Cardozo: not the greatest education, but might help my kid get into an Ivy?
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Anonymous
| Assuming that my son can pull off near-perfect SATs, 5s on AP tests, straight A's, etc., would coming from Cardozo significantly boost his chances of getting into a decent Ivy (not Cornell, not Dartmouth, no offense) because he'd stand out more? Or would the fact that he's not a member of an underrepresented group (though also not caucasian FWIW) nor at all socioeconomically disadvantaged mean that he's assumed to be coming from a gentrified family and then gets no extra consideration for coming from a rough school? These days even a perfect transcript isn't a guarantee of anything in college admissions, so exploring what sort of additional advantages are possible since we're now IB for Cardozo. Would especially love to hear from anyone who has parented a kid with similar goals (the intensity on this is coming from him, not from me) through Cardozo. |
Anonymous
| I'm an Ivy interviewer. I think he'd get some extra consideration coming from Cardozo. Would he get the kind of teaching that would enable him to get 5s on AP tests? The kind of extracurricular opportunities that would enable him to stand out to a school that has 15 applicants for each spot? I don't know. |
Anonymous
Therein lies the rub... the quality of teaching I'm not so worried about, because he's so goddamn self-motivated on that front. Extracurriculars, I'm much less sure about. Especially if he's not in an environment where there's a critical mass of other kids who share his goals or general outlook, I could see him being less interested in extracurriculars. So the question then is whether coming from an unusual/underrepresented school would help more than the lack of the more 'polished' extracurriculars he'd have at a school like Wilson. |
Anonymous
I am also an Ivy interviewer, and I would encourage him to explore extra curriculars outside of Cardozo. In the best of all worlds, he would become an Eagle Scout, but it might be too late for that. One of the really incredible interviewees I had this year (who came from a completely underprivileged background - I volunteer for that every year, but outside of DC) became a large fish in a small pond which in DC would be very hard to do, but think along the lines of what she did - getting her local council to sponsor an organization that allowed wealthier kids to donate tuxes and prom dresses and restaurants to donate dinners for kids around the city who wanted to go to Prom as a rite of passage but could not afford it, or outreach within the DC system (working for a council member, I have no clue what would function here) to independently sponsor an organization that reaches out to the underprivileged kids at Cardozo and elsewhere - he doesn't have to have their needs, just see them and respond to them in the way that will make the biggest splash that he can.............. I guess what I am saying is what they all say to us now - they want kids who are authentic, and a bunch of meaningless extracurriculars don't count unless you rose through the ranks to be the leader (and then you can bring up that you had been doing it since junior high). What they are really looking for is to build a class, and what stinks is your kid despite all his achievements may not fit into that class for that year because they have to take an extra kid from Oklahoma, but if you are positive that he will not suffer academically grade wise and most importantly on the standardized tests I would say go for it........ They prefer you lopsided but passionate, because it looks and feels more authentic (and I still have not gotten the guts up to call about this girl I pushed so hard for - in all my years of interviewing I have never gone so far out on a limb). They do not count the number of APs against you for instance if those are all that are offered at your school, as long as you took all of them.... Is your kid passionate about anything? If so, if he can explore that passion outside of school from what I understand that is perfectly ok. The thing is, will he going to Cardozo have the grades, the AP scores and the PSAT and SAT scores that they are looking for? I LOVE the idea that Khan academy is going to start offering a free SAT prep course. I know nothing about Cardozo. I do know that the competition at Wilson will be fierce to get in to HYP - and I don't see how Cardozo could possibly hurt, especially if he is the only applicant from the school that year, versus all the Wilson and private school kids. AS LONG as you are positive it will not hurt him academically, I would say go for it. And then figure out something he can spend his free time on inside or outside of Cardozo that will preferably have an impact on low income kids, which he will become familiar with at Cardozo........ |
Anonymous
| I can't look past the "decent Ivy" thing. I don't know much about Ivies, being the proud product of CA public universities, but I find it hard to imagine that someone who felt she needed to scheme like this would be so picky. |
Anonymous
| Not going to help, but won't hurt, either. 2:06 makes good points but you can do that from any school for any underserved local group/school. |
Anonymous
Dartmouth alum, feel free to send me your child's name so they won't be burdened with an acceptance from our terrible school. 
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Anonymous
| This has to be a troll post. What parent would deliberately send their child where they know the child won't receive "the greatest education" in order to get into an Ivy? What do you think will happen to the kid if he does get in? If he didn't receive a good education, he's going to run into trouble competing against others who did. Hope you're there to pick up his self-esteem when that happens. |
Anonymous
| There's always a lot of stupid on this board, but this thread may take the prize. OP is either trolling or is a moron. |
Anonymous
OP should consider boarding schools in Nigeria, combined with summer internships at a refugee camp in Congo. Ivy guaranteed. |
Anonymous
| My nephew attended a DC public school was ranked 5th in his class, recieved the Gates Millenium Scholarship and was accepted into Harvard. But Howard and Georgetown turned him down. My niece, his younger sister is poised to be validictorian for her senior class in 2016 and she is ready for Yale. Attended elementary schools in southeast dc...homeschool during middle-school years and both attended comprehensive high-schools...and not WILSON for God's sake. |
Anonymous
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I think a kid who can self-study for several APs and who will not be distracted by others' misbehavior might attract some extra interest from top colleges when coming from a school that is generally low performing...though the top Ivies are a long shot for anyone. I think there are academically motivated kids on the right track at all DCPS schools and while your kid might have a smaller group of potential friends and be more likely to get teased, it could work out fine--especially if he does extracurriculars in the community. DC is a big enough place that whatever his interest, there is a probably a group doing it and that is willing to involve a high schooler. But it takes a lot of dedication on his part (and for parents) to essentially go to school all day, then do a whole bunch more self-teaching, and then organize hobbies. Some stuff is really impossible to do without school support (Model UN, marching band, etc.).
But still, I wouldn't send a kid to a lower-performing school just to gain an edge in college admissions. The risk of a kid going off his current path is too high, and the chance of getting into an Ivy is too low. I'd just do it because it's what I could afford, and because the kid would get some experiences not possible in schools where everyone is rich. |
Anonymous
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"I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study"
Except for your child. |
Anonymous
| High School is such an important period of life for kids. I'm sad that OP is so focused on it as simply a stepping stone. What school would best ensure that your child has a fantastic high school experience. I am convinced that post must be a troll. |
Anonymous
People like you, that don't realize how offensive abs racist this statement is, are sick. |