Anonymous
11/28/2024 15:44
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Anonymous wrote:Outside of the holisitic admissions spiel, I've realized that each T20 that my kids have applied to have a different "focus". Outside of rigor, grades and stats, what are they looking for (if you can summarize in a sentence or 2?) Here's what I've found.
Yale: community-minded; interdisciplinary academic foundation and focus (not singular); arts + traditional academic is a big winner here.
Stanford: national level recognition and singular extra-curricular passion; humanitarian focus or impact; evidence of entrepreneurial mindset. Lower grades might be ok here, as long as that singular passion is fully developed and evidenced.
Northwestern: likes multifaceted students with defined interests in 2 or 3 distinct and unrelated areas; likes entrepreneurial but community-focused efforts.
Duke: loves loves the extraordinary EC - unusual ECs (with a WOW factor); if not, top of the class academically
Penn: likes community service and defined (quantitative) community impact.
Cornell: evidence for major; localized community impact; work experience or similar (leadership isn't as important here)
Vanderbilt: likes clear leadership accolades and evidence of execution of leadership in HS
Others?
Agree?
Disagree, but fine if this works for you.
What we don't understand, we rationalize.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 15:38
Subject: What Top Universities Want
I think community service is overrated.
Colleges want nice kids who will get along with other kids. So if you can show you're a well liked babysitter in neighborhood or "glue" kid in friend group, that works.
And they want impact. So doing something at school or PT job with measurable impact also works.
Sure, you can play violin at nursing home but it's not impactful and it doesnt show much about your personality
Colleges want nice kids who will get along with other kids. So if you can show you're a well liked babysitter in neighborhood or "glue" kid in friend group, that works.
And they want impact. So doing something at school or PT job with measurable impact also works.
Sure, you can play violin at nursing home but it's not impactful and it doesnt show much about your personality
Anonymous
11/28/2024 15:36
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Anonymous wrote:I don’t think colleges go around looking for a “type” and it’s hard to guess what each college “wants”. When you look past the “name brand” obsession and the kids who shotgun the T-25’s, many college applicants do tend to self-select. Not many pure humanities people applying to MIT. people who want a big time sports scene aren’t applying to Emory. people who want easy access to a city won’t apply to Dartmouth. People who want to be at an undergrad business school won’t apply to Williams.
not a "business school" but Williams to wall street path is well worn
Anonymous
11/28/2024 15:01
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Anonymous wrote:I don’t think colleges go around looking for a “type” and it’s hard to guess what each college “wants”. When you look past the “name brand” obsession and the kids who shotgun the T-25’s, many college applicants do tend to self-select. Not many pure humanities people applying to MIT. people who want a big time sports scene aren’t applying to Emory. people who want easy access to a city won’t apply to Dartmouth. People who want to be at an undergrad business school won’t apply to Williams.
Colleges tell you what they’re looking for though. People don’t read between the lines. Or even read enough.
Like if you’re applying to Penn and never thought about the values Franklin embodies and how you can showcase that in your application, well, then that’s a miss on your part.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 14:50
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Anonymous wrote:Authenticity is a big factor as well. AOs can se through bullshit wording and embellishments
This is a common line, but there’s no evidence this is true.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 14:43
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Anonymous wrote:I don’t think colleges go around looking for a “type” and it’s hard to guess what each college “wants”. When you look past the “name brand” obsession and the kids who shotgun the T-25’s, many college applicants do tend to self-select. Not many pure humanities people applying to MIT. people who want a big time sports scene aren’t applying to Emory. people who want easy access to a city won’t apply to Dartmouth. People who want to be at an undergrad business school won’t apply to Williams.
none of these are qualities or characteristics of an applicant. they are interests. very different.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 14:28
Subject: What Top Universities Want
I don’t think colleges go around looking for a “type” and it’s hard to guess what each college “wants”. When you look past the “name brand” obsession and the kids who shotgun the T-25’s, many college applicants do tend to self-select. Not many pure humanities people applying to MIT. people who want a big time sports scene aren’t applying to Emory. people who want easy access to a city won’t apply to Dartmouth. People who want to be at an undergrad business school won’t apply to Williams.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 14:17
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Penn - looking for curious, passionate, and driven kids.
