Anonymous wrote:Yes. Mostly As, some Bs, and 1 C (in a language, unrelated to major). High rigor. Athletic boost though.

Anonymous wrote:There were some kids in my son’s class that invented charities and clubs they founded for their applications. So there is that.

Anonymous wrote:No way someone is getting into Harvard with a C jn anything without being from some obscure country, huge donor family or playing college sports

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD got into an Ivy ED this year. Had 3 Bs freshman year during the start of the pandemic but straigtht As the rest of the way with high but not highest rigor. ACT was slightly below mid 50% percent which she submitted. Scored very high in English/Reading sub-section, but low science score dragged her score down but she's not going to be a STEM major so I don't think the low overall score mattered. Goes to a top public high school. I think she got accepted because she was a perfect fit for the school/major she applied for with exceptional essays stating a world problem she wants to help solve with supporting evidence from her ECs involving her local community, as well as exceptional recommendations from her teachers. Unhooked, no national awards, no articles in local newspapers.

I love to hear this! Congratulations!

Thanks! It was very unexpected and she's super excited about attending her college in the Fall. You do not need to obsess over achieving perfect grades and SAT/ACT scores to get into an Ivy or T20 school. Try to develop a passion and get involved in a related EC whether that is on or off campus. Take your time and write a phenomenal essay about your EC. You need multiple revisions before you get the perfect draft. Try to be authentic and do not be aftraid to discuss your failures and what you learned from those failures. Ask you English teacher for help writing your essays; they will be happy to help and best of all it is free. Try to develop a close relationship with your teachers. Those relationships will come in handy when you need recommendations for your applications. Stellar essays and recommendations will strengthen your overall application and might just tip the scale in your favor for admission.

I am so sick of hearing about “passions”, “passion projects,” and choosing ECs so it tells story about your passion. It is such BS. Sure, a few kids may have a passion so great that they spend all their free time on things related to this passion. But, for the most part, it is just the new parent strategy to try and get your kid into an IVY. Most of these kids are moving in from their “passion” as soon as they leave high school.

You don't need to spend all your free time pursuing your passion, lol. Could be an hour a week, few hours a month or less during the school year, maybe more during the Summer. You can call it passion, strong interest, whatever. Her passion was developed all on her own over a period of time. It was never her intention to apply for an Ivy until late Summer when she started receiving emails from the Ivy school which piqued her interest. I have no idea if she will continue this EC or not when she gets to college, maybe she will, maybe she won't, I don't know. I'm just describing how one student who got into an Ivy without a perfect GPA/Test scores, no hooks, etc. in hopes of inspiring others who could do the same.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is unhooked?

(Immigrant mom of a middle schooler here -- kid is taking advanced math and making a B, which will show up on his HS transcript. Trying to figure out if I've made a mistake letting him take the challenging course. I find the college admissions process deeply baffling.)

Hooked:

Athlete
Legacy
URM
Rural area
Low income
Etc

Some genders

+1 Female applicant in STEM is almost automatic admission, at many schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is unhooked?

(Immigrant mom of a middle schooler here -- kid is taking advanced math and making a B, which will show up on his HS transcript. Trying to figure out if I've made a mistake letting him take the challenging course. I find the college admissions process deeply baffling.)

Hooked:

Athlete
Legacy
URM
Rural area
Low income
Etc

Some genders

+1 Female applicant in STEM is almost automatic admission, at many schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD got into an Ivy ED this year. Had 3 Bs freshman year during the start of the pandemic but straigtht As the rest of the way with high but not highest rigor. ACT was slightly below mid 50% percent which she submitted. Scored very high in English/Reading sub-section, but low science score dragged her score down but she's not going to be a STEM major so I don't think the low overall score mattered. Goes to a top public high school. I think she got accepted because she was a perfect fit for the school/major she applied for with exceptional essays stating a world problem she wants to help solve with supporting evidence from her ECs involving her local community, as well as exceptional recommendations from her teachers. Unhooked, no national awards, no articles in local newspapers.

I love to hear this! Congratulations!

Thanks! It was very unexpected and she's super excited about attending her college in the Fall. You do not need to obsess over achieving perfect grades and SAT/ACT scores to get into an Ivy or T20 school. Try to develop a passion and get involved in a related EC whether that is on or off campus. Take your time and write a phenomenal essay about your EC. You need multiple revisions before you get the perfect draft. Try to be authentic and do not be aftraid to discuss your failures and what you learned from those failures. Ask you English teacher for help writing your essays; they will be happy to help and best of all it is free. Try to develop a close relationship with your teachers. Those relationships will come in handy when you need recommendations for your applications. Stellar essays and recommendations will strengthen your overall application and might just tip the scale in your favor for admission.

I am so sick of hearing about “passions”, “passion projects,” and choosing ECs so it tells story about your passion. It is such BS. Sure, a few kids may have a passion so great that they spend all their free time on things related to this passion. But, for the most part, it is just the new parent strategy to try and get your kid into an IVY. Most of these kids are moving in from their “passion” as soon as they leave high school.

Anonymous wrote:DD got into an Ivy ED this year. Had 3 Bs freshman year during the start of the pandemic but straigtht As the rest of the way with high but not highest rigor. ACT was slightly below mid 50% percent which she submitted. Scored very high in English/Reading sub-section, but low science score dragged her score down but she's not going to be a STEM major so I don't think the low overall score mattered. Goes to a top public high school. I think she got accepted because she was a perfect fit for the school/major she applied for with exceptional essays stating a world problem she wants to help solve with supporting evidence from her ECs involving her local community, as well as exceptional recommendations from her teachers. Unhooked, no national awards, no articles in local newspapers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Hogg got into Harvard with a sub-1300 SAT and a 4.2 weighted, which if you know anything about Florida public high schools is like a B/B- average.

Jared Kushner got into Harvard with lower stats and no inclination for public service or advocacy etc etc