Can a normal smart kid get into an ivy these days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking for yourself. Plenty of us were burning the candle at both ends 30+ years ago, with much inferior technology and resources than what's available today.

Preach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, to temper the typical hyperbole here, it's possible but the odds are tough. That's not a reflection of your amazing kid. It's just the reality of college admissions these days.

Anonymous wrote:OP, you didn’t even go to an Ivy yourself. And it was easier to get in back then. You and your husband went to Ivies for grad school but that is NOT the same thing.

So saying that your kid is “better than us in all respects“ doesn’t mean anything because apparently you weren’t all that yourself.

This is the quintessential DCUM comment. Well done, sir or madam. Now kindly throw your keyboard out of the window.

Why? It’s totally true. OP seems to think that her family is somehow special. You can’t swing a dead cat in the DMV without hitting somebody who went to an Ivy League grad school. It means nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say yes, if they have a quirky, unusual but well written essay. Otherwise no

My DS got into Stanford last year and I think this is what put him over the top. The admissions officer sent him a note about it. He’s super smart, but no hooks - white, upper middle class, good ECs but not national recognition, 1580, 4.0 unweighted GPA.

He actually chose to go to UVA as an Echols scholar. Still a little bit of wondering “what if”, but he’s happy there and we’re happy to save the money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say yes, if they have a quirky, unusual but well written essay. Otherwise no

Wishful thinking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This board is so weird. Yes, of course it's possible. I know of a brown, two Yale, one Columbia just off the top of my head from this year. All normal smart. Public schools. Great kids, great grades, scores, activities. But normal smart.

In other words, "possible" in the way that winning the lottery is possible.

It is a lottery for everyone. Has been for a while now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This board is so weird. Yes, of course it's possible. I know of a brown, two Yale, one Columbia just off the top of my head from this year. All normal smart. Public schools. Great kids, great grades, scores, activities. But normal smart.

I see this a lot but what does “normal smart” mean and how do know that the kid is not exceptional in a niche or non-obvious way. If my kid developed a niche skill I wouldn’t share for fear that others would encourage their kids to do it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say yes, if they have a quirky, unusual but well written essay. Otherwise no

My DS got into Stanford last year and I think this is what put him over the top. The admissions officer sent him a note about it. He’s super smart, but no hooks - white, upper middle class, good ECs but not national recognition, 1580, 4.0 unweighted GPA.

He actually chose to go to UVA as an Echols scholar. Still a little bit of wondering “what if”, but he’s happy there and we’re happy to save the money.

I am a huge UVA fan and sent two kids there but if one of my kids got into Stanford I’d find the money. Echols is no big deal.

Mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is a lottery for everyone. Has been for a while now.

Tell that to the "but hooks!" crowd that whine whenever someone posts about a school with good/great admissions outcomes.

[Anonymous]

I went to an Ivy and did alumni interviews for my school for a long time. But at least I learned before my own kids were born that it's a total crapshoot and no one should have realistic hopes of getting into an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid sounds well rounded, qualified for college and will likely get into a number of good schools. This is not the profile of a student the ivies want to educate these days. Today, Ivies want to educate either (a) students who are so phenomenal at a single thing that they will benefit from being with the best in that field or (b)students who could really benefit from the economic boost an ivy name gives them.

You are not alone. There are thousands of us parents who went to Ivies in the last century as well rounded students and who would not get in today. For the most part, our kids are not the profile of who the Ivies want to educate now and I’m okay with that. My well rounded, smart kids who get good grades - whether they go to a SLAC or a state flagship - will do just fine.

I think this person is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say yes, if they have a quirky, unusual but well written essay. Otherwise no

My DS got into Stanford last year and I think this is what put him over the top. The admissions officer sent him a note about it. He’s super smart, but no hooks - white, upper middle class, good ECs but not national recognition, 1580, 4.0 unweighted GPA.

He actually chose to go to UVA as an Echols scholar. Still a little bit of wondering “what if”, but he’s happy there and we’re happy to save the money.

I am a huge UVA fan and sent two kids there but if one of my kids got into Stanford I’d find the money. Echols is no big deal.

Mistake.

Thanks for your helpful advice. He’ll be just fine at UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This board is so weird. Yes, of course it's possible. I know of a brown, two Yale, one Columbia just off the top of my head from this year. All normal smart. Public schools. Great kids, great grades, scores, activities. But normal smart.

I see this a lot but what does “normal smart” mean and how do know that the kid is not exceptional in a niche or non-obvious way. If my kid developed a niche skill I wouldn’t share for fear that others would encourage their kids to do it

Oh good lord. This is not how normal people live their lives. These are kids who are friends with my kids. They aren't hyper-competitive. They just happened to have the combination of stuff the schools were looking for in this applicant pool at this moment.

There are thousands of high-stat normal kids applying to these schools; the fact that you know a bunch who didn't get in doesn't mean there aren't others who did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not if he’s white or Asian.

This. Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Yes but it is highly unlikely. As mentioned they need to stand out in some way. Our neighbor was a Harvard legacy back in the 2018 cycle, so easier I guess, and was also a top kid at a fancy private. His scores were multiple 5s on APs, including US and BC and physics C, and SATs in the 1500s, and full pay. He did a lot of great activities, but didn’t stand out and did not get in to Harvard. Ended up at a great top 20 non Ivy. Now a days I don’t even think he’d get into a top 20.

I also focus on how ivys are now filled with kids my kid with a similar profile just won’t relate to- it is so polarized between first gen/overcome economic hardships and URm students and students of billionaires who are anxiety ridden but also can’t see through their privilege. Unless you’re going for a sport and can fun community that way (also you’re getting in on a hook) I’d pass. My regular, fully pay, bright, high achieving white student will be focusing on schools outside the top 20 for their own sanity.

[Anonymous]

Our HS has about a dozen from a pretty small class go to Ivies. It’s a very known school that’s hard to get into but isn’t private so not as many hooked kids via legacy/money/sports. Half are the top students - top 3% - and half are URM who are top 15% of class