Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's very hard to get in with standard STEM ECs like robotics, math competitions, etc. You are competing with kids that are extremely strong for the "STEM slots" of the school. (Even if they say they don't admit by major they have humanities departments and don't want everyone to be a STEM major). An admissions expert on YouTube said you have to be winning BIG prizes to stand out.

People say do blacksmithing or birdwatching but you don't know if AO reading your app will care about that. It can work but you need luck too.

If you do STEM activities I think you have to be (A) winning big prizes at the top level for a good chance or (B) be very strong and have luck to get in.

Just saw blacksmithing in a college counselor zoom. It's definitely "a thing".

Anonymous wrote:I think it's very hard to get in with standard STEM ECs like robotics, math competitions, etc. You are competing with kids that are extremely strong for the "STEM slots" of the school. (Even if they say they don't admit by major they have humanities departments and don't want everyone to be a STEM major). An admissions expert on YouTube said you have to be winning BIG prizes to stand out.

People say do blacksmithing or birdwatching but you don't know if AO reading your app will care about that. It can work but you need luck too.

If you do STEM activities I think you have to be (A) winning big prizes at the top level for a good chance or (B) be very strong and have luck to get in.

Anonymous wrote:Someone got in from DC’s school who has several patents pertaining to insects and has developed a novel mosquito repellent and is an amateur blacksmith etc etc. It’s kind of ridiculous.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school routinely gets multiple Stanford admits yearly.

What they all have in common is a singular spike- athletics, performing arts, etc.

Most of the students are not tippy top students, more like the top 5%-10% or even top 20% of the class.

Stanford, again, likes the above average student with a singular spike.

DC’s school is a feeder too, and we see just as many tippy top students get in as spiky kids. Very often, they’re both!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school routinely gets multiple Stanford admits yearly.

What they all have in common is a singular spike- athletics, performing arts, etc.

Most of the students are not tippy top students, more like the top 5%-10% or even top 20% of the class.

Stanford, again, likes the above average student with a singular spike.

This is more common than many suspect.

Anonymous wrote:Our school routinely gets multiple Stanford admits yearly.

What they all have in common is a singular spike- athletics, performing arts, etc.

Most of the students are not tippy top students, more like the top 5%-10% or even top 20% of the class.

Stanford, again, likes the above average student with a singular spike.

Anonymous wrote:Our school routinely gets multiple Stanford admits yearly.

What they all have in common is a singular spike- athletics, performing arts, etc.

Most of the students are not tippy top students, more like the top 5%-10% or even top 20% of the class.

Stanford, again, likes the above average student with a singular spike.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone got in from DC’s school who has several patents pertaining to insects and has developed a novel mosquito repellent and is an amateur blacksmith etc etc. It’s kind of ridiculous.

Sounds super contrived to me. The 'unique' interests, passion projects, etc. almost seem comical and trite. Rarely genuine. Do admissions people really believe it or see through this stuff? I know a kid who, at the recommendation of a private counselor, spent years cultivating a niche environmental science topic with 'published research' for their college profile. The counselor created the plan and they were coached on the entire process. - but it worked because they are now at Duke! Just makes me skeptical when I hear things like this...

Sorry your kid was rejected.

No skin in this game...just reacting to the trends. Finding it both entertaining and ridiculous

The alternative is to pick based on standardized test scores like the rest of the world. But that would be horrible so we end up valuing the ability to row a boat in college admissions.

Rowing a boat requires crazy amount of hard work and dedication. Watching birds or insects?! Please.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone got in from DC’s school who has several patents pertaining to insects and has developed a novel mosquito repellent and is an amateur blacksmith etc etc. It’s kind of ridiculous.

Sounds super contrived to me. The 'unique' interests, passion projects, etc. almost seem comical and trite. Rarely genuine. Do admissions people really believe it or see through this stuff? I know a kid who, at the recommendation of a private counselor, spent years cultivating a niche environmental science topic with 'published research' for their college profile. The counselor created the plan and they were coached on the entire process. - but it worked because they are now at Duke! Just makes me skeptical when I hear things like this...

Sorry your kid was rejected.

No skin in this game...just reacting to the trends. Finding it both entertaining and ridiculous

The alternative is to pick based on standardized test scores like the rest of the world. But that would be horrible so we end up valuing the ability to row a boat in college admissions.

Arrogant much?

Rowing a boat will not save the world, but watching and understanding birds and insects just might. Those birders are some of the brightest kids you'll ever meet, and it's not a manufactured EC.
Rowing a boat requires crazy amount of hard work and dedication. Watching birds or insects?! Please.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stanford is to Duke as
MIT is to Carnegie Mellon, as
Harvard is to Brown, as
Yale is to Williams, as
Princeton is to Bucknell

Bucknell, bwa hahahahahahah

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone got in from DC’s school who has several patents pertaining to insects and has developed a novel mosquito repellent and is an amateur blacksmith etc etc. It’s kind of ridiculous.

Sounds super contrived to me. The 'unique' interests, passion projects, etc. almost seem comical and trite. Rarely genuine. Do admissions people really believe it or see through this stuff? I know a kid who, at the recommendation of a private counselor, spent years cultivating a niche environmental science topic with 'published research' for their college profile. The counselor created the plan and they were coached on the entire process. - but it worked because they are now at Duke! Just makes me skeptical when I hear things like this...

Sorry your kid was rejected.

No skin in this game...just reacting to the trends. Finding it both entertaining and ridiculous

The alternative is to pick based on standardized test scores like the rest of the world. But that would be horrible so we end up valuing the ability to row a boat in college admissions.