is THIS really what it takes for non-hooked kids to get into HYPS?

[Anonymous]

So what happens if a Kid is not interested in community service. Who are we as adults to dictate that kids should serve the community for free and good colleges will only take such kids? Most adults I know are A-holes and we have a POTUS who is one.

I think this is an example of the privileged class keeping others out. A single parent or parents without the knowledge of what is required will not know/not have the time to shlep the kids around to all these activities.

In-state for my kid.

[Anonymous]

I don't know. Isn't it something like .4% of undergrads are at Ivys? My kids are smart and athletic and nice and blah blah blah, but I don't have any expectation that they are in the top 99.6 percent of kids in the country. Nope. Sorry. They are just smart kids.

I know lovely people that attended HYPS. I know lovely people that currently attend HYPS. I know lovely people that will be attending HYPS in the future.

I know nerds/jerks/etc that could all be placed in the above categories. WHO CARES?? Be happy for the ones who are admitted and be happy for your child wherever they end up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the profiles for a youth award. This is what two white girls headed to HYPS each have:

- All As (mostly APs)
- Founder of own charity (one is volunteering, the other is youth fitness related)
- Hundreds of volunteering hours at senior center, hospice, homeless shelter, children's hospital (since middle school)
- Raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity (since middle school, no less!)
- One plays musical instrument at very high level
- One plays individual sport at very high level (not playing in college)
- Two years working in research lab at local university
- Top 3 placements at regional science or writing events (since 9th)
- Handful of clubs at school, always an officer position (if not president)
- Doesn't mention ACT/SAT but I think we can fill in the blank
- Theater or debate or editor of school paper
- Super clean cut; outgoing, type A personality
- Bilingual

I don't know how the masses can ever compete with super kids like this.

So I guess I need to quit my job to arrange all this music/sport/community service activity. Unless she can squeeze this all into her junior year when she gets her license? Or will they offer these programs through SACC? Wish I made enough to afford a driving nanny to do this, but mortgage and all.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what happens if a Kid is not interested in community service. Who are we as adults to dictate that kids should serve the community for free and good colleges will only take such kids? Most adults I know are A-holes and we have a POTUS who is one.

I think this is an example of the privileged class keeping others out. A single parent or parents without the knowledge of what is required will not know/not have the time to shlep the kids around to all these activities.

In-state for my kid.

I hate this emphasis on volunteering. If what volunteers do were valuable they would be paid for it. I wonder how many admissions officers volunteer on a regular basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what happens if a Kid is not interested in community service. Who are we as adults to dictate that kids should serve the community for free and good colleges will only take such kids? Most adults I know are A-holes and we have a POTUS who is one.

I think this is an example of the privileged class keeping others out. A single parent or parents without the knowledge of what is required will not know/not have the time to shlep the kids around to all these activities.

In-state for my kid.

I hate this emphasis on volunteering. If what volunteers do were valuable they would be paid for it. I wonder how many admissions officers volunteer on a regular basis.

Harvard interviewer here. Raw total of volunteer hours is less important than people think. Volunteering is one (of many) ways to show leadership, initiative and creativity. Grinding away at it to accumulate a large total does no one any good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TBH, if I were obsessed about my kid going to an Ivy, I suppose I would think like this. But I am not. DH attended an Ivy and I attended a non-Ivy T20. We have both done well in life. For that reason, we were fine letting our kids be kids and our teens be teens. They played travel teams because they enjoyed it and it kept them motivated and in shape. Our kids played video games but they also designed them (that looked pretty good on the essay). They were all active in our church because they enjoyed it. Our goal was not to raise some superstar "Ivy or bust" kid. We wanted to raise balanced, happy and well adjusted kids who had the perspective to know that not going to Ivy was not failure. Fortunately, 3 of our 4 kids attended/are attending non-Ivy T20s. Better yet, our oldest is in grad school at HYP . Our middle DD did go to S - but she just lived her life - she did not feel the need to supercharge her activities so they looked good on an app.

Little difference in the profiles of HYPS and T20 matriculants. Sounds like you're one of those Type A moms who pretends she's above it all while being just as obsessed with the rat race as Amy Chua.

Nope. Nice try though. Nothing Type A about me. There is enough pressure on the kids from peers and the school. When I say that we, as parents, did not obsess about this - trust me, it is true.

+1 I have one child who was accepted to multiple Ivy's this year and another who will likely attend a Tier 2 school in a couple of years. They were raised in the same home with the same opportunities. They simply have different interests and different internal motivators. I have no doubt each will do well at their college of choice and succeed just fine in life. The stereotype of the Ivy obsessed parent orchestrating their children's lives is beyond tiresome

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TBH, if I were obsessed about my kid going to an Ivy, I suppose I would think like this. But I am not. DH attended an Ivy and I attended a non-Ivy T20. We have both done well in life. For that reason, we were fine letting our kids be kids and our teens be teens. They played travel teams because they enjoyed it and it kept them motivated and in shape. Our kids played video games but they also designed them (that looked pretty good on the essay). They were all active in our church because they enjoyed it. Our goal was not to raise some superstar "Ivy or bust" kid. We wanted to raise balanced, happy and well adjusted kids who had the perspective to know that not going to Ivy was not failure. Fortunately, 3 of our 4 kids attended/are attending non-Ivy T20s. Better yet, our oldest is in grad school at HYP . Our middle DD did go to S - but she just lived her life - she did not feel the need to supercharge her activities so they looked good on an app.

Little difference in the profiles of HYPS and T20 matriculants. Sounds like you're one of those Type A moms who pretends she's above it all while being just as obsessed with the rat race as Amy Chua.

