Do normal smart kids get into ivy and T30 schools?

[Anonymous]

Cornell ED is the way to go.....

[Anonymous]

I’m so glad my “normal smart” kid didn’t grow up in the DMV, NYC tri-state area or the Bay Area/Silicon Valley. There are pockets of pressure everywhere but in most places, the majority of the kids aren’t even interested in the schools that dominate this board’s discussions. One of our local private schools sends the majority of its students to regional state schools with maybe a few of its top students going to the state flagship.

[Anonymous]

My unhooked 1520 SAT public school kid is normal smart and was admitted to one of HYPSM early. Fairly well rounded with a lot of leadership, and submitted arts portfolio with some related awards- but nothing major like Young Arts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m so glad my “normal smart” kid didn’t grow up in the DMV, NYC tri-state area or the Bay Area/Silicon Valley. There are pockets of pressure everywhere but in most places, the majority of the kids aren’t even interested in the schools that dominate this board’s discussions. One of our local private schools sends the majority of its students to regional state schools with maybe a few of its top students going to the state flagship.

PP here, my kid is from one of these ultra competitive areas. They actually didn’t feel it was that bad as they mostly followed their interests rather than being overly focused on maximizing for college admissions. Still hung out with friends and did normal high school things. That said, pretty much their entire friend group was admitted/will attend T20s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, normal smart kids are getting into Ivy and T30, even from our public. We're not in a district where families game the system - kids are doing their sports and their ECs and enjoying their high school lives. The Ivy and Stanford kids are great students + interesting kids.

Tell this to superstar kids having max scores and national awards that did not get accepted to any ivy league schools but to top stem schools. Ivy schools have a questionable admission process that favors legacies and private school kids. Obviously, there are exceptions but not many.

I get your point as there are many kids who don't get in.. I didn't say all the superstar kids get in.

But I will say, it's not always the max score/academic superstars who are getting into HYPS from our public. I'm the PP. Those max score/max AP kids tend to go to Cornell, Hopkins, Northwestern, UCLA. So far we have 10 kids who have announced that they are headed to an Ivy out of 400 students (and more to Top 30 schools). But at our school 25% head to 2 year colleges and 10% to the military/trades. So not sure it's fair to compare apples to apples to private schools that are test in and only have 100 students. If we take the top 100 from our school, then that's 10% headed to Ivies and not everyone has announced yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ivy/top 10 is a lottery. Your kid is good enough to punch a ticket for that lottery. Not everyone is. But it's still a long shot. For everyone.

T20-t30 is more likely. Especially if you are aiming for a state flagship and you live in that state

T20-30 admits go fairly deep into the top third of the high school, unhooked, especially with ED.
The top-few type stars usually get one T10/ivy unhooked, usually 1510+ and always top rigor.
The off the charts stars get into 3+ T10/ivy, unhooked. Of course the latter are not "normal smart".
In any case, it is not a lottery, even for the less-than-half the spots that are for the unhooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a junior who has straight As, highest rigor, 1500+ SAT, 2 varsity sports that he should be captain senior year, summer internships, academic clubs and competitions but no national or international recognition in anything.

He is such a hard working kid. I thought a 1500 would be good enough but he is trying to get 1550 on his SAT. Not sure how big of a difference 1510 or 1550 is.

I have seen some superstar kids get rejected from all the top schools and making me nervous.

1500+ is an awful large spread. 1510 or 1590? That makes a difference. And every data point out there proves it for Ivy.

[Anonymous]

People here are so out of touch. I know plenty of standard smart kids who can’t get into state flagships. A lot are lucky to get into the mid tier UCs let alone Berkeley or UCLA. College admissions are just that hard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, normal smart kids are getting into Ivy and T30, even from our public. We're not in a district where families game the system - kids are doing their sports and their ECs and enjoying their high school lives. The Ivy and Stanford kids are great students + interesting kids.

Tell this to superstar kids having max scores and national awards that did not get accepted to any ivy league schools but to top stem schools. Ivy schools have a questionable admission process that favors legacies and private school kids. Obviously, there are exceptions but not many.

I get your point as there are many kids who don't get in.. I didn't say all the superstar kids get in.

But I will say, it's not always the max score/academic superstars who are getting into HYPS from our public. I'm the PP. Those max score/max AP kids tend to go to Cornell, Hopkins, Northwestern, UCLA. So far we have 10 kids who have announced that they are headed to an Ivy out of 400 students (and more to Top 30 schools). But at our school 25% head to 2 year colleges and 10% to the military/trades. So not sure it's fair to compare apples to apples to private schools that are test in and only have 100 students. If we take the top 100 from our school, then that's 10% headed to Ivies and not everyone has announced yet.

