Tricks and “lifehacks” that help getting into a better college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is in high school already, it’s too late to do any of this, but:

-Train your child in an expensive, niche sport
-Have somebody with an elite pedigree adopt your child so they can be a legacy
-Send your child to really good private school for k-8, then to a very middling public high school, and supplement with tutoring & private college counseling

such as?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send your kid to the UK, or even easier, to Canada for uni. Top Canadian universities like McGill, U of Toronto & University of British Columbia are surprisingly easy to get into as an international student.

Must be expensive though

Being an international student at a Canadian uni is MUCH cheaper than attending, say, USC or NYU.

[Anonymous]

Send your child to really good K-8 schools and then move to a underperforming non competitive school system in a state with good in state college options.

We had a former neighbor do this; moved from NoVa to a much cheaper area in NC, so his kid could finish their high school career there and be set up to have a better selection of in state schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send your kid to the UK, or even easier, to Canada for uni. Top Canadian universities like McGill, U of Toronto & University of British Columbia are surprisingly easy to get into as an international student.

Must be expensive though

For U of T you’re looking at about $70k/year as an international student: https://utsc.utoronto.ca/admissions/tuition-fees

[Anonymous]

This gotta be one of the best

1 take a gap year

2 apply Columbia as GS

Acceptance rate over 30%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This gotta be one of the best

1 take a gap year

2 apply Columbia as GS

Acceptance rate over 30%

GS students are second-class citizens at Columbia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This gotta be one of the best

1 take a gap year

2 apply Columbia as GS

Acceptance rate over 30%

You won’t be looked at the same in terms of job recruiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apply as a minority even if you're white.

This can have consequences though
Stretching the truth yes, but outright lying?

This could be a Federal offense, depending. At the very least, it can get your child thrown out of school, and a permanent notation on their transcript (ie: the transfer credits would be no good).

Boy, are you people more stupid than I suspected!

I honestly don’t know, unless you are someone fairly well known (Warren) or have a falling out with your parents (that pretend black girl, forgot her name), who is going to investigate? Do they even call high schools to check?

More than you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This gotta be one of the best

1 take a gap year

2 apply Columbia as GS

Acceptance rate over 30%

GS students are second-class citizens at Columbia.

I was told that they take many same classes with regular students, and most of all diploma doesn't say GS. It's the same Columbia degree.

[Anonymous]

What is GS

[Anonymous]

If cost is an issue:

Live in a state with reasonably priced & desirable instate college options. A state where there are at least two “good” state schools.

Off the top of my head, no to RI, ME, MO, KS, NH, VT, CT, SD, ND, NM, NE and NV.

Yes to NC, FL, CA, TX, GA and VA. Perhaps PA for Penn State & Pitt, but I don’t consider them to be reasonably-priced for instate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is GS

General Study admission at Columbia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok we all know about the straightforward things like good grades and extracurricular achievements, right?
What are some other things that aren’t obvious, may not be exactly ethical (but are legal!) and maybe cumbersome but that help?
So far I have thought about:
- quitting jobs and becoming low income for 6 years (2 years before college and 4 years of college)
- moving to a state that sends few people to certain colleges
- homeschooling
- giving the kid a Hispanic last name and not checking the race on application (no lying involved so..)
- transferring kid to a mediocre but safe high school

I mean I know most of these sound crazy but let’s entertain the thoughts?

- assets are considered as well as income
- geographic diversity is not a hook; still plenty of students looking to apply
- there are many reasons to homeschool. College admission is not one of them. Expect to need dual enrollment grades.
- even checking the box, Hispanic isn't as big a hook as you might think

Transferring to a mediocre but safe high school is the best suggestion in this list. It's realistic and the higher the GPA, the better. Just make sure sufficient AP courses and the student's desired activities are offered.

Interestingly, everyone vying to buy a house in a "good" school district (as opposed to a a good enough, say, rated 5-7) told me that the peer group is crucial, and they want their kids to be surrounded by certain kind of kids. Wouldn't then moving to a mediocre high school completely defeat the purpose?

Of course it would. And the person knows it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok we all know about the straightforward things like good grades and extracurricular achievements, right?
What are some other things that aren’t obvious, may not be exactly ethical (but are legal!) and maybe cumbersome but that help?
So far I have thought about:
- quitting jobs and becoming low income for 6 years (2 years before college and 4 years of college)
- moving to a state that sends few people to certain colleges
- homeschooling
- giving the kid a Hispanic last name and not checking the race on application (no lying involved so..)
- transferring kid to a mediocre but safe high school

I mean I know most of these sound crazy but let’s entertain the thoughts?

The thought I'm entertaining is that your list is designed to give the kid a sh***y high school experience for which he or she will resent the hell out of you. Especially if your kid is engaged and interested in academics and is bored senseless for four years of a mediocre high school. Or loathes the state where you move. Or you and your spouse end up fighting because you'rre stressed by being artificially low-income, and the kids hate the fighting. Oh, and extracurriculars your kid might want to do -- and gosh, tiger mom, extracurriculars they NEED to do for that big ol' admission you crave! -- are far less available when youre in Podunk at Mediocre High School and you're poor too.

But you knew all that and came here to stir up s**t, didn't you?

And giving a kid a Hispanic last name, even if you don't check it on the applications, when you are not Hispanic? Still lying. But you know that too.

[Anonymous]

Send your child to a private school that is on a college campus i.e. Boston University Academy, Chicago Lab School, University of Toronto Schools, Geffen Academy at UCLA.