Walls student gets into 8 Ivy League schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me about these "grand sweep" stories is that it is always a URM winning all eight and that because they applied to all 8 (with terrific GPA and scores, I get it), they are going to get in all 8. But that leaves seven other deserving students out there waitlisted. Out of the 8 Ivies, surely these students have a top one, two or three picks. So why apply to all eight for bragging rights? No, I'm not bitter as a PP said. I don't even have a student applying this year. I'm just reflecting on why some students feel they must do this. The whole point of SCEA and EDs were to make students pick the elite school they most wanted early on in the game, so that all 8 schools didn't have to review the same 50K applications. It's counterproductive when a student does this. Now she'll pick one and call or email the other seven to release a spot.

Let me tell you why students have to do this. In most cases its because of $. In our case my kids this year was accepted to multiple Ivies as well. Our financial aid packages were all over the place, literally, we got zero to very generous aid and everything in between. If you need money you cannot count on getting it in the EA round. ITS NOT FOR BRAGGING RIGHTS. These schools know how to pick HUMBLE kids! And the go on TV to help other kids they may not realize they can do it too.

Some kids are not dead set on going to their EA choice - it is not binding, so you are free to apply in the ED rounds. I know other kids that were accepted to multiple top schools and are trying to be deliberate about making the choice. It's not fair for people to hate on these kids, hate on the system that has been created but not the kids. And no one here really knows all of the ins and outs of these kids applications and their financial situations. I speak from experience. Hating on these kids for this, smacks of entitlement. Deserving kids will get those spots when a final decision is made.

This may make sense as a rationale to apply to 3 or 4 Ivies -- but all eight?

C'mon, they are very different schools, in different settings, with different strengths and weaknesses.

Also, financial aid is not a problem if you are in the Questbridge program. We didn't qualify so we're a donut hole family making do with what student loans were proffered. I think it is bragging rights - the financial aid packages aren't going to vary that much. Also she is hurting the chances of her own high school classmates by "taking" 8 seats when only one or two could have sufficed. She probably wanted Princeton or Harvard . . . then why apply to another six RD? Except for bragging right OR if the high school college counselor wants bragging rights!

You don't know what you are talking about. The financial aid packages between Ivies varies WIDELY! You check out the Facebook group Paying for College 101 where someone posted a chart with all of the schools they applied to, the calculator price, and then the final price that was offered.

In addition to the financial aid issue, kids have been absorbing the message for years that these schools are lottery schools and then apply accordingly. I don't agree with the approach of applying to every Ivy. However, the admissions system is messed up on many levels and it is not right to blame the kids.

[Anonymous]

She is quite extraordinary. Good for her. I wish her the best!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me about these "grand sweep" stories is that it is always a URM winning all eight and that because they applied to all 8 (with terrific GPA and scores, I get it), they are going to get in all 8. But that leaves seven other deserving students out there waitlisted. Out of the 8 Ivies, surely these students have a top one, two or three picks. So why apply to all eight for bragging rights? No, I'm not bitter as a PP said. I don't even have a student applying this year. I'm just reflecting on why some students feel they must do this. The whole point of SCEA and EDs were to make students pick the elite school they most wanted early on in the game, so that all 8 schools didn't have to review the same 50K applications. It's counterproductive when a student does this. Now she'll pick one and call or email the other seven to release a spot.

Let me tell you why students have to do this. In most cases its because of $. In our case my kids this year was accepted to multiple Ivies as well. Our financial aid packages were all over the place, literally, we got zero to very generous aid and everything in between. If you need money you cannot count on getting it in the EA round. ITS NOT FOR BRAGGING RIGHTS. These schools know how to pick HUMBLE kids! And the go on TV to help other kids they may not realize they can do it too.

Some kids are not dead set on going to their EA choice - it is not binding, so you are free to apply in the ED rounds. I know other kids that were accepted to multiple top schools and are trying to be deliberate about making the choice. It's not fair for people to hate on these kids, hate on the system that has been created but not the kids. And no one here really knows all of the ins and outs of these kids applications and their financial situations. I speak from experience. Hating on these kids for this, smacks of entitlement. Deserving kids will get those spots when a final decision is made.

This may make sense as a rationale to apply to 3 or 4 Ivies -- but all eight?

C'mon, they are very different schools, in different settings, with different strengths and weaknesses.

Also, financial aid is not a problem if you are in the Questbridge program. We didn't qualify so we're a donut hole family making do with what student loans were proffered. I think it is bragging rights - the financial aid packages aren't going to vary that much. Also she is hurting the chances of her own high school classmates by "taking" 8 seats when only one or two could have sufficed. She probably wanted Princeton or Harvard . . . then why apply to another six RD? Except for bragging right OR if the high school college counselor wants bragging rights!

Are you paying her college application fees or tuition? If not, it’s none of your business how many colleges, Ivy or not, she applied to this year. Perhaps if you spent more time focused on your own children, they would also have multiple Ivies from which to choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, how impressive that she finished AP Calc sophomore year and took 5 college math courses already! I'm sure that won't get overshadowed by the fact that she's black!

I see what you did there !

[Anonymous]

I know the student and am uncomfortable with this discussion. Really, we, the upstanding parents, are talking rather indelicately about a child in our own community, here. Whatever you may think of her situation, try to remember, before criticizing her in a public forum, that this is a real kid and that DC is painfully small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know the student and am uncomfortable with this discussion. Really, we, the upstanding parents, are talking rather indelicately about a child in our own community, here. Whatever you may think of her situation, try to remember, before criticizing her in a public forum, that this is a real kid and that DC is painfully small.

