Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious what the “lackluster ECs” are for the maybe-amazing kid of PP.

Is there *any* leniency on ECs for unhooked at t20? Sounds like no, no matter how high the stats/rigor.

to get into T20, you need like national award type ECs, or start an organization (a real one), done published researched, student body president, or something else spectacular.

Normal ECs like debate, mock trial, robotics club .. these aren't going to cut it, even with high stats.

This is just not true. My dc was admitted to multiple ivies this year and has none of the first group. He did do a LOT of the second type and put a ton of energy into them.

Major?
Private HS?

Legacy?
Gay?

[google]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sense from our college counselor is that you can take a 1550/1560 and feel comfortable being in the mix at all schools including HYPS. But your question presupposes that it is SAT scores that make the difference for unhooked kids. I think GPA and class rigor matter more, with good ECs also making a big difference. But my kid is a junior so I have no direct experience and would love people’s take on my thoughts.

Common data sets for all top 20 schools say test scores are considered while GPA, rigor and ECs are very important.

Yep, it's the ECs + major. My DC with 1580, 4.0/4.92 from a magnet was shut out of T20s. Ended up UMD as a dual CS/math major. Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.

Your DC sounds amazing. And anyone with a 4.0 is motivated! My DC has a similar profile (gpa is a bit lower), and has strong hobby interests but just isn’t into the sorts of ECs that seem to land kids at top schools. I am letting them be who they are, and the college chips will fall where they will.

Seriously? She said: “Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.”

This doesn’t sound like an amazing kid. Sounds like a smart but unmotivated kid who didn’t do much outside if school.

What do you think makes this kid sound amazing?

Please. You know that most of the "amazing" kids have a bunch of fictional ECs curated by their college counselors, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alabama

+1

Our 1570 kid is also heading to Alabama.

That is awesome ! I read about their honors college in the book “ Dream Schools”, and I also read they give a full scholarship for all 4 years for that SAT score.

UVA

Anonymous wrote:Alabama

+1

Our 1570 kid is also heading to Alabama.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious what the “lackluster ECs” are for the maybe-amazing kid of PP.

Is there *any* leniency on ECs for unhooked at t20? Sounds like no, no matter how high the stats/rigor.

to get into T20, you need like national award type ECs, or start an organization (a real one), done published researched, student body president, or something else spectacular.

Normal ECs like debate, mock trial, robotics club .. these aren't going to cut it, even with high stats.

This is just not true. My dc was admitted to multiple ivies this year and has none of the first group. He did do a LOT of the second type and put a ton of energy into them.

Major?
Private HS?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious what the “lackluster ECs” are for the maybe-amazing kid of PP.

Is there *any* leniency on ECs for unhooked at t20? Sounds like no, no matter how high the stats/rigor.

to get into T20, you need like national award type ECs, or start an organization (a real one), done published researched, student body president, or something else spectacular.

Normal ECs like debate, mock trial, robotics club .. these aren't going to cut it, even with high stats.

This is just not true. My dc was admitted to multiple ivies this year and has none of the first group. He did do a LOT of the second type and put a ton of energy into them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really curious what the “lackluster ECs” are for the maybe-amazing kid of PP.

Is there *any* leniency on ECs for unhooked at t20? Sounds like no, no matter how high the stats/rigor.

to get into T20, you need like national award type ECs, or start an organization (a real one), done published researched, student body president, or something else spectacular.

Normal ECs like debate, mock trial, robotics club .. these aren't going to cut it, even with high stats.

+1 OR be a missing piece in their ‘class shaping’ - major, geography, gender, income, race.

Anonymous wrote:

1 at Direct admit medical program state U two cycles ago.

1 at state flagship

Can you please give more info on the first one? What school? also, please share the stats and activities.
Thank you!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sense from our college counselor is that you can take a 1550/1560 and feel comfortable being in the mix at all schools including HYPS. But your question presupposes that it is SAT scores that make the difference for unhooked kids. I think GPA and class rigor matter more, with good ECs also making a big difference. But my kid is a junior so I have no direct experience and would love people’s take on my thoughts.

Common data sets for all top 20 schools say test scores are considered while GPA, rigor and ECs are very important.

