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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I want to debunk this so hard because I've written about this before, but I have a DD at Stanford and she's about as normal as they come. People were shocked when she got in, her counselor told her she had a snow ball's chance in hell and almost refused to do the damn paperwork for the application, but they were wrong and so are a lot of you.

DD was a good student with a decent, but not crazy GPA. Her SAT scores were good, but seriously in line with plenty of people's who were rejected based on her schools scattercram. She's was basically around the in-pool for UVA. She did zero extra-circulars. And I mean, zero.

Her interest was shopping, fashion, and make up. She was a crazy online shopper, she had a website about make-up and fashion, she worked at a make up store, was crazy about the beauty industry and online shopping. [b]She had an interest in STEM and talked about ideas she wanted to pursue and why she thought her view and perspective was different. She wrote her essay about merchandising, consumer trends, and how stores and websites drive people to choose certain things. It's basically what led her to studying a STEM based program and working at a large online retailer last summer. She wasn't hooked.[/b]

I do think there's an element of randomness, but I also think a compelling story and interest tied can sometimes make someone stand out.[/quote]

That just sent my BS meter off. Sure sounds like you wrote her essays.[/quote]

PP here. You can guess away, but no, I didn't write her essay. I didn't even care/know about her STEM interests beyond knowing that she did a shopping/styling website.

What I was trying to explain is the whole craziness that drives the DC area is pointless. These types of schools can pick plenty of kids with perfect scores and achievements. [b]It's not as important as encouraging your kid to pursue their own interests.[/b][/quote]

Bust you said you disagreed with OP's point then went on to completely validate and [b]conform[/b] it. :roll:  [/quote]

but, confirm -- sorry for the typos :oops: [/quote]

I do disagree. It's not about academic awards or what you do in school so much as it is about finding your interests and being willing to march to the beat of your own drummer even if that means you're not involved at school in anything. My kid did zero school activities, she won no awards, her teachers pretty much thought she was a bright enough kid, but not the type they would see getting into a school like Stanford. But she did and she's doing well there because she's driven by her own interests, she's not trying to grab some sort of brass ring of achievement, she's doing what she wants.[/quote]

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