Anonymous wrote:Looking at Harvard Westlake unhooked data, the majority of T10 bound do not have “flawless” transcripts. A good chunk of T10 admits there in fact have lower gpas.

Looking at NY’s Great Neck South high school data, it’s also not required to have flawless transcripts for T10.

Where do you find this data?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year tough for our school. My own was shot down ED1 & 2/ top 20 which seemed like an authentic fit. MCPS public. SAT 1530, 3.9 UW/4.6W. Great EC's & leadership with real impact but no national award or "spike".  Est. rank 10 % of class. Going for less popular major. A few published articles locally. Worked with experienced college coach. 12 AP's (a few 4s, mostly 5s). Summer job 3 summers.  Would have been happy at UVA, Michigan, Wash U, Vanderbilt (I know a unicorn), Florida, Austin. Full pay. Most likely above average recs based on counselor feedback.  Good handful of friend group/ similar stats in same boat. Obviously some are getting in but the ones that did have that something special. Would love to hear if there are other kids with similar normal stats getting into top 20s this year. Especially from public. Too many of them with similar stats?

You need something different, unique, quirky or standout.

How can you answer the question Why me - and not my 5 peers? Something should standout.

Sometimes it’s in LOR, EC; awards. But it has to be something. The major isn’t enough.

Where are you waiting to hear from?

I think this is accurate.

In case this framing is helpful: If we took stats out of the picture entirely, what does the applicant look like? They need to have a hook / meet an institutional priority / be very interesting or exceptional or compelling without regard to/beyond stats.

For whatever it's worth, mine has similar stats, unhooked. Denied at Stanford, in at Michigan.

What's (mostly) the same: MCPS, not a W school. 4.0 GPA, 1540 SAT, some solid, impactful but very local normal EC's. Lots of APs (but fewer, mixed with IB and DE classes)

What's different: 4.95 weighted, so a bit more rigor perhaps. All 5's on AP's. Some through DE coursework, i.e. beyond what was offered that their school. The other X factor for Michigan was a very unique Michigan-specific "why us" essay.

I hope our students all do well in the RD round, but tbh in 2026 these are solid t50 profiles, but reaches for t20.

Anonymous wrote:This year tough for our school. My own was shot down ED1 & 2/ top 20 which seemed like an authentic fit. MCPS public. SAT 1530, 3.9 UW/4.6W. Great EC's & leadership with real impact but no national award or "spike".  Est. rank 10 % of class. Going for less popular major. A few published articles locally. Worked with experienced college coach. 12 AP's (a few 4s, mostly 5s). Summer job 3 summers.  Would have been happy at UVA, Michigan, Wash U, Vanderbilt (I know a unicorn), Florida, Austin. Full pay. Most likely above average recs based on counselor feedback.  Good handful of friend group/ similar stats in same boat. Obviously some are getting in but the ones that did have that something special. Would love to hear if there are other kids with similar normal stats getting into top 20s this year. Especially from public. Too many of them with similar stats?

Maybe rank matters more from public school? In our public school seems like top 10 kids, maybe 15 do well but not necessarily much lower but who knows?

Anonymous wrote:This year tough for our school. My own was shot down ED1 & 2/ top 20 which seemed like an authentic fit. MCPS public. SAT 1530, 3.9 UW/4.6W. Great EC's & leadership with real impact but no national award or "spike".  Est. rank 10 % of class. Going for less popular major. A few published articles locally. Worked with experienced college coach. 12 AP's (a few 4s, mostly 5s). Summer job 3 summers.  Would have been happy at UVA, Michigan, Wash U, Vanderbilt (I know a unicorn), Florida, Austin. Full pay. Most likely above average recs based on counselor feedback.  Good handful of friend group/ similar stats in same boat. Obviously some are getting in but the ones that did have that something special. Would love to hear if there are other kids with similar normal stats getting into top 20s this year. Especially from public. Too many of them with similar stats?

So sorry to hear this - hopefully RD will work out. For my own child in public school, I worry letters from overworked teachers may not be too impactful but I know there are a lot of good schools out there and something will work out.

Anonymous wrote:This year tough for our school. My own was shot down ED1 & 2/ top 20 which seemed like an authentic fit. MCPS public. SAT 1530, 3.9 UW/4.6W. Great EC's & leadership with real impact but no national award or "spike".  Est. rank 10 % of class. Going for less popular major. A few published articles locally. Worked with experienced college coach. 12 AP's (a few 4s, mostly 5s). Summer job 3 summers.  Would have been happy at UVA, Michigan, Wash U, Vanderbilt (I know a unicorn), Florida, Austin. Full pay. Most likely above average recs based on counselor feedback.  Good handful of friend group/ similar stats in same boat. Obviously some are getting in but the ones that did have that something special. Would love to hear if there are other kids with similar normal stats getting into top 20s this year. Especially from public. Too many of them with similar stats?

You need something different, unique, quirky or standout.

How can you answer the question Why me - and not my 5 peers? Something should standout.

Sometimes it’s in LOR, EC; awards. But it has to be something. The major isn’t enough.

Where are you waiting to hear from?

