WSJ article on your child's chances of getting into an IVY are slim

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the whole article, but here is the lede:

“ Kaitlyn Younger has been an academic standout since she started studying algebra in third grade.

She took her first advanced-placement course as a freshman, scored 1550 on her SATs as a junior at McKinney High School near Dallas and will graduate this spring with an unweighted 3.95 grade-point average and as the founder of the school’s accounting club. Along the way she performed in and directed about 30 plays, sang in the school choir, scored top marks on the tests she has so far taken for 11 advanced-placement classes, helped run a summer camp and held down a part-time job.

“She is extraordinary,” said Jeff Cranmore, her guidance counselor at McKinney High School.

Ms. Younger, 18 years old, was cautiously optimistic when she applied to top U.S. colleges last fall. Responses came this month: Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of California, Berkeley, and Northwestern all rejected her.

“I expected a bunch wouldn’t accept me,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be this bad.””

It says she’s going to Arizona State.

And here is where I stop reading. These schools are all so different. It's the shotgun approach. Glad she found a nice place to land.

The average 12th grader in Texas doesn’t know that these schools are all “different.”

And that's the point. The applicant is average and someone should have set her straight before she consented to this story.

Very strange story. Why did the WSJ choose to profile this student who sounds great but hardly a shoe in for any of the schools she desired? I don't get why they used her as an example of what they are claiming.

Exactly!!! The editor is out of touch of what is needed for ivy admissions.

It’s the WSJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the whole article, but here is the lede:

“ Kaitlyn Younger has been an academic standout since she started studying algebra in third grade.

She took her first advanced-placement course as a freshman, scored 1550 on her SATs as a junior at McKinney High School near Dallas and will graduate this spring with an unweighted 3.95 grade-point average and as the founder of the school’s accounting club. Along the way she performed in and directed about 30 plays, sang in the school choir, scored top marks on the tests she has so far taken for 11 advanced-placement classes, helped run a summer camp and held down a part-time job.

“She is extraordinary,” said Jeff Cranmore, her guidance counselor at McKinney High School.

Ms. Younger, 18 years old, was cautiously optimistic when she applied to top U.S. colleges last fall. Responses came this month: Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of California, Berkeley, and Northwestern all rejected her.

“I expected a bunch wouldn’t accept me,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be this bad.””

It says she’s going to Arizona State.

And here is where I stop reading. These schools are all so different. It's the shotgun approach. Glad she found a nice place to land.

The average 12th grader in Texas doesn’t know that these schools are all “different.”

And that's the point. The applicant is average and someone should have set her straight before she consented to this story.

Very strange story. Why did the WSJ choose to profile this student who sounds great but hardly a shoe in for any of the schools she desired? I don't get why they used her as an example of what they are claiming.

Exactly!!! The editor is out of touch of what is needed for ivy admissions.

So what is needed for ivy admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First-generation Americans aren’t necessarily poor. Their immigrant parents were often in the upper class where they came from.

It’s supposed to be first generation college student. In other words, if you are one, none of your parents or grandparents earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Schools play fast and loose with that definition, however.

Many clearly state that it’s being the first educated in the US. So you can have European educated phd parents and get first gen preference.

Can you provide some examples? Genuinely curious.

Penn is one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the whole article, but here is the lede:

“ Kaitlyn Younger has been an academic standout since she started studying algebra in third grade.

She took her first advanced-placement course as a freshman, scored 1550 on her SATs as a junior at McKinney High School near Dallas and will graduate this spring with an unweighted 3.95 grade-point average and as the founder of the school’s accounting club. Along the way she performed in and directed about 30 plays, sang in the school choir, scored top marks on the tests she has so far taken for 11 advanced-placement classes, helped run a summer camp and held down a part-time job.

“She is extraordinary,” said Jeff Cranmore, her guidance counselor at McKinney High School.

Ms. Younger, 18 years old, was cautiously optimistic when she applied to top U.S. colleges last fall. Responses came this month: Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of California, Berkeley, and Northwestern all rejected her.

