Anonymous
Post 02/02/2026 12:34     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Hanging out with friends and having a great time should constitute as an EC.
After all it’s an important part of life
Anonymous
Post 02/02/2026 12:29     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:Any T75 school that will really like a kid who doesn't check a box for FA.

4.0 GPA from nyc public school - where she'll be one of many with a 4.0. Doesn't have testing yet.

Smart but just not a lot of extracurriculars: did a travel thing, worked a summer job. not super involved in her HS, which wasn't a great fit.

Wants medium to big. Traditional college experience.


Do you really mean T75? Assuming this is USNews top 75, you have a school like Michigan State in the 60s with a 90% acceptance rate. Rutgers, UConn, University of MN, UMass, Pitt are all fairly certain admits and also in the T75.
Anonymous
Post 02/02/2026 12:20     Subject: Re:full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:My young neighbor who had a high gpa at Stuyvesant and a 1500 plus SAT but almost no ECs ended up at SUNY Bing and is happy there.


Stuyvesant is closed off to most students and represents the very opposite of equity. Stuyvesant needs to be eliminated entirely!

Hope Mayor Mamdani does the right thing and closes Stuyvesant permanently.
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 15:25     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Any T75 school that will really like a kid who doesn't check a box for FA.

4.0 GPA from nyc public school - where she'll be one of many with a 4.0. Doesn't have testing yet.

Smart but just not a lot of extracurriculars: did a travel thing, worked a summer job. not super involved in her HS, which wasn't a great fit.

Wants medium to big. Traditional college experience.


Any APs?
If testing is 1400+ I would strongly consider UK schools. Go look at the other post and even if you remove Oxbridge/LSE there are plenty of great options that in my opinion would be better than most t40-t75 US schools….


This. Pick a place like Exeter. Great University, very American like campus setting. Several programs are highly ranked, easier to get in and they offer MERIT aid to US students….you final bill could be close to 10-12k pounds per year for just 3 years….hard to beat…
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 15:19     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:She can get into a much better school than you think. Esp if she applies for Art History or something that ties the studio in.

You might want to dig a bit deeper into this.


actually, I think she'll get into a lot better schools than DCUM thinks. haha


Agree. Look at the major advice in this thread and try to help your kid come up with some sort of story.


Or lean into the full pay thing, like the OP said. Studio at lga can be music or art or dance or drama or theater tech .. similar at Sinatra. I think the op and her daughter are very well aware of how colleges see this. Impossible not to at these schools. The colleges come to them.
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 15:12     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:She can get into a much better school than you think. Esp if she applies for Art History or something that ties the studio in.

You might want to dig a bit deeper into this.


actually, I think she'll get into a lot better schools than DCUM thinks. haha


Agree. Look at the major advice in this thread and try to help your kid come up with some sort of story.
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 15:11     Subject: Re:full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If no testing yet, is she even a sophomore? Otherwise why no PSAT?


she's a junior. got a 1420 on psat - around there. won't qualify for National merit.

did no prep for that, she thought she bombed it (which she didn't). she's doing ACT. practices tests around 34, she's hoping for a 35.

she's a good student with a 4.0.

still just looking for T75+ schools that like really full pay. private schools fine.


I mean if she gets a 34/35, and art is her thing (even if not pursuing it in college), she'll have a TON of options.....

But by all means, ED to Tulane or Wake and be done.
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 15:08     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:She can get into a much better school than you think. Esp if she applies for Art History or something that ties the studio in.

You might want to dig a bit deeper into this.


actually, I think she'll get into a lot better schools than DCUM thinks. haha
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 15:07     Subject: Re:full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:If no testing yet, is she even a sophomore? Otherwise why no PSAT?


she's a junior. got a 1420 on psat - around there. won't qualify for National merit.

did no prep for that, she thought she bombed it (which she didn't). she's doing ACT. practices tests around 34, she's hoping for a 35.

she's a good student with a 4.0.

still just looking for T75+ schools that like really full pay. private schools fine.
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 15:01     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Any T75 school that will really like a kid who doesn't check a box for FA.

4.0 GPA from nyc public school - where she'll be one of many with a 4.0. Doesn't have testing yet.

Smart but just not a lot of extracurriculars: did a travel thing, worked a summer job. not super involved in her HS, which wasn't a great fit.

Wants medium to big. Traditional college experience.


Assuming the studio is art (if not, please correct). And if it is art, please have your kid enter the Scholastic Art Awards for their creations.

Apply anthropology that ties in art/ethnography/culture/social groups/traveling. Make your kid do SOMETHING this summer (camp counselor, pt job, internship). Add 1-2 more cultural hobbies to the EC list.

I've seen this work for anthropology and similarly under-subscribed majors at pretty selective schools in the UC system. At UCLA, I've seen this EC list, with a tiny bit of world music, get into the Ethnomusicology major (high admit rate) from the East Coast public with limited other ECS. Also, look at the World Arts & cultures major at UCLA. Pretty high admit rate if you tailor the application the right way.

But for anthropology, you should plan 1-2 things to add to the EC list this summer (work at NYC museum: curatorial or collections-based internship).
And add in 2-3 culturally aligned hobbies/interests organically to the EC list:
(1) making crafts (textiles; ceramics/pottery; jewelry; collage);
(2) collecting/curating vintage clothing/textiles or even vinyl records/ephemera (postcards/old photos/antique objects); or
(3) exploring/observing culture (urban exploration /documentary; thrifting; food and cooking/food markets/film).

