Anonymous wrote:Just for some perspective, for posters who think that everyone on DCUM has a high stats student. A score of 1550 plus is earned by just 6000 students (out of 2.3 million). The number of students with such a high SAT score and a perfect GPA is likely even smaller. If there are say 4000 or so truly high stats students, it is odd that admissions to a top 20 school is a crapshoot.
It makes you wonder whether academic merit is valued by the top colleges

Perspective? Oh honey YOU are actually not informed.

Anonymous wrote:One can’t give examples without exposing identifying information. But I, too, think at some point it is a crapshoot, especially in this year without standardized test scores. Here’s my attempt at an example while remaining vague: a senior we know well was rejected ED from a SLAC (not WASP, a notch below) with a 4.0 uw gpa and 1550 SAT, high level ECs such as national science fair awards and competitive swimmer (those are not the actual ones to preserve privacy). Since the student applied ED, s/he signaled clear and strong interest and no financial need.

There is no way that most students accepted at the college exceed those stats. Who knows why s/he was rejected but there is some randomness!

If the college has no history of taking kids from your high school, it doesn't matter.

Anonymous wrote:Every kid is high stats now thanks to the gat dang coronavirus. Teachers have dialed back expectations, handing out A's like they're frigg'n candy to any kid who can figure out how to get his gat dang zoom connection to work. And with every frigg'n college going test optional (or worse, test blind, meaning they won't even consider SAT/ACT scores if you submit them) it's tougher for the legit superstars to set themselves apart. This whole situation sux knutts for the kids who can crush standardized tests and make straight A's not just because their teachers feel guilty saddling them with a B during a pandemic.

Wrong. My kid is not getting As. Does not study / does not turn stuff in on time = consequences from the school in the form of grades that would surely shock you and your DC! Hope that makes you feel better!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just for some perspective, for posters who think that everyone on DCUM has a high stats student. A score of 1550 plus is earned by just 6000 students (out of 2.3 million). The number of students with such a high SAT score and a perfect GPA is likely even smaller. If there are say 4000 or so truly high stats students, it is odd that admissions to a top 20 school is a crapshoot.
It makes you wonder whether academic merit is valued by the top colleges

does anyone know what the number is of students who score 1510 plus? (in a typical year I guess, not this year)

Really? You obviously have the internet, you can't look it up? It's 99th percentile in most years.

Anonymous wrote:Just for some perspective, for posters who think that everyone on DCUM has a high stats student. A score of 1550 plus is earned by just 6000 students (out of 2.3 million). The number of students with such a high SAT score and a perfect GPA is likely even smaller. If there are say 4000 or so truly high stats students, it is odd that admissions to a top 20 school is a crapshoot.
It makes you wonder whether academic merit is valued by the top colleges

does anyone know what the number is of students who score 1510 plus? (in a typical year I guess, not this year)

Anonymous wrote:Every kid is high stats now thanks to the gat dang coronavirus. Teachers have dialed back expectations, handing out A's like they're frigg'n candy to any kid who can figure out how to get his gat dang zoom connection to work. And with every frigg'n college going test optional (or worse, test blind, meaning they won't even consider SAT/ACT scores if you submit them) it's tougher for the legit superstars to set themselves apart. This whole situation sux knutts for the kids who can crush standardized tests and make straight A's not just because their teachers feel guilty saddling them with a B during a pandemic.

While I like your moxy and agree that the current situations sucks, high stats doesn't happen in a year, it starts in middle school when high stat kids start taking HS classes and getting A's.

Every kid is high stats now thanks to the gat dang coronavirus. Teachers have dialed back expectations, handing out A's like they're frigg'n candy to any kid who can figure out how to get his gat dang zoom connection to work. And with every frigg'n college going test optional (or worse, test blind, meaning they won't even consider SAT/ACT scores if you submit them) it's tougher for the legit superstars to set themselves apart. This whole situation sux knutts for the kids who can crush standardized tests and make straight A's not just because their teachers feel guilty saddling them with a B during a pandemic.

Anonymous wrote:Just for some perspective, for posters who think that everyone on DCUM has a high stats student. A score of 1550 plus is earned by just 6000 students (out of 2.3 million). The number of students with such a high SAT score and a perfect GPA is likely even smaller. If there are say 4000 or so truly high stats students, it is odd that admissions to a top 20 school is a crapshoot.
It makes you wonder whether academic merit is valued by the top colleges

It is, but so are other things.

All I see is HIGH STAT, HIGH STAT! What do you people consider high stat? Your version of HIGH STAT may not be HIGH STAT, it's a big world people. My kid has a 4.0/4.8 at a VA Governors School, 35/1560 all the normal EC's that go along with that. Leadership positions in out of school service EC's including over a 1,000 hours of working food insecurity during COVID out of a true passion for helping our community because the normal volunteers that do it were high risk and could not volunteer. Throw in club sports, multiple letters in varsity sports including state tournament finalist and they still have no anticipation of getting into an Ivy. If it happens than great, if not they have been accepted to another T30 and happy. Expectation is the root of disappointment folks, everyone needs to get real.

"A score of 1550 plus is earned by just 6000 students (out of 2.3 million). "

Link? If 6000 is correct then way less than 2.3 million took the test due to covid.

I think you missed a 0 or something. I'd guess more like 60,000 and then more with super-scoring.

Anonymous wrote:DC applied to 3 schools in the T10 (results expected in a month or so), a handful in the t20-30 range and a few below T30 (high ranked for STEM). Got into most except for those that are very highly ranked for STEM (think CMU/Georgia Tech).. I'm sure everyone is doing something similar. A real contender for T20 does not have to apply to schools in the 100s.

There are a lot of them in state colleges for the purpose of low cost.

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, I think I will have some serious health issues due to the college admission process. I am so freaking stressed. Kid is a Junior. High Stat. But who is not high Stat right now?

Not all schools are giving As for no effort...

Anonymous wrote:Just for some perspective, for posters who think that everyone on DCUM has a high stats student. A score of 1550 plus is earned by just 6000 students (out of 2.3 million). The number of students with such a high SAT score and a perfect GPA is likely even smaller. If there are say 4000 or so truly high stats students, it is odd that admissions to a top 20 school is a crapshoot.
It makes you wonder whether academic merit is valued by the top colleges

But if those 4000 are coming from only certain regions, colleges can not fill their T20s with these kids. Colleges need to put together a class which has geographic diversity.

Just for some perspective, for posters who think that everyone on DCUM has a high stats student. A score of 1550 plus is earned by just 6000 students (out of 2.3 million). The number of students with such a high SAT score and a perfect GPA is likely even smaller. If there are say 4000 or so truly high stats students, it is odd that admissions to a top 20 school is a crapshoot.
It makes you wonder whether academic merit is valued by the top colleges

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