A tale of two worlds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid B may have a better chance of getting into a high ranked college because they “stand out” at a mediocre school but will be less prepared to actually do well in college and may either flunk out or have to switch majors to an easier one.

Nope. Kid B got a 34 ACT with no prep. They’re intrinsically smart. They’ve already got what it takes, no tutors/prep/tiger parenting necessary. This kid will do well no matter where s/he goes to college. And I bet his/her parents are smart enough to know that and not blow 300k on college.

Kid B for the win.

Kid B also worked fast food. Either OP has never worked fast food, or slipped in that Kid B is willing to sacrifice for what they want. Anyone who has ever worked fast food, especially over the summer in a hot kitchen, knows how miserable a job it is. It will stand out on their application more than the activities Kid A pays to participate in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to state what video games Kid B plays before we can answer.

Have heard AOs speak about kids who write essays about their video games….
It doesn’t end well.

This.
Kid B should not mention the gaming unless he has other activities to back up his interests. Schools want active engaged vibrant students on campus, not ones sitting in their dorm rooms gaming in solitude. It’s actually a real issue.

My kid wrote about games, and did great in admissions (and has and still has tons of ECs, including athletics (captain and MVP) and the arts, plus academic awards). It's what he wants to create. It is a completely ridiculous trope to say that because kids value the industry (a vibrant, lucrative industry), that they will be in their dorms in solitude. That is false. The industry has incredibly talented writers, producers, musicians, artists, coders, engineers, designers, project managers, IP lawyers, etc., etc. It is more difficult to produce a video game than a block buster movie.

[Anonymous]

Neither kid will get into a T20 because there is a 3% chance of that in general.

[Anonymous]

Your Kid B should have also played varsity sports.

It sounds like Kid B is naturally smarter. You really don’t know how they will end up. Kid A may get into a better private college but doesn’t sound like ivy material. Kid B will probably end up at a school like UVA. Never know where they will be at age 30.

My kids are more like A. I worry they are not motivated because they grew up rich.

[Anonymous]

DH was like Kid B. He worked at a restaurant near his house and played a lot of video games. He did play two varsity sports. He ended up at a good college, went to med school and is a doctor now. I know a lot of guys who went to Harvard, Cornell, Hopkins and Penn who never made it to med school.

Our son wants to go to med school. We will see where he ends up but we think he should pick a smaller or medium sized school to be premed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your Kid B should have also played varsity sports.

It sounds like Kid B is naturally smarter. You really don’t know how they will end up. Kid A may get into a better private college but doesn’t sound like ivy material. Kid B will probably end up at a school like UVA. Never know where they will be at age 30.

My kids are more like A. I worry they are not motivated because they grew up rich.

I'm not OP

He was in band (I'm assuming marching band.) As a former band geek myself and the parent of a varsity football player, marching band takes up just as much time/dedication as a varsity sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to state what video games Kid B plays before we can answer.

Have heard AOs speak about kids who write essays about their video games….
It doesn’t end well.

This.
Kid B should not mention the gaming unless he has other activities to back up his interests. Schools want active engaged vibrant students on campus, not ones sitting in their dorm rooms gaming in solitude. It’s actually a real issue.

My kid wrote about games, and did great in admissions (and has and still has tons of ECs, including athletics (captain and MVP) and the arts, plus academic awards). It's what he wants to create. It is a completely ridiculous trope to say that because kids value the industry (a vibrant, lucrative industry), that they will be in their dorms in solitude. That is false. The industry has incredibly talented writers, producers, musicians, artists, coders, engineers, designers, project managers, IP lawyers, etc., etc. It is more difficult to produce a video game than a block buster movie.

Your kid had other activities though. That’s a big difference

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both will end up working for a C student from a top tier fraternity who spent most of his time socializing and networking.

Not anymore. This profile peaks at 22. While he gets a job way beyond what he actually deserves right out of college, he goes sideways through his 20s cycling through glorified sales roles every 18 months and then downward trajectory after that. He keeps up appearances but has nothing special to offer the workplace and stealthily lives off his parents’ diminished assets after they pass. He marries up to maintain lifestyle. College and educational investment was completely wasted on this guy. He is a hollow man.

Sorry you didn't get a bid, geed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to state what video games Kid B plays before we can answer.

Have heard AOs speak about kids who write essays about their video games….
It doesn’t end well.

