Anonymous wrote:Is 1/32 part Native American a hook? Asking for a friend who can’t figure out how average I and otherwise unhooked kid got into Columbia this year.

Did they mention Native American in the application? Are they going to play a sport while there? (even if not recruited)

Anonymous wrote:Is 1/32 part Native American a hook? Asking for a friend who can’t figure out how average I and otherwise unhooked kid got into Columbia this year.

Maybe they were able to demonstrate exceptional character?

Is 1/32 part Native American a hook? Asking for a friend who can’t figure out how average I and otherwise unhooked kid got into Columbia this year.

Anonymous wrote:^^^The rare kid may accomplish this but it is not the norm!!!

Agreed - and to be honest - I'd venture to guess that this is more likely a case where a parent doesn't want to admit that the kid had a hook.

Either way - hurray for your kid and their outcome!! So nice to be one and done and enjoy senior year.

^^^The rare kid may accomplish this but it is not the norm!!!

My kid has a 3.7 GPA and has been accepted at a top 10. No hooks.

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn’t the CCO be inclined to work with parents and seek great outcomes for all, hooked or nonhooked? I don’t get it! Clearly these college admissions are considered highly by parents who are seeking out elite private school admissions, so I don’t understand why the system isn’t being made to work for all.

Very good question - we didn't get it either.

Maybe because outcomes look great because there are so many hooked students?

Why wouldn’t the CCO be inclined to work with parents and seek great outcomes for all, hooked or nonhooked? I don’t get it! Clearly these college admissions are considered highly by parents who are seeking out elite private school admissions, so I don’t understand why the system isn’t being made to work for all.

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, unless STA has changed its policy, you can only look at Naviance in the CCO office. Some may hate that, but I appreciated it. Made the whole process less about trying to read the tea leaves.

CCO said my kids’ grades were in range pretty much everywhere so whether he was admitted would likely depend on other factors. I think my kid had a 93 at end of junior year with a high level of rigor (you get no bump for honors classes).

This works because STA CCO gives real advice and support to families and students during the application process. GDS and Sidwell do not - it would be mush worse without SCOIR/Naviance (even though those aren't particularly helpful either when you don't know who was hooked).

Yes double legacy helps!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3.7 and 3.8 is the sweet spot for the safety Ivies like Cornell and Brown.

No way...not at our Big 3. Cornell and Brown need a hook - maybe one 3.9+ will sneak in.

Sounds like a lot of 3.9+s at your school.

No - I don't think so. I know of two unhooked 3.9+ that got into T10 schools.

Anonymous wrote:You all are misinformed. At least our big three does not do GPA.

But I bet they give one out in Junior year to families and use it in SCOIR/Naviance......

Kids talk - this is how people know GPA. I know my kid's GPA - during admissions results my kid might say whether other people had lower and/or whether other people had similar but lower rigor. They don't name specific people but based on college tier acceptances. So it's easy to deduce the patterns looking back on where students attended (along with having access to SCOIR/Naiviance).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3.7 and 3.8 is the sweet spot for the safety Ivies like Cornell and Brown.

No way...not at our Big 3. Cornell and Brown need a hook - maybe one 3.9+ will sneak in.

Sounds like a lot of 3.9+s at your school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3.7 and 3.8 is the sweet spot for the safety Ivies like Cornell and Brown.

Absolutely not true. You will need a 3.9+ with high rigor for Brown, Penn, and Dartmouth unless hooked. Also, legacy is unofficially no longer a factor at Brown and Penn. Your statement is totally backwards. At my DC’s Big 3, the Princeton, Yale, and Harvard admits had the highest % legacy/VIP and much lower GPAs. On academic merit alone, the non HYP Ivies seem to be getting the higher caliber students from the Big 3 over last 3 cycles.

The above is spot on

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3.7 and 3.8 is the sweet spot for the safety Ivies like Cornell and Brown.

Nope. Based on SCOIR data from our school (GDS or Sidwell), a student was admitted to Princeton with a 3.7. This is within the last 3 years.

You may need a higher GPA at other privates.

A 3.7 to an Ivy is a hooked student.