Anonymous wrote:If you're a really good student, college admissions is very confusing these days.
For below top 50, it's pretty easy. Submit a test score if you want. Your 4.0 is good enough. A couple of ECs. No one cares about your race. Extra bonus if you can get a teacher rec that says something nice. Easy peasy. Get some merit
For top - it used to be 20, but US News made things weird - let's say 40. It's the apocalypse out there.
Be extremely strategic with the ED card. It makes no difference at MIT. To their benefit. But it also doesn't make a difference at Harvard. To their discredit. That's where they get the Jared Kushners of the world.
Always look at the data. Who are they taking and why and when.
It's game theory. Alway tell your kid it's nothing personal. It's a game. Play it as such. The ED thing is a thing. It's a tool. But it should only be used at schools the kid really, really wants to go to.
Duh Harvard and MIT don’t have ED, they have EA. Totally different.