<p>The upshot is that students are simply not academically prepared</p>
<p>Yes, it’s one thing to be top of the heap and quite another to have done it in a context that makes you competitive with other top kids- and ready for the academic bar at a top college. That’s why it’s good to come across in the app as more than just top in your own hs context. </p>
<p>You’d be surprised at how some kids living in rural or border areas- or where it’s a struggle to get many students to stay in school- can push themselves. They do more than just what it takes to get A’s or lead some school activities. It’s the extra that shows the real muscle. They find ways to go beyond the limitations of their hs.</p>
<p>Timber’s son not only has the rank, he has the 34 and the ECs. No, we don’t know what the ECs are or how his essays read- or his LoRs. But, to me, this isn’t easily compared to just any other A kid in another rural area.</p>
<p>You don’t get intentionally penalized if your school offers few APs; there are plenty of great hs out there that do not offer many or any- or that set limits. Some of those kids take cc classes. But, when it comes down to final decisions, the kid who “settled” for his school’s limitations just doesn’t look as good as the kid who went beyond. You’d be surprised at how many top stats kids look pretty bland or same old in their apps- whether they are from a super school district or a lesser one.</p>