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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A 680 isn't fatal, even for Harvard.  Harvard's average Math SAT is around 740 and it has its share of 800M scores on the other end.  What is more important, is that to be competitive at the top schools, she better be taking the most challenging classes at her high school.

Let your daughter take the lead on the college search.  It really is a process, almost like a rite of passage.  Maybe she will be "brand" obsessed like most DCUMs, but chances are she will consider a range of factors.  I'll bet she makes good decisions and will end up at the right school.[/quote]

And just who do you think with a 680 is at Harvard?  It's a recruited athlete, a legacy, a URM or someone with an extraordinary talent - an Olympic hopeful, a Westinghouse Science award winner, etc.  That's not to say that there aren't a ton of great colleges in the US.  And you're right there is an obsession with the top 10.  Just know who is getting into the top 10. It's not the well-rounded nice kid with above average SAT's, grades, class rankings and solid extra-curriculars.  It's the kid with perfect SAT scores, first in class or maybe second, with an extraordinary talent unless he/she has a "hook" as mentioned above.  Don't kid yourself.[/quote]

There's definitely truth to this but, just like every year you see DCUM posts claiming "we're totally normal and DC got into Sidwell,"* a few "totally normal, well-rounded, high achieving kids" do get into Harvard each year. And I do mean a handful. The thing is, the odds are just so much worse for them. We know that Harvard takes 6-7% of the total applicant pool, but it takes maybe 20-30% of legacies and some percentage higher than 6-7% for URMS and recruited athletes. So just doing the math, because this pie is limited to 2000 or so kids, the acceptance rate for "totally normal high achieving" kids is clearly way below 6%. And the acceptance rates for "totally normal, well-rounded, high achieving kids" with SATs of 680 is probably even lower, unless the essay and extras really knock it out of the ballpark.

Harvard used to admit a group they called "the happy bottom quarter" or something like that. These were the kids from wealthy families who got all sentimental watching the crew team practice on the Charles. But those days are long gone!
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