I have seen other ideas work too, but I don't want to bore you.

Other schools to look at where stats will compensate:
UC-SB
Wisconsin
Pitt
Tulane (ED)
CU-Boulder


you mean besides the summer job OP already outlined in the first post? you people are insane, judgey, and no . places like WI dont care about full pay. your list is all wrong.


This kid will get into some weird art/anthropology or museum curation major OOS at Wisconsin with a 4.0uw and test-optional.
100%
These schools are begging for kids in those rando depts where they have dozens of faculty and not enough students.
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 14:58     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
She can get into a much better school than you think. Esp if she applies for Art History or something that ties the studio in.

You might want to dig a bit deeper into this.
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 14:57     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Alabama
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 14:56     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Any T75 school that will really like a kid who doesn't check a box for FA.

4.0 GPA from nyc public school - where she'll be one of many with a 4.0. Doesn't have testing yet.

Smart but just not a lot of extracurriculars: did a travel thing, worked a summer job. not super involved in her HS, which wasn't a great fit.

Wants medium to big. Traditional college experience.


Assuming the studio is art (if not, please correct). And if it is art, please have your kid enter the Scholastic Art Awards for their creations.

Apply anthropology that ties in art/ethnography/culture/social groups/traveling. Make your kid do SOMETHING this summer (camp counselor, pt job, internship). Add 1-2 more cultural hobbies to the EC list.

I've seen this work for anthropology and similarly under-subscribed majors at pretty selective schools in the UC system. At UCLA, I've seen this EC list, with a tiny bit of world music, get into the Ethnomusicology major (high admit rate) from the East Coast public with limited other ECS. Also, look at the World Arts & cultures major at UCLA. Pretty high admit rate if you tailor the application the right way.

But for anthropology, you should plan 1-2 things to add to the EC list this summer (work at NYC museum: curatorial or collections-based internship).
And add in 2-3 culturally aligned hobbies/interests organically to the EC list:
(1) making crafts (textiles; ceramics/pottery; jewelry; collage);
(2) collecting/curating vintage clothing/textiles or even vinyl records/ephemera (postcards/old photos/antique objects); or
(3) exploring/observing culture (urban exploration /documentary; thrifting; food and cooking/food markets/film).

I have seen other ideas work too, but I don't want to bore you.

Other schools to look at where stats will compensate:
UC-SB
Wisconsin
Pitt
Tulane (ED)
CU-Boulder


UCLA: https://admission.ucla.edu/apply/first-year/first-year-profile/2025/major#The_College
World Arts & Culture is a 22% admit rate and Ethnomusicology has a 69% admit rate

UCLA doesn't admit by major for Anthro, but Anthro does have one of the largest admit rates for transfer apps (63%). The only ones higher (and not 100%) were Geography and Greek/Latin.
https://admission.ucla.edu/apply/transfer/transfer-profile/2024/major#The_College
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 14:56     Subject: Re:full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:My young neighbor who had a high gpa at Stuyvesant and a 1500 plus SAT but almost no ECs ended up at SUNY Bing and is happy there.


top 5% at stuy can write their ticket, even without ECs
Anonymous
Post 01/07/2026 14:55     Subject: full pay family with good student but no real EC
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Any T75 school that will really like a kid who doesn't check a box for FA.

4.0 GPA from nyc public school - where she'll be one of many with a 4.0. Doesn't have testing yet.

Smart but just not a lot of extracurriculars: did a travel thing, worked a summer job. not super involved in her HS, which wasn't a great fit.

Wants medium to big. Traditional college experience.


Assuming the studio is art (if not, please correct). And if it is art, please have your kid enter the Scholastic Art Awards for their creations.

Apply anthropology that ties in art/ethnography/culture/social groups/traveling. Make your kid do SOMETHING this summer (camp counselor, pt job, internship). Add 1-2 more cultural hobbies to the EC list.

I've seen this work for anthropology and similarly under-subscribed majors at pretty selective schools in the UC system. At UCLA, I've seen this EC list, with a tiny bit of world music, get into the Ethnomusicology major (high admit rate) from the East Coast public with limited other ECS. Also, look at the World Arts & cultures major at UCLA. Pretty high admit rate if you tailor the application the right way.

But for anthropology, you should plan 1-2 things to add to the EC list this summer (work at NYC museum: curatorial or collections-based internship).
And add in 2-3 culturally aligned hobbies/interests organically to the EC list:
(1) making crafts (textiles; ceramics/pottery; jewelry; collage);
(2) collecting/curating vintage clothing/textiles or even vinyl records/ephemera (postcards/old photos/antique objects); or
(3) exploring/observing culture (urban exploration /documentary; thrifting; food and cooking/food markets/film).

I have seen other ideas work too, but I don't want to bore you.

Other schools to look at where stats will compensate:
UC-SB
Wisconsin
Pitt
Tulane (ED)
CU-Boulder


you mean besides the summer job OP already outlined in the first post? you people are insane, judgey, and no . places like WI dont care about full pay. your list is all wrong.