Just figured I'd share because it might benefit lots of folks here...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your high school matters more than ANYTHING else. Don't let people tell you otherwise.

Ex. TJ can sink at T10 application. While St. Ann's can clearly make it.

This is SO true. The standards differ depending on your HS.

+10000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Ann’s students are children of celebrities and the super rich, not really relevant for the rest of us.

Which celebrities? I asked my friend with a freshman there, and she just said they’re regular biglaw/finance parents in that class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Ann’s students are children of celebrities and the super rich, not really relevant for the rest of us.

Check out their last names on IG:
saintannsseniors2025

[Anonymous]

No grading may not be the best fit for neurodivergent kids, who could benefit from a structured environment, a routine. There was a tragedy two years ago.

[Anonymous]

St Ann's has more quirky Brooklyn creatives than celeb kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No grading may not be the best fit for neurodivergent kids, who could benefit from a structured environment, a routine. There was a tragedy two years ago.

SA is not a great school for kids with special needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Ann's has more quirky Brooklyn creatives than celeb kids.

This. It is not a wealthy celebrity school at all. It’s artsy. Not bro-culture at all.

[Anonymous]

So to the OP I'd say your friend didn't tell you anything new. She told you what I learned from scouring these pages 8-10 yrs ago, before my kids were in MS. So I knew that strategically they would be better off playing that cello from age 8 onwards and earning awards for it and being 1st cello in the school orchestra (for example).

You can find these kinds of pointers and details if you read everything very carefully. If you have someone tell you in one post what their kids did that was slightly off the beaten track (aka, they got the APS and the SATs and the GPA down regardless).

Both my kids graduated HS this summer and each of them is going to their #1 choice college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. Any college admissions officer would say that the kid who stands out at elite colleges is the one who took AP Chem while at the same time taking doing the independent music thing.

This actually isn't true. In most cases, the kid who stands out is the one with a unique story. Right now, a lot of kids have the same (overachieving, overtaxed) story.

True, and they kind of hate the nauseating overachievers now. It's why you see them getting dinged with 'perfect everything' and they don't know why. It's clear they have no true passion, no north star. College admission is the goal for those kids, and most selective (private) colleges don't want those kids.

I don't know whether the above is true of AOs or not, but it seems laughable that 15-18 year olds should have a "north star."
This whole debate makes me sad for my bright, curious kid who wants to try a lot of things - as she should at this age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. Any college admissions officer would say that the kid who stands out at elite colleges is the one who took AP Chem while at the same time taking doing the independent music thing.

This actually isn't true. In most cases, the kid who stands out is the one with a unique story. Right now, a lot of kids have the same (overachieving, overtaxed) story.

True, and they kind of hate the nauseating overachievers now. It's why you see them getting dinged with 'perfect everything' and they don't know why. It's clear they have no true passion, no north star. College admission is the goal for those kids, and most selective (private) colleges don't want those kids.

I don't know whether the above is true of AOs or not, but it seems laughable that 15-18 year olds should have a "north star."
This whole debate makes me sad for my bright, curious kid who wants to try a lot of things - as she should at this age.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. Any college admissions officer would say that the kid who stands out at elite colleges is the one who took AP Chem while at the same time taking doing the independent music thing.

This actually isn't true. In most cases, the kid who stands out is the one with a unique story. Right now, a lot of kids have the same (overachieving, overtaxed) story.

True, and they kind of hate the nauseating overachievers now. It's why you see them getting dinged with 'perfect everything' and they don't know why. It's clear they have no true passion, no north star. College admission is the goal for those kids, and most selective (private) colleges don't want those kids.

I don't know whether the above is true of AOs or not, but it seems laughable that 15-18 year olds should have a "north star."
This whole debate makes me sad for my bright, curious kid who wants to try a lot of things - as she should at this age.

It’s a 17-18 yo applying to college.
They need a passion. Something easy that helps a T20 AO answer this question: “We want this particular student because?

