What do I need to do over the next 6 years to get my child into a top school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do colleges define "pointy?"

If I have a child who rock climbs for 9 years before college and sings in community choirs since 1st grade, is that pointy enough? What else are schools looking for?

Very good grades, a challenging courseload, and excellent standardized test scores. Plus a memorable essay that make an admissions officer think "I'd like to meet this kid!" That's assuming the applicant doesn't help them check off lots of boxes furthering various institutional objectives. Essay probably doesn't matter much in that case.