Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's important to remember OP is talking about private schools. I think the hook thing sometimes works differently than in public schools.

I'm going to toss some observations out there, and you guys are welcome to pick them apart. I'm actually curious if any of you have noticed similar things, or not at all. I'm basing my observations on DC, who attended private and public schools, who has friends who attended both public and Big 3 private schools, and who ended up at at an Ivy without hooks. I'm actually curious if any of you have noticed similar things.

The athletic hook seems to work well for public school kids - DC has several friends who were recruited from area magnets for their sports. For sports like fencing, squash, and lacrosse, the privates are also fertile recruiting grounds. Crew recruits seem to draw equally from publics and privates, maybe because not that many public and private high schools have top notch crew programs. I do know a recent soccer recruit from a big 3.

The legacy hook is a mixed bag. Lots of public school kids have legacy status, of course. But these days legacy status, by itself, doesn't seem to be enough to get into Ivies that take 5-10% of applicants (Harvard seems to take the largest pct of legacies, about 1/3 of legacy applicants, who tend to be really qualified anyway). In addition to legacy status, it seems you also need a track record of large donations and/or something else special. From private schools, the hook is more likely to be legacy status combined with ability to pay full tuition and even make large donations. (I've had a hunch that this explains the large number of Ivy acceptances during the ED/EA round.)

YMMV. Also, obviously these rules are by no means iron clad and there are always exceptions.

Not sue about money as differentiating factor within the legacy pool itself. The private school legacy admits I know at HYP are a mixed bag economically. Overall they tend to skew upper middle class. But, there are as many academician or government lawyer families (probably small but consistent givers) as there are truly wealthy ones with the capacity to make sizable donations. FA versus full pay not a big consideration as this group as a whole is going to have far fewer FA students than the overall school ratio, which can run as high as 60%.

I don't necessarily disagree. I'm basing my theory on the fact that a lot of HYP from privates seem to come at the ED/EA round, which is obviously an easier round for getting in, but which also tends to send a signal that money and FA are less important to the family. I've wondered for a while if colleges use the ED/EA round to get the full pay kids who will finance the FA kids (full disclosure: DC got in during the ED/EA round). Of course, EA (but not ED) means that you don't have to go if you don't like the FA package that's eventually awarded, but overall I think EA and ED are both games for better-off families. A family of two government lawyers isn't going to qualify for FA anyway, but if they saved well they could finance HYP. These are just my impressions, though, and I could well be wrong.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's important to remember OP is talking about private schools. I think the hook thing sometimes works differently than in public schools.

I'm going to toss some observations out there, and you guys are welcome to pick them apart. I'm actually curious if any of you have noticed similar things, or not at all. I'm basing my observations on DC, who attended private and public schools, who has friends who attended both public and Big 3 private schools, and who ended up at at an Ivy without hooks. I'm actually curious if any of you have noticed similar things.

The athletic hook seems to work well for public school kids - DC has several friends who were recruited from area magnets for their sports. For sports like fencing, squash, and lacrosse, the privates are also fertile recruiting grounds. Crew recruits seem to draw equally from publics and privates, maybe because not that many public and private high schools have top notch crew programs. I do know a recent soccer recruit from a big 3.

The legacy hook is a mixed bag. Lots of public school kids have legacy status, of course. But these days legacy status, by itself, doesn't seem to be enough to get into Ivies that take 5-10% of applicants (Harvard seems to take the largest pct of legacies, about 1/3 of legacy applicants, who tend to be really qualified anyway). In addition to legacy status, it seems you also need a track record of large donations and/or something else special. From private schools, the hook is more likely to be legacy status combined with ability to pay full tuition and even make large donations. (I've had a hunch that this explains the large number of Ivy acceptances during the ED/EA round.)

YMMV. Also, obviously these rules are by no means iron clad and there are always exceptions.

Not sue about money as differentiating factor within the legacy pool itself. The private school legacy admits I know at HYP are a mixed bag economically. Overall they tend to skew upper middle class. But, there are as many academician or government lawyer families (probably small but consistent givers) as there are truly wealthy ones with the capacity to make sizable donations. FA versus full pay not a big consideration as this group as a whole is going to have far fewer FA students than the overall school ratio, which can run as high as 60%.

Anonymous wrote:I think it's important to remember OP is talking about private schools. I think the hook thing sometimes works differently than in public schools.

I'm going to toss some observations out there, and you guys are welcome to pick them apart. I'm actually curious if any of you have noticed similar things, or not at all. I'm basing my observations on DC, who attended private and public schools, who has friends who attended both public and Big 3 private schools, and who ended up at at an Ivy without hooks. I'm actually curious if any of you have noticed similar things.

The athletic hook seems to work well for public school kids - DC has several friends who were recruited from area magnets for their sports. For sports like fencing, squash, and lacrosse, the privates are also fertile recruiting grounds. Crew recruits seem to draw equally from publics and privates, maybe because not that many public and private high schools have top notch crew programs. I do know a recent soccer recruit from a big 3.

