Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a senior at a big 3 and is interested in HYP. 35 ACT, 3.9 unweighted most rigorous classes. No hook, but has played an instrument since first grade (no awards). We're full pay and she's thinking women's/gender studies . Chances? We are making her come up with some safeties but she has her heart set on HYP.

First, your daughter has great stats. No school is going to reject her because of her stats.

Second, your daughter is full-pay. In the age of COVID-19, being full-pay is probably admissions officers' favorite extracurricular activity, even at the HYP schools. For the HYP schools, one of the glories of holistic admissions is that they can cheat and use expensive activities to identify and admit full-pay kids. The fact that your daughter went to a private school sends the message, "Probably has money."

Third, chances are the counselors at your daughter's school are great at getting kids into HYP.

Finally, your daughter is applying as a humanities or social sciences major in an age when everyone else is rushing into STEM majors.

I'm looking at the Niche version of the admissions scattergrams now.

At the HYP schools, on the scattergrams, the closest major to women's studies is philosophy.

It looks as if would-be biology and physics majors have about a zero chance of getting in with your daughter's scores, but as if would-be philosophy, history and English majors might have at least a 25 percent chance to 30 percent of getting in, based solely on stats.

That could be because would-be humanities majors are more interesting than would-be STEM majors, but it could be that even HYP are struggling to persuade kids to major in the humanities.

Backup ideas:

Amherst, for Princeton: I think the scattergrams imply that she'd have about a 50 percent chance of getting in as a humanities major.

Washington University, for Yale (similar architecture; flexible curriculum; laid back atmosphere): Maybe she'd have close to 100 percent chance of getting in as a history major.

Wellesley, for Harvard (near Boston; prestigious; shuttle to MIT): Nearly 100 percent chance of getting in as a history, English or interdisciplinary studies major.






Maybe a school like Amherst would be a good, slightly less selective alternative to Princeton. I think the scattergram shows she'd have a greater than 50 percent chance of getting into Amherst.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a senior at a big 3 and is interested in HYP. 35 ACT, 3.9 unweighted most rigorous classes. No hook, but has played an instrument since first grade (no awards). We're full pay and she's thinking women's/gender studies . Chances? We are making her come up with some safeties but she has her heart set on HYP.

First, your daughter has great stats. No school is going to reject her because of her stats.

Second, your daughter is full-pay. In the age of COVID-19, being full-pay is probably admissions officers' favorite extracurricular activity, even at the HYP schools. For the HYP schools, one of the glories of holistic admissions is that they can cheat and use expensive activities to identify and admit full-pay kids. The fact that your daughter went to a private school sends the message, "Probably has money."

Third, chances are the counselors at your daughter's school are great at getting kids into HYP.

Finally, your daughter is applying as a humanities or social sciences major in an age when everyone else is rushing into STEM majors.

I'm looking at the Niche version of the admissions scattergrams now.

At the HYP schools, on the scattergrams, the closest major to women's studies is philosophy.

It looks as if would-be biology and physics majors have about a zero chance of getting in with your daughter's scores, but as if would-be philosophy, history and English majors might have at least a 25 percent chance to 30 percent of getting in, based solely on stats.

That could be because would-be humanities majors are more interesting than would-be STEM majors, but it could be that even HYP are struggling to persuade kids to major in the humanities.

Backup ideas:

Amherst, for Princeton: I think the scattergrams imply that she'd have about a 50 percent chance of getting in as a humanities major.

Washington University, for Yale (similar architecture; flexible curriculum; laid back atmosphere): Maybe she'd have close to 100 percent chance of getting in as a history major.

Wellesley, for Harvard (near Boston; prestigious; shuttle to MIT): Nearly 100 percent chance of getting in as a history, English or interdisciplinary studies major.



Maybe a school like Amherst would be a good, slightly less selective alternative to Princeton. I think the scattergram shows she'd have a greater than 50 percent chance of getting into Amherst.

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a senior at a big 3 and is interested in HYP. 35 ACT, 3.9 unweighted most rigorous classes. No hook, but has played an instrument since first grade (no awards). We're full pay and she's thinking women's/gender studies . Chances? We are making her come up with some safeties but she has her heart set on HYP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:of course without mentioning any specifics it should go without saying that the race, ethnicity are not mentioned but with those stats members of certain groups would have a better chance than others. Don't get angry with me - that's just the way it is.

yes, rich white athletes, legacies and donors all would have a substantially better chance of getting in with those stats. thank you for raising the point.

well, OP's DD didn't play any sports (at least OP doesn't mention it), so her kid is not a "rich white athlete," so that factor isn't in play here one way or the other. OTH, legacy or donor could be, but unlikely. Race, however, everyone has one.

Indeed, but the handicaps for blacks vs. the penalties for asians are quite different.

No white or Asian will ever trade places with a black even with university black privilege.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a Big 3 with that GPA, your D has a ~5-10% shot at HYP. If I were you, I would encourage her to revisit other schools in the top 10. Chances are great that she will get into 1-2 in that tier.

Totally disagree on your % guess. I think it is higher. I posted earlier about my helping students get into top schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:P.P.. I agree. This poster sounds sadly crazy to rejoice over someone else's failures.

It’s not only crazy, it’s cruel to call someone who worked hard a robot full of ambition without heart and run of the mill. Who are you to judge whether someone has heart? Plenty of smart people change course in their 20s, that doesn’t mean they don’t have heart or they’re run of the mill.

Oh yes, at her age, she’s still paying for her college and medical school loans.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine got into P. as a rowing recruit from another elite private here. The only other kid who was accepted to P. her yearwas a kid who was Class Pres. for 6 years. That kid went elsewhere. I think your D.D. Has a shot. She needs to write exceptional essays + have exceptional references. It would help if she could get an award + do something cool like start online music classes for poor kids + start an instrument donation campaign. Good luck to her!

Isn't it way too late for a senior to start something and be taken seriously before college application season?

It's annoying how they start new non-profits rather than get credit for working for existing ones. I find it ridiculous for high school kids to be CEOs of these new non-profits, when they have enough on their plates to get through their classes.

They can get credit for working for existing ones. Mine showed a four year commitment to an established non- profit, among other accomplishments and was accepted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:P.P.. I agree. This poster sounds sadly crazy to rejoice over someone else's failures.

It’s not only crazy, it’s cruel to call someone who worked hard a robot full of ambition without heart and run of the mill. Who are you to judge whether someone has heart? Plenty of smart people change course in their 20s, that doesn’t mean they don’t have heart or they’re run of the mill.

Anonymous wrote:I just read in my husband’s Princeton alumni magazine that 217 freshman deferred this year. Meaning 217 fewer spots for seniors next fall. 🙁

Anonymous wrote:I just read in my husband’s Princeton alumni magazine that 217 freshman deferred this year. Meaning 217 fewer spots for seniors next fall. 🙁

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Erika Harold went to Harvard Law after winning Miss America. (She was super conservative/republican.)

Harvard Law lost some of its prestige when I found out Kayleigh McEnany and a few others went there. I’m all for diverse opinions but am seriously questioning their standards.

Yep, any law school that admits conservatives is obviously lowering their academic standards and diminishing their reputation.

Anonymous wrote:P.P.. I agree. This poster sounds sadly crazy to rejoice over someone else's failures.

Anonymous wrote:P.P.. I agree. This poster sounds sadly crazy to rejoice over someone else's failures.