If every kid is doing the same damn EC

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:This is getting kind of ridiculous. People now trying to do weird activities to get into college. Soon the AOs will get tired of seeing this gimmick, therefore start also punishing the kids who actually do weird activities because they are drawn to them, and not just to get into college.


I don't think so. The weird activities I've seen are for weird kids. Or kids so deep into a random hobby that everyone at their school (including teachers and counselors) knows about it. It's just their thing.

And with the grades etc., they do get it. But I don't see normal kids "doing weird activities to get into college". Its usually kids that are quirky to begin with. They were never going to do MUN, debate, etc to begin with.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I feel like the kids all do the same ECs because parents push them there and because of their own anxiety do not let their kids pursue their own interests. My DD had a friend who wrote songs in mandolin. His parent forbade it and told him he was wasting his time and needed to be practicing violin. A score on the violin exams that was good but similar to everyone else, stands out way less than a kid who writes his own songs. The parents were fools. My kid had several unusual interests and had won an award for a documentary film she had made. She did not do traditional school ECs but pulled out samples on her phone of a graphic novel she was writing when the subject came up at an interview. It worked for her.

Model UN is fine if that is what your kid loves and they can excel, but otherwise, find something they think is fun where they can excel.


I disagree. Mandolin is not a good instrument. those songs were likely not good. Sure, it could look "interesting" and impress a clueless AO, but to understand and appreciate music violin is vastly superior. It's really sad that kids need to be weird instead of pursue things that are beautiful and enriching.


Not really. Mandolin and fiddle would be very interesting to an AO.
Unless you are nationally ranked, no one cares about violin....dime a dozen.

Fiddle and violin are the same instrument, just different styles of music associated with each term. Most people who excel at playing the fiddle started with classical/traditional violin lessons.


Umm. This is fabulous.
Going to tell my violin-playing nephew to move over to Fiddle competitions.
https://www.fiddlecontest.org/
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're no longer in the DMV area, and I keep hearing how rigor is important to the DMV kids. But anecdotally from kids I know here on the west coast, it's not always the highest rigor that gets admissions. Personally, I know kids who stopped at AP Calc AB and had a couple Bs at Stanford (even though kids at high school topped at AP Calc BC or higher), and a kid with a total of 4 APs at Harvard (from a highly ranked private school with tons of APs). Neither had a significant hook, except the Harvard kid was a creative and the Stanford kid had a unique story to tell. Both Asian and not underrepresented.


AB vs BC is not really a rigor difference. The story is important.


Don't you need to reconcile this for (1) the HS the kid is coming from, and (2) the major?
All of the TJ discussion on here, tells me that some kids won't have a chance at T10 if they don't take BC (unless they are an art major?)
Anonymous
People saying collegevine and possibly other "experts" say to fabricate activity if one of kid's hobby is reading. Instead of just listing reading, say they organized a reading club etc...Agree or not agree?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:People saying collegevine and possibly other "experts" say to fabricate activity if one of kid's hobby is reading. Instead of just listing reading, say they organized a reading club etc...Agree or not agree?


In NYC there are a lot of paid (by city) summer internship opportunities. Pick a cause, develop community connection, learn from the experts. ECs should not be that difficult to do.
Sometimes I wonder if these moms having difficulties in EC is because they are having their sons prepping for SAT and math competition during summer. Then come on here to complain about it.
There is really no need to fabricate anything. Purely organic.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:How did yours stand out?
Grade inflation, mid range test scores, no test scores. Don't most seniors seem the "same?"

Recruited athlete.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How did yours stand out?
Grade inflation, mid range test scores, no test scores. Don't most seniors seem the "same?"


