<p>After being a member of the CC community for 5 months, after reading innumerable "chance threads", I am slowly reaching toward a very unpleasant conclusion --- HYP are only for the exceptionally talented kids, NOT for normal ones. What is a "normal" kid? To me, a normal kid means someone with a 2000-2100ish SAT score, few ECs like music and football and decent (but not exceptional) high school grades.
If you don't have a 2300+ score, or if you are not hooked (legacy, athlete, staff kid) or if there is nothing that stands out about you, you do not have a shot at all at HYP. This is really sad, since most kids who have those "exceptional" profiles which include but is not limited to - Published Research Projects, Summer Programmes at Ivy Schools, International Social Service etc etc, do so with the sole purpose of getting in these colleges. I doubt if anyone goes to a country in Africa to help the poor, or goes to Andhra Pradesh to support the rehabilitation of tribals for altruistic contentment. It is almost obvious that these acts of benevolence are mere paths to an Ivy-league education.
One good thing about this whole college admission process is that because of it people are at least doing some kind of social work and helping out in same way. :)</p>
<p>i second this sad fact but that’s how the process is. suck it up and do the best you can.</p>
<p>There’s a fascinating thread in the parents forum about how far parents will go in some schools to help their children manufacture a perfect resume. About halfway through the thread someone coined the term “Johnny Inc” for the student who has his own entourage of tutors, counselors, trainers and advisors to help him look like Ivy League material.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1014224-competing-academically-against-kids-who-have-private-tutors.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1014224-competing-academically-against-kids-who-have-private-tutors.html</a></p>
<p>Believe it or not, there are very many people who participate in charity events because they truly enjoy it.</p>
<p>Your definition of “normal kids” seems to include kids who only think of themselves (no altruistic contentment) and can’t succeed when compared to other kids (low gpa/rank). If so then you’re selling yourself and them short.</p>
<p>Everyone has something unique to offer whether they know it or not, and this is why the essay plays such a huge role in admissions to these schools. The essay is a way to distinguish yourself, because the grades, ECs and test scores all start looking the same after a couple of thousand applications. You need an essay that will stand out and be remembered after those thousands of applications have been reviewed.</p>
<p>
I was somewhat sympathetic with your point until we got to this sour grapes part.</p>
<p>The truth is that HYP do take some “normal” kids–not as you defined them, though. Those schools take some kids who have very good scores and grades and good ECs in their high schools, but no astounding achievements outside school. But there are many, many such kids–thousands of them–so the rate at which they are accepted is lower than the rate for really exceptional kids.</p>
<p>But no, HYP don’t take unhooked kids with SATs of 2000-2100 and “decent” high school grades, and few ECs, any more than highly competitive sports teams take players who can’t play as well as other prospects. Why would they?</p>
<p>I know “normal” kids at all three schools, where normal means happy and well-adjusted.
You are right that very high stats are needed for admission, but having high stats does not preclude being a “normal” kid in other ways.</p>
<p>I agree with the OP. I’m one of the “average kids” he described; I have excellent grades and test scores (well, 2300 isn’t the same as 2000-2100, but still…), but I don’t have an amazing talent, skill, hook, or EC, and I don’t know how to find it.</p>
<p>I guess I would recommend taking a look at Cal Newport’s newest book, How to Become a High School Superstar.</p>
<p>HYP don’t accept “normal” kids in the sense that every applicant they admit often has a very strong sense of social responsibility as well as academic talent and a fair bit of personal ambition. That is to say, if you’re the average teenager whose main interests are entirely self-centered, you probably wouldn’t fare well in the admissions process.</p>
<p>How do you develop a non-self-centered personality?</p>
<p>Read: How to be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport</p>
<p>There’s a huge difference between what most people think gets people into top schools (amazing gpa + tons of Ec’s) vs. what you actually need (amazing skills, failed simulation, good scores, a STORY, and a good enough GPA)</p>
<p>The Funniest thing about this post is that kids actually go to Africa and help the poor to get into college xD</p>
<p>I’ll third Cal Newport’s book. Oh, how I wish I’d discovered Newport my freshman year.</p>
<p>What valuable information does this Newport book provide?</p>
<p>^ A lot. Go to Study Hacks - Decoding Patterns of Success - Cal Newport to get a sense of it… (am I allowed to post links like that here?)</p>
<p>If you go to Harvard forum and ask this question - I think they will throw a cupcake at you <3333</p>
<p>Just kidding <em>hug</em></p>
<p>SAT and high GPA only reflects how good you are as an exam taker, and a student, respectively. </p>
<p>The genius may have easy time getting 100 on everything - so let’s forget about those idiots :0 LOL (Yeah you, IQ 130+)</p>
<p>There are kids born to rich parents and they have privates tutors since they were born (crazy parents made their babies learning 3 languages starting at age of 3). There are plenty of these parents, especially the Chinese parents (can you tell I am a Chinese?). </p>
<p>You also have kids from well-off families (good living - usually below the middle class). They don’t have private tutors. These kids work very hard in school and they do treasure every single opportunities they are given so that they can return a diploma and a Harvard / MIT / Yale / Stanford / etc acceptance letters to their parents as a sign of reward.</p>
<p>Are the kids from the last group talent young people? Yes. Everyone has its own talent(s). But not everyone suits for these IVYs colleges. I know plenty of people rejected these top schools for other reasons (let us crossed out the tuition problem here, too). </p>
<p>If you think you are a talent person, and you love Harvard, fill out the application.
