Anonymous wrote:These schools are realizing that many "top students" are complete weirdos.

Have you been to a tour at a top20 lately? Or an accepted student day? I have and a large percentage of the crowd looks like they spent high school in their bedroom.

This.
Heard from one T10 school admission officer on a recalibration in their social metrics for this year.

With the Supreme Court decision this helps them get diversity, since they can’t see it in a checked box anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This can’t be real. Are schools really going to use this in admissions?

“ This fall, an expanding number of top schools — including Columbia, M.I.T., Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt and the University of Chicago — will begin accepting “dialogues” portfolios from Schoolhouse.world, a platform co-founded by Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, to help students with math skills and SAT prep. High-schoolers will log into a Zoom call with other students and a peer tutor, debate topics like immigration or Israel-Palestine, and rate one another on traits like empathy, curiosity or kindness. The Schoolhouse.world site offers a scorecard: The more sessions you attend, and the more that your fellow participants recognize your virtues, the better you do.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/opinion/college-admissions-essays.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Wk8.Q6mj.mdE1wwoF5Huh&smid=url-share

This was a Black Mirror episode, no?

There needs to be a college app black mirror episode. All we need is the technology tweak. The rest of the Orwellian stuff is already there.

From the Schoolhouse website:
“In addition to making new friends, you'll stand out with a unique extracurricular opportunity that colleges are looking for.”

🤮🤮🤮

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like it might be a way to check that it’s the kid that wrote the essay and not Mommy or a consultant etc. Admissions folks also tend to notice if someone who is really articulate on paper turns up to an interview and is less so.

At my university we are also doing things like having students attach a short video to an essay submission where you respond to questions like “what inspired you to choose this topic?” Or “is there anything you changed your mind about after writing the essay?” If writing the essay involved a “thought process” these questions are easy. If writing the essay involved writing a check or pushing a button they are somewhat harder.

What you think is “harder” is yet another coachable hoop. You think you are gleaning insight, when what you are really doing is funding an arms race benefitting coaching. A little self awareness would be nice.

Unbelievable. They want more debate types who talk out of both sides of their mouth. The OPPOSITE of who they should want.

Yes, just read that. I hate it. It gives an opening to all the glib people, and shuts out the rest. Sincerity my eye.

Anonymous wrote:This can’t be real. Are schools really going to use this in admissions?

“ This fall, an expanding number of top schools — including Columbia, M.I.T., Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt and the University of Chicago — will begin accepting “dialogues” portfolios from Schoolhouse.world, a platform co-founded by Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, to help students with math skills and SAT prep. High-schoolers will log into a Zoom call with other students and a peer tutor, debate topics like immigration or Israel-Palestine, and rate one another on traits like empathy, curiosity or kindness. The Schoolhouse.world site offers a scorecard: The more sessions you attend, and the more that your fellow participants recognize your virtues, the better you do.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/opinion/college-admissions-essays.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Wk8.Q6mj.mdE1wwoF5Huh&smid=url-share

This was a Black Mirror episode, no?

at best, it's to work around fake applications written by others.

at worse, it's the ol' Georgetown "attach a picture" thing - we like the good looking!

It sounds like it might be a way to check that it’s the kid that wrote the essay and not Mommy or a consultant etc. Admissions folks also tend to notice if someone who is really articulate on paper turns up to an interview and is less so.

At my university we are also doing things like having students attach a short video to an essay submission where you respond to questions like “what inspired you to choose this topic?” Or “is there anything you changed your mind about after writing the essay?” If writing the essay involved a “thought process” these questions are easy. If writing the essay involved writing a check or pushing a button they are somewhat harder.

Anonymous wrote:It’s clear that nobody has actually read the opinion piece.

I read it. Even googled the kid. It's a weird self own imo - did Grace really tell white kids to position themselves to look more diverse?

I like the argument essay. Better than a lot of them.

This gimmick is definitely advantageous to the rich kids, especially the private school kids. They can easily fake this by getting lots of coaching. Again middle class kids are screwed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These schools are realizing that many "top students" are complete weirdos.

Have you been to a tour at a top20 lately? Or an accepted student day? I have and a large percentage of the crowd looks like they spent high school in their bedroom.

+1000 It is mind blowing how socially awkward and nerdy so many of these kids are and it has completely changed the vibe of so many colleges. The colleges have done this to themselves though. The resumes of the kids they accept leaves little time for normal teen social experiences like hours hanging out in groups, dating, etc. Sad but true.

Well I’m sure spending another 200 hours in online zoom dialogues will fix that. /s

This post show DCUM's weird aversion to all things they perceive as weirdo/quirky/woke. Honestly, I think they throw in most high school drama departments into this category, ironically usually the most inclusive group of kids in a high school. (When I saw people calling Northwestern "quirky", I thought, they must mean guys who wear birks?)

Glimpses came about to solve an actual problem: applicants from Asia with great apps but got to campus and were not reflective of their apps. Sometimes with language issues. Clearly they had consultants who wrote their apps.

Also, it's a good way to get keep your URM minority numbers from falling off a cliff.

This is just another product w similar motives: including profit.

What a do really enjoy is that the DCUM mafia feels like these products weed out those "weird" kids, but colleges are fine with the vast majority of weird. Many AO staff were those same drama kids. Stay weird! Meanwhile, what these programs actually do is show the AO team who are the bros who talk over other people. The frat boys DCUM moms love and AOs do not. They already admitted the athletic recruits. They dont' need more cosplay lax players.

So .. think what you want folks, but the call is coming from inside the house.

It’s clear that nobody has actually read the opinion piece.