Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every kid that got into an ivy or top 10 LAC from DD's elite private day school last year was: recruited athlete, faculty kid (HS is 30 min from an ivy) or alumni kid. No joke.

Non hooked kids who were top of the class academically got into good LACs (Richmond, Washington & Lee, Bucknell) or highly ranked publics (Michigan, UCLA).

You're certainly not from DC if the school is 30 min from an Ivy. I know that's not the situation at St. Albans, NCS, Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, Maret, Visitation or Gonzaga.

Yes we are, by our private jet.

I posted about my kids' school. We are outside DC area; I meant 30 minutes to an Ivy by car and did NOT post about the jet. The school's academics are very good, the teachers are excellent and we are not at all unhappy with the education DD has received. Its one of the oldest all-girls schools in the country and shows up well on those lists that attempt to identify the best high schools.

However as we approach the college admissions process (DD is a junior) I am realizing its a bit of a veneer. I know the families from the classes above us and the details about their hooks (ie kid A is going to Columbia; she is on the same sports team as DD and her dad wears a tattered Columbia hat to all the games. Kid B plays lacrosse and is going to Princeton but is not in honors classes). I guess I am realizing a) how hard it is to get in to the tippy top schools and b) how much privilege really plays a role in the process.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:32 ACT, top 25% of class, 4 AP classes, some extracurriculars, double legacy at a HYPS, white - admitted at our alma mater.

Thanks for sharing this. Was this in the last 5 years?

yes

Surprised because that’s not a very strong profile. We have good friends with a HYPS double legacy child with stronger stats and who is Latino and their child didn’t get in. They were understandably upset.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:32 ACT, top 25% of class, 4 AP classes, some extracurriculars, double legacy at a HYPS, white - admitted at our alma mater.

Thanks for sharing this. Was this in the last 5 years?

yes

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every kid that got into an ivy or top 10 LAC from DD's elite private day school last year was: recruited athlete, faculty kid (HS is 30 min from an ivy) or alumni kid. No joke.

Non hooked kids who were top of the class academically got into good LACs (Richmond, Washington & Lee, Bucknell) or highly ranked publics (Michigan, UCLA).

You're certainly not from DC if the school is 30 min from an Ivy. I know that's not the situation at St. Albans, NCS, Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, Maret, Visitation or Gonzaga.

Yes we are, by our private jet.

Kid is at boarding school

it's a 'private day school'.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every kid that got into an ivy or top 10 LAC from DD's elite private day school last year was: recruited athlete, faculty kid (HS is 30 min from an ivy) or alumni kid. No joke.

Non hooked kids who were top of the class academically got into good LACs (Richmond, Washington & Lee, Bucknell) or highly ranked publics (Michigan, UCLA).

You're certainly not from DC if the school is 30 min from an Ivy. I know that's not the situation at St. Albans, NCS, Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, Maret, Visitation or Gonzaga.

Yes we are, by our private jet.

Kid is at boarding school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine did 2 years ago. Top SLAC. It was a bit stomach churning at the time. Very surprised. Full ride.

How can you get a full ride to a top SLAC?

If you have extreme financial need.

Nope. Stop posting when you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Uhhh... why is this not true at say, Amherst?

W&L gives full ride merit scholarships according to this thread. Most top SLACS give none or just a bit for NMSFs.

This is straight from their website: This academic year, Amherst is providing more than $50 million in scholarship aid to 55 percent of the student body. The average financial aid award was $53,577 in 2017-18.

But "full ride" is typically used to refer to merit or athletic awards. It's is not used in the context of financial aid, which is calculated based on a family's income. The Amherst stats refer to financial aid. https://www.amherst.edu/offices/financialaid/firstyear_transfer/faq :

"Are "merit-based" scholarships offered?
No, we offer no "merit-based" scholarships of any kind. Amherst has been committed to a strictly need-based financial aid program from the college's beginnings early in the 19th century. Need is the only criterion for receiving financial aid from Amherst."

