@EyeVeee
I think the college admission process is unhealthy and demands too much of high school students. I’m preaching to the choir here. But the less we ask them to do with college applications, the better.
Believe me, folks at Stanford don’t like it either. But when 50,000 kids apply for 2,000 spots, your hands are tied–you’re forced to have an ever-increasing, almost impossibly-demanding bar for students to meet as demand increases and supply stays the same. We ask kids to take on copious amounts of rigorous AP work, study for way too many exams, and then ask them to do incredible extracurricular activities that resemble a professional resume–at 16. So I support anything that makes applying to college easier and more affordable.
Malcolm Gladwell points out we should increase supply: make more seats available at schools. For example, University of Toronto is an outstanding school: Acceptance Rate 43% with a freshman class of over 15,000. Stanford and Harvard are taking 4% and 2,000. It’s an important and interesting conversation. (Gladwell even raises the idea of admission by lottery.)
More to your point, is this just a play by colleges to move up the rankings by increasing their selection rate? The cynical part of me says, yes, that’s definitely part of it. But I worked with about 30 people at Stanford–and to a person, they were all deeply committed to access to education, cared about students’ mental health, were educators and ethical people who felt humbled that they could change the trajectory of a student’s life. So, the optimist in me says that other institutions are filled with people like this and they genuinely do want to lower barriers to entry to make it easier for students to apply, and to get more diverse student bodies. I think we’ll have a better answer to your question after we see how test-optional affects the composition of the freshman class next year.
“We were trying to track down if Stanford counts freshman grades yesterday–I think they have changed that. When I was there, we didn’t.”
Wow this is surprising, on the same note, would you know how exactly SU6 is calculated for REA applicants? Would this now include freshman grades? Or is it just sophomore and junior?
Thanks so much for this great AMA. What would you say about an applicant who is a late-blooming boy–a handful of Bs in frosh/soph years, but had something happen that made him change his way (subject of essay) and has straight As in all AP classes junior and senior (so far) years, 36 ACT and perfect SAT subject tests? You said more than 1 or 2 Bs would make it extremely difficult in the top schools. Does the total turnaround and perfect test scores do anything to change that?
It sounds like you’re a former admission officer or someone who’s worked for one of these schools. I’ve always been down on the idea of “fit” because I’ve never heard anyone articulate a meaningful distinction between what Harvard wants compared to Stanford or Yale or any other top schools (sans schools like engineering, military, or religious institutions.)
You mention each “has a sense of identity and the community they want to build.” I’m asking in earnest: What, exactly, is Harvard–or any of these schools–looking for in an applicant that’s unique to their school and the community they want to build?
@askinva That’s the strongest academic turnaround story I’ve heard of. If anyone has a shot at winning an admission officer over with an upward trend story, you sound like a candidate!
My daughter has an unusual high school trajectory. She attended a private school for 2 years, then went to France for her junior year last fall. The study abroad program was rigorous and all classes were either Honors or AP as well as mostly taught in French. When her program ended early due to Covid, she enrolled in our local public school where she will graduate this year. I am concerned about how this is all reflected on her transcript. Her current high school has incorporated the 2 different high schools into their own transcript and have calculated their own version of her GPA. They did not give her the additional credit for the 4 honors courses she took overseas, because they are not recognized by the UC system. My daughter is applying to both public and private universities, and this GPA calculation diminishes all of the work she did last year in her classes.
I’ve asked the school to remove her junior year from their transcript, and they have refused. I am worried that an AO won’t delve deeper into her transcript since it is all laid out for them on the first page. Additionally, she will now be grouped with other applicants from her new high school that have been taking AP classes since freshman year. My daughter did not have the option to take more than 2 AP classes (French and AB Calc - both 5’s) until her junior year.
Am I being paranoid feeling like she is at a disadvantage compared to her new peers? What are your thoughts on the transcript issue? I am surprised that her public school incorporated her private schools at all, but now that they have, they are not budging on taking them off. She is a straight A student that has always taken the hardest course load available to her.
Would appreciate any insight! Thanks for being here!
Absolutely. I coach it as your "admissions alter ego." It's an advanced move to hand the admission reader a sticky way to remember you when they pull you up in committee months later. "Oh, this is my Botanist-Computer-Science-Kid who's obsessed with black holes--I loved this student."
I worked with a student who wrote his essay on jazz and design; Miles Davis and DaVinci. He ended the essay with his affirmation that he wanted to become a “syncopated-scientist.” I loved that. I was a one-time hand model in middle school for Stratego. (“Middle school? Wait, you’re not allowed to put that down.”) It was a total miss not to put that down in my application. Anything that can give you texture or dimension–it makes you interesting, you stand out, and it helps your admission officer remember you and pitch you more effectively at committee.