If you can’t complete that easily after reading your kid’s application, that’s an issue. you need to convey the answer to this question authentically and leave an impression. Usually that’s passion or having a North Star. Sometimes it can be values based too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. Any college admissions officer would say that the kid who stands out at elite colleges is the one who took AP Chem while at the same time taking doing the independent music thing.

This actually isn't true. In most cases, the kid who stands out is the one with a unique story. Right now, a lot of kids have the same (overachieving, overtaxed) story.

True, and they kind of hate the nauseating overachievers now. It's why you see them getting dinged with 'perfect everything' and they don't know why. It's clear they have no true passion, no north star. College admission is the goal for those kids, and most selective (private) colleges don't want those kids.

I don't know whether the above is true of AOs or not, but it seems laughable that 15-18 year olds should have a "north star."
This whole debate makes me sad for my bright, curious kid who wants to try a lot of things - as she should at this age.

It’s a 17-18 yo applying to college.
They need a passion. Something easy that helps a T20 AO answer this question: “We want this particular student because?

If you can’t complete that easily after reading your kid’s application, that’s an issue. you need to convey the answer to this question authentically and leave an impression. Usually that’s passion or having a North Star. Sometimes it can be values based too.

I understand that a passion can be important, but how much of one? None is apparently bad, but too much can be considered calculated, dictated by parents and the college counselor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Ann’s students are children of celebrities and the super rich, not really relevant for the rest of us.

Which celebrities? I asked my friend with a freshman there, and she just said they’re regular biglaw/finance parents in that class.

I actually think SA hates big law and finance parents. Recent parents have been Matt Damon (probably still there), Mary Louise Parker, Ethan Hawke. I think Paul Rudd. Lena Dunham went there, she is like the prototypical student with the dream outcome (to them) honestly. I am laughing at the thought that it is rigorous - it is the opposite of rigorous, everything is writing and vibes. Mike D from the Beastie Boys went there too. He rapped abt taking the subway there from the UWS. Many, many writer parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. Any college admissions officer would say that the kid who stands out at elite colleges is the one who took AP Chem while at the same time taking doing the independent music thing.

This actually isn't true. In most cases, the kid who stands out is the one with a unique story. Right now, a lot of kids have the same (overachieving, overtaxed) story.

True, and they kind of hate the nauseating overachievers now. It's why you see them getting dinged with 'perfect everything' and they don't know why. It's clear they have no true passion, no north star. College admission is the goal for those kids, and most selective (private) colleges don't want those kids.

I don't know whether the above is true of AOs or not, but it seems laughable that 15-18 year olds should have a "north star."
This whole debate makes me sad for my bright, curious kid who wants to try a lot of things - as she should at this age.

It’s a 17-18 yo applying to college.
They need a passion. Something easy that helps a T20 AO answer this question: “We want this particular student because?

..because they're good at math? Because they're passionate about and skilled at X? Not enough, apparently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. Any college admissions officer would say that the kid who stands out at elite colleges is the one who took AP Chem while at the same time taking doing the independent music thing.

This actually isn't true. In most cases, the kid who stands out is the one with a unique story. Right now, a lot of kids have the same (overachieving, overtaxed) story.

True, and they kind of hate the nauseating overachievers now. It's why you see them getting dinged with 'perfect everything' and they don't know why. It's clear they have no true passion, no north star. College admission is the goal for those kids, and most selective (private) colleges don't want those kids.

I don't know whether the above is true of AOs or not, but it seems laughable that 15-18 year olds should have a "north star."
This whole debate makes me sad for my bright, curious kid who wants to try a lot of things - as she should at this age.

It’s a 17-18 yo applying to college.
They need a passion. Something easy that helps a T20 AO answer this question: “We want this particular student because?

..because they're good at math? Because they're passionate about and skilled at X? Not enough, apparently.

Not everyone has the "passion" at that age. It's a ludicrous benchmark to expect.