Lessons learned so far: 2024-2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I definitely think speaking to admissions officers matters. My dd did for a very random school across the country and ended up getting max merit. She did not get any at a similar school she had no contact with. My ds called a big school with some specific questions about the process, was very polite and I think made a good impression: he got max merit there. Dd applied to the same school, is a stronger student with good ECs and got none.

DD is struggling to do this because the answers to all process questions can be found on-line. Can you give an example of a genuine question or two that justifies reaching out to an AO?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I definitely think speaking to admissions officers matters. My dd did for a very random school across the country and ended up getting max merit. She did not get any at a similar school she had no contact with. My ds called a big school with some specific questions about the process, was very polite and I think made a good impression: he got max merit there. Dd applied to the same school, is a stronger student with good ECs and got none.

I would not do this. It’s like manufacturing a question just to speak with someone.
It’s phony. Only do it if you have a real question!
DD is struggling to do this because the answers to all process questions can be found on-line. Can you give an example of a genuine question or two that justifies reaching out to an AO?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest going back and listening to Lee Coffin's March 12, 2024 podcast (S5 Episode 7):
https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/follow/admissions-beat-podcast

I think it does a good job of explaining the "shaping of the class" process that makes this all feel so random.
And there's a lot of focus on (1) kindness being the key attribute Dartmouth looks for and (2) the importance of a narrative in selective college admissions.

++++++++++++++++++++

"Was the class heavy or light on a particular geography at that point? A range of backgrounds of the students' skills and interests, potential majors, activities they might bring with them, what they say they would do when they come to campus, what they'd like to have that experience do to sort of influence them."

"And I'd be interested as you observed, one of the things I think would surprise people is how we don't get into the nitty-gritty of the grades and the transcript as much in committee, because the students who have made it to that round have passed that threshold. So we don't spend a lot of time on that essential component. We've already checked that criteria, and it's the more subjective parts of the file that end up being illuminated as we're having our debates."

"But more often than not, we are thinking about the well-roundedness of the class we're creating. The conversations that happen inside the classroom or residence hall. The most slippery piece is potential, what potential is represented in this candidacy, and how do we nurture that and help someone achieve their ambitions?"

"And it was when there was evidence in the file, when there was evidence in the application of kindness, of decency, of humanity, of humility. And it might've been something that was alluded to in an essay. More importantly, it might've been something said by a counselor, or a teacher, or a peer. Your colleagues and you, you really prized kindness, and you seemed willing at times to admit affirmatively for kindness if all other things being compelling. Can you talk a little bit about why?"

Lee basically tells EVERYONE to create a narrative!!!

"My first takeaway is that for applicants, your time is well spent on these applications. One of the few things within your control is how you tell your story. Those essays that you agonize over, I would offer that you are wise to agonize over them and sweat over them, because your audience is going to be doing the same. And the time you put in making yourself come alive in an essay, there's a return on that investment. Whether it's an admissions officer sitting in their home late at night, or early in the morning, or in that committee room where it's being discussed.

Lee Coffin:
And Jack, I would just... Yes, I 100% agree, and the word I would put out there is news you could use, is focus on your narrative. So it's not just your essay, it's the teachers who will recommend you. It's the interview you may or may not have with someone. It's how does your extracurricular profile tell the story about your interests, passions, talents, engagement?

But narrative is the word. The data piece is your transcript, and your testing, and the grades you get. That's important. But the narrative that envelops around the data is the story of you. It's your essay. It's not just your essay on the common app. It's the short essays on a supplement. It's anytime you put information together through the various pieces of that application creates your narrative. And what we're reading is that story. And what you witnessed in committee was the presentation of that story to our colleagues."

His new podcast, out this week, is for current juniors and seniors. It discusses how (1) AO read the application and (2) why the applicant's job of "storytelling" is so important (along with cohesive narrative) so that the AO can "summarize the story for the selection committee" and "champion the student."