10 out of 400 is 2.5%. Not all ivyes are equal. If you take Cornell out then those 10 probably become 5.

Should be easy to get a top school in DC area (one of th W schools) and see how many graduated last year and how many were admitted to ivyes. Bethesda Magazine has published these stats in the last few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People here are so out of touch. I know plenty of standard smart kids who can’t get into state flagships. A lot are lucky to get into the mid tier UCs let alone Berkeley or UCLA. College admissions are just that hard

Agree. Out of touch and very opiniated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, normal smart kids are getting into Ivy and T30, even from our public. We're not in a district where families game the system - kids are doing their sports and their ECs and enjoying their high school lives. The Ivy and Stanford kids are great students + interesting kids.

Tell this to superstar kids having max scores and national awards that did not get accepted to any ivy league schools but to top stem schools. Ivy schools have a questionable admission process that favors legacies and private school kids. Obviously, there are exceptions but not many.

I get your point as there are many kids who don't get in.. I didn't say all the superstar kids get in.

But I will say, it's not always the max score/academic superstars who are getting into HYPS from our public. I'm the PP. Those max score/max AP kids tend to go to Cornell, Hopkins, Northwestern, UCLA. So far we have 10 kids who have announced that they are headed to an Ivy out of 400 students (and more to Top 30 schools). But at our school 25% head to 2 year colleges and 10% to the military/trades. So not sure it's fair to compare apples to apples to private schools that are test in and only have 100 students. If we take the top 100 from our school, then that's 10% headed to Ivies and not everyone has announced yet.

10 out of 400 is 2.5%. Not all ivyes are equal. If you take Cornell out then those 10 probably become 5.

Should be easy to get a top school in DC area (one of th W schools) and see how many graduated last year and how many were admitted to ivyes. Bethesda Magazine has published these stats in the last few years.

Actually, 2 out of the 10 are Cornell. You can slice the stats whichever way to you want, but kids are still getting in. I'm a lot less stressed for our younger two. Also, is it really fair to include all the kids who aren't on the 4 year college track to begin with? Can you really expect an Ivy when you are in the bottom half of your class at a public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My unhooked 1520 SAT public school kid is normal smart and was admitted to one of HYPSM early. Fairly well rounded with a lot of leadership, and submitted arts portfolio with some related awards- but nothing major like Young Arts.

What major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m so glad my “normal smart” kid didn’t grow up in the DMV, NYC tri-state area or the Bay Area/Silicon Valley. There are pockets of pressure everywhere but in most places, the majority of the kids aren’t even interested in the schools that dominate this board’s discussions. One of our local private schools sends the majority of its students to regional state schools with maybe a few of its top students going to the state flagship.

PP here, my kid is from one of these ultra competitive areas. They actually didn’t feel it was that bad as they mostly followed their interests rather than being overly focused on maximizing for college admissions. Still hung out with friends and did normal high school things. That said, pretty much their entire friend group was admitted/will attend T20s.

We must be at a similar school. Lots of kids headed to T20s at our public in a moderately competitive area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a junior who has straight As, highest rigor, 1500+ SAT, 2 varsity sports that he should be captain senior year, summer internships, academic clubs and competitions but no national or international recognition in anything.

He is such a hard working kid. I thought a 1500 would be good enough but he is trying to get 1550 on his SAT. Not sure how big of a difference 1510 or 1550 is.

I have seen some superstar kids get rejected from all the top schools and making me nervous.

If uour parents are wealthy donors, yeah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People here are so out of touch. I know plenty of standard smart kids who can’t get into state flagships. A lot are lucky to get into the mid tier UCs let alone Berkeley or UCLA. College admissions are just that hard

OP said straight As, highest rigor, and 1500+SAT. If all three things are actually true, then the odds of getting into UVA, michigan, UNC, and UCB for those who are in-state in those places are exceeding high. When you hear of people who don't, this is what they mean: "4.0 gpa"--they mean weighted, they do not understand that in Virginia and many states 4.0 weighted is in the bottom half of the graduating class.
"All As" they mean mix of A and A-, which is barely above average in many schools.
"highest rigor" they mean 10+ APs or a mix of DE and AP or all DE. They have no concept that almost half the students at some high schools takes 10 AP and/or DE. The top students are on entirely different tracks and have an AP list and transcript that shows true highest rigor, no extra sudy halls, no skipped hard-grading teacher.

I have been in the field for years and have never seen one single student anywhere in the region that has a true 4.0 unweighted in the absolute highest rigor, with a 1500+ who did not get into UVA in state. It does not happen.