Anonymous
12/14/2013 12:47
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Many of the Harvard rejects on the CC list were admitted to U. of Chicago, Princeton, Yale, Northwestern, etc. No slouch schools and most certainly on the same par as Harvard. I just wouldn't want to be a senior applicant these days. Too stressful.Anonymous wrote:10:48 again. Harvard used to send out a press release right after the regular decision announcements, saying they rejected XXX number of perfect SATs. The figure was always over 1,000. I haven't seen this in a few years. Either I haven't noticed or they stopped doing it.
On the other hand, I know several unhooked kids who got into top five USNWR schools with SATs around 2100 and fabulous ECs. The ECs were accomplishments at a national level, plus great recs and great essays--these kids did well on the whole package. Surprisingly (to me), the unhooked, non-recruited kids who did the best were from public school while the unhooked kids at Big 3s did less well. (Caveat emptor! small sample size of DC's acquaintances at publics and privates!) The common denominator among the kids we know who got into the very top colleges were GPAs of 3.9 or 4.0 so it seems true (to me at least) that colleges are looking for extremely hard workers--at the top USNWR schools, you just wouldn't survive the first semester if you weren't academically inclined and a very hard worker.
Also, it's a crap shoot. You just have to accept the random nature of part of this process. We feel our DC was very lucky, as much as anything else. This is very tough on the kids who worked like crazy throughout high school, and reasonably expect that the 3.9 GPA should be rewarded with acceptance at their first choice schools. They do usually get into great schools, but not necessarily HYP.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 12:44
Subject: Re:S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 scho
A 3.8 is not a "middling" GPA, it's an A average. While I agree that there are people with perfect SAT scores and a 4.0 who get rejected, let's not think that that admission to Duke with an A average and great SAT scores is completely out of the picture. Not guaranteed, but not exactly unreasonable.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 12:42
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
10:48 again. Harvard used to send out a press release right after the regular decision announcements, saying they rejected XXX number of perfect SATs. The figure was always over 1,000. I haven't seen this in a few years. Either I haven't noticed or they stopped doing it.
On the other hand, I know several unhooked kids who got into top five USNWR schools with SATs around 2100 and fabulous ECs. The ECs were accomplishments at a national level, plus great recs and great essays--these kids did well on the whole package. Surprisingly (to me), the unhooked, non-recruited kids who did the best were from public school while the unhooked kids at Big 3s did less well. (Caveat emptor! small sample size of DC's acquaintances at publics and privates!) The common denominator among the kids we know who got into the very top colleges were GPAs of 3.9 or 4.0 so it seems true (to me at least) that colleges are looking for extremely hard workers--at the top USNWR schools, you just wouldn't survive the first semester if you weren't academically inclined and a very hard worker.
Also, it's a crap shoot. You just have to accept the random nature of part of this process. We feel our DC was very lucky, as much as anything else. This is very tough on the kids who worked like crazy throughout high school, and reasonably expect that the 3.9 GPA should be rewarded with acceptance at their first choice schools. They do usually get into great schools, but not necessarily HYP.
On the other hand, I know several unhooked kids who got into top five USNWR schools with SATs around 2100 and fabulous ECs. The ECs were accomplishments at a national level, plus great recs and great essays--these kids did well on the whole package. Surprisingly (to me), the unhooked, non-recruited kids who did the best were from public school while the unhooked kids at Big 3s did less well. (Caveat emptor! small sample size of DC's acquaintances at publics and privates!) The common denominator among the kids we know who got into the very top colleges were GPAs of 3.9 or 4.0 so it seems true (to me at least) that colleges are looking for extremely hard workers--at the top USNWR schools, you just wouldn't survive the first semester if you weren't academically inclined and a very hard worker.
Also, it's a crap shoot. You just have to accept the random nature of part of this process. We feel our DC was very lucky, as much as anything else. This is very tough on the kids who worked like crazy throughout high school, and reasonably expect that the 3.9 GPA should be rewarded with acceptance at their first choice schools. They do usually get into great schools, but not necessarily HYP.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 12:30
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
PP again. And before anyone assumes that the 640 in math individual was an admitted URM, it is a white male as indicated.Anonymous wrote:Here are some the Harvard 2017 RD results posted by College Confidential participants. Scroll down and note one of the admitted had a 640 in math and the SAT II in literature and history were 710 and 790 respectively.
Again, it's a crap shoot.
Here's a response from one poster....
Old 03-28-2013, 10:47 PM #24
Schneyder
New Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 10
HARVARD YOU RUINED MY LIFE
YEAH REJECTED
and i had a 2400 on the sat and 800s on both my subject tests and tons of extracurriculars SCREW YOU
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1480236-official-harvard-university-2017-rd-results.html
Anonymous
12/14/2013 12:27
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Here are some the Harvard 2017 RD results posted by College Confidential participants. Scroll down and note one of the admitted had a 640 in math and the SAT II in literature and history were 710 and 790 respectively.
Again, it's a crap shoot.
Here's a response from one poster....