“I expected a bunch wouldn’t accept me,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be this bad.””

It says she’s going to Arizona State.

And here is where I stop reading. These schools are all so different. It's the shotgun approach. Glad she found a nice place to land.

The average 12th grader in Texas doesn’t know that these schools are all “different.”

And that's the point. The applicant is average and someone should have set her straight before she consented to this story.

Very strange story. Why did the WSJ choose to profile this student who sounds great but hardly a shoe in for any of the schools she desired? I don't get why they used her as an example of what they are claiming.

Exactly!!! The editor is out of touch of what is needed for ivy admissions.

So what is needed for ivy admissions?

More than this student offers even though she is outstanding. They want you to to top of the class, top of the EC you do with awards, top athlete, top donor, etc. It is extremely competitive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting some Bs here and there or not being the valedictorian, but that does not set you up for admission to those very elite schools she listed in the article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the whole article, but here is the lede:

“ Kaitlyn Younger has been an academic standout since she started studying algebra in third grade.

She took her first advanced-placement course as a freshman, scored 1550 on her SATs as a junior at McKinney High School near Dallas and will graduate this spring with an unweighted 3.95 grade-point average and as the founder of the school’s accounting club. Along the way she performed in and directed about 30 plays, sang in the school choir, scored top marks on the tests she has so far taken for 11 advanced-placement classes, helped run a summer camp and held down a part-time job.

“She is extraordinary,” said Jeff Cranmore, her guidance counselor at McKinney High School.

Ms. Younger, 18 years old, was cautiously optimistic when she applied to top U.S. colleges last fall. Responses came this month: Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of California, Berkeley, and Northwestern all rejected her.

“I expected a bunch wouldn’t accept me,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be this bad.””

It says she’s going to Arizona State.

And here is where I stop reading. These schools are all so different. It's the shotgun approach. Glad she found a nice place to land.

The average 12th grader in Texas doesn’t know that these schools are all “different.”

And that's the point. The applicant is average and someone should have set her straight before she consented to this story.

Very strange story. Why did the WSJ choose to profile this student who sounds great but hardly a shoe in for any of the schools she desired? I don't get why they used her as an example of what they are claiming.

Exactly!!! The editor is out of touch of what is needed for ivy admissions.

So what is needed for ivy admissions?

More than this student offers even though she is outstanding. They want you to to top of the class, top of the EC you do with awards, top athlete, top donor, etc. It is extremely competitive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting some Bs here and there or not being the valedictorian, but that does not set you up for admission to those very elite schools she listed in the article.

+1

[Anonymous]

The article states she was 23 in her class. Curious as to where the kids ranked higher than her are going. Also, that seems like some major grade inflation if two Bs bumps you down to 23rd. (And I am getting the sense a lot of big public schools are that way - very grade inflated).

Also wonder how rigorous her classes were.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The article states she was 23 in her class. Curious as to where the kids ranked higher than her are going. Also, that seems like some major grade inflation if two Bs bumps you down to 23rd. (And I am getting the sense a lot of big public schools are that way - very grade inflated).

Also wonder how rigorous her classes were.

She was 23rd in the class and half of the 600 are not even aiming to go to college. So I would look at that as 23rd out of the 300 trying for college. That is a great achievement but she was given poor advice if she she thought she would definitely be admitted to any of the colleges listed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article states she was 23 in her class. Curious as to where the kids ranked higher than her are going. Also, that seems like some major grade inflation if two Bs bumps you down to 23rd. (And I am getting the sense a lot of big public schools are that way - very grade inflated).

Also wonder how rigorous her classes were.

She was 23rd in the class and half of the 600 are not even aiming to go to college. So I would look at that as 23rd out of the 300 trying for college. That is a great achievement but she was given poor advice if she she thought she would definitely be admitted to any of the colleges listed.

