For ED does Princeton have 2 rounds of reading?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Princeton University
41

<p>I used to visit these boards last year when my son applied ED and RD to Princeton. His sats were 1450, he was in top 5% of his class with a 4.1 GPA, regular public high school. He was one of the top athlethes in the state (in his sport which I won't mention), and the Princeton coach had his file flagged for the Admin committee. Well, he didn't get in ED. Son tried a full blown marketing campagin when that deferral came in, and had everyone but god write a letter on his behalf. We were told by many of the HS English teachers that helped proof his essays, that they were incredible.</p>

<p>Many of the top colleges in the country were trying to recruit my son, and he got into many of them, but Princeton broke his heart. You want to know where he ended up? Well, I won't name the school, but it is not a top 10....but it is in the top 35 according to Barrons. He is in special double majors honors program, which only accepts 40 kids each year. Because of our income (which is a joke that all middle class families will understand) we didn't get any financial aid from anyone, but this school offered him $10,000 merit aid a year as a Deans Scholar...meaning he came in at the top 5% of their admits, whcih is pretty good since this school has mostly private school kids that didn't make it into the Ivys. His school doesn't even have his sport, so there was no coach involved.</p>

<p>Needless to say, when people heard about the schools that did accept him and he turned them down, they were flabergasted. But you know what? My son is flourishing in his difficult honors program, and is thriving in the campus culture, having the time of his life. Let me repeat that. HE IS HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, AT A LESSER SCHOOL. If everything goes accordingly, he will walk out of that school with probably a gazillion job offers because of the alumni network. He won't be getting his foot in the door because he is graduating from HYP, he will be getting his foot in the door because of who he is, and the bonds that this school creates.</p>

<p>So, to those of you who are applying to Pton, I do wish you the best of luck. However, if you don't get in, it is probably because of the grand plan of life. Enjoy wherever you do go, because you will need to live there for the next four years. And most of all, you need to be happy. Pton or Yale doesn't guarantee happiness for everyone. Happiness is for those who look for it and find it, or make it happen. I know how frustrating this time of year is, so go for it full blast, and if you want to get into Pton, give it 175%....if you don't get in, then at least you know that you tried and gave it everything you had.</p>

<p>And finally, schools do have limitations....they only have so many dorms, so many classrooms, so many professors. They simply can't take everyone. Best to all...</p>

42

<p>great letter great advice now thats a parent!! THANK YOU.</p>

43

<p>Mommypain: How does your son feel about attending a school that does not offer his sport? Why did he turn down the other schools that offered his sport? For me, attending a school that does not offer my sport is like attending a school that does not offer my major. My sport and my major just happen to be my top 2 passions. Unfortunately, there are only about a half dozen schools that offer both. Should I get accepted to a school that does not offer my sport, then I am going to try to start a team! Has your son considered doing that? </p>

<p>You gave some good advice in your post. Getting accepted ED to Princeton only offers one guarantee: that you will be going. It does not guarantee your happiness or what happens after you graduate.</p>

44

<p>Mommypain, you give great advice which we should all take to heart, they are wise words indeed.</p>

<p>However, your post here seems inconsistent with your earlier posts. Here you describe your son as "sats 1450's, top 5%." In your earlier posts you describe your son as:</p>

<p>SATS V: 680, M740
IIs: Bio 710, US History 710; writing 640
Rank: 25/250
Top 10%
Honors and APs: 14 altogether
Weighted GPA 4.1
Unweighted 3.6</p>

<p>The outcome may very well have been the same no matter what his true stats were, but I do think that a verbal sat below 700, sat II's averaging about 685, and an unweighted gpa of 3.6, paints a slightly different picture.</p>

<p>Apologies if this seems nitpicking. Your message is an important one, it's just that I'm a proponent of "truth in advertising" or at least consistency.</p>

45

<p>You are right, I was off on the SAts. Sorry about that. When all was said and done, he graduated 15th in his class, a fact we didn't find out until just recently because our HS didn't post them until mid-summer and by then, we sort of forgot about it...., so he was actually in the top 5% of his class....We just got used to saying top 10%. (Note: They did rank the Sal And Val in time for the June graduation....they just didn't do the rest of the class until later on when all of the grades were actually in).</p>

