Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yale isn’t even in fashion anymore due to not being strong in all subjects like HPSM, and with STEM becoming increasingly relevant.

Harvard isn’t particularly strong in Engineering either.

Cornell is the strongest Ivy for engineering and CS and is the only one my kid considered. Penn and Columbia also have good programs, but DC didn’t want a city school. The rest of the Ivies are not top for engineering and CS undergrad and most top candidates look elsewhere. So it’s not always Ivy or bust for top students.

Anonymous wrote:Yale isn’t even in fashion anymore due to not being strong in all subjects like HPSM, and with STEM becoming increasingly relevant.

Harvard isn’t particularly strong in Engineering either.

I am interviewing a candidate who just graduated from HYP this spring. They are the only Ivy candidate we've ever had for our nonprofit entry level position. They probably won't accept our offer (too low) but what has impressed us is how thoughtful they are in addition to just being very sharp. I have kids the same age in slightly lesser schools and this candidate really stood out from them and their peers in their maturity level, ability to think through all angles and ask the right questions, as well as their passion for the subject matter. I consider my kids smart, but this is another level. FWIW

Anonymous wrote:Yale isn’t even in fashion anymore due to not being strong in all subjects like HPSM, and with STEM becoming increasingly relevant.

If that's true, then why doesn't the application volume or incoming class profile support your assertion?

Yale isn’t even in fashion anymore due to not being strong in all subjects like HPSM, and with STEM becoming increasingly relevant.

Anonymous wrote:Describe the kid who genuinely belongs at HPY, minus the hooks. In other words, who is the genuine admit? And, please, don’t say tough courses, good grades, great test scores. That’s obvious. I’m looking for a type of individual.

I think that most people I know who went to tippy top schools were the subject of daily newspaper feature articles or local TV station news segments.

So, basically, the elements are great grades, great test scores, good activities and networking, and a folder of news clippings.

This title made me laugh. What about all the off-brand or knockoff HPY candidates?

Only certain dcum parents obsessed with a certain type of achievement can rehash this again and again.

One SA kid we know who got into an Ivy, left his school district and attended an urban magnet school to stand out. It worked.

Anonymous wrote:Describe the kid who genuinely belongs at HPY, minus the hooks. In other words, who is the genuine admit? And, please, don’t say tough courses, good grades, great test scores. That’s obvious. I’m looking for a type of individual.

There were few in my children's friend groups, intelligent, passionate, compassionate, upright, hard working, intellectual, talented, involved, genuinely outstanding with applications, , ECs, awards, and LORs to reflect all that. None of them got into any ivy. Luckily, all got accepted into other T20 colleges with scholarships.

Only drawbacks they had was being East or South Asians and applying from large and competitive public high school and being middle class. One common trait was not being overly obsessed with grades, ranks and colleges but having straight priorities to be good and do good for others. We thought, they were ideal candidates for ivies, at least what ivy admission officers seems to look for but clearly quota system takes precedence.

We know an admit to HYPS (yes, all four, along with a couple of other highly selective schools) this year—hard science major. Family friend from the Midwest. This kid looks like a generational academic talent from their region, but went to an under-resourced rural school. Took APs on his own (not offered at his school), won a very esoteric national level competition, attended selective summer programs. Perfect math SAT.

Applied regular decision to all (needs aid) & received likely letters from several Ivies (not an athlete).

I think he’s in for a major culture shock. But there, that’s my picture of a genuine candidate.

My daughter, incoming 12th grader, has a friend who to me is the perfect HPY candidate.

He's consistently been a couple of years ahead of the rest of the class in math. Never less than an A. Sky-high SATs. Inherent smartness ... great vocabulary, curiosity, interest in pushing himself intellectually. He excels in his sport. He does plenty of other activities but doesn't seem like he's just jamming things onto his resume like some of the smart kids we know. He is a legacy, not that it really matters any more. I'll be rooting for him, but only because in addition to all these other things, he is a GREAT kid.

I’m not in the DMV area. And kids do take the AMO/JMO from high school locations.

Anonymous wrote:We know a truly talented kid who is the smartest kid I have ever encountered. He is over the top good at anything and everything he does. He stands out from all the other high stats kids including my kids who have perfect grades, test scores and very well rounded. I have no doubt that the boy will have his choice in colleges. He is a stand out among a sea of smart kids.

So generic

My niece went to Harvard. She had straight As at Sacred Heart. She didn't pay a sport or have any serious ECs and her parents went elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of a kid. She is in Stanford now https://www.youthassembly.org/2021/09/21/natalie-hampton/#:~:text=She%20is%20a%20counselor%20for,campus%20of%20Children's%20Institute%20Inc.

Another kid I know attended MOP twice, he is going to MIT to study CS

More on MOP

In 2021, 60+ students were invited to this selective program from a pool of over 132,000 AMC 10/12 participants.

https://www.maa.org/the-mathematical-olympiad-program-mop

I also know a kid who was selected for MOP a few years ago. He applied, but didn't make into HY. Went to MIT.

Looks like H/Y aren't particularly interested in MOP qualifiers (unless they are from Exeter or some such private school). DS probably won't be HYP material (despite qualifying for MOP last year in 8th but being too young to go)!

You’re lying, your kid didn’t qualify for MOP in 7th grade and there’s no age limit for eligibility.

Kid was in 8th. Scored within cutoff but was too young to attend MOP. They do have a limit (14+) imposed by CMU.

I don’t know if you’re aware, the winner lists are public. None of the winners USAMO or USAJMO from the DMV area attend a middle school.

There are so few people that would qualify for MOP in 8th grade that they would be easily identifiable. There are a few middle schoolers that received honorable mention for USAJMO, but they are nowhere close to qualifying for MOP.

To put it politely, I’m taking your claim with a grain of salt.