I think it's true for all of these schools though. And that can't be faked.
I think it's true for all of these schools though. And that can't be faked.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 13:37
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What Top Universities Want:
Your money!
not really. they get plenty of that.
Yes really. That’s why full pay is a hook and the top 1% HHI is wildly overrepresented.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 13:24
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Authenticity is a big factor as well. AOs can se through bullshit wording and embellishments
It’s better to pursue a few passions deeply rather than join a ton of clubs.
Same with essays and planned major - are you demonstrating actual, sustained interest or are you just chasing the big shiny ones?
I’ll also add cohesive narrative. Does the application highlight the student in a well-rounded way and does the story tie together strongly the characteristics and traits that make the student unique and attractive?
It’s better to pursue a few passions deeply rather than join a ton of clubs.
Same with essays and planned major - are you demonstrating actual, sustained interest or are you just chasing the big shiny ones?
I’ll also add cohesive narrative. Does the application highlight the student in a well-rounded way and does the story tie together strongly the characteristics and traits that make the student unique and attractive?
Anonymous
11/28/2024 13:11
Subject: What Top Universities Want
My kid was accepted to Penn with basically zero community service on his application.
Don’t know where or how you came up with your list or why.
Don’t know where or how you came up with your list or why.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 13:10
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Anonymous wrote:What Top Universities Want:
Your money!
not really. they get plenty of that.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 13:07
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Each one has a different area of focus. You can tell a lot based on (1) the kids from your HS that get in and (2) the school's strategic plan.
Anonymous
11/28/2024 11:38
Subject: What Top Universities Want
What Top Universities Want:
Your money!
Your money!
Anonymous
11/28/2024 11:35
Subject: What Top Universities Want
Outside of the holisitic admissions spiel, I've realized that each T20 that my kids have applied to have a different "focus". Outside of rigor, grades and stats, what are they looking for (if you can summarize in a sentence or 2?) Here's what I've found.
Yale: community-minded; interdisciplinary academic foundation and focus (not singular); arts + traditional academic is a big winner here.
Stanford: national level recognition and singular extra-curricular passion; humanitarian focus or impact; evidence of entrepreneurial mindset. Lower grades might be ok here, as long as that singular passion is fully developed and evidenced.
Northwestern: likes multifaceted students with defined interests in 2 or 3 distinct and unrelated areas; likes entrepreneurial but community-focused efforts.
Duke: loves loves the extraordinary EC - unusual ECs (with a WOW factor); if not, top of the class academically
Penn: likes community service and defined (quantitative) community impact.
Cornell: evidence for major; localized community impact; work experience or similar (leadership isn't as important here)
Vanderbilt: likes clear leadership accolades and evidence of execution of leadership in HS
Others?
Agree?
Yale: community-minded; interdisciplinary academic foundation and focus (not singular); arts + traditional academic is a big winner here.
Stanford: national level recognition and singular extra-curricular passion; humanitarian focus or impact; evidence of entrepreneurial mindset. Lower grades might be ok here, as long as that singular passion is fully developed and evidenced.
Northwestern: likes multifaceted students with defined interests in 2 or 3 distinct and unrelated areas; likes entrepreneurial but community-focused efforts.
Duke: loves loves the extraordinary EC - unusual ECs (with a WOW factor); if not, top of the class academically
Penn: likes community service and defined (quantitative) community impact.
Cornell: evidence for major; localized community impact; work experience or similar (leadership isn't as important here)
Vanderbilt: likes clear leadership accolades and evidence of execution of leadership in HS
Others?
Agree?