What are the most common/unremarkable ECs?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

True, but I bet he didnt sell a business at 17 for $50k of whatever it is the previous poster indicated and donated it all to charity…..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

True, but I bet he didnt sell a business at 17 for $50k of whatever it is the previous poster indicated and donated it all to charity…..

probably... because they need the money to survive. the donation sounds like a calculated gimmick made possible by wealthy family where money is non-issue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

I think this is how it is.

My DS is like your DD -- super smart academically, but not really driven (stats higher than your kid's). They got denied at T10; they didn't really have any stellar activities, nor did they have any passion in HS. They had some activities, but nothing standout. But, they are doing great at the state flagship, now a junior majoring in STEM, has straight As (perfect 4.0, like they did since MS). They also got a good internship this summer with a well known company. I think they found their drive a bit more in college.

My younger DC doesn't have the high stats. Their PSAT was 1380, and I think unwgpa is like 3.7 and getting lower (ugh). But, this DC has passion in two areas, and it shows in their activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

True, but I bet he didnt sell a business at 17 for $50k of whatever it is the previous poster indicated and donated it all to charity…..

probably... because they need the money to survive. the donation sounds like a calculated gimmick made possible by wealthy family where money is non-issue

irrelevant….what is relevant is that the poster’s kid had the initiative and drive to create a business that generated enough value at just 17 years old. What he did with that value creation is irrelevant. Sure donating to a charity was just the cherry on top. My kid would have just pocketed the money and we are have a $1M + income….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

True, but I bet he didnt sell a business at 17 for $50k of whatever it is the previous poster indicated and donated it all to charity…..

probably... because they need the money to survive. the donation sounds like a calculated gimmick made possible by wealthy family where money is non-issue

Yes it is. I was told about this model by several famous national consultants

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

True, but I bet he didnt sell a business at 17 for $50k of whatever it is the previous poster indicated and donated it all to charity…..

probably... because they need the money to survive. the donation sounds like a calculated gimmick made possible by wealthy family where money is non-issue

irrelevant….what is relevant is that the poster’s kid had the initiative and drive to create a business that generated enough value at just 17 years old. What he did with that value creation is irrelevant. Sure donating to a charity was just the cherry on top. My kid would have just pocketed the money and we are have a $1M + income….

it was the PP i responded to who highlighted the charitable angle. i agree it's not relevant but it does make me question how organic the creation of the business itself was. my DC who is very entrepreneurial as well as generous would never give all their money to charity. some, sure, but all of it, after working for years to grow their business?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

True, but I bet he didnt sell a business at 17 for $50k of whatever it is the previous poster indicated and donated it all to charity…..

probably... because they need the money to survive. the donation sounds like a calculated gimmick made possible by wealthy family where money is non-issue

Yes it is. I was told about this model by several famous national consultants

Just wondering if you were the parent of this kid, who sold a business for $50k, what would you have advised your son to do?

1) not donate the money as to not upset striver parents at DCUM , even if the donation would have benefited those who need it.
2) donate and move on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

True, but I bet he didnt sell a business at 17 for $50k of whatever it is the previous poster indicated and donated it all to charity…..

probably... because they need the money to survive. the donation sounds like a calculated gimmick made possible by wealthy family where money is non-issue

irrelevant….what is relevant is that the poster’s kid had the initiative and drive to create a business that generated enough value at just 17 years old. What he did with that value creation is irrelevant. Sure donating to a charity was just the cherry on top. My kid would have just pocketed the money and we are have a $1M + income….

it was the PP i responded to who highlighted the charitable angle. i agree it's not relevant but it does make me question how organic the creation of the business itself was. my DC who is very entrepreneurial as well as generous would never give all their money to charity. some, sure, but all of it, after working for years to grow their business?

If a counselor or paid advisor was involved it’s likely the applicant had little do with the business anyway outside their “name”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

That is impressive and you can see exactly what made the difference. It is demonstrable initiative, innovation and social consciousness. Well done your kid.

Absolutely. It has frustrated kid #1 as she has always been considered the “smart one” by everybody else outside out family. She is thriving now, but I know this has bothered her a lot. All those hours working to get a 98 on all her AP classes and Calc BC, while son slacked a little in HS since his focus was on his little business and didnt even take Calc AB…..he maxed out at Honors Pre-Calc…..

He wouldn’t have achieved it without test optional. She’s rightfully upset that he’s this under qualified but allowed into an Ivy.

And yet, he’s had a 4.0 his Freshman yr….high A’s in everything…..kids just mature academically at their own pace. He was way too busy to focus as much on academics in HS as his sister did. He is not any less smart or capable. I’m glad these IVY’s didnt have YOU as an AO..

yeah that is just a bitter a hole.

What he has is entrepreneurial spirit, as you will know. Gates, Bezos, Jobs etc.

calm down, the kids is hardly a bezos.

Those are entrepreneurs. That is the comparison. Do catch up!

your neighborhood dry cleaning owner is also an entrepreneur.

