What is your rising HS sophomore doing this summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the absolute slaughter of college admissions this year, she either needs to be starting an LLC, founding a 501(c)3, or curing cancer to have any shot of even getting into a mediocre university.

But in all actuality, she'll be a paid intern at my SIL's office. She'll be doing Marketing/Digital Marketing tasks. DD is very excited because she gets to "dress up" and will make $21.50/hr.

Last summer she babysat neighborhood kids and walked dogs. She submitted at least 50 applications but no one would hire someone under 16.

This simply isn't true, even this year.

Mmm'k. Please explain to me why someone with a 4.82w/4.1uw, top 10 in their class, 10 APs with 5s, 1530 SAT, volunteer hours, 2 externships, awards, varsity sport 4 years w/ awards, clubs w/ leadership positions, student government w/ leadership positions, and a longterm part time job was rejected from all VA schools except for VCU?

Rejected: all ivys, Duke, UVA, MSU, UCLA, Stanford, Swarthmore
Waitlisted: Amherst, UMich, UNC, UChicago
Accepted: Rice, Scripps, VCU,

21 schools?!?! Wtf? Maybe stretched too thin on apps and it showed.

[Anonymous]

3 weeks CIT (not accepted yet)
1 week sports camp
2 weeks summer vacation

May be a possibility of taking a summer class (virtual evenings) to get the class out of the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the absolute slaughter of college admissions this year, she either needs to be starting an LLC, founding a 501(c)3, or curing cancer to have any shot of even getting into a mediocre university.

But in all actuality, she'll be a paid intern at my SIL's office. She'll be doing Marketing/Digital Marketing tasks. DD is very excited because she gets to "dress up" and will make $21.50/hr.

Last summer she babysat neighborhood kids and walked dogs. She submitted at least 50 applications but no one would hire someone under 16.

This simply isn't true, even this year.

Mmm'k. Please explain to me why someone with a 4.82w/4.1uw, top 10 in their class, 10 APs with 5s, 1530 SAT, volunteer hours, 2 externships, awards, varsity sport 4 years w/ awards, clubs w/ leadership positions, student government w/ leadership positions, and a longterm part time job was rejected from all VA schools except for VCU?

Rejected: all ivys, Duke, UVA, MSU, UCLA, Stanford, Swarthmore
Waitlisted: Amherst, UMich, UNC, UChicago
Accepted: Rice, Scripps, VCU,

21 schools?!?! Wtf? Maybe stretched too thin on apps and it showed.

Would have been better to apply to W&M, JMU, and VATech.

[Anonymous]

You know the term nepo-baby in Hollywood?

It’s the exact same in the science community. We all hire each other’s kids in our labs as “interns”. Have research, especially published research, is HUGE for college admissions. Starting a non-profit may have worked 7-8 years ago, but they are no longer seen as anything special.

OP, if you have any connections in the research community, now is the time to use that network. Seriously. Get your child in a lab and get them published. It’s worth more than you realize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know the term nepo-baby in Hollywood?

It’s the exact same in the science community. We all hire each other’s kids in our labs as “interns”. Have research, especially published research, is HUGE for college admissions. Starting a non-profit may have worked 7-8 years ago, but they are no longer seen as anything special.

OP, if you have any connections in the research community, now is the time to use that network. Seriously. Get your child in a lab and get them published. It’s worth more than you realize.

Our DD is interested in getting a lab (biology but open to others) position this summer. DC Private, strong performer, high GPA - is there any chance for her without nepo connections? She has requested unpaid positions - many replies are sympathetic (but still a No).

DD has a publication - admittedly joint with "real" scientists, and likes research much more than bookish education.

Grateful for any tips to get a lab position

[Anonymous]

Wasted on you

[Anonymous]

He worked the summer before sophomore year at an entertainment complex.
This summer, before junior year, he won a scholarship for a language and culture program abroad for a month.
Have to think about what he'll do for the month before school starts. Maybe he'll go back to the entertainment complex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know the term nepo-baby in Hollywood?

It’s the exact same in the science community. We all hire each other’s kids in our labs as “interns”. Have research, especially published research, is HUGE for college admissions. Starting a non-profit may have worked 7-8 years ago, but they are no longer seen as anything special.

OP, if you have any connections in the research community, now is the time to use that network. Seriously. Get your child in a lab and get them published. It’s worth more than you realize.

Nepotism happens in every field.

[Anonymous]

Am I the only one is like holy crap this is depressing? Like kids don’t get to be teenagers and explore different things anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One week of Scouts camp, one week of space camp, and then starts his fall marching band rehearsals first week of August. The rest of the weeks are hanging at home, seeing friends, going to the pool, playing video games and reading. We didn't plan the summer based on college applications, though, it's just what he wanted to do.

That’s fine.

But kids who wish to be competitive for T50 schools need to think bigger than the above.

Really? That’s what my DD DoD (or similar) and she is a college senior selecting between two T10’s. Not a URM or other hook. Unusually lucky? Yes. But you don’t need to be crafting this fake persona to get into a selective college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one is like holy crap this is depressing? Like kids don’t get to be teenagers and explore different things anymore.

It’s ridiculous. And this is all just parents pushing and managing. Most of these kids just want to sleep late and loaf around. Learning to be bored enough to come up with your own original ideas is a lost art.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know the term nepo-baby in Hollywood?

It’s the exact same in the science community. We all hire each other’s kids in our labs as “interns”. Have research, especially published research, is HUGE for college admissions. Starting a non-profit may have worked 7-8 years ago, but they are no longer seen as anything special.

OP, if you have any connections in the research community, now is the time to use that network. Seriously. Get your child in a lab and get them published. It’s worth more than you realize.

Everyone thinks activity or internship X or Y is HUGE for college admissions...but this is all just conjecture.

I mean, if you think colleges are seeing through the fake non-profit scheme...why wouldn't they see through the fake research scheme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one is like holy crap this is depressing? Like kids don’t get to be teenagers and explore different things anymore.

It’s ridiculous. And this is all just parents pushing and managing. Most of these kids just want to sleep late and loaf around. Learning to be bored enough to come up with your own original ideas is a lost art.

Welp, my kid will loaf on weekends and during two weeks of vacation. He will learn a lot and grow as a human the rest of the time.

[Anonymous]

Lifeguarding at our neighborhood pool.

[Anonymous]

Driver's ed
Beach volleyball with friends as much as possible
Possible family trip to Boston, coat tailing on a conference that spouse is attending
Trip to Orlando to play in a sports tournament (a splurge but kid is overjoyed to go)
Wants a part-time job in a boba shop at the mall (lol) but hasn't applied yet
Volunteer work from time to time

As for the science research: What type of journal could a high school kid possibly publish in? Can't AOs see where the parent works, therefore making the entire enterprise a little suspect?