How the hell is anyone supposed to get into college now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like so many straight A students who were chief school newspaper editor, captain of a varsity sports team, volunteering, and more who can't even get to VA Tech. I don't know what people who get into schools like Michigan or the Ivy Leagues are doing in high school.

My daughter's friend who got into Yale was an Asian male with a very high wGPA who won Science Olympiad competitions and is an advanced string player.

Straight A doesn't mean anything, OP, you should know this. There is a world's difference between an A in a regular classs and an A in an AP class. Kids who get into the top colleges have 10+ APs, have a national level EC, etc. Your newpaper editing and team captainship worked a generation ago, but not today.

This is sounds exhausting. Kids have no time to be kids.

The top kids canget the 1530+ first try, ace all the hard APs, and find time to have 3-4 meaningful ECs as well as at least state level
academic recognition. And they sleep too. The competition is that fierce.

My neighbor’s kid plays violin, varsity football, 7 AP’s 5, lost his virginity at 13, editor of school newspaper, 1570 SAT. Waitlisted at Harvard, Yale. Princeton admit.

Our family friend in suburban Chicago had mediocre grades and average test scores but started his own business—a brothel in his parent’s home- and also got into Princeton.

Princeton needs a man like Joel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full pay helps

Sigh. It’s this.

Luckily this shouldn’t be a problem for most of DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like so many straight A students who were chief school newspaper editor, captain of a varsity sports team, volunteering, and more who can't even get to VA Tech. I don't know what people who get into schools like Michigan or the Ivy Leagues are doing in high school.

My daughter's friend who got into Yale was an Asian male with a very high wGPA who won Science Olympiad competitions and is an advanced string player.

Straight A doesn't mean anything, OP, you should know this. There is a world's difference between an A in a regular classs and an A in an AP class. Kids who get into the top colleges have 10+ APs, have a national level EC, etc. Your newpaper editing and team captainship worked a generation ago, but not today.

This is sounds exhausting. Kids have no time to be kids.

I am 44, and in my European country, high school was a stressful workathon culminating in one heck of a national exam week. I was so stressed out I couldn't eat on the first day of national exams. But that's nowhere near the worst. My cousins come from a country in Asia known for its teen suicide rate due to exam failure. Over there, when school ends for the day, the kids go to afternoon prep schools to cram. I know *elementary school kids* who had tutors to prepare for admission into the most prestigious afternoon prep schools!!! Separate from their regular school! HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!?

All to say: don't ever believe the US has it bad. I promise you, even for the kids who take grades seriously... it's still a layabout's paradise.

This is true, which is why some of the Asian parents want to send their kids to the US. It's easier.

I also have cousins in the same country you are probably talking about, and my spouse is from Europe. They also had to take those stressful national exams which basically determined what college you end up in.

Nowhere else but in the US does extra curricular play such an outsized role over grades and test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting into the second tier schools like Mich really isn’t that hard. You just need the stats and scores. And you need to be strategic, know which regions and which schools the college likes the pull kids from. There are schools that have 3-4 kids accepted into Mich every year. This may not be where your HS sends kids. So figure out if they send kids to NYU or another school.

I disagree. Michigan routinely denies valedictorians

Michigan waitlisted my A Student IB Diploma DD. Has old time ECs like newspaper EIC and sports captain, plus a couple of good internships. Perhaps because TO. But going to a top 15 school.

same.

4.92 wgpa
4.0 gpa
1580 sat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Full pay helps

No. It doesn't unless you are talking lower ranked privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like so many straight A students who were chief school newspaper editor, captain of a varsity sports team, volunteering, and more who can't even get to VA Tech. I don't know what people who get into schools like Michigan or the Ivy Leagues are doing in high school.

My daughter's friend who got into Yale was an Asian male with a very high wGPA who won Science Olympiad competitions and is an advanced string player.