One stands out by having one of the top 3 GPA’s in the grade, and taking the hardest classes in all 5 core areas, and having 1550+. The counselor letters of these kids will say the top this year or top few, based on gpa and rigor. If the kids are nice helpful fellow students who participate in class and enjoy learning, the teacher recs will be stand-out. If they are really a good writer the essays will be unique and have a voice and only need a proofread. The ECs can be average but this type of kid is not average: they usually have many years spent on writing or volunteering or music, plus they love that or some different activity so much they have leadership in it, and likely some awards because they have spent time getting good at it.
Read MIT applying sideways. True standouts find a way to stand out; parents don’t need to help navigate the process. If your kid is not naturally a top kid, they are not getting into an ivy/elite unless they are hooked.


i think it depends on what you mean as elite?
i know lots of kids who weren't top 3 (AT ALL), some TO, all with amazing ECs though and stellar essays (and great recs) from our private who got into schools like:
Duke, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Vanderbilt, Michigan, USC, Emory, WashU

I think coming from a "feeder" private school helps for some colleges tbh. But it does also depend on luck (how many hooked kids from HS are applying that year etc). Be flexible with your REA/ED choices.


Private schools particularly feeder schools are more holistic. Kids are basically grouped into three levels by their grades, top, middle, bottom. The bottom ones are usually nepo babies and academically non-performing. For the top 1/3, holistic process, you will then look at their test scores, and ECs. In our school it doesn't appear there are many doing crazy ECs. Mostly school related clubs and varsity.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:People saying collegevine and possibly other "experts" say to fabricate activity if one of kid's hobby is reading. Instead of just listing reading, say they organized a reading club etc...Agree or not agree?


Give it up already. No one cares your kid “reads”.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How did yours stand out?
Grade inflation, mid range test scores, no test scores. Don't most seniors seem the "same?"


One stands out by having one of the top 3 GPA’s in the grade, and taking the hardest classes in all 5 core areas, and having 1550+. The counselor letters of these kids will say the top this year or top few, based on gpa and rigor. If the kids are nice helpful fellow students who participate in class and enjoy learning, the teacher recs will be stand-out. If they are really a good writer the essays will be unique and have a voice and only need a proofread. The ECs can be average but this type of kid is not average: they usually have many years spent on writing or volunteering or music, plus they love that or some different activity so much they have leadership in it, and likely some awards because they have spent time getting good at it.
Read MIT applying sideways. True standouts find a way to stand out; parents don’t need to help navigate the process. If your kid is not naturally a top kid, they are not getting into an ivy/elite unless they are hooked.


i think it depends on what you mean as elite?
i know lots of kids who weren't top 3 (AT ALL), some TO, all with amazing ECs though and stellar essays (and great recs) from our private who got into schools like:
Duke, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Vanderbilt, Michigan, USC, Emory, WashU

I think coming from a "feeder" private school helps for some colleges tbh. But it does also depend on luck (how many hooked kids from HS are applying that year etc). Be flexible with your REA/ED choices.


Private schools particularly feeder schools are more holistic. Kids are basically grouped into three levels by their grades, top, middle, bottom. The bottom ones are usually nepo babies and academically non-performing. For the top 1/3, holistic process, you will then look at their test scores, and ECs. In our school it doesn't appear there are many doing crazy ECs. Mostly school related clubs and varsity.


Same at our private.

But this is the critical difference btw public and private high schools.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're no longer in the DMV area, and I keep hearing how rigor is important to the DMV kids. But anecdotally from kids I know here on the west coast, it's not always the highest rigor that gets admissions. Personally, I know kids who stopped at AP Calc AB and had a couple Bs at Stanford (even though kids at high school topped at AP Calc BC or higher), and a kid with a total of 4 APs at Harvard (from a highly ranked private school with tons of APs). Neither had a significant hook, except the Harvard kid was a creative and the Stanford kid had a unique story to tell. Both Asian and not underrepresented.


AB vs BC is not really a rigor difference. The story is important.


Don't you need to reconcile this for (1) the HS the kid is coming from, and (2) the major?
All of the TJ discussion on here, tells me that some kids won't have a chance at T10 if they don't take BC (unless they are an art major?)


