled to get responses.

Must be amazing. My CS junior at UMD sent out 250+ applications for summer internships in Fall. Got only one response. Went through several rounds to get into a FAANG internship.

He has been doing that since freshman year. Applies in early Fall to 200+ companies, maintains a high GPA, has an impressive resume since HS (regarding stats and also work experience) and lands prestigious paid internships in summer. Also has got the "call-back offers" after each internship. He is just used to working really hard for making opportunities happen for himself. As parents, we are not influential and networked.

[Anonymous]

Need blind is not need blind. I cannot tell you how many subpar students are accepted to prestigious schools (think NYU level) because they are full pay and they ED'd, while their financial aid seeking counterparts with stellar stats get rejected.