Straight A doesn't mean anything, OP, you should know this. There is a world's difference between an A in a regular classs and an A in an AP class. Kids who get into the top colleges have 10+ APs, have a national level EC, etc. Your newpaper editing and team captainship worked a generation ago, but not today.

This is sounds exhausting. Kids have no time to be kids.

The top kids canget the 1530+ first try, ace all the hard APs, and find time to have 3-4 meaningful ECs as well as at least state level
academic recognition. And they sleep too. The competition is that fierce.

My neighbor’s kid plays violin, varsity football, 7 AP’s 5, lost his virginity at 13, editor of school newspaper, 1570 SAT. Waitlisted at Harvard, Yale. Princeton admit.

Our family friend in suburban Chicago had mediocre grades and average test scores but started his own business—a brothel in his parent’s home- and also got into Princeton.

Princeton needs a man like Joel.

Sometimes you just gotta say "what the F@#k".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full pay helps

No. It doesn't unless you are talking lower ranked privates.

Full pay does indeed help

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting into the second tier schools like Mich really isn’t that hard. You just need the stats and scores. And you need to be strategic, know which regions and which schools the college likes the pull kids from. There are schools that have 3-4 kids accepted into Mich every year. This may not be where your HS sends kids. So figure out if they send kids to NYU or another school.

I disagree. Michigan routinely denies valedictorians

Michigan waitlisted my A Student IB Diploma DD. Has old time ECs like newspaper EIC and sports captain, plus a couple of good internships. Perhaps because TO. But going to a top 15 school.

same.

4.92 wgpa
4.0 gpa
1580 sat

THIS. Try applying to Michigan 00S with a 1350 and not at the very top of your class with excellent ECs and essays and awards and see what happens. It's on par with ivies for OOS kids - the 20% is for in-state kids. That 1350 poster always pops up to crap on Michigan and say how easy it is to get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting into the second tier schools like Mich really isn’t that hard. You just need the stats and scores. And you need to be strategic, know which regions and which schools the college likes the pull kids from. There are schools that have 3-4 kids accepted into Mich every year. This may not be where your HS sends kids. So figure out if they send kids to NYU or another school.

I disagree. Michigan routinely denies valedictorians

Michigan waitlisted my A Student IB Diploma DD. Has old time ECs like newspaper EIC and sports captain, plus a couple of good internships. Perhaps because TO. But going to a top 15 school.

same.

4.92 wgpa
4.0 gpa
1580 sat

THIS. Try applying to Michigan 00S with a 1350 and not at the very top of your class with excellent ECs and essays and awards and see what happens. It's on par with ivies for OOS kids - the 20% is for in-state kids. That 1350 poster always pops up to crap on Michigan and say how easy it is to get in.

Major matters….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting into the second tier schools like Mich really isn’t that hard. You just need the stats and scores. And you need to be strategic, know which regions and which schools the college likes the pull kids from. There are schools that have 3-4 kids accepted into Mich every year. This may not be where your HS sends kids. So figure out if they send kids to NYU or another school.

I disagree. Michigan routinely denies valedictorians

Michigan waitlisted my A Student IB Diploma DD. Has old time ECs like newspaper EIC and sports captain, plus a couple of good internships. Perhaps because TO. But going to a top 15 school.

same.

4.92 wgpa
4.0 gpa
1580 sat

THIS. Try applying to Michigan 00S with a 1350 and not at the very top of your class with excellent ECs and essays and awards and see what happens. It's on par with ivies for OOS kids - the 20% is for in-state kids. That 1350 poster always pops up to crap on Michigan and say how easy it is to get in.

Major matters….

ok, so major in art history, as a PP stated. Certainly not CS or Eng, like my super high stats DC did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting into the second tier schools like Mich really isn’t that hard. You just need the stats and scores. And you need to be strategic, know which regions and which schools the college likes the pull kids from. There are schools that have 3-4 kids accepted into Mich every year. This may not be where your HS sends kids. So figure out if they send kids to NYU or another school.