^^^Hahaha - I was thinking the same thing as I was reading this post! "I'm so above it all, and yet somehow, I feel the need to tell you that my kids ended up at t-20s and S!" Gimme a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. Isn't it something like .4% of undergrads are at Ivys? My kids are smart and athletic and nice and blah blah blah, but I don't have any expectation that they are in the top 99.6 percent of kids in the country. Nope. Sorry. They are just smart kids.

I know lovely people that attended HYPS. I know lovely people that currently attend HYPS. I know lovely people that will be attending HYPS in the future.

I know nerds/jerks/etc that could all be placed in the above categories. WHO CARES?? Be happy for the ones who are admitted and be happy for your child wherever they end up.

Im sure they're in the top 99.6%.

[Anonymous]

can someone tell me how much parental involvement there is for the majority of accepted students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:can someone tell me how much parental involvement there is for the majority of accepted students?

According to the parents - 0%
Reality - 99.9%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the profiles for a youth award. This is what two white girls headed to HYPS each have:

- All As (mostly APs)
- Founder of own charity (one is volunteering, the other is youth fitness related)
- Hundreds of volunteering hours at senior center, hospice, homeless shelter, children's hospital (since middle school)
- Raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity (since middle school, no less!)
- One plays musical instrument at very high level
- One plays individual sport at very high level (not playing in college)
- Two years working in research lab at local university
- Top 3 placements at regional science or writing events (since 9th)
- Handful of clubs at school, always an officer position (if not president)
- Doesn't mention ACT/SAT but I think we can fill in the blank
- Theater or debate or editor of school paper
- Super clean cut; outgoing, type A personality
- Bilingual

I don't know how the masses can ever compete with super kids like this.

So I guess I need to quit my job to arrange all this music/sport/community service activity. Unless she can squeeze this all into her junior year when she gets her license? Or will they offer these programs through SACC? Wish I made enough to afford a driving nanny to do this, but mortgage and all.

There's a late bus. And I volunteered over the summer, primarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the profiles for a youth award. This is what two white girls headed to HYPS each have:

- All As (mostly APs)
- Founder of own charity (one is volunteering, the other is youth fitness related)
- Hundreds of volunteering hours at senior center, hospice, homeless shelter, children's hospital (since middle school)
- Raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity (since middle school, no less!)
- One plays musical instrument at very high level
- One plays individual sport at very high level (not playing in college)
- Two years working in research lab at local university
- Top 3 placements at regional science or writing events (since 9th)
- Handful of clubs at school, always an officer position (if not president)
- Doesn't mention ACT/SAT but I think we can fill in the blank
- Theater or debate or editor of school paper
- Super clean cut; outgoing, type A personality
- Bilingual

I don't know how the masses can ever compete with super kids like this.

So I guess I need to quit my job to arrange all this music/sport/community service activity. Unless she can squeeze this all into her junior year when she gets her license? Or will they offer these programs through SACC? Wish I made enough to afford a driving nanny to do this, but mortgage and all.

There's a late bus. And I volunteered over the summer, primarily.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can someone tell me how much parental involvement there is for the majority of accepted students?

According to the parents - 0%
Reality - 99.9%

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the profiles for a youth award. This is what two white girls headed to HYPS each have:

- All As (mostly APs)
- Founder of own charity (one is volunteering, the other is youth fitness related)
- Hundreds of volunteering hours at senior center, hospice, homeless shelter, children's hospital (since middle school)
- Raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity (since middle school, no less!)
- One plays musical instrument at very high level
- One plays individual sport at very high level (not playing in college)
- Two years working in research lab at local university
- Top 3 placements at regional science or writing events (since 9th)
- Handful of clubs at school, always an officer position (if not president)
- Doesn't mention ACT/SAT but I think we can fill in the blank
- Theater or debate or editor of school paper
- Super clean cut; outgoing, type A personality
- Bilingual

I don't know how the masses can ever compete with super kids like this.

So I guess I need to quit my job to arrange all this music/sport/community service activity. Unless she can squeeze this all into her junior year when she gets her license? Or will they offer these programs through SACC? Wish I made enough to afford a driving nanny to do this, but mortgage and all.

There's a late bus. And I volunteered over the summer, primarily.

My child walks, rides her bike and gets rides with friends when I can't drive her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the profiles for a youth award. This is what two white girls headed to HYPS each have:

- All As (mostly APs)
- Founder of own charity (one is volunteering, the other is youth fitness related)
- Hundreds of volunteering hours at senior center, hospice, homeless shelter, children's hospital (since middle school)
- Raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity (since middle school, no less!)
- One plays musical instrument at very high level
- One plays individual sport at very high level (not playing in college)
- Two years working in research lab at local university
- Top 3 placements at regional science or writing events (since 9th)
- Handful of clubs at school, always an officer position (if not president)
- Doesn't mention ACT/SAT but I think we can fill in the blank
- Theater or debate or editor of school paper
- Super clean cut; outgoing, type A personality
- Bilingual

I don't know how the masses can ever compete with super kids like this.

So I guess I need to quit my job to arrange all this music/sport/community service activity. Unless she can squeeze this all into her junior year when she gets her license? Or will they offer these programs through SACC? Wish I made enough to afford a driving nanny to do this, but mortgage and all.

There's a late bus. And I volunteered over the summer, primarily.

But I have heard many times that if my kid isn't doing sports and lessons when elementary he won't hl any chance in getting on team or orchestra on high school. So this crap has to start earlier, when all school offers is SACC. I guess it's like that but articles as how we are competing against Olympic level training and money.