Yep, it's the ECs + major. My DC with 1580, 4.0/4.92 from a magnet was shut out of T20s. Ended up UMD as a dual CS/math major. Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.

Your DC sounds amazing. And anyone with a 4.0 is motivated! My DC has a similar profile (gpa is a bit lower), and has strong hobby interests but just isn’t into the sorts of ECs that seem to land kids at top schools. I am letting them be who they are, and the college chips will fall where they will.

Seriously? She said: “Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.”

This doesn’t sound like an amazing kid. Sounds like a smart but unmotivated kid who didn’t do much outside if school.

What do you think makes this kid sound amazing?

I read this as their kid likely had very normal ECs such as varsity sports, a couple clubs, part time job. Just a varsity sport and part time job, plus keeping a 4.0 with hard classes is super time consuming. OP likely meant they weren’t motivated to find some obscure hobby, start a nonprofit, or build a Time Machine in basement. Normal ECs keep kids very busy, engaged and are enjoyable, but also aren’t “impressive” to admissions for top colleges.

Exactly this, especially from an area where there are a lot of high stats kids. How would these kid stand out? Your ECs have to be the stand out.

I'm the ^^PP with the "amazing" kid. DC is amazing, and they did those things, but so did lots of other kids from this area.

Still, they are happy where they ended up, found their drive and motivation, and is now doing really fantastic. I think it was just maturity. It's a shame that an 18 yr old has to be very mature and have had to cultivate their HS life (starting at 14!) to get into a T20.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice with a 35 on the ACT, which I think is about equivalent to a 1550-1560 on the SAT.

Very unhooked. But I don't think test scores really mattered. Anyone with a 1500/34 is competitive everywhere. It will be the rest of the app that matters.

Most AO's use the concordance table which shows a 35 is a 1510-1530.

Try again.
1530-1560
Not my kid but I hate authoritative Disinformation idiots on here.

https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/act-sat-concordance.html

And you can get an even more precise comparison by calculating with the individual sections available on the site (Math) + (English+Reading) = very precise equivalent

Anonymous wrote:Really curious what the “lackluster ECs” are for the maybe-amazing kid of PP.

Is there *any* leniency on ECs for unhooked at t20? Sounds like no, no matter how high the stats/rigor.

to get into T20, you need like national award type ECs, or start an organization (a real one), done published researched, student body president, or something else spectacular.

Normal ECs like debate, mock trial, robotics club .. these aren't going to cut it, even with high stats.

Really curious what the “lackluster ECs” are for the maybe-amazing kid of PP.

Is there *any* leniency on ECs for unhooked at t20? Sounds like no, no matter how high the stats/rigor.

You have to have the grades, the rigor, the ECs, plus the test scores.

And then it’s still a bit of a crap shoot, as you will be compared to others in your school, region etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sense from our college counselor is that you can take a 1550/1560 and feel comfortable being in the mix at all schools including HYPS. But your question presupposes that it is SAT scores that make the difference for unhooked kids. I think GPA and class rigor matter more, with good ECs also making a big difference. But my kid is a junior so I have no direct experience and would love people’s take on my thoughts.

Common data sets for all top 20 schools say test scores are considered while GPA, rigor and ECs are very important.

Yep, it's the ECs + major. My DC with 1580, 4.0/4.92 from a magnet was shut out of T20s. Ended up UMD as a dual CS/math major. Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.

Your DC sounds amazing. And anyone with a 4.0 is motivated! My DC has a similar profile (gpa is a bit lower), and has strong hobby interests but just isn’t into the sorts of ECs that seem to land kids at top schools. I am letting them be who they are, and the college chips will fall where they will.

Seriously? She said: “Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.”

This doesn’t sound like an amazing kid. Sounds like a smart but unmotivated kid who didn’t do much outside if school.

What do you think makes this kid sound amazing?

I read this as their kid likely had very normal ECs such as varsity sports, a couple clubs, part time job. Just a varsity sport and part time job, plus keeping a 4.0 with hard classes is super time consuming. OP likely meant they weren’t motivated to find some obscure hobby, start a nonprofit, or build a Time Machine in basement. Normal ECs keep kids very busy, engaged and are enjoyable, but also aren’t “impressive” to admissions for top colleges.

Assumptions