Was your competitive kid get shut out from all top 40 schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

This is my kid, too, but my kid is from a magnet with super high stats. There aren't *that* many kids with the same stats and rigor.

It just seems like after a certain threshold, it becomes like a lottery.

[Anonymous]

To answer OP’s question, no my kids did not get shut out. They have the usual high stats, test scores and ECs and got into top (>t15) schools coming from a public school. They did spend a ton of time on their essays. One is spiky and the other a generalist. One did ED and the other RD. They had a lot of options. So, all anecdotal but two more data points for you.

[Anonymous]

Also, how about we stop feeding these ridiculous rankings? T40 is all relative. The focus on T40 being the only measure of "success" is just making the application frenzy worse.

Junior parents, make sure you cast a wide net. With Test optional and grade inflation, stats alone will do little for your kids at these highly rejective schools. Sad but true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

This is my kid, too, but my kid is from a magnet with super high stats. There aren't *that* many kids with the same stats and rigor.

It just seems like after a certain threshold, it becomes like a lottery.

My kid also from a magnet. Honestly, I have no idea what happened. I think perhaps it was hard from their application to assess the rigor. STEM kid so essays not a strong suit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

This is my kid, too, but my kid is from a magnet with super high stats. There aren't *that* many kids with the same stats and rigor.

It just seems like after a certain threshold, it becomes like a lottery.

My kid also from a magnet. Honestly, I have no idea what happened. I think perhaps it was hard from their application to assess the rigor. STEM kid so essays not a strong suit.

But yes, lottery aspect seems part of it. Plus the competition from the hooked magnet kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To answer OP’s question, no my kids did not get shut out. They have the usual high stats, test scores and ECs and got into top (>t15) schools coming from a public school. They did spend a ton of time on their essays. One is spiky and the other a generalist. One did ED and the other RD. They had a lot of options. So, all anecdotal but two more data points for you.

Twins? Or different years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer OP’s question, no my kids did not get shut out. They have the usual high stats, test scores and ECs and got into top (>t15) schools coming from a public school. They did spend a ton of time on their essays. One is spiky and the other a generalist. One did ED and the other RD. They had a lot of options. So, all anecdotal but two more data points for you.

Twins? Or different years?

Sorry, twins and college class of 27.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

This is my kid, too, but my kid is from a magnet with super high stats. There aren't *that* many kids with the same stats and rigor.

It just seems like after a certain threshold, it becomes like a lottery.

My kid also from a magnet. Honestly, I have no idea what happened. I think perhaps it was hard from their application to assess the rigor. STEM kid so essays not a strong suit.

Essay quality is a big deal for top schools. I think most high starts kids get sunk because their profiles are too similar. These schools want artists and English majors too. So much stem, stem, stem around here. They’re all competing with each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

Are you implying that some kids got in who didn't write their own essays??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

This is my kid, too, but my kid is from a magnet with super high stats. There aren't *that* many kids with the same stats and rigor.

It just seems like after a certain threshold, it becomes like a lottery.

My kid also from a magnet. Honestly, I have no idea what happened. I think perhaps it was hard from their application to assess the rigor. STEM kid so essays not a strong suit.

Essay quality is a big deal for top schools. I think most high starts kids get sunk because their profiles are too similar. These schools want artists and English majors too. So much stem, stem, stem around here. They’re all competing with each other.

+1

You need a sob story essay, most applicants do not realize that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, how about we stop feeding these ridiculous rankings? T40 is all relative. The focus on T40 being the only measure of "success" is just making the application frenzy worse.

Junior parents, make sure you cast a wide net. With Test optional and grade inflation, stats alone will do little for your kids at these highly rejective schools. Sad but true.

x100000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

Are you implying that some kids got in who didn't write their own essays??

NP but I’m not implying that, I will say outright that some kids who got in didn’t write their own essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

This is my kid, too, but my kid is from a magnet with super high stats. There aren't *that* many kids with the same stats and rigor.

It just seems like after a certain threshold, it becomes like a lottery.

My kid also from a magnet. Honestly, I have no idea what happened. I think perhaps it was hard from their application to assess the rigor. STEM kid so essays not a strong suit.

Essay quality is a big deal for top schools. I think most high starts kids get sunk because their profiles are too similar. These schools want artists and English majors too. So much stem, stem, stem around here. They’re all competing with each other.

+1

You need a sob story essay, most applicants do not realize that.

Yes overcoming hardship is a solid hook but usually not easy to plug into around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, how about we stop feeding these ridiculous rankings? T40 is all relative. The focus on T40 being the only measure of "success" is just making the application frenzy worse.

Junior parents, make sure you cast a wide net. With Test optional and grade inflation, stats alone will do little for your kids at these highly rejective schools. Sad but true.

This. There are many schools where your student can get a great education and find similarly academically motivated peers. Yours will not be the only great-stats-student who applied to these and didn't make it. Fixation on highly-rejective schools just adds pointlessly to the stress. Sure, apply to them but know they are reaches for all and focus on finding things to love about your likelies because that is likely where you will end up.

DD applied to a range of schools and ultimately chose not to ED to a reach school because she liked one of her likelies so much. Ended up waitlisted to the reach and is totally fine with that, still loves the likely and is going there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got locked out despite what looked like the whole package (stats / EC / class rigor). Not sure if the essays or recommendations were off. Kids getting in from the same school with less rigor and lower scores seem to generally have some hook (i.e. sports, URM, etc.). My kid was truthful on their application and wrote all their own essays. Will never know if something was off on the application or if just too many kids wth similar profile.

Are you implying that some kids got in who didn't write their own essays??

Most kids I know have their essays edited by their parents, relatives, friends, teachers, school counselors or paid private counselors. It goes from just a quick read without much commentary, to a complete re-write. I have to say that often, editing is rather heavy! Be careful with that, because it does't mean the kid has better chances. College admissions officers know how to detect a voice. If the essay reads like a patchwork of voices, it will take the application down a few notches. Don't think heavy editing always helps.