<p>from what I have been reading on these threads, it seems like ppl w/ perfect scores and killler gpa's are just ok candidates for some of the top schools. Is this really the case? If so, what the hell do these schools want?</p>
<p>People, not numbers.</p>
<p>People with something to offer. Not nerds with no lives, basically</p>
<p>Yup I know someone who had 36 / 1600 and patented 4 chemical formulas in chemistry but they had basically no EC's.. Harvard deferred them but eventually accepted them.. Still I know EA'ers who were accepted w/ SAT scores of 1340 and 1460.. Its the EC's and essays that really get you in. There are a lot of kids with good test scores but those don't mean everything.</p>
<p>How would patenting 4 chemical formulas not count as significant extracurricular activity?</p>
<p>Yeah no kidding. That should cancel out the ec's pretty easily. I'm sure he spent a lot of time doing that.</p>
<p>Jer0d</p>
<p>Problem with patenting 4 chemical formulas...missing the point. EXTRA-curricular...and chemistry is rather curricular. Chemistry is my passion, but I know that an obsession in it won't help me much. Try something like...electric guitar...or...football. Actually, football will help the most. Varsity</p>
<p>Wow xerxes your logic is ridiculous - patenting 4 chemical formulas is clearly more impressive than electric guitar or football. If you do something like that then your idea of a "lack" of extracurricular activities wouldn't even be taken into consideration.</p>
<p>Yeah, no one gives a **** if you can get good scores and great grades when you are applying to a school where everyone does. Its about the ECs and essays, do a good job on them.</p>
<p>Yea (almost) anything to make yourself among the hundreds of people who may have the same grades/SAT Scores/AP Courses, that you do.</p>
<p>"patented 4 chemical formulas in chemistry"</p>
<p>You can't patent a chemical formula. Funny how capitalism has corrupted people's minds. Scientific forumlas are not patentable. If the chemical formula was a trade secret, a company can keep it as long as it doesn't reveal that formula to it's competitors since there is no law requiring companies to release their insider knoweldge. But you definitely can't patent a chemical formula because scientific knoweldge like that cannot be privatized.</p>
<p>Honestly, someone who patented four chemical formulas being deferred rather than accepted is the exception, not the rule, and that's what people don't realize. I hate to say this, but this is a very numbers driven process. </p>
<p>Sure, national level extracurricular achievement will be a major boost as well, but don't think for a second that varsity lacrosse or student government president distinguishes anyone from the pack. When colleges break you down, trust me, varsity football can be just as cliched as any other extracurricular activity. </p>
<p>When I first read A is for Admission, I thought that sports and student government carried a lot more weight. However, multisport captains were seen on just the same level as other reasonably high level extracurricular participants. It's more a matter of being actively involved, and the level of achievement. It doesn't matter what you're doing. If you're at the state or national level in it, sure, it will help you. Sure, if you're a highly sought after nationally involved Thespian, it will help you. The colleges are looking for competency in extracurriculars to supplement your academics. They are not looking for being very good in place of inferior academics. Only the truly excellent will squeak by with mediocre academics.</p>
<p>If you're not in the ballpark, not even the most outstanding essay will help you. Some admissions officers give nearly every essay the same reader rating. It's so subjective that you can't possibly except the essay to differentiate anyone. Most qualified applicants are going to write the essay well enough, and it's very hard to tell the difference between any of them after the 1000th essay. Unless it's a truly personal narrative about how your best friend committed suicide, or some other event of paramount importance, as Michele A. Hernandez put it, "that essay is not going to surprise me unless the child dies in it."</p>
<p>Joey</p>
<p>That's not true Joey. Admissions officers at the top schools would prefer someone with a not so steller GPA, and extra-curricular activities, as opposed to the perfect GPA and a lack of them. It is not a numbers-driven process.. they're looking for people, not secluded nerds who only have an amazing GPA and stat scores.. they want individuals who can contribute to their diverse community.. not just someone they know will succeed academically.</p>
<p>mm.. 1600 won't do jack squat if you don't have good ec's and such..</p>
<p>one of my friends had a perfect "4000".. 1600 + 800 + 800 + 800.. and she was rejected from UPenn ED.</p>
<p>Ca + O --> CaO</p>
<p>NO ONE BETTER STEAL THIS FROM ME! I spent hours working on that formula. Calcium Oxide is all mine! hahahaha (evil laugh).</p>
<p>ahahahha wow everyone sounds so serious in this post. oh yea back to the post before teh whole calcium oxide thing. um...i agree that a perfect score, gpa wont get into the top schools automatically, but surely, ONLY ECs and no brains wont do jack either unless ur the next micheal jordan. just like i got inot hopkins, and my sat is about 100 points away from their average, but i do have the grades and ECs to fall back on. so they want well-rounded students, but not TOO wellrounded that looks like uve tried everything out there and have no expertise...that is all :)</p>
<p>"That's not true Joey. Admissions officers at the top schools would prefer someone with a not so steller GPA, and extra-curricular activities, as opposed to the perfect GPA and a lack of them. It is not a numbers-driven process.. they're looking for people, not secluded nerds who only have an amazing GPA and stat scores.. they want individuals who can contribute to their diverse community.. not just someone they know will succeed academically."</p>
<p>That's not what he said. Actually, that's exactly the opposite of what he said. He just said that what you're doing doesn't matter quite as much as the dedication you have to it.</p>
<p>The important points is that you have to have the numbers to even get in the area, but you have to have something else (ECs, essays to an extent) to get in the door.</p>
<p>It sucks, you can never be perfect in admissions officer's eyes. Even if you are the 1600, 4.0 gpa, star sports player you may be rejected from ivy schools. If you ask me these schools are asking too much- if they don't want these qualified applicants, shame on them. I know they'd like to take more ppl but "there simply isnt enough room".</p>
<p>uc_benz, I've already patented that one</p>
<p>Mo + O --> MoO</p>
<p>My lack of logic is ridiculous?</p>
<p>Lets see. Patenting 4 chemical formulas. It is most likely going to be someone with pale white skin, having done nothing in addition to patenting 4 chemical formulas and...getting good grades. Perhaps you misunderstand me. There are going to be people who have patented 4 chemical formulas AND done other stuff (sports, music, etc.) So, when someone says that 4 chemical formula patents did not get them in, they obviously did not realize that those patents would not be the Godsend to get them accepted everywhere. The problem with those people is that they never realized that there was someone out there who not only patented 4 chemical formulas, but also somehow ended up being in varsity sports and/or in the school band, etc. Its scary, but I know people like that.</p>