Old 03-28-2013, 10:47 PM #24
Schneyder
New Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 10
HARVARD YOU RUINED MY LIFE
YEAH REJECTED
and i had a 2400 on the sat and 800s on both my subject tests and tons of extracurriculars SCREW YOU
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1480236-official-harvard-university-2017-rd-results.html
Again, it's a crap shoot.
Here's a response from one poster....
Old 03-28-2013, 10:47 PM #24
Schneyder
New Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 10
HARVARD YOU RUINED MY LIFE
YEAH REJECTED
and i had a 2400 on the sat and 800s on both my subject tests and tons of extracurriculars SCREW YOU
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1480236-official-harvard-university-2017-rd-results.html
Anonymous
12/14/2013 12:11
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Harvard letters are out. A thick envelope in the mail. 
Anonymous
12/14/2013 11:04
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:3.8, 2320, various ec's but nothing to knock your socks off. no hooks.
Yes, in the top 1% in SAT scores, but nothing special right?
I hate to say this, but it's true that kids with these stats get rejected all the time for the top schools. Go read the "ED Results" pages on College Confidential, these pages are busy this week and it's like taking a cold shower.
Sure, but the implication was that the child had scores that were OK, but in reality were above the 75th percentile for the school where she applied ED.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 11:01
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Yes, indeed! CC students and admissions teams consistently chime in and talk about having a 2400 and 4.0 is NO guarantee for admissions. It's the whole picture. Posters who are consistently saying that if you have less than a perfect SAT or GPA you can't get admitted to an IVY or Top 10 should take a nice long stroll through CC for a wake up call!Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:3.8, 2320, various ec's but nothing to knock your socks off. no hooks.
Yes, in the top 1% in SAT scores, but nothing special right?
I hate to say this, but it's true that kids with these stats get rejected all the time for the top schools. Go read the "ED Results" pages on College Confidential, these pages are busy this week and it's like taking a cold shower.
These kids are on the receiving end and are telling it like it is.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 10:48
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:3.8, 2320, various ec's but nothing to knock your socks off. no hooks.
Yes, in the top 1% in SAT scores, but nothing special right?
I hate to say this, but it's true that kids with these stats get rejected all the time for the top schools. Go read the "ED Results" pages on College Confidential, these pages are busy this week and it's like taking a cold shower.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 09:44
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Anonymous wrote:3.8, 2320, various ec's but nothing to knock your socks off. no hooks.
Yes, in the top 1% in SAT scores, but nothing special right?
Anonymous
12/14/2013 08:55
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
If you google the Chronicle of Higher Education and "legacy" there are some good articles with data. It still does help significantly, but legacy alone will not get, say, a B+ student into Harvard (for that, you'd have to be not just a legacy but a "Development case" -- very high potential, shown through net worth and pattern of charitable giving -- of multiple six figure gifts).
Remember that many legacy children are also superb students, so it may be your 3.9 GPA kid with the 2300 boards that gets pulled out of the pile of those kids (which is stack very high at the top schools) and admitted. So they are worthy admits, but they get the nod ahead of the identical kid who is not a legacy.
Remember that many legacy children are also superb students, so it may be your 3.9 GPA kid with the 2300 boards that gets pulled out of the pile of those kids (which is stack very high at the top schools) and admitted. So they are worthy admits, but they get the nod ahead of the identical kid who is not a legacy.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 08:45
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:3.8, 2320, various ec's but nothing to knock your socks off. no hooks.
What are hooks?
Ok I googled http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1921183/
So legacy, affirmative action, maybe champion athlete?
Does legacy even help these days at the ivies, I though GWB kind of soured that?
15-year Harvard interviewer here. It helps. It's a mixed bag, because every year, some of the top applicants, by any measure, are legacies. Also every year, there are kids who get in whose record is just a bit below the top tier of applicants, and those kids wouldn't have gotten in without an alumni parent.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 08:29
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:3.8, 2320, various ec's but nothing to knock your socks off. no hooks.
What are hooks?
Ok I googled http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1921183/
So legacy, affirmative action, maybe champion athlete?
Does legacy even help these days at the ivies, I though GWB kind of soured that?
Yeah, being President of the US and Governor of Texas isn't considered a suitable career for a Yale man. I'm sure they really regret that decision.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 08:21
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Another in agreement about Sidwell.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:3.8, 2320, various ec's but nothing to knock your socks off. no hooks.
At Sidwell, your child would be the top of the class with those stats. Still no guarantee for Ivys, but she'll get into a good schoool for sure. Every DC private has a different grading system.
Agree w/ this re Sidwell.
Anonymous
12/14/2013 08:14
Subject: S/O, Where did your "top private school" DC get into through ED (that's not Ivy, or a Top 10 school)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:3.8, 2320, various ec's but nothing to knock your socks off. no hooks.
At Sidwell, your child would be the top of the class with those stats. Still no guarantee for Ivys, but she'll get into a good schoool for sure. Every DC private has a different grading system.
Agree w/ this re Sidwell.