<p>As far as his sport. It's funny. He started the sport in his freshman year, and we saw a wonderful raw talent. By the middle of 10th grade, he was taking private lessons and just kept getting better and better. By his junior year, he exploded and had an incredible season. By his senior year, he rode the waves of his success, and again was incredible, but then the air started coming out of the balloon. It's like he climbed Mt. Everest....been there, done that......</p>

<p>If he had been accepted into Pton, he definetely would have played the sport out of obligation. In all fairness, I need to add that the Notre Dame coach contacted him at the last minute (December) and wondered if he was applying. My son wasn't at that time, but in a few days, whipped up an application, etc. and sent it out. Needless to say, he didn't get in....with those above stats. I think if he had applied there ED, he probably would have made it in. If he had gotten into ND, he would have competed, certainly out of obligation also.</p>

<p>To play at the other top schools he got into didn't interest him. He didn't want to give up about 3 hours a day to a sport he didn't feel passionately about anymore. Plus, all of those schools would have cost us about $42,000 out of pocket, so, you know what? That's where the parents step in and say, for $42,000, you aren't going to do "this" for "them"...you are going to school for "yourself".</p>

<p>When he stepped on the campus of the "saftey" school he is now at (we didn't even visit the school until after acceptance), he fell in love. In fact, as I said he is now a double major, and one of the majors was not anything in a million years he would ever have been interested in. but there was something about the special program that he is in (and they took him in at the last minute, since most kids applied ED to get into this program), he knew where he belonged.</p>

<p>Does he miss his sport? Yes and no. But he is now involved in three different club activities (academic, not sports) in addition to his classes. And guess what? He has also met three other kids from the "sport" circuit who didn't continue the sport. He enjoys sharing with them their "war" stories".</p>

<p>Let me end by saying this. We had our hopes up for Pton and ND, we really did because of the sports hook. When that deferral letter came in for Pton, I cried and cried. My son handled it with grace and dignity. When the actual rejection letters (Pton and ND) came in April, my heart broke. I couldn't even talk to people without getting all choked up. I thought it was the end of the world.</p>

<p>But, he is so happy now (although he went through a rough spot about two weeks ago.....which had me very worried....but he has pulled through). Kids are reseliant (sp?) and they may stumble and fall, but they pick themselves up and brush themselves off way better than us parent's do!!</p>

46

<p>resilient* :D</p>

<p>And thanks for the advice!</p>

47

<p>Excellent post!</p>

48

<p>he was an official recruit?....you're sure he was on the princeton coach's list?.....it's one thing to be a recruit and another just to be a accomplished potential athlete</p>

49

<p>He absolutely was a recruit. there were numerous conversations back and forth between the coach and my son, and the coach and myself. plus, he had also taken lessons from the coach in his sophmore year, before my son moved on to a different club.</p>

<p>Also, my husband and the coach had a very long conversation (they ran into each other at a national sporting event) about my son. We know this guy, and my son's file was definetely marked or flagged or whatever the terminology is. The coach did emphasise (and I am talking a minor sport here, so I am not talking abut football or baseball), that all he had the power to do was flag (again, I'm not sure what the terminology is) the file. After that, it was up to the powers that be. We know that the coach was very disappointed because after ED, he didn't get anyone that he flagged. Did he end up getting anyone after RD? I don't know, because we never followed up.</p>

<p>Yes, there are new (freshman kids) on the roster, but whether or not they came in on their own or came in with the flagging by the coach, we will never know. All I can say is that I do not recognize any of the names on the this year's roster, meaning, I don't recognize any of the names from national competitions. And trust me, when you are in a sport, you know your competition.............</p>

50

<p>so the adcoms may just pick well accomplished athletes who aren't recruited if they like their records and applications better?</p>

51

<p>Kathy, were you accepted? What are your stats? You have no grounds to make such comments on the OP.</p>

<p>To the OP, there's no harm in trying. Good luck. Maybe I will see you there.</p>

52

<p>If I am understanding your question, anyone can tryout for a position on a particular team. It's called a "walk on". Not all college athletes are recruited. However, I would imagine with Division I teams like football, baseball, basketball, etc. there probably aren't that many walk-ons....(but...I really don't know that for a fact...just guessing).</p>

53

<p>Zach: I misread your question the first time. I just re-read it. Yes, yes, I guess the adcoms can do that. But I don't know that for a fact because I don't know who else the coach flagged. I looked at the team roster for this year, and I didn't recognize any of the freshman names. And, in the sport, you know and recognize many names because of national tournaments, etc.</p>