This.
Kid B should not mention the gaming unless he has other activities to back up his interests. Schools want active engaged vibrant students on campus, not ones sitting in their dorm rooms gaming in solitude. It’s actually a real issue.

My kid wrote about games, and did great in admissions (and has and still has tons of ECs, including athletics (captain and MVP) and the arts, plus academic awards). It's what he wants to create. It is a completely ridiculous trope to say that because kids value the industry (a vibrant, lucrative industry), that they will be in their dorms in solitude. That is false. The industry has incredibly talented writers, producers, musicians, artists, coders, engineers, designers, project managers, IP lawyers, etc., etc. It is more difficult to produce a video game than a block buster movie.

Your kid had other activities though. That’s a big difference

So does Kid B. He has a job, and band.

[Anonymous]

Kid B will struggle in college because they have never been challenged or learned effort is needed to excel. So it could go either way, B learns to study and that effort is needed and does well in school or they give up and drag along.

Kid A will either keep up with the status quo or crash and burn due to the pressure.

[Anonymous]

B has a hook that all ivy plus is drooling over. B goes to a full-ride ivy plus. A is a run-of-the-mill high-achieving, Mensa worthy, one in a million scholar student. A squeaks in to a state university on full pay.

Plot twist 15 years out: B, who never learned self discipline, getting by on handouts, struggles performing low-level tasks. A, on the other hand, moves on to live out his dream of founding a start up that rivals Apple Inc. - called Pear Inc.

[Anonymous]

Whatevs.

My kid got a 36 (kid A) and doesn't have to study very hard. Courses are rigorous and faculty outstanding. Some amazing, caring, dedicated teachers who go way above and beyond. Scored 5s on every AP exam because the courses prepared him so well (no extra study or prep). Smaller class sizes. Having gone to the public we are zoned for and talking to countless neighbors and their kids' experience there---too large, fights in hallways, inexperienced teachers, no homework/or rigor, grade inflation, we made the correct choice for our kids. Our private also has a HUGE community service element built into the day and breaks. It's character forming in a way you don't get at our public. Values, required courses in ethics and social justice, etc.

I don't care about kid B at all. We could afford it and we sent our kids for the foundational educational experience and the environment.

My kid did get into pretty much everywhere he applied as an unhooked applicant (not recruited athlete, no legacy, no dei box tickers, etc)...and so did his buddies from public school (he attended k-8 with them). IT says more about the friend group than the school. These kids are all motivated and smart and just 'good' kids. He will be going to the same school as two of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatevs.

My kid got a 36 (kid A) and doesn't have to study very hard. Courses are rigorous and faculty outstanding. Some amazing, caring, dedicated teachers who go way above and beyond. Scored 5s on every AP exam because the courses prepared him so well (no extra study or prep). Smaller class sizes. Having gone to the public we are zoned for and talking to countless neighbors and their kids' experience there---too large, fights in hallways, inexperienced teachers, no homework/or rigor, grade inflation, we made the correct choice for our kids. Our private also has a HUGE community service element built into the day and breaks. It's character forming in a way you don't get at our public. Values, required courses in ethics and social justice, etc.

I don't care about kid B at all. We could afford it and we sent our kids for the foundational educational experience and the environment.

My kid did get into pretty much everywhere he applied as an unhooked applicant (not recruited athlete, no legacy, no dei box tickers, etc)...and so did his buddies from public school (he attended k-8 with them). IT says more about the friend group than the school. These kids are all motivated and smart and just 'good' kids. He will be going to the same school as two of them.

What are you talking about? If your kid got a 36 ACT without studying, he is nothing like "kid A" in OP's post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both will end up working for a C student from a top tier fraternity who spent most of his time socializing and networking.

C students socializing and networking among themselves?
Hoping one of them has a super rich dad??

Yes, that’s exactly my experience. Except they all have rich dads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both will end up working for a C student from a top tier fraternity who spent most of his time socializing and networking.

Not anymore. This profile peaks at 22. While he gets a job way beyond what he actually deserves right out of college, he goes sideways through his 20s cycling through glorified sales roles every 18 months and then downward trajectory after that. He keeps up appearances but has nothing special to offer the workplace and stealthily lives off his parents’ diminished assets after they pass. He marries up to maintain lifestyle. College and educational investment was completely wasted on this guy. He is a hollow man.

Sorry you didn't get a bid, geed.

DP
Never change, fraternity losers. Never change.