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

[Anonymous]

Founded own charity means they created a 501c3 org , did legal paperwork on their own, grant writing, filed taxes for a corporation -- as a high school student? With no parental help? LOL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Founded own charity means they created a 501c3 org , did legal paperwork on their own, grant writing, filed taxes for a corporation -- as a high school student? With no parental help? LOL?

Actually, the parents are orchestrating everything behind the scenes beginnig in elementary school.

[Anonymous]

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.

I think it basically means you have to have a hook. Otherwise, it is not going to happen.

[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.

^^^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.

Sorry if you guys believe that I was humble bragging. My point is that we did not drive our kids a certain way nor we did obsess about where THEY were going to school. We tried to be the calm in the storm as they were surrounded by peers with obsessed parents. My point was that we did NOT obsess over this and our kids ended up alright anyways. But that's fine. See it your way and raise your kids however you want.

[Anonymous]

\
Where in the world have you been OP/Under a rock? These stats and activities don't look good enough for me for HYP admits

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Founded own charity means they created a 501c3 org , did legal paperwork on their own, grant writing, filed taxes for a corporation -- as a high school student? With no parental help? LOL?

Honestly, I didn't realize how ridiculous (and unlikely) this sounds, until my kids were in college. My kids did their own taxes this year from summer job earnings and found it pretty challenging and they are 20 and 21. The idea that a 15 year old did
corporate taxes, wrote a journal article, invented gravity, was elected to Congress, etc. sounds pretty unlikely. Either these kids are nothing like my own kids and they are indeed some kind of super kids, or most of this is a fabrication.

[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.

Duh. Elite colleges are not about education. They are gatekeepers to the upper middle class.

If it was really about education, they would focus their resources on the poorest, least educated students to help raise them up. Instead, they focus on the most educated and affluent students, to give the even more of an advantage over the less fortunate.

[Anonymous]

That list just seems impossible time wise. How would you have time to be an officer in multiple clubs while playing a sport at a high level while volunteering and working in a lab and editing the school paper. Something does not add up.

[Anonymous]

None of this is impossible, it's just a combo of parents being super involved and kids buying in, i.e. motivated.

Most parents are too hands off, let their kids dick around most of the day. Or think being super dedicated to one (travel) sport with As and Bs is in any way impressive to colleges (it's not).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of this is impossible, it's just a combo of parents being super involved and kids buying in, i.e. motivated.

Most parents are too hands off, let their kids dick around most of the day. Or think being super dedicated to one (travel) sport with As and Bs is in any way impressive to colleges (it's not).

^^I actually agree with this. Remember the list represents two girls, not one student. Also I have a super motivated kid and I only have to provide the $, drive her somewhere, sign permission forms, give my opinion or provide connections to other adults for advice but she doesn't want me to be over involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Founded own charity means they created a 501c3 org , did legal paperwork on their own, grant writing, filed taxes for a corporation -- as a high school student? With no parental help? LOL?

As a Harvard interviewer, I always react with skepticism when a kid tells me they founded a nonprofit. When you drill down to it, it basically means they did some self-directed fundraising and volunteer work. Which is possibly impressive. But not necessarily more impressive than being an good, active officer in an existing school service club. Possibly less. Ditto for the kids who "founded a company". Usually they wrote a marginally successful smartphone app, which is fine. But why the need to dress it up in corporatist doublespeak?

I have no idea how the admissions office looks on those claims; I'll try to ask next time an admissions officer stops by. But I doubt they're automatically over the moon any time a kid pops a 501c3 in your face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of this is impossible, it's just a combo of parents being super involved and kids buying in, i.e. motivated.

Most parents are too hands off, let their kids dick around most of the day. Or think being super dedicated to one (travel) sport with As and Bs is in any way impressive to colleges (it's not).

My child does a sport everyday afterschool. He is not a superstar with private coaching etc. This precludes most major club involvement. He does one other activity...granted it is scouts so it takes up weekend time too..but that is it for him. He has very little downtime in the week..granted he does get to bed at a decent hour (10?). He already has conflicts between sport and scouts. I look at that list and think either most of it is only done half way (not at all?) or majorly supported by parents or the kid is up till 3 am everyday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None of this is impossible, it's just a combo of parents being super involved and kids buying in, i.e. motivated.

Most parents are too hands off, let their kids dick around most of the day. Or think being super dedicated to one (travel) sport with As and Bs is in any way impressive to colleges (it's not).

My child does a sport everyday afterschool. He is not a superstar with private coaching etc. This precludes most major club involvement. He does one other activity...granted it is scouts so it takes up weekend time too..but that is it for him. He has very little downtime in the week..granted he does get to bed at a decent hour (10?). He already has conflicts between sport and scouts. I look at that list and think either most of it is only done half way (not at all?) or majorly supported by parents or the kid is up till 3 am everyday.

What does he do in the off-season? Summers?

Does he hold a leadership position in scouts/is he likely to make Eagle?

Plenty of room to be impressive with those ECs.

[Anonymous]

I seriously doubt one sport takes up THAT much free time. And if it does it's a gross misuse of a kid's time. Even if they play in college (over 90% won't), they still have to be able to handle the demands of college. The kids in a lot of ECs pick up so many soft skills.

[Anonymous]

We have a handful of kids from our small private school who are accepted into Ivy League schools. In the past few years seniors have gone to Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, and one other that escapes me. They rarely have a hook and our school limits homework, emphasizes sanity and sleep, and really focuses on becoming the best whole person possible. Whether my kid gets into an Ivy or not, I know my kid will be prepared and happy to move on to the next level. That is what matters to me.