Does Harvard only takes the 2400 SAT, the semifinalist of Intel Research? The winner of the international Olympic Math competition? No.</p>
<p>By the way. I am not a keen student compare to some of my peers. I was able to pull myself to close to 2100, and was accepted to Columbia (but I declined it because of the tuition). I didn’t have amazing GPA or SAT scores? </p>
<p>If you are able to afford at least a computer and an Internet access, you should be able to get at least 700 on Math, 650 on CR if you spend enough time on the practice exams and questions. Math should be easy for people who are serious about Harvard, Yale, Princeton. Those are 7th grade math… sorry I am being mean.</p>
<p>If you have a good review book and spend enough time on it you should always be able to pull your CR up. But CR is a bit tricky and requires additional helps.</p>
<p>Do families game the system by stuffing kids’ resumes? Sure. But it’s also easily recognizable by selective college admissions officers. Inconsistencies in the file come to fore. “Skip” goes to Guatemala to distribute books to the poor brown kids. (Fails to mention that it’s a side trip to his Costa Rica spring break splurge with the other rich kids). But in his teacher recs, little is said about his sense of community with the other students or his own clique. </p>
<p>What does this say? Skip’s mom and dad have a thick bank account.</p>
<p>In contrast, there are genuine programs that attract unbelievable kids. I developed a program at my church were we took about 2 dozen kids from the midwest to visit sister churches in India. The kids had to apply and pledge to raise $1200 in order to qualify for matching scholarships. And the trip was extremely strenuous where we went to several cities over a THREE WEEK period – engaged in some pretty raw service projects. We stayed in some Western style accomodations but often in peoples’ homes. We travelled the common modes of transport. The kids applying knew what they were getting into. No complaints. A great sense of service, a great sense of adventure, a great sense of community. I doubt that these participants were thinking “I wonder how this will look on my resume?”</p>
<p>Think about this problem logically. If you are an average kid you will go to an average school and vis versa. Why would the top school accept average kids? It is a top school because it recruits the top kids. If you don’t have the stats you don’t belong because you probably will end up doing poorly at the school anyways. </p>
<p>At my school there are a lot of minorities (I go to a private prep school and being white is considered minority) who have horrid stats but are accepted into Ivys due to their race. I can gaurentee that these kids will do poorly at the college. If you can’t keep a 3.8gpa + or a 2100 + you really don’t deserve to attend the top schools.</p>
<p>T26E4 - I admit to being a bit sensitive this morning, but your post 18 has offended me. We live in the Midwest, give a full 10% of our gross income to our church and sent our son on a mission trip this summer through his church youth group. However, there were 2 kids in his group who came to up for help in fundraising for their own trip fees. So are you saying that my child’s service trip shouldn’t count because mommy and daddy paid for it, but the kids who came to us for help should have their service hours counted because they received money from us? </p>
<p>Churches and volunteer organizations could not exist if it were not for the financial support of all donors. Are you suggesting that contributions from “rich” donors are only done for selfish reasons??? I suppose I could stop this selfish behavior and pay down my mortgage.</p>
<p>Don’t worry–schools can tell the real charity trips from the resume-building ones, whoever pays for them. I think those done through your church will typically be the real kind. The others are put together by private enterprise. I suspect this is the kind of distinction T26E4 was making.</p>