Colleges should really be more direct if that’s how they define class rank. A lot of kids hear “top x% of your class” and think that means they’re tippy top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article states she was 23 in her class. Curious as to where the kids ranked higher than her are going. Also, that seems like some major grade inflation if two Bs bumps you down to 23rd. (And I am getting the sense a lot of big public schools are that way - very grade inflated).

Also wonder how rigorous her classes were.

She was 23rd in the class and half of the 600 are not even aiming to go to college. So I would look at that as 23rd out of the 300 trying for college. That is a great achievement but she was given poor advice if she she thought she would definitely be admitted to any of the colleges listed.

Colleges should really be more direct if that’s how they define class rank. A lot of kids hear “top x% of your class” and think that means they’re tippy top.

Then their math classes have failed them. A small percentage of a huge population of graduating seniors is still large number. Significantly more than can be admitted by the same 50 schools to which they all apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article states she was 23 in her class. Curious as to where the kids ranked higher than her are going. Also, that seems like some major grade inflation if two Bs bumps you down to 23rd. (And I am getting the sense a lot of big public schools are that way - very grade inflated).

Also wonder how rigorous her classes were.

She was 23rd in the class and half of the 600 are not even aiming to go to college. So I would look at that as 23rd out of the 300 trying for college. That is a great achievement but she was given poor advice if she she thought she would definitely be admitted to any of the colleges listed.

Colleges should really be more direct if that’s how they define class rank. A lot of kids hear “top x% of your class” and think that means they’re tippy top.

She knew what her class rank was. She received very poor guidance. It’s like she just said I’m going to apply to all the very best schools I’ve heard of and throw in Arizona State as a safety. That’s not a good strategy for anyone no matter how qualified you think you are.

[Anonymous]

ASU is a great school. Good for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article states she was 23 in her class. Curious as to where the kids ranked higher than her are going. Also, that seems like some major grade inflation if two Bs bumps you down to 23rd. (And I am getting the sense a lot of big public schools are that way - very grade inflated).

Also wonder how rigorous her classes were.

She was 23rd in the class and half of the 600 are not even aiming to go to college. So I would look at that as 23rd out of the 300 trying for college. That is a great achievement but she was given poor advice if she she thought she would definitely be admitted to any of the colleges listed.

Colleges should really be more direct if that’s how they define class rank. A lot of kids hear “top x% of your class” and think that means they’re tippy top.

She knew what her class rank was. She received very poor guidance. It’s like she just said I’m going to apply to all the very best schools I’ve heard of and throw in Arizona State as a safety. That’s not a good strategy for anyone no matter how qualified you think you are.

True. Odd that the wall street journal is so unaware.

[Anonymous]

True. Odd that the wall street journal is so unaware.

As PPs noted, the WSJ knew exactly what it was doing. People that understand current college admissions know this kid's story raised several red flags, but it plays right into the political and social narrative the WSJ is pushing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

True. Odd that the wall street journal is so unaware.

As PPs noted, the WSJ knew exactly what it was doing. People that understand current college admissions know this kid's story raised several red flags, but it plays right into the political and social narrative the WSJ is pushing.

Well they could have pushed it better if they had found a more compelling story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

True. Odd that the wall street journal is so unaware.

As PPs noted, the WSJ knew exactly what it was doing. People that understand current college admissions know this kid's story raised several red flags, but it plays right into the political and social narrative the WSJ is pushing.

Well they could have pushed it better if they had found a more compelling story.

The example taps into the ressentiment that exists in many white people, that they and/or their offspring are being eclipsed by folks who are not as qualified w/o any awareness of the
"defiiciencies" in their own qualifications. WSJ doesn't want more compelling; they want an example that stokes these feelings, even if they are largely not based in fact.

If that girl really had a modicum of reading comprehension, she would know from perusing College Confidential, CDS sets, etc that ANY of the top schools on her list were a reach and that a college list in the 2022 cycle needed to include more targets than reaches and more safeties than targets.

But she didn't get and/or heed good feedback and here she is at the end of the cycle.