What separates the students who get into state flagships versus those who get into T20 universities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To get into most state flagships like UT Austin or UVA, you need top academics, leadership experience, heavy involvement during the summer, volunteering, and more. What extra things do students do to get into top 20 universities?

I know kids who got into t20 but not flagship

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To get into most state flagships like UT Austin or UVA, you need top academics, leadership experience, heavy involvement during the summer, volunteering, and more. What extra things do students do to get into top 20 universities?

There are two words that definitely help = FULL PAY. Plenty of kids at flagships who would be competitive for a T20, but their parents told them what was the budget and they applied accordingly.

+1000

FULL PAY = AUTO ADMIT TO HYPSM

Not at all. People that can’t full pay are apt to underestimate how many families there are that can full pay without any sacrifice for 3-4 kids at $95,000 a year schools. We are one of them and so are 80% of our friends.

[Anonymous]

Sheer luck and finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Might got not be the answer OP wants to hear, but there is little difference between the two. Someone who got into impacted majors at Michigan OOS likely will get into WashU and vice versa.

Don’t think it’s true for Michigan OOS for CS/Engineering/Business. Those kids who end up there were shut out of private T20 options.

Not the same for undersubscribed majors.

Don't think that WashU is a top 20 so....

Other than that, do know OOS folks in some of those majors at Michigan. Nearly all applied to a T20.

I know many boys in those majors at Michigan from our nonDMV private. They did not have a better private option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To get into most state flagships like UT Austin or UVA, you need top academics, leadership experience, heavy involvement during the summer, volunteering, and more. What extra things do students do to get into top 20 universities?

I know kids who got into t20 but not flagship

We do too

[Anonymous]

Ability to pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To get into most state flagships like UT Austin or UVA, you need top academics, leadership experience, heavy involvement during the summer, volunteering, and more. What extra things do students do to get into top 20 universities?

There are two words that definitely help = FULL PAY. Plenty of kids at flagships who would be competitive for a T20, but their parents told them what was the budget and they applied accordingly.

+1000

FULL PAY = AUTO ADMIT TO HYPSM

Not at all. People that can’t full pay are apt to underestimate how many families there are that can full pay without any sacrifice for 3-4 kids at $95,000 a year schools. We are one of them and so are 80% of our friends.

You and your the 80% relatively small number of friends is not close to being representative of the thousands of kids applying to these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my daughter was accepted to Brown, Cornell, Northwestern, Michigan and WashU a couple of years ago She had a perfect GPA, 1560 SAT and received the Governor's Merit Scholastic Award. She did debate, mock trial and worked both her junior and senior years. Exceptional ECs, as defined by this group, probably not. However, we think she exhibited in her applications and essays a honesty and transparency into who she is as an individual.

How does the answer OP's question?

Everyone thinks there is a secret sauce. There always isn't.

[Anonymous]

Summer jobs count for more than you would think. Obviously, lots of kids have summer jobs without the highest academics and rigor, but for the kids who have the highest academics and rigor, the majority don't take waiter/waitressing/landscaping/retail jobs in the summer time. Often, with a kid like that, there's a financial need within the family, so there are going to be some confounding factors in terms of other things schools are looking for, but there are a lot of upsides to a kid taking on a regular-degular job, especially if they do it for more than one summer, or during the school year as well.

[Anonymous]

For us, definitely the money. A T10 might be life changing, but the education is probably equal at a T50. Some employers will like to see the grit it takes to navigate a large public flagship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For us, definitely the money. A T10 might be life changing, but the education is probably equal at a T50. Some employers will like to see the grit it takes to navigate a large public flagship.

lol No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Summer jobs count for more than you would think. Obviously, lots of kids have summer jobs without the highest academics and rigor, but for the kids who have the highest academics and rigor, the majority don't take waiter/waitressing/landscaping/retail jobs in the summer time. Often, with a kid like that, there's a financial need within the family, so there are going to be some confounding factors in terms of other things schools are looking for, but there are a lot of upsides to a kid taking on a regular-degular job, especially if they do it for more than one summer, or during the school year as well.

Omg. Not. My kids attend-attended a private HS. My oldest is full pay at an Ivy.

They were mowing neighbors lawns since 6th grade. They both had part-time summer jobs in retail/food industry summers after sophomore-senior years in HS.

We believe in a work ethic. My spouse and I did ALL kinds of work as teens/college kids— waitress, club bouncer, retail, Dominoes, etc.

My kids are very well-off, but having your kids do paid work as teens is character building. Yes- they played sports, did community service and had time with friends. Both were very proud of the $ they made/saved which we rolled into setting up IRAs for them. Having a “real boss” and work responsibility teaches kids so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For us, definitely the money. A T10 might be life changing, but the education is probably equal at a T50. Some employers will like to see the grit it takes to navigate a large public flagship.

lol No

Harvard was life-changing for me. And the reason why DS is going there next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Summer jobs count for more than you would think. Obviously, lots of kids have summer jobs without the highest academics and rigor, but for the kids who have the highest academics and rigor, the majority don't take waiter/waitressing/landscaping/retail jobs in the summer time. Often, with a kid like that, there's a financial need within the family, so there are going to be some confounding factors in terms of other things schools are looking for, but there are a lot of upsides to a kid taking on a regular-degular job, especially if they do it for more than one summer, or during the school year as well.

Omg. Not. My kids attend-attended a private HS. My oldest is full pay at an Ivy.

They were mowing neighbors lawns since 6th grade. They both had part-time summer jobs in retail/food industry summers after sophomore-senior years in HS.

We believe in a work ethic. My spouse and I did ALL kinds of work as teens/college kids— waitress, club bouncer, retail, Dominoes, etc.

My kids are very well-off, but having your kids do paid work as teens is character building. Yes- they played sports, did community service and had time with friends. Both were very proud of the $ they made/saved which we rolled into setting up IRAs for them. Having a “real boss” and work responsibility teaches kids so much.

That's called good parenting. You did a good job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Summer jobs count for more than you would think. Obviously, lots of kids have summer jobs without the highest academics and rigor, but for the kids who have the highest academics and rigor, the majority don't take waiter/waitressing/landscaping/retail jobs in the summer time. Often, with a kid like that, there's a financial need within the family, so there are going to be some confounding factors in terms of other things schools are looking for, but there are a lot of upsides to a kid taking on a regular-degular job, especially if they do it for more than one summer, or during the school year as well.

Omg. Not. My kids attend-attended a private HS. My oldest is full pay at an Ivy.

They were mowing neighbors lawns since 6th grade. They both had part-time summer jobs in retail/food industry summers after sophomore-senior years in HS.

We believe in a work ethic. My spouse and I did ALL kinds of work as teens/college kids— waitress, club bouncer, retail, Dominoes, etc.

My kids are very well-off, but having your kids do paid work as teens is character building. Yes- they played sports, did community service and had time with friends. Both were very proud of the $ they made/saved which we rolled into setting up IRAs for them. Having a “real boss” and work responsibility teaches kids so much.

I'm the PP you're replying to, but … nothing you said contradicted what I wrote? Your kids were top-tier academic kids, with summer jobs, and your oldest is in at an Ivy. Is your "Omg. Not." about the "Often … there's a financial need"? Often doesn't mean "always" … so … I'm confused what you're disagreeing with. Good job encouraging your kids to get summer jobs! More parents should do that (and independent of any college strategy). My point in writing above was to encourage other parents to do just that.