If your child got into a T25 in the last 2 years
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Anonymous
Nah. People really underestimating the power of a good essay. Pretty sure that's how mine got into a top school. Had the grades and the test scores. But the essay was kick-ass. It was really funny and self-deprecating. It totally rocked. Good writing generally corresponds with good thinking. It's the one spot where applicants can distinguish themselves. And don't even think about using AI or tutors. Readers can sense BS from a mile away Essays. The dirty secret. |
Anonymous
| You guys are reporting the weighted GPA after junior year, right? And not after graduating? |
Anonymous
Well since that's all subjective we will never know will we. I know of several kids who had their essays heavily edited or written by outside parties. So there is that too. |
Anonymous
The essays are certainly important. The other important thing I'd mention is having recommendations that speak to EC passion and intellectual curiosity. A "got an A+ and is among the top 5% of my students academically" type of rec just isn't sufficient when everyone will have that at top schools. |
Anonymous
Thanks, I was kind of being sarcastic. It's such a shame the way this college process and everyone's obsession with T10-15 makes many kids feel like they fell short. |
Anonymous
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In at 4 of 5 T25 applied to
4.0 UW / 5.2 Weighted - Salutatorian 35 ACT no hooks no ED female STEM kid. 14 APs. 3 season Varsity athlete, strong additional ECs w/ leadership. |
Anonymous
You can have a higher GPA by taking college courses during summer as my DD did or during the school year. Also if you are in a Governor’s school. DD’s best friend entered UVA as a second year student because she had over 65 credits and a 6.5 GPA. She was first in her class and Governor’s school. She was graduated from UVA in three years. Now in a T14 law school. |
Anonymous
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Male
4.0 (top the private gives) Valedictorian 35 ACT/36 on retry submitted Eagle Scout, Boys Nation; congressional intern; class president College courses taken during summers at NVCC in the sciences with As Applied for aerospace engineering to Princeton. (SCEA), Georgia Tech (EA), Purdue, UVA, got in all three state schools EA, deferred on SCEA to Princeton. Then went for selected Ivies for RD where he had legacy status or thought he had a shot at engineering. Waitlisted. |
Anonymous
I think you are overestimate acting the impact of the essay, most admissions officers admit it has little impact on admissions decisions unless it is bade enough to eliminate a candidate. |
Anonymous
This isn’t true. At least two thirds of the students at my 2023 dd’s all girls school applied as stem majors. I imagine that is representative of girls everywhere. |
Anonymous
+1. Most admissions officers will tell you that the essays aren’t even read until an application passes through several stages of “readers” who are looking for requisite GPAs, test scores, rank, ECs, etc. Only when the application makes it to the regional reps are essays read. Think about it -a small public admissions office like UVA can’t possibly read 54,000 multiple essays. Time reading essays is not going to be wasted on applicants who don’t meet what the school needs a looking on other criteria. |
Anonymous
Ok…talking CS, engineering and physics vs hard sciences like biology and neuroscience. The numbers for the above still heavily skew male, but colleges still try to hit a 50/50 mix. I can attest at my kid’s coed school that only maybe 10% of the girls’ declared intended major were CS or engineering. |
Anonymous
Most kids start language in 8th though in FCPS and that is unweighted so lowers the gpa even more. |
Anonymous
Yeah, there’s some pieces missing. |
Anonymous
| Are all of these posts full-pay? |