Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which EC is everyone doing?

NP: varsity sports (non-recruit), club leader, Debate/Model UN, student gov, music/band, robotics/science fair, volunteering (animal shelters, church, or hospital)

Op, you said it yourself that everyone is doing these so that clearly implies none of them are impressive.

Anonymous wrote:There are tons of kids who get into top colleges with the formula of:

Top grades in hardest tracks
Tippy top test scores
Enough ECs to pass muster as well rounded

This was me and most of my friends, who were all top 25% (and usually top 10%) at Ivy graduation.

OK, but how long ago were you applying to those Ivies?

It’s a whole different ballgame from the one this generation’s parents experienced in the 80s and 90s.

What’s wrong with regular high school clubs and activities? Kids are kids and not every kid (or family) has the wherewithal to pursue a passion project or start a nonprofit or do groundbreaking research. I’m wondering when there will be a backlash against the new admissions metrics and what it will look like.

Anonymous wrote:How did yours stand out?
Grade inflation, mid range test scores, no test scores. Don't most seniors seem the "same?"

A lot of them do seem the same, especially the kids who focus on sports. Sports are great, but unless they are in the 1% with the talent to continue playing in college, they will not stand out to AOs.

There are so many colleges out there, though. And same-ish kids with mid range test scores and the same ECs will find numerous options for schools they love.

Anonymous wrote:Division 1 status stands out

It is a hook- that’s different. As with any hook, any stats can be lower and the kid can still get the desired school.

Division 1 status stands out

While obviously test scores, GPA and course path/rigor are important, your kid’s ability to tell a unique story about themselves in the essays (vs having totally unique EC or something mind blowing like curing cancer) is incredibly important. DD was a leader of several different clubs that were not impressive on their own, but she was able to show how they fit into a bigger picture of who she is—ie they were deliberate moves or stepping stones to learn about X in her pursuit of Y. Obviously I have no way of knowing for sure if that’s what helped her stand out, but she did very well in the application process and was happy with her results.

Anonymous wrote:my debate kid and not much else is at a HYP.

the essays matter. and LOR really matter.

Rich people can buy writers for the essays

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS didn't do any of those activities. He worked PT as a dishwasher/host/food runner. He likes working and earning his own money. No grade inflation in Catholic school. Maybe some grade deflation.

My kid worked a lot too. Started his own small business.

At Ivy.

Ivies buy this BS?
LOL

There will never be any demographic cliff as there are tens and tens of thousands of internationals who are applying. Check out College Confidential or Reddit. All the "applying to college" threads are all internationals. And they have the same test scores/grades and better extracurriculars than almost any Americans---doing original research by 9th grade, multiple internships, etc. If that is your thing (and it seems to be the "thing" of universities) then the percentage of internationals will continue to increase each year and more than compensate for any decrease in the US birth rate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are Asian (no matter south or east) and not underprivileged or international kind, you better crack a code for NSA or do research for a scientist who found a possible cure for dementia.

What do you mean? Admissions is much harder for internationals

the opposite, actually.

Anonymous wrote:If you are Asian (no matter south or east) and not underprivileged or international kind, you better crack a code for NSA or do research for a scientist who found a possible cure for dementia.

What do you mean? Admissions is much harder for internationals

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are tons of kids who get into top colleges with the formula of:

Top grades in hardest tracks
Tippy top test scores
Enough ECs to pass muster as well rounded

This was me and most of my friends, who were all top 25% (and usually top 10%) at Ivy graduation.

Unless you and most of your friends went to ivies within the last 2 (maybe 3) years, your experience is not relevant to how college admissions is now.

Maybe. But honestly someone who has a top 1% IQ and a top, say, 5% IQ is still going to do awesome at life if they end up at Vanderbilt or Boston College instead of Columbia or whatever.

You can train your kid to become a national fiddling champion to try to get some perceived advantage but in the end talent + discipline + EQ will result in positive life outcomes.

Anyway this is a temporary squeeze birth rates are declining so for those with young kids, it’s going to go back to being like the 90s and 00s again in another decade or so.

I agree with everything except that admissions will become easier again at some point. No, that’s a fantasy that people are clinging to but for top 25-50 schools, globalization means that any delta that might have been created by declining birth rates will be eliminated by increased international applications and acceptance rates.

Some schools are really transparent about how they have increased their proportion of international students over time- Yale has tons of public data about this, for example. It’s more than doubled since the late 90s.

I don’t see schools reducing their population or international students unless they’re a state school and it’s mandated by their legislature.

If you are Asian (no matter south or east) and not underprivileged or international kind, you better crack a code for NSA or do research for a scientist who found a possible cure for dementia.

Good post on here about top activities:
Search “birding”