Reply to Pervasive Myths - set the record straight

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]That your kid's top stats (grades, rigor, and scores) will be reconsidered by the committee as part of the AO committee's holistic review; and that those top-tier stats will add a bump to your kid's application.

[reality - the grades/rigor/scores get you to the room, then are never looked at again. It's about everything else][/quote]
My understanding has always been that your stats can get you put in a different stack for consideration with different standards.  For example, stats above 75% may put you in a pile where 2/3 of those in the stack get offers, while stats below 25% may mean that only 1/20 in that pile get offers (so you'd need some extraordinary factor).  Those with hooks end up sorted into different stacks entirely.

Back in the day these were literal stacks.  Now they're figurative because everything is virtual.[/quote]

Nope. Definitely not.

It’s based on a point system. For example, at Harvard to 33 and a 36 get you the same point. So I want you to extrapolate and think how different these stacks really are. The biggest points actually come in the other categories. You would do best to familiarize yourself with how these things are scored in the modern era.[/quote]
A quick Google tells me that Harvard has six "piles" or "scores" for academic quality.  This really isn't any different from the piles of yore.  The cutoffs are different than my example because it's Harvard, but it's the same premise.  They weigh academics more strongly than all the other categories, so it is the most important factor.

[quote]Academics
This section’s rating system is perhaps the most clear cut:

“1. Summa potential. Genuine scholar; near-perfect scores and grades (in most cases) combined with unusual creativity and possible evidence of original scholarship.

2. Magna potential: Excellent student with superb grades and mid-to high-700 scores (33+ ACT). 3. Cum laude potential: Very good student with excellent grades and mid-600 to low-700 scores (29 to 32 ACT).

4. Adequate preparation. Respectable grades and low-to mid-600 scores (26 to 29 ACT).

5. Marginal potential. Modest grades and 500 score

6. Achievement or motivation marginal or worse.”

As we can see, each rating tier has specific test scores correlated with it. Therefore, applicants should note that there is truly little difference between getting a 33 or a 36 on the ACT, as both results would yield a 2 in the academic rating.[/quote][/quote]

lol
You left out the other categories. Which are very, very important at Harvard.
There’s a huge long post on this site about it that we used to help guide our application process this year. 
It was extraordinarily helpful to help target schools whose scoring rubric would benefit my kid. It worked out!!

Anyway, good luck with planning this for your kid. I would not take this to mean that top scores will give your kid a bump at Harvard. But that’s me and my experience.
The things that truly give your hit a bump at Harvard have nothing to do with the academics.

GL![/quote]

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