Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:46     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Anonymous wrote:We will soon see coaches popping up everywhere for this new activity.


Thanks for the business idea!
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:45     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
While my daughter would have loved this, I doubt she would have had any time to take on ONE MORE THING for college apps. This nonsense really needs to stop so our kids can be kids — off their computers and out riding their e-bikes (even that is better than this stuff!)
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:41     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
It sounds like this, which one of the private schools required when DS was applying a few years ago.

https://www.enrollment.org/tools/snapshot/character-skills-snapshot

It presumably gives an insight into interpersonal skills and maturity. My guess is that these colleges are finding that some applicants who seem great on paper lack EQ skills.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:28     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:These schools are realizing that many "top students" are complete weirdos.

Have you been to a tour at a top20 lately? Or an accepted student day? I have and a large percentage of the crowd looks like they spent high school in their bedroom.


This.
Heard from one T10 school admission officer on a recalibration in their social metrics for this year.


Yes. We recently went to an accepted student function for an Ivy. The kids by-in-large were REALLY weird. No other way to say it.
Out of 40 maybe 5 appeared to be social, typical kids. My husband and I left saying: "no doubt these kids are brilliant but are they going to be employable in a few years when extensive in-person interviewing is involved?"

It's the colleges' own fault. They chose to admit kids who have the resumes 40 year olds at age 18 and focused on pointy, obscure interests. There is simply so way to be a typical social teenager and invest in your peers and do all that stuff in 4 years.


People with actual talent don't need to bluff their way through an interview. They can just perform.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:27     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It sounds like it might be a way to check that it’s the kid that wrote the essay and not Mommy or a consultant etc. Admissions folks also tend to notice if someone who is really articulate on paper turns up to an interview and is less so.

At my university we are also doing things like having students attach a short video to an essay submission where you respond to questions like “what inspired you to choose this topic?” Or “is there anything you changed your mind about after writing the essay?” If writing the essay involved a “thought process” these questions are easy. If writing the essay involved writing a check or pushing a button they are somewhat harder.

What you think is “harder” is yet another coachable hoop. You think you are gleaning insight, when what you are really doing is funding an arms race benefitting coaching. A little self awareness would be nice.


Or someone else entirely. You don’t include photo identification with apps so anybody could stand in for you.

lol- this is ridiculous


Exactly. How could they even verify you are who they say you are in these dialogues?


They can’t. The standardized tests require legit photo identification.

College apps don’t have any photos. Anybody could stand in for anyone for these stupid things.

Schools already have interviews (T10/Ivies) and/or intro video submission. Nit sure why this is needed.


Because in an actual interview, the interviewers, not the AOs, evaluate the applicants. That did not get the results AOs want to see, for example, applicants of a certain race who are not supposed to be interesting were evaluated as interesting in the interview. A lot of top schools now don't give any weight to interviews.

In this new gimmick, AOs decide who are more interesting and who are not. No third party involved. AOs are free to do anything.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:26     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
It's a way to make sure they don't admit students who express wrong political opinions.

https://schoolhouse.world/dialogues/events

* Affirmative Action
* AI
* Gun control
* Social Media
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:18     Subject: Re:Social Portfolios?!?
In 4-5 years time they are going to have to start scrounging for applicants with the population cliff. Adding more BS won’t help.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:17     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It sounds like it might be a way to check that it’s the kid that wrote the essay and not Mommy or a consultant etc. Admissions folks also tend to notice if someone who is really articulate on paper turns up to an interview and is less so.

At my university we are also doing things like having students attach a short video to an essay submission where you respond to questions like “what inspired you to choose this topic?” Or “is there anything you changed your mind about after writing the essay?” If writing the essay involved a “thought process” these questions are easy. If writing the essay involved writing a check or pushing a button they are somewhat harder.

What you think is “harder” is yet another coachable hoop. You think you are gleaning insight, when what you are really doing is funding an arms race benefitting coaching. A little self awareness would be nice.


Or someone else entirely. You don’t include photo identification with apps so anybody could stand in for you.

lol- this is ridiculous


Exactly. How could they even verify you are who they say you are in these dialogues?


They can’t. The standardized tests require legit photo identification.

College apps don’t have any photos. Anybody could stand in for anyone for these stupid things.

Schools already have interviews (T10/Ivies) and/or intro video submission. Nit sure why this is needed.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 12:24     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Anonymous wrote:Funny in our tour of both Yale and Duke we kept commenting on how good looking the guys were. Very prom king!


One person's super nerd is another person's prom King I guess. To each their own.

But prom Kings or not, the education will be outstanding.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 12:23     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Home schooled kids will shine on this activity- they’re more well rounded, well spoken, empathetic, and open to different ideas than any mainstream kid will ever be.


Former homeschooled kid here: this will totally depend on the homeschooled kid. DD has a few homeschooled friends who would do amazing, but also some homeschooled friends who would...not.


100% this.

Some homeschooled kids are amazing. Others not so much.

But amazingly, ALL homeschooling parents think their kids are amazingly accomplished. And are willing to devote hours to tell you all about it.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 12:22     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Anonymous wrote:Funny in our tour of both Yale and Duke we kept commenting on how good looking the guys were. Very prom king!


Absolutely not, what I saw from 2pm-5pm on a Tuesday last April is correct. 🙄
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 12:14     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Anonymous wrote:Home schooled kids will shine on this activity- they’re more well rounded, well spoken, empathetic, and open to different ideas than any mainstream kid will ever be.


Former homeschooled kid here: this will totally depend on the homeschooled kid. DD has a few homeschooled friends who would do amazing, but also some homeschooled friends who would...not.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 12:13     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Home schooled kids will shine on this activity- they’re more well rounded, well spoken, empathetic, and open to different ideas than any mainstream kid will ever be.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 12:08     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
Funny in our tour of both Yale and Duke we kept commenting on how good looking the guys were. Very prom king!
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 11:41     Subject: Social Portfolios?!?
We will soon see coaches popping up everywhere for this new activity.