True, but I bet he didnt sell a business at 17 for $50k of whatever it is the previous poster indicated and donated it all to charity…..

probably... because they need the money to survive. the donation sounds like a calculated gimmick made possible by wealthy family where money is non-issue

irrelevant….what is relevant is that the poster’s kid had the initiative and drive to create a business that generated enough value at just 17 years old. What he did with that value creation is irrelevant. Sure donating to a charity was just the cherry on top. My kid would have just pocketed the money and we are have a $1M + income….

it was the PP i responded to who highlighted the charitable angle. i agree it's not relevant but it does make me question how organic the creation of the business itself was. my DC who is very entrepreneurial as well as generous would never give all their money to charity. some, sure, but all of it, after working for years to grow their business?

If a counselor or paid advisor was involved it’s likely the applicant had little do with the business anyway outside their “name”

As I mentioned before. We hired a counselor for my daughter in the end of her Sophomore year And after her disappointment with applications results, we did not hire any counselor for my son. He had no paid advisor starting a business for him. he did it himself and started in 8th grade. That was his thing. He was made fun of. but he stayed with it. We even asked him if he was sure he wanted to donate this money. We told him he could use it to buy a car. He said no. Just to be clear, he only donated the proceeds/profit from the sale of the business. He did pocket the cash flow in the prior 3 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

Was the European pre-college program academic or purely for travel and fun?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Model UN. Also, I once heard being an Eagle Scout is like writing an essay about your dead grandma.

Try earning Eagle then. It's _hard_. And it requires support from parents/guardians, friends, and a community of volunteers, too. My kid has been in Scouting for years and it has taught him an immense amount. I will be so proud of him when he makes Eagle, and I'm happy to share that pride with thousands of other Scouts and parents, no matter what it does or doesn't do for my kid in college admissions.

And if the credential is so dismissible and common, ever thought about whether there are any AOs out there who are also proud Eagle Scouts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The three Eagle Scouts from my son's HS did not fare well in admissions last year. They're all at targets/safeties; none were accepted at their reaches. Not that this is hard data, but interesting to me.

(Kid applied to Ivies: Villanova. Kid who ED1 to BC: Bates. Kid who applied to a ton of schools, including ED to Lehigh: UVM.)

This post tells us nothing. It’s one data point. Was scouting their only EC? Did they take the most rigorous courses? GPA? SAT/ACT?

Exactly. The lack of logic in the post is concerning.

This. My DD is a younger Scout on track for Eagle. Her troop members applying to colleges this year have a range of stats and other EC commitments. Since we're sharing anecdata, one is in at Penn.

No the whole eagle scout thing is very minor. Very old school, like 1970s. It's not impressive to be part of a larger organization, it is impressive to create changes within one. If your kid is doing that, they should shout about it in their essays. If they're not, well ok.

You clearly know nothing about the kind of leadership, teamwork, service, and years of hard work Eagle entails.

Sure I know about that but it is old news. It also shows conformity, and a desire to wear uniform. So really these kids should be applying to military academies or the police. It's not really making a dent in society or intellectual or artistic originality. It's just boring.

Is your kid an Eagle? Do you have any idea what it takes to advance in Scouting and what these kids can do? One of the things that is great about Scouting is that it provides opportunities for lots of different kinds of kids to take on challenges and succeed in a wide variety of pursuits. Some kids who are amazing Scouts may not be high-stats students, and that's part of the magic of Scouting - many, many pathways to being potentially excellent in your own way. So not every Eagle goes to Harvard, but I'm willing to bet that most Eagles do better _with_ that accomplishment in hand than they would ever have done without it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is our example with our 2 white privileged kids, one at IVY, the other at a t25:

2 yrs ago - T25 kid: 1520 SAT 3.9 UW GPA. Violin, volunteering at non profit, sports, denied at all IVYs applied.

Last yr - IVY Kid: 1380 SAT, 3.7 UW GPA. Started business selling his product to 10 different countries and sold it for $40k beginning of Sr year. donated it all to a charity for kids prior to application, was in the local news. Pre-College summer program in Europe before Sr yr. Sport in HS. Accepted at 3 IVYs and 2 t20.

Was the European pre-college program academic or purely for travel and fun?

2.5 weeks at Sciences Po pre-college program and 1 week at Kings College pre-college program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the most common/unremarkable ECs, unremarkable meaning that an admissions officer would not give much weight to them due to how widespread it is, even if there is leadership involved, and that would only catch an AOs eye if you won a national-level award for the EC?

IMO, the most common, especially in this area, would be student government, debate/model un, academic team/math/science/etc Olympiad, NHS, odyssey, Scouts, rec sports, and maybe theater

There aren't that many kids in DC proper who qualify for the Math Olympiads (AMO or JMO). Not that many from Blair/Poolesville/TJ either in the past couple of years. And only a couple of MOP qualifiers (none from DC).