Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD got into an Ivy ED this year. Had 3 Bs freshman year during the start of the pandemic but straigtht As the rest of the way with high but not highest rigor. ACT was slightly below mid 50% percent which she submitted. Scored very high in English/Reading sub-section, but low science score dragged her score down but she's not going to be a STEM major so I don't think the low overall score mattered. Goes to a top public high school. I think she got accepted because she was a perfect fit for the school/major she applied for with exceptional essays stating a world problem she wants to help solve with supporting evidence from her ECs involving her local community, as well as exceptional recommendations from her teachers. Unhooked, no national awards, no articles in local newspapers.

I love to hear this! Congratulations!

Thanks! It was very unexpected and she's super excited about attending her college in the Fall. You do not need to obsess over achieving perfect grades and SAT/ACT scores to get into an Ivy or T20 school. Try to develop a passion and get involved in a related EC whether that is on or off campus. Take your time and write a phenomenal essay about your EC. You need multiple revisions before you get the perfect draft. Try to be authentic and do not be aftraid to discuss your failures and what you learned from those failures. Ask you English teacher for help writing your essays; they will be happy to help and best of all it is free. Try to develop a close relationship with your teachers. Those relationships will come in handy when you need recommendations for your applications. Stellar essays and recommendations will strengthen your overall application and might just tip the scale in your favor for admission.

I am so sick of hearing about “passions”, “passion projects,” and choosing ECs so it tells story about your passion. It is such BS. Sure, a few kids may have a passion so great that they spend all their free time on things related to this passion. But, for the most part, it is just the new parent strategy to try and get your kid into an IVY. Most of these kids are moving in from their “passion” as soon as they leave high school.

Anonymous wrote:No way someone is getting into Harvard with a C jn anything without being from some obscure country, huge donor family or playing college sports

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD got into an Ivy ED this year. Had 3 Bs freshman year during the start of the pandemic but straigtht As the rest of the way with high but not highest rigor. ACT was slightly below mid 50% percent which she submitted. Scored very high in English/Reading sub-section, but low science score dragged her score down but she's not going to be a STEM major so I don't think the low overall score mattered. Goes to a top public high school. I think she got accepted because she was a perfect fit for the school/major she applied for with exceptional essays stating a world problem she wants to help solve with supporting evidence from her ECs involving her local community, as well as exceptional recommendations from her teachers. Unhooked, no national awards, no articles in local newspapers.

I love to hear this! Congratulations!

Thanks! It was very unexpected and she's super excited about attending her college in the Fall. You do not need to obsess over achieving perfect grades and SAT/ACT scores to get into an Ivy or T20 school. Try to develop a passion and get involved in a related EC whether that is on or off campus. Take your time and write a phenomenal essay about your EC. You need multiple revisions before you get the perfect draft. Try to be authentic and do not be aftraid to discuss your failures and what you learned from those failures. Ask you English teacher for help writing your essays; they will be happy to help and best of all it is free. Try to develop a close relationship with your teachers. Those relationships will come in handy when you need recommendations for your applications. Stellar essays and recommendations will strengthen your overall application and might just tip the scale in your favor for admission.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD got into an Ivy ED this year. Had 3 Bs freshman year during the start of the pandemic but straigtht As the rest of the way with high but not highest rigor. ACT was slightly below mid 50% percent which she submitted. Scored very high in English/Reading sub-section, but low science score dragged her score down but she's not going to be a STEM major so I don't think the low overall score mattered. Goes to a top public high school. I think she got accepted because she was a perfect fit for the school/major she applied for with exceptional essays stating a world problem she wants to help solve with supporting evidence from her ECs involving her local community, as well as exceptional recommendations from her teachers. Unhooked, no national awards, no articles in local newspapers.

I love to hear this! Congratulations!

Thanks! It was very unexpected and she's super excited about attending her college in the Fall. You do not need to obsess over achieving perfect grades and SAT/ACT scores to get into an Ivy or T20 school. Try to develop a passion and get involved in a related EC whether that is on or off campus. Take your time and write a phenomenal essay about your EC. You need multiple revisions before you get the perfect draft. Try to be authentic and do not be aftraid to discuss your failures and what you learned from those failures. Ask you English teacher for help writing your essays; they will be happy to help and best of all it is free. Try to develop a close relationship with your teachers. Those relationships will come in handy when you need recommendations for your applications. Stellar essays and recommendations will strengthen your overall application and might just tip the scale in your favor for admission.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Hogg got into Harvard with a sub-1300 SAT and a 4.2 weighted, which if you know anything about Florida public high schools is like a B/B- average.

I was just thinking that maybe the political troll was on holiday vacation, but I guess no rest for the wicked (as my mother used to say)!

Firstly, tests were less inflated then, and you can't really know what his weighted GPA equates to.
Secondly, that kid endured something horrific and rallied and organized to make real change in the world. That shows genuine leadership. I've heard him speak -- he has passion, knowledge and leadership. The data doesn't tell you everything about a student. Not surprised top schools wanted him. But, I would love to be able to discuss the things that the OPs ask, and not to deal with the troll sludge that you like to dredge up and spew.

Have you ever read his tweets? He can barely string together a grammatically correct sentence, even after four years at Harvard.

That doesn't speak very well of Harvard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD got into an Ivy ED this year. Had 3 Bs freshman year during the start of the pandemic but straigtht As the rest of the way with high but not highest rigor. ACT was slightly below mid 50% percent which she submitted. Scored very high in English/Reading sub-section, but low science score dragged her score down but she's not going to be a STEM major so I don't think the low overall score mattered. Goes to a top public high school. I think she got accepted because she was a perfect fit for the school/major she applied for with exceptional essays stating a world problem she wants to help solve with supporting evidence from her ECs involving her local community, as well as exceptional recommendations from her teachers. Unhooked, no national awards, no articles in local newspapers.

I love to hear this! Congratulations!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Hogg got into Harvard with a sub-1300 SAT and a 4.2 weighted, which if you know anything about Florida public high schools is like a B/B- average.

I was just thinking that maybe the political troll was on holiday vacation, but I guess no rest for the wicked (as my mother used to say)!

Firstly, tests were less inflated then, and you can't really know what his weighted GPA equates to.
Secondly, that kid endured something horrific and rallied and organized to make real change in the world. That shows genuine leadership. I've heard him speak -- he has passion, knowledge and leadership. The data doesn't tell you everything about a student. Not surprised top schools wanted him. But, I would love to be able to discuss the things that the OPs ask, and not to deal with the troll sludge that you like to dredge up and spew.

Have you ever read his tweets? He can barely string together a grammatically correct sentence, even after four years at Harvard.

Anonymous wrote:DD got into an Ivy ED this year. Had 3 Bs freshman year during the start of the pandemic but straigtht As the rest of the way with high but not highest rigor. ACT was slightly below mid 50% percent which she submitted. Scored very high in English/Reading sub-section, but low science score dragged her score down but she's not going to be a STEM major so I don't think the low overall score mattered. Goes to a top public high school. I think she got accepted because she was a perfect fit for the school/major she applied for with exceptional essays stating a world problem she wants to help solve with supporting evidence from her ECs involving her local community, as well as exceptional recommendations from her teachers. Unhooked, no national awards, no articles in local newspapers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Hogg got into Harvard with a sub-1300 SAT and a 4.2 weighted, which if you know anything about Florida public high schools is like a B/B- average.

David Hogg is exactly the kind of kid Harvard wants. Harvard doesn't care about anybody having perfect grades or a perfect SAT score. These things are not going to get you in.