How high or low should this student reach for in ED or EA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with posts above saying her ECs are not the strongest. Is her part-time job a bona fide one, meaning by early next Fall she can claim to have worked there for 2+ years and say 500+ hours in a paid role? If so, sell it hard as it could potentially compensate for a lack of leadership so far. Also, she will have two shots to be voted or appointed leadership positions - beginning of junior and senior year. Perhaps try to secure a junior representative for now, and maximize the opportunity to make her peers want to vote her for President next year. Anyway, her "weaknesses" are fixable and there is time to fix them, whereas if the issue were instead a low GPA (say 3.5) and/or SAT (1300ish) it would be much harder to overcome. Good luck!!

Junior year is a third over and club leadership for this academic year seems unlikely.

[Anonymous]

WashU ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with posts above saying her ECs are not the strongest. Is her part-time job a bona fide one, meaning by early next Fall she can claim to have worked there for 2+ years and say 500+ hours in a paid role? If so, sell it hard as it could potentially compensate for a lack of leadership so far. Also, she will have two shots to be voted or appointed leadership positions - beginning of junior and senior year. Perhaps try to secure a junior representative for now, and maximize the opportunity to make her peers want to vote her for President next year. Anyway, her "weaknesses" are fixable and there is time to fix them, whereas if the issue were instead a low GPA (say 3.5) and/or SAT (1300ish) it would be much harder to overcome. Good luck!!

Junior year is a third over and club leadership for this academic year seems unlikely.

One of my kids "founded" a club - that became a huge hit - around this time, junior year. Served as a co-president and co-founder for both 11 and 12. Club lives on (and has a huge following). Somewhat related to major (ish).
At T10.
It was the #1 activity listed in the Common App and LOR spoke about it.
It's not too late, if your school allows you to form new clubs.

[Anonymous]

Rice ED
Emory ED

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rice ED
Emory ED

It’s an undershoot. But at least you are not suggesting Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with posts above saying her ECs are not the strongest. Is her part-time job a bona fide one, meaning by early next Fall she can claim to have worked there for 2+ years and say 500+ hours in a paid role? If so, sell it hard as it could potentially compensate for a lack of leadership so far. Also, she will have two shots to be voted or appointed leadership positions - beginning of junior and senior year. Perhaps try to secure a junior representative for now, and maximize the opportunity to make her peers want to vote her for President next year. Anyway, her "weaknesses" are fixable and there is time to fix them, whereas if the issue were instead a low GPA (say 3.5) and/or SAT (1300ish) it would be much harder to overcome. Good luck!!

OP: yes it's a real PT job. She makes $17/hr and has made over $10k. She will have been at the job for nearly 3 yrs by the time she applies to college.

Regarding leadership role, she does lead in some lab capacity but not interested in roles like class president. Not a Harvard type kid.

[Anonymous]

OP, why so secretive on where you live? It is anonymous. Advice will be better if you tell us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lack of strong extracurriculars would make much of the T20 unlikely , especially for a girl and especially for the sciences. Her best shoot likely is ED at somewhere like Chicago or Wash U.

Not from a top private. It doesn't matter what your extracurriculars are. if you are one of 5 kids with a 3.9+
that will be enough.



I wish people who don't know what they're talking about from direct experience would not opine.


no, this kid doesn't need to stoop to Chicago. no, they don't need a million extracurriculars. If you are top 5 at Sidwell or STA or NCS that will be enough. The grades are what set you apart because almost no one gets them.

Yes, the 3.9 is the "hook" in this case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, why so secretive on where you live? It is anonymous. Advice will be better if you tell us.

Yes. It would be helpful to know more details.

How many kids have 3.9 at your school? <5 or >10, that makes a big difference.
How many kids go to ivy league each year? ED or RD? Difference in stats between ED and RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t worry about Chicago's financials, but also think she has a realistic chance at HYP depending on HS. Needs a “story”

Chicago has 6 billion dollars of debt and is slashing programs and faculty right and left. You’ve got 3,000+ options in the US - why would you pick that problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, why so secretive on where you live? It is anonymous. Advice will be better if you tell us.

Yes. It would be helpful to know more details.

How many kids have 3.9 at your school? <5 or >10, that makes a big difference.
How many kids go to ivy league each year? ED or RD? Difference in stats between ED and RD.

Also, maximum rigor?

[Anonymous]

If she wants rigor in college then go for MIT/ Uchicago/ Hopkins.
For less rigor: Yale/Duke/Stanford

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HYPS is possible but very low odds.

If you are the top stem female in the class, maybe MIT. Odds are MUCH better for females. (Same with Caltech.)

Personally, I would ED to one of the following schools. (Ask counselor which schools like your HS):
Cornell
Columbia
Dartmouth
Penn
Northwestern

Or for slightly better odds:
Chicago
JHU

Avoid Brown. Females applicants at a disadvantage.

people have got to stop clowning. Jhu and chicago ed are largely more selective than NU and Cornell ED amongst others. idiot advice on here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she wants rigor in college then go for MIT/ Uchicago/ Hopkins.
For less rigor: Yale/Duke/Stanford

Current profile is very unlikely to gain admission to the majority of schools you listed. Good shot at Chicago. This is not 1990.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lack of strong extracurriculars would make much of the T20 unlikely , especially for a girl and especially for the sciences. Her best shoot likely is ED at somewhere like Chicago or Wash U.

Not from a top private. It doesn't matter what your extracurriculars are. if you are one of 5 kids with a 3.9+
that will be enough.



I wish people who don't know what they're talking about from direct experience would not opine.


no, this kid doesn't need to stoop to Chicago. no, they don't need a million extracurriculars. If you are top 5 at Sidwell or STA or NCS that will be enough. The grades are what set you apart because almost no one gets them.

Yes, the 3.9 is the "hook" in this case.

Not enough.