Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:26     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:Crazy responses. Someone like that has a decent shop at top schools. Not HYPSM but good schools. The pointiest kids are often awkward and well rounded kids help establish a great campus community.


From your vast experience. Let's be real - except here or other similar sites where people post stats, how many kids do you know personally who are pointy AND you know well enough, interact with frequently enough and deeply enough, to comment on their awkwardness?
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:24     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Trying to think of a way this post could have been written more obnoxiously and coming up short.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:23     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
My son is at Cornell. Very similar.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:22     Subject: Re:What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
My son was just that. Got in RD to two Ivies, Georgetown, Hopkins, 2 top SLACs. UVA, WM
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:22     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are there any colleges/universities that look favorably on a well-rounded kid these days? Excels in range of subjects (but mostly math), high rigor coursework/high test scores, sporty, awards in debate and entrepreneurship but nothing national level, some student leadership, loves being involved at school, lots of volunteer hours, well-liked by teachers. But wouldn’t naturally develop pointy areas just for purposes of developing an application narrative. He thinks that’s phony.


I'm assuming that you aren't implicitly talking about admission to T30 schools. My son had a similar profile, lesser in fact, and got admitted to 3 T50 schools (2 public, 1 private), one a transfer to a private after one year in community college (applied ED1 and deferred to RD) and waitlisted at another public. He got admitted to 5 T100 schools. He came close to going to a really good Top 150 school, I wouldn't dismiss them if they are a fit.

You may have to be aggressive and identify an ED school if he is certain that he likes it and will attend it. For others, I'd recommend EA for the others, especially OOS public schools if this option is available (it isn't at UW-Seattle and UC).

He went to a public, Title I high school, and wrote good, low key essays that spoke to his character and ability to respect people in a diverse community based upon his experience. I think that he was able to establish a a more personal connection with the AOs by doing so. My advice is that he should present himself in a unpretentious, sincere way, I think that this goes a long way, and he will end up at a place that wants him for who he is.  


Here son is at a private school with top grades and test scores. Why would she be aiming for T150 schools?
What????


Reading comprehension, please. I didn't say aim for T150s, I said that they shouldn't be dismissed. Obviously, we didn't aim for Top 150s if you read my post again. There are schools out there that can be good fits for students looking for certain things, and he will need safeties. The focus should be on schools that are good fits in regard to the students, the programs, the campus culture, the location and the educational goals regardless of ranking. We applied to one as a safety and almost ending ended choosing it because of our post-admission experiences.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:18     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
A few questions for the OP:
1. Top grades and stats?
2. Thoughts on major? Minor?
3. Any evidence for entrepreneurship? What kind?
4. Type of environment he wants (big vs. small?)
5. Private school, right? Did he do any independent research in HS with a faculty member? What topic?
6. Debate all 4 years? Does he have leadership of any school clubs?
7. Any ideas on career? Has he had any jobs or internships?

This sounds like a really strong applicant to me but I just want a few more data points before suggesting schools (including some that have been mentioned).
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:14     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:“Pointy” hasn’t been a thing in about 10 years.


They stopped being interested in porcupines. They are looking for unicorns. OP is not at porcupines level.


Naw they just prefer brown and trans people, ideally first generation. And legacies and athletes. No Asians need apply.


Seriously most Asian kids are boring as dirt. Their parents didn't prioritize having a personality. Not all, but i know my fair share. This isn't Asia. Scoring super high on test and gpa doesn’t mean you will be a good addition to a college's incoming class.

- Asian


This is not my West Coast, Sacramento experience at all.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:13     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:“Pointy” hasn’t been a thing in about 10 years.


They stopped being interested in porcupines. They are looking for unicorns. OP is not at porcupines level.


Naw they just prefer brown and trans people, ideally first generation. And legacies and athletes. No Asians need apply.


Seriously most Asian kids are boring as dirt. Their parents didn't prioritize having a personality. Not all, but i know my fair share. This isn't Asia. Scoring super high on test and gpa doesn’t mean you will be a good addition to a college's incoming class.

- Asian


Hi team, OP here, child is not Asian and we do not have a racial or diversity chip on our shoulder, so we can leave the race/DEI wars out of the conversation. Appreciate all the perspectives otherwise!
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:13     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are there any colleges/universities that look favorably on a well-rounded kid these days? Excels in range of subjects (but mostly math), high rigor coursework/high test scores, sporty, awards in debate and entrepreneurship but nothing national level, some student leadership, loves being involved at school, lots of volunteer hours, well-liked by teachers. But wouldn’t naturally develop pointy areas just for purposes of developing an application narrative. He thinks that’s phony.


Honestly, this sounds like a Dartmouth kid, provided he's also outdoorsy.
If you haven't visited D, you should this fall and check out the Entrepreneurship center: https://magnuson.dartmouth.edu/
SLACs love this kind of kid too.

If Dartmouth isn't his thing, also check out:
Vanderbilt (esp given the leadership and debate)
Duke
Stanford (have seen more "star" academic kids without spikes recently, and they LOVE their interdisciplinary entrepreneurs with multiple skill sets)
Rice
WashU

If you are at a private school, look at the kids who were admitted to these and other schools from HS. Did they have a spike? Which ones had no spike? Your kid might actually know.

If you answer a few questions on entrepreneurship, it might become evidence that that's a mini spike.