<p>However, I as I stated previously, I never asked the coach after RD decisions if any of his flagged recruits made it in. I can only ASSUME that the kids that are on the team now, probably weren't flagged by the coach...due to me not recognizing them on a national competitive level. however, who knows?
I could be wrong. I honestly just don't know.</p>

54

<p>Gee, Kathy you sound so mean. I would love to read your teacher's recs. This cruelty must ooze from your pores like fetid garbage rotting in the hot California sun.</p>

<p>You could have the most amazing GPA and perfect SAT's but if your teachers and counselor's convey the inevitable impressions that your generate in a tepid analysis of you as a person ... you might as well give up.</p>

<p>In reality no one likes your attitude though they may tolerate you to your face. You may go far but my money's on your reaching a very low glass ceiling. </p>

<p>Get some damn finesse and maybe some counseling.</p>

55

<p>just a note, this is talking with the head of the classics department at princeton (good friend with one of his sons :D) -- this year, at least, princeton will place more emphasis on your gpa and overall class rank, rather than your SAT scores since they don't have much to evaluate how good the new SAT is, thus, if you took and submitted a new sat, it will either help you a little, if you have a high score, or will hurt you minimally. This, however, cannot be said for the SAT2s or people who took the old SAT. So yeah...for those who got a sub par score on the new SAT, don't worry!! :)</p>

56

<p>Mommypain-</p>

<p>I have trouble finding sympathy for your son. You make it sounds like your son is extremely qualified and got jipped when he got rejected. I have news for you. 25% of accepted students are princeton had sat II averages of 780 or higher. 75% had averages of 700 or higher. That final 25% percent includes your son. Right there, he has very weak chances, because that final group consists almost entirely of minorities.</p>

<p>Next, the rank that was sent out to colleges was 25/250. He is barely making top ten percent! One spot less and he wouldn't have been in the top ten percent! 94% of the students there were in the top ten percent. You son barely made that. Your son's SAT I scores are also low for Princeton. The average GPA at Princeton for accepted students is 3.83. Your son if FAR FAR below that. </p>

<p>Overall, I find it highly amusing that you expected your son to get into Princeton. His stats are very weak. If he wasn't a supposed recruited athlete, would he have had any glimmer of hope? You can answer that yourself. But what it appears happened here is you relied far too heavily on the weight of being an "athlete." That should be an addition, not the entire package which it was for your son </p>

<p>Finally, you lied about your son's stats to gain more sympathy from readers. He wasn't top 5 percent, according to what the colleges saw. Sure you 'forgot' his SAT scores, when you were so involved that you "thought it was the end of the world" when he was rejected. I bet this lying and misleading nature was seen by the adcom, who perhaps rejected your son for partially this reason. </p>

<p>Look, your son was underqualified for Princeton based on his stats. Good for him if he had gotten in, but the chances were very much so stacked against him. To have anticipated an acceptance, as I got the impression you did, was wrong. I don't mean to be rude, but to make it seem like your son was wronged here is disingenuous, though it appears you are accustomed to being that.</p>

<p>the source for essentially of the above stats is P r i n c e t o n R e v i e w</p>

57

<p>Read the note to Kathy. It applies to you.</p>

<p>If this were a movie and you were a character ... and that's what you'd be a caricature of a character ... you'd be the arrogant moron.</p>

58

<p>Why would you put other people down? Does it make you feel better that you think that you understand the complexity of the college admissions process based upon what the Princeton review wrote? I think you should reanalyze the situation and realize how naive you are to think that you can summarize the college admissions process with some percents from Princeton review. Not only is it a single source, but the numbers don’t account for the fact of correlation or causation, do you understand? Just because many have high numbers doesn’t mean that’s why they were accepted, its just another part of their application, that Princeton review wants you to focus on so you can TAKE THE PRINCETON REVIEW COURSES.</p>

59

<p>Ouch, Gregster, you just rocked desertman.</p>

60

<p>i don't like desertman's attitude. he made comments with a similar tone in one of the chances threads as i recall. you should learn to accept what people say with perfect honesty, not 'reading between the lines' and looking for stuff to pick on like that. im sorry to say this, but if your attitude was in any way hinted in your application, you are a goner.</p>