<p>In this article, an admissions officer reviews the applications of some outstanding "super" students who are applying to IVY colleges, and tells them whether or not she thinks they have a chance at getting accepted. </p>
<p>For those of you applying to the top schools, just realize a new breed of applicants has emerged for IVY LEAGUE colleges. Being top of the class and completely dominating the SATs is no longer enough to gain admission into top schools. OVER 60% OF VALEDICTORIANS WHO APPLIED TO PENN STATE WERE REJECTED last year. This is nuts. Competition for top schools is becoming way too fierce. One girl is doing Stem Cell research on the side of tons of community service hours AND maintaining a high GPA in order to be CONSIDERED for Harvard and Princeton. THe more students applying, the more it takes to stick out. I don't mean to crush anybodys dream, but this is what an overpopulated world and a competitive academic environment has created. Reading this article will certainly help fellow HS students out there wondering what their chances are for getting into Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, UPENN, UVA, etc.</p>
<p>DISCLAIMER: Do not read the article if you are an anxiety prone High School student (like me).</p>
<p>Its not that bad.............good article............I seriously think that kids with a score lower than 1400 reading and math, and a 2100 overall stand a very little chance of being accepted..............I have a 1470 reading and math, and a 2170 and I thought I stood no chance at Columbia, Upenn, and Cornell...........some kids with 1390 reading and math, and a 2140 overall are applying to HARVARD, YALE, and MIT-----I always thought only kids with a 2200 were applying to these schools....(Makes me want to apply to more ivy league schools..............) LOL............</p>
<p>super-students? Sorry, but to get 650 on SAT I math you have to be half-brained. I know I'm cheeky but hey, I'm still forgetting to unsubscribe my SAT question of the day, and today it was something like WHAT IS THE MAX LENGHT OF THE SEGMENT IN CIRCLE OF RADIUS 4? maybe 14 :P </p>
<p>edit: oh, I forgot, CB named that HARD QUESTION :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Updates: Super-Applicants Super-Update -- New York Magazine
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I'm not suprised that they actually got in, but if they are any indication of what most students who apply to top schools are like, then most of the students (on this site) who are applying to top schools are going to be facing rejection.</p>
<p>ps - Thanks for posting the updates!</p>
<p>
[quote]
super-students? Sorry, but to get 650 on SAT I math you have to be half-brained. I know I'm cheeky but hey, I'm still forgetting to unsubscribe my SAT question of the day, and today it was something like WHAT IS THE MAX LENGHT OF THE SEGMENT IN CIRCLE OF RADIUS 4? maybe 14 :P
[/quote]
WHich one are you talking about? Most of the students in the article scored above 700 on the Math sections... and I'll admit I only have half a brain. I got like... a 550 on the Math section on the SAT I.</p>
<p>^ TV, do writing scores matter at all?
I am international applicant, and kinda worried. I have 780 math and 670 CR, but my writing is only 600.
Will those top schols care about it?</p>
<p>Of course a consulting company is going to tell you how impossible it is to get into college: otherwise they wouldn't be making any money! Hardly an unbiased source.</p>
<p>This is just fear mongering. Lots of people get into top schools without starting their own research groups (or living in New York). All of those kids in the articles stand a good chance of getting in somewhere big. It's amazing how much people fear the prospect of college, and largely that fear is what pushes kids to achieve more and more because they never think their good enough. Crap like this is responsible for the increasing competition and out of control stress students are under, along with the accompanying feeling that they're never good enough. This exacerbates the problem rather than alleviate it.</p>
<p>
[quote]
^ TV, do writing scores matter at all?
I am international applicant, and kinda worried. I have 780 math and 670 CR, but my writing is only 600.
Will those top schols care about it?
[/quote]
They matter, yes, but I've heard the writing score is the least important of the three SAT section scores, so they're not incredibly significant, if that's what you're asking. I wouldn't say writing scores don't matter all, though. I'm a HS senior applying to college right now too, so I probably know just as much as you.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm not suprised that they actually got in, but if they are any indication of what most students who apply to top schools are like, then most of the students (on this site) who are applying to top schools are going to be facing rejection.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes, that's right -- most students who apply to top schools face rejection, because there are way more applicants than spots available. More than 90% will be rejected. The numbers are against everyone, even great students. That's just the way it is. ALL of the top schools are REACHES for everyone. Every. Single. Student.</p>
<p>So... craft your list of colleges carefully. Love your safety, have a number of matches, and sure, apply to reaches, too, but love every single school on your list, your safety, your matches, every one of them.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Of course a consulting company is going to tell you how impossible it is to get into college: otherwise they wouldn't be making any money! Hardly an unbiased source.</p>
<p>This is just fear mongering. Lots of people get into top schools without starting their own research groups (or living in New York). All of those kids in the articles stand a good chance of getting in somewhere big. It's amazing how much people fear the prospect of college, and largely that fear is what pushes kids to achieve more and more because they never think their good enough. Crap like this is responsible for the increasing competition between students, along with the accompanying feeling that they're never good enough. This exacerbates the problem rather than alleviate it.
[/quote]
Why would a consulting company, in particular, want to make it seem like getting into college is impossible? I don't see a reason for claiming this source is biased. People like you are the reason why teens of this generation have become so overly confident to the point they're setting unrealistic goals for themselves (citing a study that proved teens are too overconfident). Getting into IVY leagues is incredibly difficult, this is not fear mongering, this is just reality.</p>
<p>
[quote]
^ TV, do writing scores matter at all?
I am international applicant, and kinda worried. I have 780 math and 670 CR, but my writing is only 600.
Will those top schols care about it?
[/quote]
I've already replied to this, but I forgot to ask you this in my first response, and the forum no longer grants me the ability to edit. What country are you applying from? Do you have to take the TOEFL (or whatever the abbrv. is)? Being international definitely makes your application stick out, in a good way, so don't be worried.</p>