Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 23:47     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Our private sends exactly 2 to Y, 2 to P, 1 to H, 1 to Williams, 3 to Cornell, etc each year. It’s like clockwork. The top kids know how to divvy it up. Half seem unhooked
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 23:20     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Our large HS sends only a few per year and half look like they are unhooked.
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 22:54     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
I assume you are meaning relatively recently? Because I know plenty from my generation (in the 1990s). But I think it is now much more rare. Between the three schools my good but not great suburban public high school used to probably get 3-4 a year unhooked, plus a few more hooked (legacies, minorities, the occasional athlete).
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 22:52     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mine did - zero hooks ( and tbh I thought zero chance). Obviously I don’t know the full background of kids at our school who get into the super-reach schools but I think there are usually a couple every year who are accepted as part of the “ normal smart kid” category so I do think it’s possible


cruelly giving us hope...!

How normal we talkin


Public school (a good one but not a famous one) in New England. Kids I’ve known getting into the most selective schools ( including mine) are seldom the valedictorian. They are definitely the kids who have the great stats to get them over the first hurdle of review but they’re out there going for all the EC and beyond opportunities they can find. And of course tons of awesome kids doing all those things don’t get into their top choices because there is so much luck and subjectivity in the process. But I really believe a kid who is competitive for the kind of schools you’re talking about is going to get in somewhere terrific. Hang in there it’s a tough game to wait through.


Thanks for your reply! I don't think my kid really fits the profile. She is exceptional in some ways -- but, you know, so are so many other wonderful kids. Anyway, hope he's having a great experience. Cheers
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 22:43     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know any normal smart kids who got into Yale, Princeton or Stanford?

I'm talking about no hooks, not legacy/donor/athlete/URM. No extraordinary ECs, no obscure under-subscribed majors. Just a normal very good student with top grades and scores who got in from a top private or public school full pay or with aids.


Yes. Siblings actually. Basically they have amazing, outgoing, confident personalities. Some sparkle or something that was apparent early on and I guess came across in interviews. Came from normal public in flyover.
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 22:41     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Yes, my daughter’s boyfriend is a freshman at Yale. He was admitted REA. Unhooked, Asian, 1600 SAT but that’s about it. Still not sure how it happened.
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 22:14     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Anonymous wrote: took an additional math class outside of school.

How does this work?
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 21:59     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mine did - zero hooks ( and tbh I thought zero chance). Obviously I don’t know the full background of kids at our school who get into the super-reach schools but I think there are usually a couple every year who are accepted as part of the “ normal smart kid” category so I do think it’s possible


cruelly giving us hope...!

How normal we talkin


Public school (a good one but not a famous one) in New England. Kids I’ve known getting into the most selective schools ( including mine) are seldom the valedictorian. They are definitely the kids who have the great stats to get them over the first hurdle of review but they’re out there going for all the EC and beyond opportunities they can find. And of course tons of awesome kids doing all those things don’t get into their top choices because there is so much luck and subjectivity in the process. But I really believe a kid who is competitive for the kind of schools you’re talking about is going to get in somewhere terrific. Hang in there it’s a tough game to wait through.
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 21:42     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
It's rare.
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 21:34     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Anonymous wrote:Mine did - zero hooks ( and tbh I thought zero chance). Obviously I don’t know the full background of kids at our school who get into the super-reach schools but I think there are usually a couple every year who are accepted as part of the “ normal smart kid” category so I do think it’s possible


cruelly giving us hope...!

How normal we talkin
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 21:00     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
No

I also don't know anyone who had won the lottery.

If you are wondering if your kid will get in, there is a low chance just like everyone else.
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 20:34     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know any normal smart kids who got into Yale, Princeton or Stanford?

I'm talking about no hooks, not legacy/donor/athlete/URM. No extraordinary ECs, no obscure under-subscribed majors. Just a normal very good student with top grades and scores who got in from a top private or public school full pay or with aids.


Usually a top private means a hook.


A top private isn't a hook to HYPSM


This is not true. If it’s a true “top” private it would be a feeder…which is a hook. Otherwise, name a top private that isnt a feeder
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 20:32     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
In our area in Southern California, there are several kids who go to each of the YPS from the area public schools. Good school district, but not as competitive as some of the Fairfax County schools/TJ (we used to live there). At our school, for Y, it might be an athlete one year, then two unhooked kids the next year. And then the same for P and S.
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 20:25     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Mine did - zero hooks ( and tbh I thought zero chance). Obviously I don’t know the full background of kids at our school who get into the super-reach schools but I think there are usually a couple every year who are accepted as part of the “ normal smart kid” category so I do think it’s possible
Anonymous
Post 11/10/2025 20:18     Subject: Unhooked normal smart kids at YPS
Any "normal" student from a non-private high school get in?