But the PP mentioned financial need specifically. Did you not read the post? You are arguing against points no one has made.

Anonymous wrote:DD had 1460 SAT (solid, but not tippy top), 5's on 7-8 APs, no hooks but started a relatively successful business, 3.7 GPA from NCS/ Sidwell/ Maret - got into Amherst, Georgetown and UPenn.

I believe it was a combo of glowing recs, very strong essays and overall solid profile. Also worth noting that she was top 10-15% in her class, so her hs doesn't inflate much.

Congrats to your DD! Was this within the last 2-3 years? I have a DD w/a similar profile interested in similar schools.

My DS got into MIT EA. He had national level awards in science and math, very strong test scores, solid grades, leadership experience, solid essays, and strong teacher recommendations. The package. He was rejected by Harvard but I don’t think he would have gone there anyway, even if admitted. Perhaps the admissions committees know who to pick to keep their yield rates high.

Anonymous wrote:32 ACT, top 25% of class, 4 AP classes, some extracurriculars, double legacy at a HYPS, white - admitted at our alma mater.

Thanks for sharing this. Was this in the last 5 years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every kid that got into an ivy or top 10 LAC from DD's elite private day school last year was: recruited athlete, faculty kid (HS is 30 min from an ivy) or alumni kid. No joke.

Non hooked kids who were top of the class academically got into good LACs (Richmond, Washington & Lee, Bucknell) or highly ranked publics (Michigan, UCLA).

You're certainly not from DC if the school is 30 min from an Ivy. I know that's not the situation at St. Albans, NCS, Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, Maret, Visitation or Gonzaga.

Yes we are, by our private jet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine did 2 years ago. Top SLAC. It was a bit stomach churning at the time. Very surprised. Full ride.

How can you get a full ride to a top SLAC?

If you have extreme financial need.

Nope. Stop posting when you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Uhhh... why is this not true at say, Amherst?

W&L gives full ride merit scholarships according to this thread. Most top SLACS give none or just a bit for NMSFs.

This is straight from their website: This academic year, Amherst is providing more than $50 million in scholarship aid to 55 percent of the student body. The average financial aid award was $53,577 in 2017-18.

But "full ride" is typically used to refer to merit or athletic awards. It's is not used in the context of financial aid, which is calculated based on a family's income. The Amherst stats refer to financial aid. https://www.amherst.edu/offices/financialaid/firstyear_transfer/faq :

"Are "merit-based" scholarships offered?
No, we offer no "merit-based" scholarships of any kind. Amherst has been committed to a strictly need-based financial aid program from the college's beginnings early in the 19th century. Need is the only criterion for receiving financial aid from Amherst."

Very few actually pay the posted price. And it’s part of the school culture to complain about the cost. You never know who is paying nearly nothing to attend. At my lottery school the rich got the best scholarships as the school hoping for donations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine did 2 years ago. Top SLAC. It was a bit stomach churning at the time. Very surprised. Full ride.

How can you get a full ride to a top SLAC?

If you have extreme financial need.

Nope. Stop posting when you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Uhhh... why is this not true at say, Amherst?

W&L gives full ride merit scholarships according to this thread. Most top SLACS give none or just a bit for NMSFs.

This is straight from their website: This academic year, Amherst is providing more than $50 million in scholarship aid to 55 percent of the student body. The average financial aid award was $53,577 in 2017-18.

DD had 1460 SAT (solid, but not tippy top), 5's on 7-8 APs, no hooks but started a relatively successful business, 3.7 GPA from NCS/ Sidwell/ Maret - got into Amherst, Georgetown and UPenn.

I believe it was a combo of glowing recs, very strong essays and overall solid profile. Also worth noting that she was top 10-15% in her class, so her hs doesn't inflate much.

32 ACT, top 25% of class, 4 AP classes, some extracurriculars, double legacy at a HYPS, white - admitted at our alma mater.