She is an adult (18 or close to it) who went in TV to discuss her admissions process. Expectation of privacy is waived at this point.

[Anonymous]

It’s like “Stupid Pet Tricks” to pull this off. The Ivies are very different from one another, so any kid who applies to all eight of them is engaging in a transparent, prestige-chasing exercise with the hope of a TV spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know the student and am uncomfortable with this discussion. Really, we, the upstanding parents, are talking rather indelicately about a child in our own community, here. Whatever you may think of her situation, try to remember, before criticizing her in a public forum, that this is a real kid and that DC is painfully small.

Maybe DC itself is small, but look beyond your bubble. The DC metro area has 6.2 million people, essentially tied with Houston for the 5th largest metro area in the country. Only Dallas, Chicago, LA, and NY are larger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s like “Stupid Pet Tricks” to pull this off. The Ivies are very different from one another, so any kid who applies to all eight of them is engaging in a transparent, prestige-chasing exercise with the hope of a TV spot.

No, not really. It's hardly like a stupid pet trick. It's actually quite impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the student and am uncomfortable with this discussion. Really, we, the upstanding parents, are talking rather indelicately about a child in our own community, here. Whatever you may think of her situation, try to remember, before criticizing her in a public forum, that this is a real kid and that DC is painfully small.

Maybe DC itself is small, but look beyond your bubble. The DC metro area has 6.2 million people, essentially tied with Houston for the 5th largest metro area in the country. Only Dallas, Chicago, LA, and NY are larger.

I don’t think PP meant small in the literal sense. Just a guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me about these "grand sweep" stories is that it is always a URM winning all eight and that because they applied to all 8 (with terrific GPA and scores, I get it), they are going to get in all 8. But that leaves seven other deserving students out there waitlisted. Out of the 8 Ivies, surely these students have a top one, two or three picks. So why apply to all eight for bragging rights? No, I'm not bitter as a PP said. I don't even have a student applying this year. I'm just reflecting on why some students feel they must do this. The whole point of SCEA and EDs were to make students pick the elite school they most wanted early on in the game, so that all 8 schools didn't have to review the same 50K applications. It's counterproductive when a student does this. Now she'll pick one and call or email the other seven to release a spot.

Let me tell you why students have to do this. In most cases its because of $. In our case my kids this year was accepted to multiple Ivies as well. Our financial aid packages were all over the place, literally, we got zero to very generous aid and everything in between. If you need money you cannot count on getting it in the EA round. ITS NOT FOR BRAGGING RIGHTS. These schools know how to pick HUMBLE kids! And the go on TV to help other kids they may not realize they can do it too.

Some kids are not dead set on going to their EA choice - it is not binding, so you are free to apply in the ED rounds. I know other kids that were accepted to multiple top schools and are trying to be deliberate about making the choice. It's not fair for people to hate on these kids, hate on the system that has been created but not the kids. And no one here really knows all of the ins and outs of these kids applications and their financial situations. I speak from experience. Hating on these kids for this, smacks of entitlement. Deserving kids will get those spots when a final decision is made.

This may make sense as a rationale to apply to 3 or 4 Ivies -- but all eight?

C'mon, they are very different schools, in different settings, with different strengths and weaknesses.

Also, financial aid is not a problem if you are in the Questbridge program. We didn't qualify so we're a donut hole family making do with what student loans were proffered. I think it is bragging rights - the financial aid packages aren't going to vary that much. Also she is hurting the chances of her own high school classmates by "taking" 8 seats when only one or two could have sufficed. She probably wanted Princeton or Harvard . . . then why apply to another six RD? Except for bragging right OR if the high school college counselor wants bragging rights!

Are you paying her college application fees or tuition? If not, it’s none of your business how many colleges, Ivy or not, she applied to this year. Perhaps if you spent more time focused on your own children, they would also have multiple Ivies from which to choose.

I know the family and they can write a check for all 4 years right now at any of the Ivy’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s like “Stupid Pet Tricks” to pull this off. The Ivies are very different from one another, so any kid who applies to all eight of them is engaging in a transparent, prestige-chasing exercise with the hope of a TV spot.

Oh noes!! A smart, public-school educated kid will get a minute of TV coverage that could inspire others to work hard? An example of a family that supports each other in their dreams? Heaven forfend!

honestly, this is what I want to see on local news. but instead, all I ever see is people getting murdered, car accidents, and scam alerts. Local TV news is losing viewership because people like me want to hear more about GOOD things like this young lady, but instead we only hear bad things.

[Anonymous]

Ha ha. I love the people who assume that because she's partially AA she had a rough home life. Please look in the mirror. You are racist, even if you don't mean to be.

Her mom, Melody, is fantastic. She is also Harvard/Harvard and was also a Truman scholar. She was a SAHM when her kids were little and then went back to work. She's super involved at Walls (PTA Pres) and in DC in general. Also, some people on DCUM might appreciate that she went to Banneker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She talks here about why she applied to all 8--she said she wasn't sure what she wanted in a college but did want a liberal arts education, and thought that getting into some but not others would make the decision for her. Seems legit to me. I wouldn't dissuade a strong applicant from applying to all 8 if they really didn't know what they wanted yet.

http://www.wusa9.com/video/opinion/editorials/off-script/offscripton9-dc-teen-accepted-into-all-8-ivy-league-schools/65-8072504

Her Mom is Harvard/Harvard and President of the PTA and her yet this very smart girl hadn't thought about what she wanted in a college? So she applied to all 8 Ivies. I find that explanation not credible.

[Anonymous]

Wonder if she had an outside college counselor or just used the ones at Walls