Which top schools still like well-rounded (versus pointy) kids?

[Anonymous]

Emory mom here. My non-spiky typical unhooked kid didn’t apply to any Ivies because they weren’t interested enough and a sensible part of them knew that their time was better spent focusing applications on schools that don’t have a single digit acceptance rate. A corner of me wonders if they may have had a chance at a T-20 if they had ED’d somewhere, but their Emory RD acceptance was a gift and they’re happy.

[Anonymous]

Well rounded kids are not flocking to the likes of Emory and WashU. Well rounded kids tend to play athletics or like athletics and it a non starter at those 2 nerdy schools.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Michigan and UVA

OP here and these two are in his top 5 on his preliminary list.

My high-stats, well-rounded kid got into both EA OOS. He presumably had very strong recs and decent essays (Michigan only, where the essays ares important; UVA doesn't have essays anymore).

You’re supposed to write a custom UVA personal statement or Addtl info essay for UVA now .

Not for this year’s admission cycle. No essays beyond the common app essay (except for the nursing school—I think they still have something). And pretty sure they haven’t announced anything for next year’s cycle.

No that’s what the private counseling community was advising this cycle for UVA.

They do this for certain other top schools without essays to show interest (Middlebury)

Well that’s dumb advice for UVA. They make very clear they do not want anything they don’t explicitly ask for.

It worked. test optional EA, OOS.

How did your kid submit these extra essays? UVA provides no space for extra material. My guess is they didn’t read whatever your kid sent, which means your kid almost certainly got in on the strength of their application without the silly extra submissions, so congrats!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well rounded kids are not flocking to the likes of Emory and WashU. Well rounded kids tend to play athletics or like athletics and it a non starter at those 2 nerdy schools.

That's not really a true statement. You find many kids who like athletics who aren't either well-rounded or pointy...they are just the kids that play a sport in HS, aren't recruitable, etc., but they don't participate in other activities. On my kid's baseball team, maybe 10% of the team does anything else as an EC (many play on the coach's club team in the Fall)...and that 10% are the ones that usually are headed/trying for a top academic school.

Well-rounded means well-rounded...you participate in many things.

[Anonymous]

SLACs love these kids. My unhooked kid with solid (but not winning national competitions) ECs and max rigor/straight As/1550+ SAT got into a bunch of top 15 SLACs, including Williams, Pomona, Wesleyan, Carleton, Middlebury in RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well rounded kids are not flocking to the likes of Emory and WashU. Well rounded kids tend to play athletics or like athletics and it a non starter at those 2 nerdy schools.

Emory and WashU don't have intramural sports? Or are you saying only people who play intercollegiate sports are well rounded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well rounded kids are not flocking to the likes of Emory and WashU. Well rounded kids tend to play athletics or like athletics and it a non starter at those 2 nerdy schools.

OP here and this is my kid. Plays one varsity sport (not getting recruited) but absolutely loves spectator sports and wants to go to a school with good sports. Hence top choices mostly being state flagships plus Duke, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame. Not really interested in Ivies but could change his mind.

He is probably ever so slightly pointy. Leadership in a club related to desired major and won a school department award in same area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Emory mom here. My non-spiky typical unhooked kid didn’t apply to any Ivies because they weren’t interested enough and a sensible part of them knew that their time was better spent focusing applications on schools that don’t have a single digit acceptance rate. A corner of me wonders if they may have had a chance at a T-20 if they had ED’d somewhere, but their Emory RD acceptance was a gift and they’re happy.

Where did your DC ED and what kind of demonstrated interest did the show to convince Emory to accept them in RD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SLACs love these kids. My unhooked kid with solid (but not winning national competitions) ECs and max rigor/straight As/1550+ SAT got into a bunch of top 15 SLACs, including Williams, Pomona, Wesleyan, Carleton, Middlebury in RD.

