@Wien2NC thanks for sharing. Very interesting. Congrats to your son!
@preppedparent said:
In the Ivy thread on this page, there is a poster who just announced he got into all 8 Ivies, plus Stanford REA. I’m sure his stats can be found easily to see what made him such a stellar candidate. And maybe one could glean some info about “packaging.”
thank you very much. we are all quite frankly still very much in shock.
At the end of the day, we still don’t know a couple of key factors about these students’ applications. Rigor of academic record is a big one. At my children’s school, the valedictorian often will not get into a top school because she has taken less rigorous courses to get the highest GPA. (However, those who have lesser GPAs but are in the top decile will go on to elite colleges because they’ve taken harder classes.) The counselor has to check that box about the degree of rigor in course curriculum, so there’s no way to fudge that. Also, the counselor checks the box (ranging from “below average” to “outstanding”) about how a particular student performs with regard to academics, character and extracurriculars. So, we might hear about a kid on the boards with terrific stats who started a non-profit to feed the homeless but the counselor knows that the founder never attends meetings or does the work outside of school to launch the program. That student will have marks against his character and EC success on the counselor form. Finally, we don’t know about the students’ essays. Based on what I’ve read on these boards, many students write about the same topics admissions readers see thousands of times over without taking the time (or knowing how to do this) to develop their voice and write about a quirk, a talent, a habit that is truly unique to them. The students who can articulate something unique about themselves, whose voices come through in their writing, do the best as their essays allow them to “speak” to admissions officers in a crowded field of applicants. Because we don’t know key aspects of CC posters’ applications, it’s impossible to evaluate the “reasonableness” of admission outcomes, in my humble opinion.
@Wien2NC Congrats on the great acceptances. Wonderful news and it shows again how unpredictable the process is.
I don’t think this post is at all saying a mistake to apply to multiple reaches, but rather it is expressing frustration that people who have one or two great acceptances post to whine about where they didn’t get it – It would be more like if you created a “woe is me” post to complain about your son not getting into Vandy, Rice, ND when he has two absolutely fantastic options.
He lives in North Dakota.
oh i agree, that’s frustrating. “I got rejected from everywhere! I only got into Cal and UCLA!” barrfff.
When he got Northwestern he said, “I’m so excited I don’t care if I get rejected everywhere else!”
naturally he changed his tune when he got the Duke acceptance. now he’s got a tough choice.
we are on Cloud 9 but i do feel for the kids who are just as deserving getting shut out. i honestly thought that would be us. we now know we would have gotten a good package from NC State and he would have been OK with that.
we are so very grateful to Duke and Northwestern but we still cannot say what made them say “yes” to him and “no” to so many other utterly outstanding students. it just seems like a complete mystery.
@katkatmouse 8 ivy-kid does have fantastic stats. 800’s and leadership EC’s. Not takin’ anything away from that great student, but yes, I also saw his main hook was his location. North Dakota. I think that safely accounts for all 8. If not from ND, I am sure he still would have gotten at least 2 ivy acceptances, though I have not crystal ball and am not clairvoyant.
^^Was so sick and tired at Info Sessions hearing at elite schools how elusive that 1 student was they were missing–from North Dakota. "Oh we have 49 states represented here…Guess which state we’re missing?..you know the rest.
i wonder if we are going to see a run of families moving to Fargo and Bismarck to give their kids an edge for Ivy admissions
^^^^^^Lol!
Packaging is not the ivy ticket. An amazing kid, even if they don’t know how to sell themselves, will have a GC or teacher rec that sells it.
There is a huge difference in a very strong candidate statistically and the superkid.
I think some of the students did not even try to think it over if they even want to be there. Did they checked the campus? Did they think it’s the right fit? Are they just trying to score points because it’s good for the ego?
Agree with @HRSMom.
A kid who, when in jr. high, blows away adults with her intelligence, thoughtfulness, and maturity (as in, she has more of that than college grads) and then goes on to win all sorts of national awards and be nationally ranked in HS is a superkid. She does not need packaging.
Someone who needs packaging may be successful at getting a few elite admittances, but that’s iffy.
I think the saddest thing is these people are “disappointed” about attending Georgetown, UVA, WashU, Cornell, etc. when those are so many people’s dream schools. Just seems unfair that some ingrate got in over a slightly less qualified candidate who’s much more appreciative of the school. Such is life though. Then they settle for Nova, or BC, someone else’s dream school. And so on.
Lol it’s because these kids are all doing “chance me and I’ll chance you back” threads and telling each other they’ve got a good chance of getting into HYP and then they’re surprised when they get waitlisted to 1 and rejected from the rest. I’ll bet this happens every year on CC.
I don’t know if its “superkid” or not. I just read a good article again about how ivy admissions is not a meritocracy. We don’t know why some students are deemed worthy of an opportunity when others with just as good stats or better are passed over. I do think hooks and “packaging” to underscore challenges, hardships, low SES etc weighs in heavily.
Those are the hooked kids. The suoerkids and the hooked kids will take 1/2 the spots! (The hooked superkid gets into all the top 20 schools! Lol!)
@HRSMom You’re right HRSMom, I think it could be more like 100% of the spots, however, not just 1/2.
I am sorry guys but the “national awards” thingy is iffy too.
My daughter has not one but four friends that got in the HYP this year and not one of them is nationally ranked in anything or having national awards. I know personally the one from her drama club and indeed she does blow away adults with her intelligence but she absolutely did not “compete” or achieve in CC lingo at anything. Done all the plays in the high school, aced her tests and exams and I am sure got crazy good LORs. When news came out yesterday than a girl hit the “jack pot” all immediately knew it was her and she was. How did we know? I guess that’s the intangible qualities that those schools look for and it is not always quantified as achievements or awards.
I also think those schools are going around everywhere picking up students from unlike places and that increases the competition. But is it not that they are looking for superhumans.