The legacy hook is a mixed bag. Lots of public school kids have legacy status, of course. But these days legacy status, by itself, doesn't seem to be enough to get into Ivies that take 5-10% of applicants (Harvard seems to take the largest pct of legacies, about 1/3 of legacy applicants, who tend to be really qualified anyway). In addition to legacy status, it seems you also need a track record of large donations and/or something else special. From private schools, the hook is more likely to be legacy status combined with ability to pay full tuition and even make large donations. (I've had a hunch that this explains the large number of Ivy acceptances during the ED/EA round.)

YMMV. Also, obviously these rules are by no means iron clad and there are always exceptions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this make you laugh out loud? I am familiar with two of the three schools in question in recent years, and per year at each school, there are maybe 2-3 Ivy D1 recruits per graduating classes, i.e. actual recruits who had an admissions read early and a verbal commitment junior year or fall senior year, and a national signing letter of intent in winter of senior year. 2-3 at most. There were a few more that "walked on" when they arrived at the school, often with the coach's blessing and knowledge (but no help in admissions) and most of these sat on bench. Others started a new sport in college (most often crew or rugby) but they didn't get any admissions bump for a sport they hadn't begun yet. Then perhaps another handful were recruited or very clearly helped in admissions for top D3 teams (i.e. NESCAC schools such as Williams, Midd, or a few other desirable schools with reasonably strong sports teams in some sports i.e. Emory, Wash U, U Chicago).

Please stop using actual facts to make your point. Everyone needs to believe that hooks are the only way to get in to highly selective schools. It supports their notion of being a victim in an unfair system.

Why so defensive? Of course unhooked kids get in, and of course it is easier to get in if you have a hook. This is not the controversial topic you seem to want it to be.

That person agrees with you. It's sarcasm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this make you laugh out loud? I am familiar with two of the three schools in question in recent years, and per year at each school, there are maybe 2-3 Ivy D1 recruits per graduating classes, i.e. actual recruits who had an admissions read early and a verbal commitment junior year or fall senior year, and a national signing letter of intent in winter of senior year. 2-3 at most. There were a few more that "walked on" when they arrived at the school, often with the coach's blessing and knowledge (but no help in admissions) and most of these sat on bench. Others started a new sport in college (most often crew or rugby) but they didn't get any admissions bump for a sport they hadn't begun yet. Then perhaps another handful were recruited or very clearly helped in admissions for top D3 teams (i.e. NESCAC schools such as Williams, Midd, or a few other desirable schools with reasonably strong sports teams in some sports i.e. Emory, Wash U, U Chicago).

Please stop using actual facts to make your point. Everyone needs to believe that hooks are the only way to get in to highly selective schools. It supports their notion of being a victim in an unfair system.

Why so defensive? Of course unhooked kids get in, and of course it is easier to get in if you have a hook. This is not the controversial topic you seem to want it to be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this make you laugh out loud? I am familiar with two of the three schools in question in recent years, and per year at each school, there are maybe 2-3 Ivy D1 recruits per graduating classes, i.e. actual recruits who had an admissions read early and a verbal commitment junior year or fall senior year, and a national signing letter of intent in winter of senior year. 2-3 at most. There were a few more that "walked on" when they arrived at the school, often with the coach's blessing and knowledge (but no help in admissions) and most of these sat on bench. Others started a new sport in college (most often crew or rugby) but they didn't get any admissions bump for a sport they hadn't begun yet. Then perhaps another handful were recruited or very clearly helped in admissions for top D3 teams (i.e. NESCAC schools such as Williams, Midd, or a few other desirable schools with reasonably strong sports teams in some sports i.e. Emory, Wash U, U Chicago).

Please stop using actual facts to make your point. Everyone needs to believe that hooks are the only way to get in to highly selective schools. It supports their notion of being a victim in an unfair system.

Anonymous wrote:The GDS poster is either making an extended, elaborate joke or has some kind of mental illness. It could go either way.

Anonymous wrote:Why does this make you laugh out loud? I am familiar with two of the three schools in question in recent years, and per year at each school, there are maybe 2-3 Ivy D1 recruits per graduating classes, i.e. actual recruits who had an admissions read early and a verbal commitment junior year or fall senior year, and a national signing letter of intent in winter of senior year. 2-3 at most. There were a few more that "walked on" when they arrived at the school, often with the coach's blessing and knowledge (but no help in admissions) and most of these sat on bench. Others started a new sport in college (most often crew or rugby) but they didn't get any admissions bump for a sport they hadn't begun yet. Then perhaps another handful were recruited or very clearly helped in admissions for top D3 teams (i.e. NESCAC schools such as Williams, Midd, or a few other desirable schools with reasonably strong sports teams in some sports i.e. Emory, Wash U, U Chicago).