What was ED school? Private feeder HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SLACs love these kids. My unhooked kid with solid (but not winning national competitions) ECs and max rigor/straight As/1550+ SAT got into a bunch of top 15 SLACs, including Williams, Pomona, Wesleyan, Carleton, Middlebury in RD.

Same experience here. The SLACs seemed to more targe that 'how will you contribute to the community' element in the application and I think that may have been a factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Emory mom here. My non-spiky typical unhooked kid didn’t apply to any Ivies because they weren’t interested enough and a sensible part of them knew that their time was better spent focusing applications on schools that don’t have a single digit acceptance rate. A corner of me wonders if they may have had a chance at a T-20 if they had ED’d somewhere, but their Emory RD acceptance was a gift and they’re happy.

Where did your DC ED and what kind of demonstrated interest did the show to convince Emory to accept them in RD?

My kid didn’t ED anywhere. They took the Emory tour. They also come from a small private school that regularly sends kids to Emory. That may have helped in the RD round. A yield-conscious college may be more willing to accept kids from a high school where kids do commit to Emory RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SLACs love these kids. My unhooked kid with solid (but not winning national competitions) ECs and max rigor/straight As/1550+ SAT got into a bunch of top 15 SLACs, including Williams, Pomona, Wesleyan, Carleton, Middlebury in RD.

What was ED school? Private feeder HS?

Did not ED, didn’t feel ready to commit to one school. But did EA to a couple of schools and was glad to have those in hand during the long wait to RD decisions. Public VA.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Michigan and UVA

OP here and these two are in his top 5 on his preliminary list.

My high-stats, well-rounded kid got into both EA OOS. He presumably had very strong recs and decent essays (Michigan only, where the essays ares important; UVA doesn't have essays anymore).

You’re supposed to write a custom UVA personal statement or Addtl info essay for UVA now .

Not for this year’s admission cycle. No essays beyond the common app essay (except for the nursing school—I think they still have something). And pretty sure they haven’t announced anything for next year’s cycle.

No that’s what the private counseling community was advising this cycle for UVA.

They do this for certain other top schools without essays to show interest (Middlebury)

Well that’s dumb advice for UVA. They make very clear they do not want anything they don’t explicitly ask for.

It worked. test optional EA, OOS.

How did your kid submit these extra essays? UVA provides no space for extra material. My guess is they didn’t read whatever your kid sent, which means your kid almost certainly got in on the strength of their application without the silly extra submissions, so congrats!

Customized common app essay to UVA
Addtl Info essay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well rounded kids are not flocking to the likes of Emory and WashU. Well rounded kids tend to play athletics or like athletics and it a non starter at those 2 nerdy schools.

OP here and this is my kid. Plays one varsity sport (not getting recruited) but absolutely loves spectator sports and wants to go to a school with good sports. Hence top choices mostly being state flagships plus Duke, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame. Not really interested in Ivies but could change his mind.

He is probably ever so slightly pointy. Leadership in a club related to desired major and won a school department award in same area.

So, once more, your kid doesn't sound well-rounded.

Is "well-rounded" now code for my kid is smart with high stats, but really doesn't do much of anything for ECs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well rounded kids are not flocking to the likes of Emory and WashU. Well rounded kids tend to play athletics or like athletics and it a non starter at those 2 nerdy schools.

OP here and this is my kid. Plays one varsity sport (not getting recruited) but absolutely loves spectator sports and wants to go to a school with good sports. Hence top choices mostly being state flagships plus Duke, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame. Not really interested in Ivies but could change his mind.

He is probably ever so slightly pointy. Leadership in a club related to desired major and won a school department award in same area.

So, once more, your kid doesn't sound well-rounded.

Is "well-rounded" now code for my kid is smart with high stats, but really doesn't do much of anything for ECs?

These kids are still doing ECs and are busy. Maybe they are on 2 varsity sports, volunteer, have a part time job, in junior orchestra, and win state level academic awards. The “well rounded” kids that get into top schools aren’t sitting at home doing nothing after school.