This year tough for our school. My own was shot down ED1 & 2/ top 20 which seemed like an authentic fit. MCPS public. SAT 1530, 3.9 UW/4.6W. Great EC's & leadership with real impact but no national award or "spike".  Est. rank 10 % of class. Going for less popular major. A few published articles locally. Worked with experienced college coach. 12 AP's (a few 4s, mostly 5s). Summer job 3 summers.  Would have been happy at UVA, Michigan, Wash U, Vanderbilt (I know a unicorn), Florida, Austin. Full pay. Most likely above average recs based on counselor feedback.  Good handful of friend group/ similar stats in same boat. Obviously some are getting in but the ones that did have that something special. Would love to hear if there are other kids with similar normal stats getting into top 20s this year. Especially from public. Too many of them with similar stats?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does this supposed naturally and effortlessly high achieving requirement only apply to RD?

My kid got into one of HYPS unhooked in the early round, but they do study and not everything comes easily to them.

Nah. Its a weird flex. And even weirder to do it here years afterwards.

Yeah agree its weird. Like if you have to study, you are not good enough?

My child was completely unhooked, and was admitted to T10 schools. He was a very good student from a very rigorous school, but not tippy top. Very serious about a difficult extracurricular, competed nationally but not ranked. Full pay. I do believe - not just parental pride - that DS came across as interesting and not scripted. He took some clear risks, and had some compelling personal stories.

Looking at Harvard Westlake unhooked data, the majority of T10 bound do not have “flawless” transcripts. A good chunk of T10 admits there in fact have lower gpas.

Looking at NY’s Great Neck South high school data, it’s also not required to have flawless transcripts for T10.

My DS got into a top 10 with an ED. He had all As all four years at rigorous private. Never a A- or B+. Took all hardest classes and the APs offered so had the most rigorous schedule available. 1570 single sitting. Four year varsity athlete, captain, state tournaments all four years. First place in state in math team competition. President of an academic club. He was incredibly busy but incredibly disciplined in high school and the academics required work in terms of time management but did come easily to him in terms of substance.

Second child is a junior now. It is so much harder for her. She has a mix of A, A- and B+ and truly is working as hard as she can. Not taking all the most advanced classes. So far has a 31 and hoping to superstore her way to a 33/34. Lower athletic performance but good club and other ECs but nothing like first DC.

It is just totally different what was natural to him and what she is doing. If she were my only child I would think she was a mid-strong student. But seeing him do all he did in high school I recognize top 10 is a different breed.

Anonymous wrote:Does this supposed naturally and effortlessly high achieving requirement only apply to RD?

My kid got into one of HYPS unhooked in the early round, but they do study and not everything comes easily to them.

Nah. Its a weird flex. And even weirder to do it here years afterwards.

Does this supposed naturally and effortlessly high achieving requirement only apply to RD?

My kid got into one of HYPS unhooked in the early round, but they do study and not everything comes easily to them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:some of this, yes.
mine didn't have national award but more or less had the rest of what you listed. but nothing done for college resume sake, all just whatever she wanted to spend their time doing.
yes, she also has an amazing friend group, goes to prom/homecoming, and has a boyfriend. spends time with us parents and with siblings. was also doing daily intensive treatment of a medical issue throughout high school. and still has plenty of free time to hang out, watch movies, go out for walks, play HS sports. it's the kids who still have tons of free time despite having flawless transcripts/great ECs - those are the ones getting in unhooked.

This mine in unhooked top 10, school comes naturally, no studying for the most part and is able to process things quicky and 36 ACT one sitting and refused to really prep for testing. SAT math was "super easy." Schools can tell who is natural or who is genuine, for the most part.

My child who got in is like this too. 36 one sitting despite not really sleeping before because they were at a party and sleepover. Refused to prep. Top grades at a rigorous private (one of the 3 hours of homework at night ones) despite never studying.
Is now at the Ivy with a 4.0 in a STEM major, 18 months in.
I had another child who was denied at the same Ivy the next year which at the time didn't make sense (this kid studied diligently throughout high school) but if I'm honest, they picked the right kid. I don't know how they "knew" but assume it came out in the teacher recs.

PP, same, we will see where #2 lands who works harder and has a better attitude towards schooling. #1 was really an audiodact, didn't really need school...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:some of this, yes.
mine didn't have national award but more or less had the rest of what you listed. but nothing done for college resume sake, all just whatever she wanted to spend their time doing.
yes, she also has an amazing friend group, goes to prom/homecoming, and has a boyfriend. spends time with us parents and with siblings. was also doing daily intensive treatment of a medical issue throughout high school. and still has plenty of free time to hang out, watch movies, go out for walks, play HS sports. it's the kids who still have tons of free time despite having flawless transcripts/great ECs - those are the ones getting in unhooked.

This mine in unhooked top 10, school comes naturally, no studying for the most part and is able to process things quicky and 36 ACT one sitting and refused to really prep for testing. SAT math was "super easy." Schools can tell who is natural or who is genuine, for the most part.

My child who got in is like this too. 36 one sitting despite not really sleeping before because they were at a party and sleepover. Refused to prep. Top grades at a rigorous private (one of the 3 hours of homework at night ones) despite never studying.
Is now at the Ivy with a 4.0 in a STEM major, 18 months in.
I had another child who was denied at the same Ivy the next year which at the time didn't make sense (this kid studied diligently throughout high school) but if I'm honest, they picked the right kid. I don't know how they "knew" but assume it came out in the teacher recs.

Need to move to New Mexico or South Dakota, seriously. They need the diversity, so you just need to be best in state versus best in school.