Anonymous wrote:Schools will be increasingly desperate for full pay students - especially those private schools that have $90k+ tuitions.

I say don’t sweat it.

Biggest myth on DCUM unless looking at schools beyond the T100.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our experience this year confirms that a high SAT test score definitely helps for top schools.

How high is high enough to tip the scale for top schools?

High stats help but they were not enough. I still knew test optional kids who got into Duke, Michigan, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Columbia, and Princeton.

Princeton is test required starting next cycle.

Schools will be increasingly desperate for full pay students - especially those private schools that have $90k+ tuitions.

I say don’t sweat it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our experience this year confirms that a high SAT test score definitely helps for top schools.

How high is high enough to tip the scale for top schools?

High stats help but they were not enough. I still knew test optional kids who got into Duke, Michigan, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Columbia, and Princeton.

Anonymous wrote:Our experience this year confirms that a high SAT test score definitely helps for top schools.

How high is high enough to tip the scale for top schools?

Anonymous wrote:Wondering if colleges should rethink essay strategy.

Duke already has.

Wondering if colleges should rethink essay strategy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - here.

I am not fixated on AI, but wondering how the changes (and there have been many) will impact admissions filtering. Don't we think holistic admissions will become more metrics-based? And involve searching for code words/themes using AI tools?

How are we supposed to know which themes or code words a selective uni is searching for, though? Wouldn't a good counselor know?

They are searching for kids who used AI to write their applications, and rejecting them.

They are rejecting them bc the writing sucked. That's not an admission trend.

Anonymous wrote:OP - here.

I am not fixated on AI, but wondering how the changes (and there have been many) will impact admissions filtering. Don't we think holistic admissions will become more metrics-based? And involve searching for code words/themes using AI tools?

How are we supposed to know which themes or code words a selective uni is searching for, though? Wouldn't a good counselor know?

They are searching for kids who used AI to write their applications, and rejecting them.

OP - here.

I am not fixated on AI, but wondering how the changes (and there have been many) will impact admissions filtering. Don't we think holistic admissions will become more metrics-based? And involve searching for code words/themes using AI tools?

How are we supposed to know which themes or code words a selective uni is searching for, though? Wouldn't a good counselor know?

Our experience this year confirms that a high SAT test score definitely helps for top schools.

I don’t know, parent seems a bit nutty with fixation on AI.

Your child has a parent who's gone through the process of getting two children into highly selective universities. They are better positioned than 99.9 percent of high school students. I think it would be silly to hire a counselor unless there's a very specific question or problem, such as a learning disability.

I don’t think AI has any effect on admissions at the moment other than to screen out based on grades.

Have a rising sophomore and 2 college-aged kids (Ivy/T10). Back here to start thinking about the process and see what's changed.

Curious if we think that in 3 years, A LOT will be different? Will holistic admissions be gone? It seems that having a memorable story/essays, strong through line from ECs to transcript to LORs was valued/dispositive of outcomes in the past, but in a few years (with AI), won't all of this be moot? AI has changed so much in 12 months, I can't imagine what it will be like in 36 months.

Looking for advice. I can't tell if this is the time to actually get a counselor (we didn't for the first two, but had some essay review at the last minute). With the changing landscape, everything seems up for grabs. What do others think? In 2-3 years, what will the process look like?