Assuming top stats, agree with all suggested schools, except Stanford, which likes "national awards" or bells & whistles, AND always some humanitarian impact. Doubtful this kid's "volunteer hours" will reach that level.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:11     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are there any colleges/universities that look favorably on a well-rounded kid these days? Excels in range of subjects (but mostly math), high rigor coursework/high test scores, sporty, awards in debate and entrepreneurship but nothing national level, some student leadership, loves being involved at school, lots of volunteer hours, well-liked by teachers. But wouldn’t naturally develop pointy areas just for purposes of developing an application narrative. He thinks that’s phony.


I'm assuming that you aren't implicitly talking about admission to T30 schools. My son had a similar profile, lesser in fact, and got admitted to 3 T50 schools (2 public, 1 private), one a transfer to a private after one year in community college (applied ED1 and deferred to RD) and waitlisted at another public. He got admitted to 5 T100 schools. He came close to going to a really good Top 150 school, I wouldn't dismiss them if they are a fit.

You may have to be aggressive and identify an ED school if he is certain that he likes it and will attend it. For others, I'd recommend EA for the others, especially OOS public schools if this option is available (it isn't at UW-Seattle and UC).

He went to a public, Title I high school, and wrote good, low key essays that spoke to his character and ability to respect people in a diverse community based upon his experience. I think that he was able to establish a a more personal connection with the AOs by doing so. My advice is that he should present himself in a unpretentious, sincere way, I think that this goes a long way, and he will end up at a place that wants him for who he is.  


This is not relevant to the OP.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:08     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are there any colleges/universities that look favorably on a well-rounded kid these days? Excels in range of subjects (but mostly math), high rigor coursework/high test scores, sporty, awards in debate and entrepreneurship but nothing national level, some student leadership, loves being involved at school, lots of volunteer hours, well-liked by teachers. But wouldn’t naturally develop pointy areas just for purposes of developing an application narrative. He thinks that’s phony.


I'm assuming that you aren't implicitly talking about admission to T30 schools. My son had a similar profile, lesser in fact, and got admitted to 3 T50 schools (2 public, 1 private), one a transfer to a private after one year in community college (applied ED1 and deferred to RD) and waitlisted at another public. He got admitted to 5 T100 schools. He came close to going to a really good Top 150 school, I wouldn't dismiss them if they are a fit.

You may have to be aggressive and identify an ED school if he is certain that he likes it and will attend it. For others, I'd recommend EA for the others, especially OOS public schools if this option is available (it isn't at UW-Seattle and UC).

He went to a public, Title I high school, and wrote good, low key essays that spoke to his character and ability to respect people in a diverse community based upon his experience. I think that he was able to establish a a more personal connection with the AOs by doing so. My advice is that he should present himself in a unpretentious, sincere way, I think that this goes a long way, and he will end up at a place that wants him for who he is.  


Here son is at a private school with top grades and test scores. Why would she be aiming for T150 schools?
What????
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:05     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:Are there any colleges/universities that look favorably on a well-rounded kid these days? Excels in range of subjects (but mostly math), high rigor coursework/high test scores, sporty, awards in debate and entrepreneurship but nothing national level, some student leadership, loves being involved at school, lots of volunteer hours, well-liked by teachers. But wouldn’t naturally develop pointy areas just for purposes of developing an application narrative. He thinks that’s phony.


I'm assuming that you aren't implicitly talking about admission to T30 schools. My son had a similar profile, lesser in fact, and got admitted to 3 T50 schools (2 public, 1 private), one a transfer to a private after one year in community college (applied ED1 and deferred to RD) and waitlisted at another public. He got admitted to 5 T100 schools. He came close to going to a really good Top 150 school, I wouldn't dismiss them if they are a fit.

You may have to be aggressive and identify an ED school if he is certain that he likes it and will attend it. For others, I'd recommend EA for the others, especially OOS public schools if this option is available (it isn't at UW-Seattle and UC).

He went to a public, Title I high school, and wrote good, low key essays that spoke to his character and ability to respect people in a diverse community based upon his experience. I think that he was able to establish a a more personal connection with the AOs by doing so. My advice is that he should present himself in a unpretentious, sincere way, I think that this goes a long way, and he will end up at a place that wants him for who he is.  
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 14:01     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:Are there any colleges/universities that look favorably on a well-rounded kid these days? Excels in range of subjects (but mostly math), high rigor coursework/high test scores, sporty, awards in debate and entrepreneurship but nothing national level, some student leadership, loves being involved at school, lots of volunteer hours, well-liked by teachers. But wouldn’t naturally develop pointy areas just for purposes of developing an application narrative. He thinks that’s phony.


Kids like this should apply to interdisciplinary majors (if the school offers it) or indicate a double major (math + entrepreneurship or xyz).
Cornell LOVES this kind of student (it was founded as every person, every study) if the kid can make the case for something. anything.

The quality of your application matters a lot. People underestimate how good the "quality" has to be - meaning the writing, the poignancy, the personality and the impact.

good thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1eau0s6/im_worried_im_too_well_rounded/
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 13:57     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:“Pointy” hasn’t been a thing in about 10 years.


They stopped being interested in porcupines. They are looking for unicorns. OP is not at porcupines level.


Naw they just prefer brown and trans people, ideally first generation. And legacies and athletes. No Asians need apply.


Seriously most Asian kids are boring as dirt. Their parents didn't prioritize having a personality. Not all, but i know my fair share. This isn't Asia. Scoring super high on test and gpa doesn’t mean you will be a good addition to a college's incoming class.

- Asian
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2025 13:54     Subject: What to do if your kid is - gasp - well-rounded?
Columbia