"I haven't applied anywhere early. Notre Dame is my first choice." What do you think? I'm not sure. A short, clean line like that would probably catch the reader's attention. I'd have to think about it more. I might lean towards just making your case in the Notre Dame essays. But I don't see something like that line above in Additional Info hurting you. It's his application--see what he thinks.
I take a different approach to the common application than most people and from some I’ve heard from on this thread. I teach my kids to let their hair down and use the common app in the most creative way possible. They shouldn’t be constrained by the application–they should think as creatively as possible inside the boxes to stand out.
That’s also why I coach my kids that the essay prompts really don’t matter. (I know, controversial, people will disagree.) We just think them up to “prompt you” to say something smart and interesting. Stanford, for example, got rid of it’s Why Stanford? because that prompt produces such bad answers. But do you think I ever read an amazing response to an essay and said, “Well, she didn’t really answer the prompt?” When you’re up against single-digit acceptance rates, you should take big swings and do everything you can to stand out. Try to win big, don’t lose small!
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, my IB exams will be be in May 2021 so I won’t have my official grades by January. The earliest grades I’ll get are for my mock exams in the early February (1st or 2nd Feb). Should I send colleges an updated grades if it’s a month after the deadline already?
That’s a wrap for me. Thanks for the hard, thoughtful questions. I tried to get to everyone at least once. I hope it was helpful.
Remember: This process is subjective and involves a lot of luck. Focus on what you can control. You’re engaged in the art of persuasion. You’re trying to convince a skeptical-speed-reading-stranger to admit you to their school. You need to transform them from judge to personal advocate. How do you do it?
One key way is with IV: Teach them about an idea you find fascinating and important; dazzle them with creativity, thoughtfulness, a new insight about something old.
Another key way is building an academic point of excellence: You’re applying to be a student who works with college professors. Always remember that. What is your compelling vision for what you want to study at their school and why? How do you want to use their limited resources to do something important in the world? Where’s the proof you’re legitimately interested in this?
And a final key is texture: Deploy humor, self-deprecation, humility, and levity throughout your application. If you find your activity descriptions and essays boring–so will your reader. They are a human being who’s tired and is on application 50 for the day. Don’t play it safe. Give them something novel, new, and arresting when they read your first sentence!
Hi! I’m a current high school senior and I was named a Questbridge finalist. I want to know your opinion on getting matched to Stanford as it is my top-ranked school (I have ranked others though).
Objective
I have a 3.77 UW and a 4.55 W. However, most of what is bringing down my GPA is in freshman year, and I’ve only gotten one “B” throughout my sophomore, junior, and senior years (so far in senior).
I have a 1430 SAT (700W 730M) and a 33 ACT (36R, 35E, 31S, 27M) and I submitted both. My intended major is Classics. I have gotten the following AP scores: APUSH 5, APBIO 5, APLIT 3, APSTATS 3, APLATIN 3, APLANG 4, APEURO 5, APCALC AB 3, APCHEM 3, APUSGOV 5, APWORLD 3.
No ranks but my school is in the top 5 high schools in the state.
Subjective:
School Musical Theater Program (Assistant Director/Performer) 4+years
International Thespian Society (VP) 4 years
National Honor Society (VP) 3 years
Junior Classical League (A Latin based competition club) § 2 years
National Latin Exam Society (P and founder) 1 year
National Charity League (Sec) 3 years
Mustang Mentor Program 3 years
I wrote, directed, and performed a one-act play based on a Roman myth.
I am also doing a senior project with an app development firm where I will create a full mock-up of an app to identify insects in my home state.
Awards:
2nd place in a National Theater Competition
1st place in state theater competition
1st place in state Certamen Competition (Latin quiz bowl competition)
Questbridge Finalist
AP Scholar with Distinction
Honor Roll/Commended Scholar Award (top 15% of class)
Latin Student of the Year
Musical Theater Student of the Year
Demographics:
1st Generation American from a poor Eastern European country
Ward of the State- became one at 17yrs old
Disability- PTSD, Anxiety, Depression
Female, LGBTQ+
Essays:
Biographical- about my transition into foster care and life with abusive parents also how I have overcome these challenges and let go of my resentment
Community Essay- I said I love how everyone at my school is super ambitious and motivated, but I wish we could be more collaborative and amicable.
Recommendations- waived my right to read
