<p>I constantly see appearing chance threads in which those who have applied or will apply post their SAT scores, grades and extra curricular involvement, awards ect and want others to tell them what their chances are. Most of these chance threads convey applicants that are similar. They all have similar stats that are in the range of what Columbia accepts and most have extra curriculars that all sound the same. ie. varsity sports, head of this club or that club, community service, President of the Class, Editor of the year book ect. Some have leadership and some do not. With only a 7% acceptance rate, admissison officers have to sort through thousands of applications. For regular decision as many as 20,000. Since admission can only be given to a small number of applicants, it is usually the applicant who stands out that gets the admission officers eye. Usually that is someone who has demonstrated great passion in their outside activities usually over years, often with regional or national achievement, or someone who has exceptional achievement in academics that goes beyond what others have , or has an unusual talent with great achievement and recognition. Their application often fits together to tell a compelling story. ie. it is not compelling that an applicant published a book without showing a clear interest over years in writing. What is more compelling is the applicant who has a clear interest in lets say civil rights, and has researched that subject and studied it over years, and published a book on this subject, and founded a club on that area. That combined with other things the applicant might do might make him or her more interesting.
Then there are those applicants who may not have done things that stand out in the sense of extra curriculars, but are under represented minorities, or are from an under represented state, or a recruited athlete, or a legacy, or someone who overcame great obstacles in their lives. These are applicants who may also have an edge.
It is not to say that those applicants who dont have these things wont get accepted. It is just that in this very competitive world of college admissions, where one is competing against thousands of applicants who also have the grades and scores, what is usually considered extraordinary appears ordinary.
I see poster after poster who seem similar asking for others to say whether they have a good chance of getting admission. The reality is that no one knows for sure. Even those whose activities and involvement seem ordinary when compared to others may have a very compelling personal statement that moves admission officers.
Then there are those who ask for others to rate their chances when they clearly know that they have unbelievable achievement and are more likely to get accepted than others. Many of those posters just want their egos stroked.
The reality is that there is no way of knowing who will get accepted and who will not, but what does seem apparent is that many of these chance threads look the same.
For great second tier schools, scores and grades become more important as some have them and others do not, and extra curricular involvement is less important. But for the ivy league and other top tier schools where most who apply have the stats and grades, once the applicant is in the range of stats the school accepts, what else the applicant has to offer the school becomes just as important.</p>
<p>WELL PUT collegebound5! i cant tell u how refreshing it is to read this post! I’ve been telling people this for the longest time</p>
<p>You know, it’s not that I don’t agree with everything said in the original post, but I don’t think it said anything that an Ivy League candidate doesn’t already know. I happen to be a non-traditional student, but putting myself in the shoes of an exceptional 17 or 18 year old kid, I can see why they request that people “chance” them.</p>
<p>Some kids work their asses off just to get to a point where they’re even on the Ivy League’s radar. They know who they’re competing against. They know about their chances. They just want a little encouragement, someone to give them a little bit of hope. Is that really so much to ask? I mean, really, a kid who comes and posts their grades and extracurriculars just want someone to say “hey, good job, I think you have a chance” or “hey, no offense, but it may not be enough”. They know perfectly well that nobody here is really an “authority” on the issue, but I can imagine what it’s like waiting through the decision process, crossing your fingers every day hoping that those SAT scores, extracurriculars, and grades are up to par with the rest; hoping that that one less-than-fantastic semester doesn’t end your dreams; praying every night that you live up to people’s expectations of you. </p>
<p>So yes, it’s a competitive world and everybody knows that, but, if you’re an alum, think back and try to remember what it was like when you were applying to schools. If people want to come here and get a little confidence booster, I see no problem with that. Obviously, this is a pretty emotional time for kids experiencing 12 years of school culminating to one defining moment.</p>
<p>Thanks CU4L91
Jakoblives - I understand what you are saying. Thanks for that perspective as well</p>
<p>I completely agree, and I also think that all these “Chance me” threads just add to they hype and anxiety level that is already far too high for most people on these boards.</p>