Anonymous
09/20/2025 22:24
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:I feel the same — when I interview for my alma mater, a lot of these high-achieving students basically scream, 'I come from wealth and privilege.'
Great, and colleges should want those kids, because they are going to do well in life and perhaps donate to the school someday.
Anonymous
09/20/2025 16:13
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:With so many pay-to-play activities out there, can admissions officers at elite colleges tell the difference? Or do they not care because it shows the student is resourceful?
How does it show the kid is resourceful?
As in the student has lots of resources
Parents' connections in the college labs or hospitals for instances
Anonymous
09/20/2025 15:19
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:With so many pay-to-play activities out there, can admissions officers at elite colleges tell the difference? Or do they not care because it shows the student is resourceful?
How does it show the kid is resourceful?
As in the student has lots of resources
Anonymous
09/20/2025 15:08
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I feel the same — when I interview for my alma mater, a lot of these high-achieving students basically scream, 'I come from wealth and privilege.'
But, what if they do come from wealth and privilege? Why do they need to be something they aren’t to impress you. Why can’t they live their own authentic life. Can’t a kid who is high achieving just be recognized for their achievements. A 1600 on the SAT is still a 1600 even if you summer in Maine.
The kid who summers in Maine might do that in college too and then be stuck without a job whereas their peers who spend summers DOING stuff seem motivated enough to get internships and good jobs after college — become famous or donors or whatever. That’s why kids need to be doing something productive over summer — not sure when this trend started, but clearly this is the situation now. I don’t like it either.
FWIW my 1600 kid was admitted to MIT without research or pay to play or math beyond Calc BC. What mattered was the impact they had in our community — the project showed motivation, willingness to take a risk, leadership and compassion for others. No money spent at all. It’s possible! And get this — DC was not even aiming for MIT or other selective college. Just decided to throw in some apps due to the 1600 and 4.0. They had a good story which was authentic and that’s what mattered in the end.
Girl?
Anonymous
09/20/2025 15:04
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Are we consdiering club sports to be pay to play as well? I mean, you are literally paying for your kid to play!
I’m hoping AO can truly verify authenticity—there’s just too much fraud these days. That said, sports are merit-based: you either win or lose, just like any in-person competition.
Anonymous
09/20/2025 09:35
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Are we consdiering club sports to be pay to play as well? I mean, you are literally paying for your kid to play!
Anonymous
09/19/2025 21:00
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:
FWIW my 1600 kid was admitted to MIT without research or pay to play or math beyond Calc BC. What mattered was the impact they had in our community — the project showed motivation, willingness to take a risk, leadership and compassion for others. No money spent at all. It’s possible! And get this — DC was not even aiming for MIT or other selective college. Just decided to throw in some apps due to the 1600 and 4.0. They had a good story which was authentic and that’s what mattered in the end.
Well said.
Compassion for others — such a rare quality these days. Kudos to your child!
Anonymous
09/19/2025 20:48
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I feel the same — when I interview for my alma mater, a lot of these high-achieving students basically scream, 'I come from wealth and privilege.'
But, what if they do come from wealth and privilege? Why do they need to be something they aren’t to impress you. Why can’t they live their own authentic life. Can’t a kid who is high achieving just be recognized for their achievements. A 1600 on the SAT is still a 1600 even if you summer in Maine.
The kid who summers in Maine might do that in college too and then be stuck without a job whereas their peers who spend summers DOING stuff seem motivated enough to get internships and good jobs after college — become famous or donors or whatever. That’s why kids need to be doing something productive over summer — not sure when this trend started, but clearly this is the situation now. I don’t like it either.
FWIW my 1600 kid was admitted to MIT without research or pay to play or math beyond Calc BC. What mattered was the impact they had in our community — the project showed motivation, willingness to take a risk, leadership and compassion for others. No money spent at all. It’s possible! And get this — DC was not even aiming for MIT or other selective college. Just decided to throw in some apps due to the 1600 and 4.0. They had a good story which was authentic and that’s what mattered in the end.
Anonymous
09/19/2025 20:46
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:What about summer programs on college campuses
I think only Cal, UCLA and UChicago have summer programs where the kids are signing up for actual college classes along with other students. The rest are not actual college courses.
Anonymous
09/19/2025 20:41
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:I thought of Regeneron awards as a "pure" EC, but then I met someone who paid for her kid to be mentored in a lab for the summer, in a different city - she paid for her child to fly and live there for 2 months while doing the research and offered the researchers funding as well.
Most of the Science Fair awards are like this. The mentors even actually do the work sometimes.
Anonymous
09/19/2025 20:35
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:With so many pay-to-play activities out there, can admissions officers at elite colleges tell the difference? Or do they not care because it shows the student is resourceful?
Why does it matter? I actually want AOs to know that we are full pay parents who do not need FA - that's going to be a boost in this admissions cycle.
I agree. This is my problem with Application Nation. Harberson insists that you can’t put any summer pre-college programs on your application. It shows too much privilege. Don’t colleges want full pay kids? Don’t they already know kid is privileged given the basic facts: private school, highly educated parents, profession of parents, etc. Many kids have really meaningful experiences at these summer programs that help them figure out what they want to do in college. Not talking about the experiences AT ALL in the “why this major” essay or listing on the activities list to show fit to major is crazy to me.
Anonymous
09/19/2025 17:52
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The two biggest ones I see are:
* Internships
* Research experiences
Genuinely curious but why would anyone pay for research experiences? So many university faculty that have NSF research grants would love to work with high school students and most universities have extensive high school research opportunity programs.
The vast majority of university faculty do NOT want to work with high school students. Most would NOT love it. There's a reason that a for-profit industry has evolved here.
Anonymous
09/19/2025 17:42
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:With so many pay-to-play activities out there, can admissions officers at elite colleges tell the difference? Or do they not care because it shows the student is resourceful?
How does it show the kid is resourceful?
They asked their parents to fund it and they did.
Anonymous
09/19/2025 12:06
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:
NP. The reality is kids who have pay to play programs get accepted to highly selective colleges all the time. People are over thinking this. If you have the stats and the right stuff, it doesn’t matter if you have a pay to play program on your list.
The main question is: how do AOs perceive all of this? Someone also pointed out that you're really competing with your peers within your own high school. So, do AOs just take it for granted that every competitive student in the elite high school should have a good GPA plus:
run an AI business
An internship
Research experiences
A nonprofit initiative
A startup
Varsity-level athletics
Artistic or performing arts involvement
Awards from academic competitions
Cure cancer
ha ha ha....
Anonymous
09/19/2025 11:46
Subject: Pay-to-play EC
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:With so many pay-to-play activities out there, can admissions officers at elite colleges tell the difference? Or do they not care because it shows the student is resourceful?
Why does it matter? I actually want AOs to know that we are full pay parents who do not need FA - that's going to be a boost in this admissions cycle.
Sorry, but your post made me chuckle. It's great that you have resources—just like the countless parents around the world who are eager to get their kids into Harvard.
NP. The reality is kids who have pay to play programs get accepted to highly selective colleges all the time. People are over thinking this. If you have the stats and the right stuff, it doesn’t matter if you have a pay to play program on your list.