I have been in the top 10 of my class since freshman year. I just finished my junior year.
I’m kind of disappointed because I’ve worked really hard, but I have no honors or awards to show for it. All the other top kids in my class receive book awards or prestigious things like that, but not me. I think my faculty has favorites because about 3 people from my class get about 10 awards (each) every year, and they have similar (or lower) grades than myself. I feel like I work just as hard if not harder. I took the most AP classes this year, independent study (no one else did), and have taken many college courses (at Harvard, VCU and soon at USC).
So my questions are these:
-How much will this hurt me in the application process? I can say that I’ve done hours and hours of work in EC’s, and I can show them I have good grades in hard classes, but I don’t have any recognition that would “show my success” in school.
-Does anyone know of any awards that I could apply for myself, that I might have a shot at? I’m strong at both humanities and math/science courses, but I spend my time doing lots of “artistic” EC’s (film/writing/theatre).
Maybe this is stupid, but I’m applying to top colleges (HYP) and it looks pretty stupid when I leave that “Awards and Honors” category blank…
<p>I think that the awards you win (or don't win) in school aren't as important as the awards/honors you get out of school. Since you're into the arts, you could try the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the fall.</p>
<p>I think it's difficult to expect acceptance to HYP with no honors and awards, and even school, regional and state level ones. A book award (even their own) hardly impresses at those schools. </p>
<p>This is where I have a really hard time with this site. It seems well documented that HY and P want highly unusually decorated students, the rest on the ivies and top colleges seem to accept many just plain really good students.</p>
<p>Being at the top of ones class, especially at a strong high school, is a great thing at all but a handful of colleges where being at the top of the nation is the qualifier.</p>
<p>What is this HYP or bust mentality about?????????????????</p>
<p>Sorry I'm not just applying to HYP (and I if I sound like I have a "HYP or bust" mentality I didn't mean too), I just know that it is important to prove I can be successful at a college with past recognitions.</p>
<p>Being Editor of a newspaper/yearbook, President of the student council, or the Captain of a team are really good because they show leadership. Any of those three will get your folder flagged.</p>
<p>The dropoff in selectivity is abrupt with the colleges. To get into HYP, they are looking for national or at least regional/state awards. Once you get out of the top 10-20 colleges, not having awards of any kind probably isn't going to make any difference. There is a lot of stuff to look at in the application, and most of the awards given out by your high school are not too meaningful anyway. If you don't want to leave it blank, write in honor roll or NHS. The College Board has some Scholars Award if you get so many scores at some level. They will mail it to you.</p>
<p>I sympathize with suze about the frustration over "Ivy or Bust" although I didn't see anything in the OP about it. The Ivy League was started as a football league, and the schools don't have much in common except for prestige. Someone saying that they have to go to an Ivy is like someone saying that they can only be happy living in either Japan, Bolivia, or Kansas. Look at the different kinds of schools based upon rural/urban/suburban, large/small/midsize, public/private, location, social life, majors offered, LAC/uni, and everything else.</p>
<p>Dufus, I'm lumping in other posts. Here's the thing. I think anyone reading these boards starts to understand that HYPMS are highly unlikely without something extraordinary. Yet all of these posters chime in that it's possible and HYPMS get to keep sending out the huge sack of rejection letters. </p>
<p>I just want a revolt!!!!!!!!!!! It's obnoxious. As parents and even an esteemed college book author have pointed out on this site, they seem to go out of their way to make kids think they really are flexible on stats. What a load of <em>@#$$</em>@**!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>So HYPMS will continue to accept 10% and under and April 1 will continue to be a miserable day here on CC and throughout the land.</p>
<p>I was posting about the "lottery" aspect of HYPSM a couple days ago and I saw two basic attitudes: 1) My life is ruined if I don't get into an Ivy. 2) I'm definitely getting into an Ivy, but a lot of my friends aren't.</p>
<p>Are you talking about Hernandez? I like her in chap 1 of "A is for Admissions" where she explains that not all of the adcoms members are Ivy educated and so the high school applicants have to understand that they are being judged by person who are not as smart as they are.</p>
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I like her in chap 1 of "A is for Admissions" where she explains that not all of the adcoms members are Ivy educated and so the high school applicants have to understand that they are being judged by person who are not as smart as they are.
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<p>I think you have to realize that original book is 7 years old. Since then at Elite schools many of the adcoms have been in the business a lot longer than she has and some of the younger ones are indeed alumni of either the school they are an adcom at or a peer school because the adcom world especially among the Ivies and elites are small and they all know each other.</p>
<p>I recommend her "Acing the College Application". I haven't read her latest "Don't Worry, You'll Get In". </p>
<p>The quote from "A is for Admissions" was not out of context. She talked about how the younger adcoms were typically alumni of an Ivy and were very good at recognizing what it takes to be an Ivy graduate. However, the older adcoms were unfortunately not Ivy graduates and often were unable to recognize what it would take to succeed at an Ivy because they themselves did not have it. Often, she said, she would read an application and recognize a deserving candidate while the other adcoms were unable to see it. I think she feels that the system works, the best always get in (no lottery aspect), and that the adcoms are the guardians of Social Darwinism.
At any rate, why is that in a college guide?</p>