If your goal is Ivy (and I agree with others that I want to know if it's HER goal as well), then if you aren't in the categories which PP so excellently laid out above, then she has a better chance of getting in by NOT going to the elite school, and by being the top student at some obscure podunk tiny public HS in the middle of nowhere.

(Run-on sentience on purpose, because I love these Ivy conversations & I amuse myself

Ivy because the Illuminati send their kids there.

And would be happy with Penn or Cornell. Do we pay for the college coach or not?

Asian kid but probably won't put on that on the App.

First, do not teach her rules of punctuation yourself.

Until you've been through it, it's hard to appreciate just how elusive a top Ivy school is.

Take a look at this breakdown of Princeton's incoming Class of 2020:
https://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S45/94/44G37/index.xml?section=topstories

1,894 kids accepted
Half are Male, now there are only 947 slots left
Half are people of color, now there are only 474 slots left
11% are alumni kids, if two-thirds of those are white (and so not previously counted as people of color), now there are 440 slots left
17% are first in their family to attend college, if one-third of those are white (and so not previously counted), now there are 415 slots left

Princeton admits about 200 recruited athletes per year. Half are female (because of Title IX) and if half of those are neither people of color nor first-generation students, now there are 365 slots left.

Whoops, almost forgot. 11.7% of the class are international students, which the federal government doesn't allow colleges to include in their under-represented minority reporting. Now we're down to 322.

That's it. By a conservative estimate, Princeton has about 322 slots for every white, non-legacy, non-recruited athlete daughter of college-educated parents in the entire country. And that's without counting VIP/celebrity kids, extremely wealthy kids, faculty kids, etc.

Is your DD one of those top 322 applicants?

PP again - there is also the notion of class rank and taking the best classes the high school offers. If your child is number one in her grade, and takes a ton of AP classes or IB, that helps.

But please accept the fact that many excellent students are rejected just because there aren't enough seats in the Ivy League. Don't get your hopes up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.

If you waited until 9th grade to groom for Ivy, you are too late.

Correct.
Top students have a lottery-type chance at the Ivy League, since these colleges routinely turn down perfect SAT scorers and stellar national-level awardees and athletes.

10-15K for a college "educational strategist" is nothing. The best ones cost 40K.
Your child's chance increases significantly if she is a legacy in good standing or a development case, meaning that you are prepared to set your name to a building. 5M minimum, not your run-of-the-mill 10K annual alum donation.

It looks like you have really no idea what it takes, my poor dear.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.

Why?

Be specific.

Good question. This should be good.

Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.

Why?

Be specific.

Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.

If you waited until 9th grade to groom for Ivy, you are too late.

Isn't there a college counselor at the strong local private school? What does he/she say? It's okay for your goal to be Ivy League but I wouldn't say that out loud in real life.

You are in for a bit of a shock.

Anonymous wrote:DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.

She hasn't even started high school yet and already you've decided that she needs to go to one of 8 very competitive schools? What if she wants a small liberal arts school? Or to go somewhere other than New England?

Don't be that kind of parent. Parent the kid you've got -- encourage her to work hard, to do her best, do find something she loves outside the classroom -- and start thinking about specific schools in 11th grade -- with your daughter, not for your daughter.

DD going to what is regarded as a strong local private next year in 9th Grade. Goal is Ivy League. What do I need to do/know starting now. Is the college coach type thing worth it? They charge 10-15K for one kid.