NP here. Generally speaking even hooked kids are doing highest math offered by HS to get into T10. Kids these days are taking math at community colleges and are listing MVC, Linear algebra etc so you really need high rigor in math!
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're no longer in the DMV area, and I keep hearing how rigor is important to the DMV kids. But anecdotally from kids I know here on the west coast, it's not always the highest rigor that gets admissions. Personally, I know kids who stopped at AP Calc AB and had a couple Bs at Stanford (even though kids at high school topped at AP Calc BC or higher), and a kid with a total of 4 APs at Harvard (from a highly ranked private school with tons of APs). Neither had a significant hook, except the Harvard kid was a creative and the Stanford kid had a unique story to tell. Both Asian and not underrepresented.


AB vs BC is not really a rigor difference. The story is important.


Don't you need to reconcile this for (1) the HS the kid is coming from, and (2) the major?
All of the TJ discussion on here, tells me that some kids won't have a chance at T10 if they don't take BC (unless they are an art major?)


NP here. Generally speaking even hooked kids are doing highest math offered by HS to get into T10. Kids these days are taking math at community colleges and are listing MVC, Linear algebra etc so you really need high rigor in math!


Not true at my DC’s private high school. AP Calculus AB is fine unless you are applying to be a STEM major.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're no longer in the DMV area, and I keep hearing how rigor is important to the DMV kids. But anecdotally from kids I know here on the west coast, it's not always the highest rigor that gets admissions. Personally, I know kids who stopped at AP Calc AB and had a couple Bs at Stanford (even though kids at high school topped at AP Calc BC or higher), and a kid with a total of 4 APs at Harvard (from a highly ranked private school with tons of APs). Neither had a significant hook, except the Harvard kid was a creative and the Stanford kid had a unique story to tell. Both Asian and not underrepresented.


AB vs BC is not really a rigor difference. The story is important.


Don't you need to reconcile this for (1) the HS the kid is coming from, and (2) the major?
All of the TJ discussion on here, tells me that some kids won't have a chance at T10 if they don't take BC (unless they are an art major?)


NP here. Generally speaking even hooked kids are doing highest math offered by HS to get into T10. Kids these days are taking math at community colleges and are listing MVC, Linear algebra etc so you really need high rigor in math!


Not for us. Plenty do just AB and get into T10. Mostly humanities.
Our private discourages community college math. 40% go to T25.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:This is getting kind of ridiculous. People now trying to do weird activities to get into college. Soon the AOs will get tired of seeing this gimmick, therefore start also punishing the kids who actually do weird activities because they are drawn to them, and not just to get into college.

I have thought the same thing!
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:People saying collegevine and possibly other "experts" say to fabricate activity if one of kid's hobby is reading. Instead of just listing reading, say they organized a reading club etc...Agree or not agree?


We know a student who did just that in 2021, started a reading club and did a bunch of things related to reading to put on the app. They still got WL at UVA in state and shut out of all ivy types and Vanderbilt. Their course rigor was awful but the GPA was one of the highest in the class. Scores mid 1400s. ECs do not make up for a lackluster transcript. The top schools took the students with the high rigor and real activities.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're no longer in the DMV area, and I keep hearing how rigor is important to the DMV kids. But anecdotally from kids I know here on the west coast, it's not always the highest rigor that gets admissions. Personally, I know kids who stopped at AP Calc AB and had a couple Bs at Stanford (even though kids at high school topped at AP Calc BC or higher), and a kid with a total of 4 APs at Harvard (from a highly ranked private school with tons of APs). Neither had a significant hook, except the Harvard kid was a creative and the Stanford kid had a unique story to tell. Both Asian and not underrepresented.


AB vs BC is not really a rigor difference. The story is important.


Don't you need to reconcile this for (1) the HS the kid is coming from, and (2) the major?
All of the TJ discussion on here, tells me that some kids won't have a chance at T10 if they don't take BC (unless they are an art major?)


NP here. Generally speaking even hooked kids are doing highest math offered by HS to get into T10. Kids these days are taking math at community colleges and are listing MVC, Linear algebra etc so you really need high rigor in math!


Similar to our high school, but MVC is a track for the top 10% or so, the next 20% does BC. It is hard to get into UVA in state without BC from this school. It is always high school dependent
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