Also, AO like to be "surprised.... they get bored with a kid with a list of activities, and everything is the same, predictable. They want the 8th activity (that was their example) to "surprise them, excite them that are less predictable or scripted (they used the example of fly fishing, skateboard or other things that "don't align" but authentic to what they are interested in). Also, the hobbies they mentioned (making custom watches) - they are looking for what you are curious about.

AO, look for "buzzwords" in LOR and write them down as descriptors that teachers use to describe the applicant. Intangibles are important too. They also admit it's "fun to see applications that remind me of myself at 17".

And how at this point in the season, they are basically in a "jury pool" - presenting what they've read to their peers to make the case one-by-one to get someone in (so that's what's still going on right now in case anyone was wondering).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I definitely think speaking to admissions officers matters. My dd did for a very random school across the country and ended up getting max merit. She did not get any at a similar school she had no contact with. My ds called a big school with some specific questions about the process, was very polite and I think made a good impression: he got max merit there. Dd applied to the same school, is a stronger student with good ECs and got none.

DD is struggling to do this because the answers to all process questions can be found on-line. Can you give an example of a genuine question or two that justifies reaching out to an AO?

A large school likely gets dozens of calls to the AO each day. No way are they tracking exactly who each caller is and using that to make admissions decision. This is an anecdote the poster has overblown into causation just because their other child had a different outcome.

[Anonymous]

Any advice for a parent of triplets starting the process next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any advice for a parent of triplets starting the process next year?

Have them finish common app essay in the summer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those going through the application process w/DC this school year, what lessons have you learned?
What do you wish you’d done differently? What’s worked out well?

Sometimes you have to make a housing deposit in advance of acceptance.

[Anonymous]

In your common app/essays, it’s super important to generally convey it’s not only about what the applicant gets from the school (as far as a “match” or “fit”) but it’s also more importantly what the school will get from the applicant (e.g., change mindset from one who consumes in the college setting to one who contributes).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any advice for a parent of triplets starting the process next year?

Have them finish common app essay in the summer

If they are applying to the same schools, make sure each kid's profile is unique in its ECs and essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Harvard degree is worthless garbage.

+1

[Anonymous]

Our simple lesson learned was the "bell curve" application approach. DS had a list where if one acceptance rolled in, it cut out everything below it. He won't be choosing between schools.

The key is create a very careful application list and don't put any school on the list where they might be unhappy. We looked a DS's stats, and what he wanted (big flagship) applied accordingly. Because happiness and fit were our first priorities, each time an acceptance rolled in it was a celebration. When a rejection came in, it was disappointing, but he was still okay because he had had the happy choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What AO look for is not what you might think.

This was a particularly good post from a few months ago by a student who saw their AO notes at Duke:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1gvg27r/a_look_into_my_duke_admissions_file_or_why_your/

For all of the people posting why they hate test-optional, you really should spend more time reading about the admissions process. The scores matter very little at the end of the day.

This link (and others embedded in this entire thread) are helpful to understand the AO mindset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our simple lesson learned was the "bell curve" application approach. DS had a list where if one acceptance rolled in, it cut out everything below it. He won't be choosing between schools.

The key is create a very careful application list and don't put any school on the list where they might be unhappy. We looked a DS's stats, and what he wanted (big flagship) applied accordingly. Because happiness and fit were our first priorities, each time an acceptance rolled in it was a celebration. When a rejection came in, it was disappointing, but he was still okay because he had had the happy choices.

I love this approach for maximizing happiness. Can you explain the bell curve in this situation? Does it mean you had an actual (personal) ranking for each school before the decisions came back? I’m thinking this is something we’d like to do for our junior, but not sure we will know definitively which order she prefers in the fall. More like clusters of preferences

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any advice for a parent of triplets starting the process next year?

Ask them, independently, whether they would like to focus on going to the same school as their siblings, whether they'd like to actively NOT go to the same school(s), or if there's some other dynamic they'd like to make happen. For our twins, they both said they'd like to go to the school that's best for them, and if that aligns with their sibling's best-fit school, great! And, if not, that's great, too! Having that explicitly stated helped us as we began to create lists for them.

[Anonymous]

Now that this process is over, would you change your advice here at all????