I disagree. Michigan routinely denies valedictorians

Michigan waitlisted my A Student IB Diploma DD. Has old time ECs like newspaper EIC and sports captain, plus a couple of good internships. Perhaps because TO. But going to a top 15 school.

same.

4.92 wgpa
4.0 gpa
1580 sat

THIS. Try applying to Michigan 00S with a 1350 and not at the very top of your class with excellent ECs and essays and awards and see what happens. It's on par with ivies for OOS kids - the 20% is for in-state kids. That 1350 poster always pops up to crap on Michigan and say how easy it is to get in.

Major matters….

ok, so major in art history, as a PP stated. Certainly not CS or Eng, like my super high stats DC did.

You clearly weren’t strategic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like so many straight A students who were chief school newspaper editor, captain of a varsity sports team, volunteering, and more who can't even get to VA Tech. I don't know what people who get into schools like Michigan or the Ivy Leagues are doing in high school.

Did you just equate Michigan with the Ivy League.

LOL.

Slick, Slim. Real slick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like so many straight A students who were chief school newspaper editor, captain of a varsity sports team, volunteering, and more who can't even get to VA Tech. I don't know what people who get into schools like Michigan or the Ivy Leagues are doing in high school.

My daughter's friend who got into Yale was an Asian male with a very high wGPA who won Science Olympiad competitions and is an advanced string player.

Straight A doesn't mean anything, OP, you should know this. There is a world's difference between an A in a regular classs and an A in an AP class. Kids who get into the top colleges have 10+ APs, have a national level EC, etc. Your newpaper editing and team captainship worked a generation ago, but not today.

This is sounds exhausting. Kids have no time to be kids.

So don't do all the "stuff". Let your kid do what they enjoy for ECs and take 6-8 APs and "enjoy HS". They can still get into many schools ranked 30-70.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting into the second tier schools like Mich really isn’t that hard. You just need the stats and scores. And you need to be strategic, know which regions and which schools the college likes the pull kids from. There are schools that have 3-4 kids accepted into Mich every year. This may not be where your HS sends kids. So figure out if they send kids to NYU or another school.

I disagree. Michigan routinely denies valedictorians

Michigan waitlisted my A Student IB Diploma DD. Has old time ECs like newspaper EIC and sports captain, plus a couple of good internships. Perhaps because TO. But going to a top 15 school.

same.

4.92 wgpa
4.0 gpa
1580 sat

THIS. Try applying to Michigan 00S with a 1350 and not at the very top of your class with excellent ECs and essays and awards and see what happens. It's on par with ivies for OOS kids - the 20% is for in-state kids. That 1350 poster always pops up to crap on Michigan and say how easy it is to get in.

Major matters….

ok, so major in art history, as a PP stated. Certainly not CS or Eng, like my super high stats DC did.

You clearly weren’t strategic.

How would they have been strategic in order to be a CS major? I don't think it's easy to transfer into CS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like so many straight A students who were chief school newspaper editor, captain of a varsity sports team, volunteering, and more who can't even get to VA Tech. I don't know what people who get into schools like Michigan or the Ivy Leagues are doing in high school.

My daughter's friend who got into Yale was an Asian male with a very high wGPA who won Science Olympiad competitions and is an advanced string player.

Straight A doesn't mean anything, OP, you should know this. There is a world's difference between an A in a regular classs and an A in an AP class. Kids who get into the top colleges have 10+ APs, have a national level EC, etc. Your newpaper editing and team captainship worked a generation ago, but not today.

This is sounds exhausting. Kids have no time to be kids.

So don't do all the "stuff". Let your kid do what they enjoy for ECs and take 6-8 APs and "enjoy HS". They can still get into many schools ranked 30-70.

+1000. Not everyone can go to T10 and not everyone wants to. Further not everyone can major in CS or Engineering and frankly some shouldn’t.